#1
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(Very) Partially CF (Expensive) Martin
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#2
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With respect, the fact that is has a few CF parts used here and there is a VERY different thing from being made out of carbon fiber. This is still an $8000 wood (Adi spruce and mahogany) guitar for all practical purposes, with all the corresponding vulnerabilities to humidity and temperature. Carbon fiber neck reinforcements have been used for many years by many builders.
Interesting that Martin is trying various exotic materials to reduce weight. However, I've never noticed any direct correlation between a guitar's weight and its quality of tone. |
#3
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Quote:
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#4
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(Very) Partially CF (Expensive) Martin
I want a set of the magical liquid metal bridge pins. :-)
__________________
"Lift your head and smile at trouble. You'll find happiness someday." |
#5
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Yeah, kinda sounds like someone at Martin has been taking hints from a certain San Diego marketing machine.
There is also now a thread about this model in the General room...... |
#6
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OK! I think I will pass. I have avoided ivoroids so far in this life and I think I will sleep better by not acquiring them through this Martin.
On a slightly more serious note, I suspect the carbon fiber head plate for example is a means to test the CF water. They can claim it as merely a passing accent on one of their premier guitars or they can say "look we've been doing CF in our guitars since 2018 and before the other major manufacturers did".
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Cheers, Tom PS If you don't want to invest in yourself, why should anyone else even bother to try? |
#7
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Carbon fiber is neither expensive or exotic. An 8000$ guitar deserves an exotic and expensive headplate.
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#8
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“2-way adjustable titanium truss rod, carbon fiber and titanium tuning gears”. It’ll be interesting to know more about these two aspects.
Emerald tried a 2-way adjustable titanium truss rod in their guitars a couple of years ago, but they didn’t perform well. I know, because my second Chimaera went back to them due to failure of the truss rods. So Emerald shifted to tried and true conventional truss rods even though they’re heavier. As for the tuning gears, I wonder who is actually making them. An Italian company, “HeartSound”, had been making all-CF tuners but was having difficulty producing them and although very light (just 7g ea.), the “look” was too raw for otherwise high quality guitars. Emerald was trying to do something with them, but it didn’t pan out. Emerald was able to source a set of 18 for my Chimaera, but advised me not to take the chance. So I’m really curious about these carbon fiber and titanium tuning gears that Martin is referencing. If possible, composite guitar builders, especially Emerald who makes a number of multi-tuner models, would be very interested in order to reduce weight for such models.
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Tom '21 Martin D-18 Standard | '02 Taylor 814c | '18 Taylor 214ceDLX | '18 Taylor 150e-12 | '78 Ibanez Dread (First acoustic) | '08 CA Cargo | '02 Fender Strat American '57 RI My original songs |
#9
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That is a lot of money to get a guitar that has WAY more wood than carbon fiber. The way Martin is using CF on this model is more decorative than function... is this their way of offering what they think is the opposite of an Emerald Woody?
When I first started my search for a carbon fiber guitar, I had one salesman in a Guitar Center tell me that "the HPL Martins are like carbon fiber." Yes, really. So, when do you think Martin will offer an HPL guitar with a "photo" of carbon fiber weave on top. I know: back in my corner. |
#10
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Carbon Fiber makes everything better!! lol
Sounds like they’re trying to catch the attention of the young, hip, affluent crowd who like to put carbon fiber throughout their cars. Next, ambient led lighting and integrated baffles with a toggle switch that lets you choose between loud and soft output.
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“You got time to breathe, you got time for music” ~ Briscoe Darling __________________ |
#11
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Of all the places to use carbon fiber on a guitar, I don't think the pickguard would be high on my list!
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#12
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I can't imagine that what's probably a single layer of carbon fiber on the headstock, bridge, and pickguard will have any effect on tone, and I doubt it has much effect on the weight either. And are tuners really that heavy? I can understand trying to save weight with 12 or more tuners, but there can't be that much difference when there's only 6. Maybe I'm wrong though.
I think carbon fiber is a great material for guitars, but so is wood, obviously. I'd consider buying an all carbon fiber Martin, and it's great that they're open to trying it out on a limited scale, but in this case I think they ruined a perfectly good wooden guitar with those expensive decorations. |
#13
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Martin, Taylor, and many others (including CF companies) seem to emphasize the importance of lightness/lightweightness...except when they don't (see: cocobolo). I've played cocobolo guitars that weighed a ton and sounded great, including probably the best-sounding Taylor I've owned. Though, I think lightness is more important when it comes to tops than sides and backs. |