What do you all HONESTLY think of Martin guitars?

[merlin666]

I have heard and played some that were great and played some that were not inspiring at all. Overall I think they are way overpriced because of the name on the headstock, and the brand suffers from excessive model bloat.

[Scott of the Sa]

I think Martin builds a quality guitar.
I played a few Martins before I came across the HD-28 that I own now. I have never been disappointed with this guitar.
My son has a 000-16RGTE that is also a very good guitar. I like the pickup system, but I don't like the barn door. I would have bought a guitar like that when I was looking, but in 1987 there were not alot of Acoustic Electric options.

[Fresh1985]

Your needs scream OM or 000. But if you like to strum pretty hard then a dread is truly the most versatile guitar. Just depends if your needs demand that sort of power.

Martin make great sounding guitars but I think there are plenty of other alternatives that offer more for the money depending where you are in the world.

When you by a martin you have to accept that you pay a big premium for the name on the headstock and the history that comes with it.

[PeterM]

When I brougt my first Martin home several years ago I commented "why would anyone buy a different brand?"

[bufflehead]

Martin guitars? Honestly? I like 'em.

[Kerbie]

I don't own Martins any longer, but they make great guitars. They've set the standard for years with good reason.

[reinert]

I have 3 Martins, and they're all keepers for me. I have a 1992 D16H (mahogany back and sides), a 2004 OOO16RGT (rosewood back and sides), and an Ambertone HD28 made in 2019 (rosewood back and sides). They all play different, and all have 14 fret necks per the model style. They all have great actions, and they all sound wonderfully different tone-wise. As far as I know, they are all Nazareth, PA, made (the D16H and the HD have the Martin brand stamp on the strip where you see it through the sound hole, and the OOO16 has the paper label inside where they always are, and it says Nazareth, PA, on the label). Yup, all Nazareth boxes.

The two 16s have end pin jack pick-ups in them, and when plugged into my old 90s era Fender Pass Port PA system, the sound is "knock yer socks off" beautiful. I haven't tried the HD through a mic yet, but I have no doubt the sound would be completely awesome (may have a pick-up installed someday, just because). I love 'em all, all keepers.

One thing I did do before I purchased any of them (any acoustic guitar I've ever owned actually) was get to play them first. I'm a true believer that you need to play an instrument to see if they fit, play, and sound as they should FOR YOU before a purchase. Also, obviously, you get to check the instrument over for any blems or any other questionable "issue" you might find about it. I can only understand that for some that might not be possible; a chance must be taken via the mail. I do get that. Luckily, I haven't had to do that for any acoustic guitar I've ever owned...yet.

My last Martin, my HD, I bought after playing more than a half dozen Martins, and was really looking for that smaller body style than the dread (tried the OM28, OO18, OOO28, OOO18, OM21 and even a OOOO model that I can't remember what the designation number model it was now). I didn't like any one of those guitars, all brand new Martins, all in the same shop. Either the sound, or the action, or whatever, on every one of those I played didn't want to go home with me. I was ready to buy a new guitar, but I really was thinking it wasn't going to happen that day. I was sort of disappointed in the Martin brand at that point, on that day. Then, the guitar guy said, "Here, try this one." And then he brought out the HD I brought home with me. Immediately I knew after strumming the G,C,D chords that this was the one that wanted to go home with me, even though I really wasn't looking for a dread. After running through the chords and riffs that I play generally, it was hands down, the best sounding Martin I played in that shop, and it still is. A great guitar that I got last March, and haven't once thought something needed to be adjusted on it for my own, personal playability to this day. There's a lot of them out there in this day and time for the hunting, and I found a really good one, just as I got it.

And BTW, as a parting shot here, on page 253 of Tony's bio, "Still Inside, The Tony Rice Story," by Tim Stafford and Caroline Wright, the Master himself said:

"People are playing guitars other than Martins now because Martin ain't made a decent guitar since 1955! They just haven't. That's reality."

On that same page, there's a picture of Tony from 1978 playing his Ovation... He also comments on the Santa Cruz guitars; good stuff. The book is a really good read. Lots on the legendary Clarence White D28, too, "The Antique," that rested under a bed for 9 years before Tony got it.

Tony's a hero to me, always will be, but I do love my "indecent" Martins...

[Glennwillow]

What do you all HONESTLY think of Martin guitars?

I honestly think Martin makes some good guitars. They also make some that are completely uninspiring. They make so many models that it's mind boggling, so a person has to know what he/she wants and what works for him/her.

I own a 1967 Martin D-35, and 2006 000-28VS, and a 2018 D-45. Each of these guitars are very good, but they are not cheap. I have been playing seriously for 56 years, some of that time professionally, so I have a pretty good handle on what works and what doesn't work for me. I have also played a lot of very unimpressive Martin guitars that did not work for me at all.

I also own guitars from Gibson, Santa Cruz, Collings, Olson, Sheppard, Guild, and Taylor, so I have no illusions that only Martin makes great guitars.

So, as you know, .... caveat emptor or buyer beware. Best of luck to you.

- Glenn

[Conomor]

The two Martins I bought this year did not impress me. The second of the two, bought as new, ended up needing a binding repair and a neck reset. The stress and hassle of getting the dealer to take that one back left a lasting impression.

[llew]

Originally Posted by Scotso

No expert but have been told-
Tall saddle with too much string break angle reduces the hinge effect of the bridge/saddle combo and shifts the tone to less bass response due to the down force on the saddle. Theoretically that is why guys like Kimsey always are talking about saddle height of 0.135 inches on Martins as ideal. But again..no expert here. Just saying Eastman is known for too much neck angle and really tall saddles as a fix

I've shaved the saddle down to lower the action on my E20D-TC and haven't detected a difference in tone as far as bass response is concerned?

[aeisen93]

I have a Martin X1-DE. It usually sells new for $600 and I got it on sale for $460, with free shipping. It's an amazing guitar!! Sounds so loud and full.

I have played a few higher end ones like a D28 and D35, and I wasn't impressed with them. I prefer the cheaper X1-DE...

[Br1ck]

I pretty much have ignored everything below the 15 series, and every model with more than two letters in the alphabet. I understand Martin has to make cheap guitars and they fill a need. I also realize they need Taylor like guitars.

So with that said, a D 18 will do everything. An OM will almost do anything. There are some who would play bluegrass on one, but not me. Do I own one? Ironically, no, because my 70 Guild D 35 is so good. But the D 18 is my go to recommendation unless it feels wrong to the player. I've played D 16s with adi tops that were good too.

Ideally, you'd play the guitar you'll buy, but if you can't buying one online is a pretty safe bet. I'd buy a Collings online too, though I don't like them, but their consistency is legendary. But I can tell you I can't count the times I've been uninspired by 70s Martins, and blown away too. Trust your ears.

[Scotso]

Originally Posted by llew

I've shaved the saddle down to lower the action on my E20D-TC and haven't detected a difference in tone as far as bass response is concerned?

hey that's cool.

My new Eastman came with a really tall saddle but the action was low...lightly playable but low. So I wanted a new saddle. Ordered one from Colosi but it was lower than the one in there. Took the guitar to my local guy, he told me that Eastmans have a tendency for overangled necks. He suggested sending it back. I asked him to raise the action from 4.5/64s to 6 or 7/64s on the E. He had to craft the saddle out of a tall bone blank.When I returned to get the guitar the saddle looked like I had the Jolly Bone Giant for a saddle and it sounded thin. So I took it off and put the old back on and put a new nut in with slightly higher slots which helped raise the overall action. As in all these things...sometimes your ears hear what they have been told they will hear. But I have been told overly tall saddles reduce the guitar's responsiveness.

Glad your experience is different. But the point remains. Makers tend to have tendencies toward defects on new guitars. Martin is not enough neck angle. Eastman is too much. I do not expect perfection as these are guitars made of wood with a lot of hand work. If I do not like what I see on a guitar, I do not buy it. But none of this changes my mind. Martins are great and Eastmans are great..

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I think ALL the US guitar makers have great guitars in their range - you just need to find the one that suits you best.

+1.

I'm a Martin fan of their Standard Series and above. Hoping one day I end up with that HD-35

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by llew

Just curious...what does that do to the tone? FWIW...my luthier says he'd rather deal with an underset neck than an overset one.

I definitely had an Eastman with an overset neck. The saddle was over 6mm tall! That said, it was really snappy and loud because of it. But even though I wanted to put medium gauge strings on it, I never did because I was worried about the torque over the saddle causing the bridge to crack. My luthier said the bridge was actually pretty thin compared to something like Martin or Collings. He recommended replacing the bridge and using a smaller saddle. I just sold it instead to buy something else.