Martin HPL guitars as an alternative to carbon fiber...

[gerardo1000]

I am lucky enough to own three carbon fiber guitars (from Emerald and Rainsong) that I love, and I owned for a brief time a McPherson Sable. I have been a carbon fiber guitars fan for years. Yesterday I visited a couple of Guitar Center stores and I had the opportunity to play two Martin Special X acoustic-electric guitars. These are all HPL (high pressure laminate) models, including the top, that Martin builds exclusively for Guitar Center and for its sister company, MusiciansFriend.com. I played extensively the dreadnought version, with a rosewood pattern, and the Triple 0 (OM shape) version, also with a rosewood pattern. As you may know, the look of the guitar does not change the sound. Either they have a koa, or a rosewood, or a macassar, or a mahogany pattern printed over the HPL body, they sound the same assuming that the shape (dreadnought, 000, Grand Performance) is the same. I have played some HPL Martin guitars a few years ago and I remember that I was not particularly impressed, but I guess that Martin made progress with this line of instrument. This time I was quite positively surprised: I was expecting the sound, because of the HPL/non wood top, to be "muddy", but it was not. Both guitars sounded clear and balanced, I really could hear each string while playing. Did they sound better than my three carbon fiber guitars? Probably not, but they didn't sound too much worse. For example, I found that the Martin HPL 000 sounded very similar to my Emerald X7. Now, here is the point: these guitars cost four times less than a standard Emerald, five times less than a Rainsong, and almost six times less than a McPherson carbon fiber. And they can also, as their carbon fiber counterparts, be kept out of their case or gig bag all year round, hanging on the wall, no matter what is the humidity or the lack of it. So my conclusion is: my hat off to Emerald, Rainsong, McPherson for their wonderful carbon fiber instruments. But also, my hat off to Martin for being able to offer such an excellent alternative, especially for customers that cannot afford a carbon fiber instrument! (P.S.: I brought home the Martin 000 HPL...:-)

[steelvibe]

I personally would go for a solid top and laminated b/s at ($499-649), but it is amazing how good they do sound considering the HPL construction.

This is an interesting look at the 000-X2

[gerardo1000]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

I personally would go for a solid top and laminated b/s at ($499-649), but it is amazing how good they do sound considering the HPL construction.

A Martin with a HPL body and a solid sitka spruce top, though, is not really a substitute for a carbon fiber guitar. It would still need to be humidified in winter, otherwise there is a risk that the top may crack. Martins with all HPL construction, instead, can hang on the wall all year long. They may not sound as good as the version with solid top, but they are an excellent affordable alternative to carbon fiber guitars!

[Captain Jim]

I am not a fan of the Martin HPL guitars. To my ear, the ones I played (and I have only ever played two) sounded dull. I would hope they have improved them, since it has been about 10 years since I tried one.

When I first started looking for a carbon fiber guitar, I stopped in a Guitar Center in Washington State; the salesman there had never heard of a carbon fiber guitar. I was trying to describe a RainSong to him, and when he heard "black top," he pulled an HPL Martin off the wall with a black top... "See? Just like what you are looking for!" I was moderately appalled that it wasn't even a veneer on the top, but essentially "a photo" (and in this case, a solid black photo) over the top of what sounded to me (the way he described it) like "pressed wood."

No, it isn't "the same" as a carbon fiber guitar, it is still a "wood product," and will be sensitive, like wood, to changes in temperature and humidity, and not be able to be repaired as easily as solid wood.

A solid wood top with the HPL back and sides would be better, but that isn't "an alternative" to carbon fiber any more than any other wood guitar.

If it works for you, I am happy that you found a guitar that pleases you. We all get to pick what we like. I'm surprised that Martin hasn't put a photo of carbon fiber on their HPL guitars. Sacrilegious? Yeah, probably.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by gerardo1000

A Martin with a HPL body and a solid sitka spruce top, though, is not really a substitute for a carbon fiber guitar. It would still need to be humidified in winter, otherwise there is a risk that the top may crack. Martins with all HPL construction, instead, can hang on the wall all year long. They may not sound as good as the version with solid top, but they are an excellent affordable alternative to carbon fiber guitars!

I guess it wouldn't make sense for a quality maker like Martin to make tops any other way. Even still I would share the same concerns you have but would also add that the top and HPL b/s will expand and contract at different rates. When Driftwood cut one of these in half I guess it was shocking to me considering how much Martin is asking for them.

[Aspiring]

I'd have to try the Martin to be sure, but at a price point of 650. I picked up an Enya X4 which is actual carbon and I'm guessing sounds better.

The Martin does have a 1.75 nut though.

Sent from my motorola edge (2021) using Acoustic Guitar Forum mobile app

[jdinco]

A friend brought over a MARTIN DXMAE 30TH ANNIVERSARY guitar a few months ago, I was thinking poo poo too just like the other HPL nay sayers here, it wasn't though! It was a dread size and played easily and sounded good to me. So I know where you are coming from Geraldo, plus it had a really cool picture of a rattlesnake on it, which my Sable is lacking. I would buy one if I found one at a decent price. It's a decent tough guitar, but no, it's not a Sable , RS or Emerald CF.