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  #1  
Old 02-14-2018, 03:33 PM
JimCA JimCA is offline
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Default (Very) Partially CF (Expensive) Martin

https://www.martinguitar.com/guitars...ions/dss-2018/
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Old 02-14-2018, 03:54 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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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.
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Old 02-14-2018, 04:01 PM
JimCA JimCA is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Earl49 View Post
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.
I think it's significant that Martin has started on the carbon fiber journey. Just look at that headstock! Got to start somewhere.
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Old 02-14-2018, 04:08 PM
martingitdave martingitdave is offline
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Default (Very) Partially CF (Expensive) Martin

I want a set of the magical liquid metal bridge pins. :-)
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Old 02-14-2018, 04:18 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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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......
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Old 02-14-2018, 04:30 PM
mot mot is offline
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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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Old 02-14-2018, 04:40 PM
dannyg1 dannyg1 is offline
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Carbon fiber is neither expensive or exotic. An 8000$ guitar deserves an exotic and expensive headplate.
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Old 02-14-2018, 04:46 PM
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Acousticado Acousticado is offline
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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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Old 02-14-2018, 04:52 PM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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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.
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Old 02-14-2018, 04:53 PM
K20C K20C is offline
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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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Old 02-14-2018, 07:03 PM
Steve Christens Steve Christens is offline
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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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Old 02-14-2018, 07:47 PM
B. Adams B. Adams is offline
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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.
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Old 02-14-2018, 09:38 PM
tommyld tommyld is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Earl49 View Post
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.
Agreed.

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.
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