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  #1  
Old 12-04-2021, 04:20 PM
journeyman73 journeyman73 is offline
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Default Martin D-45 Troubles

I have been interested in this model and finally decided to pull the trigger on a Standard. I have been lucky enough to A/B two new examples.

I can’t believe how immediately and fundamentally different these two guitar sound compared to each other.

A:
- very full, percussive low end
- overall, it’s a full sounding guitar
- treble is there but not piercing or emphasized in any way
- not a particularly noticeable midrange but what is there could be described as a bit lower midrange

B:
- tons of sparkle and chime
- not nearly the amount of low end…what’s there is almost a
bit ‘tight’ and not particularly percussive - it’s very balanced with the rest of the spectrum
- treble is not harsh but MUCH more noticeable
- midrange seems more prominent - and I would describe the overall voicing of this guitar as a bit upper midrange

So, I am not sure about either of these…I sort of wish B had the bottom of A and it would be a slam dunk.

I am also wondering which of these descriptions would you say is closer to a ‘typical’ D-4x model?

Is the thicker, bassier with potentially some sacrifice of brightness and treble of A more typical? Or is the immediate sparkle and higher singing voice with not a particularly boomy bass of B more expected?
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Old 12-04-2021, 04:55 PM
davidd davidd is offline
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Neither. Wait until you find the right one.
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  #3  
Old 12-04-2021, 06:28 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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I used to own a '73 D-45 that fit Profile A exactly - very similar to the CSNY-live "Four-Way Street" tone and IME typical of 40-Series instruments from that specific era...

For better or worse there have been multiple changes to the line, that will result in a different tonality that some (mostly fingerstyle) players prefer...

If I were in your position - and unless you're strictly a fingerstylist - I'd grab Guitar A in a heartbeat...
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Old 12-04-2021, 06:33 PM
Slimt Slimt is offline
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I sold my D45 a year go. That was my 3rd one. I dont see another in my future. I just couldnt cozy up to those.
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Old 12-04-2021, 06:44 PM
bufflehead bufflehead is offline
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Is it possible that A just needed new strings?
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Old 12-04-2021, 07:24 PM
journeyman73 journeyman73 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bufflehead View Post
Is it possible that A just needed new strings?
No, new strings on both.
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Old 12-04-2021, 07:25 PM
journeyman73 journeyman73 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa View Post
I used to own a '73 D-45 that fit Profile A exactly - very similar to the CSNY-live "Four-Way Street" tone and IME typical of 40-Series instruments from that specific era...

For better or worse there have been multiple changes to the line, that will result in a different tonality that some (mostly fingerstyle) players prefer...

If I were in your position - and unless you're strictly a fingerstylist - I'd grab Guitar A in a heartbeat...
I forgot to add about A…it lacked the sparkle and chime.

Is that also similar to your old one?
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Old 12-04-2021, 09:35 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by journeyman73 View Post
I forgot to add about A…it lacked the sparkle and chime.

Is that also similar to your old one?
This is about as close an example as I can find, of course bearing in mind differences in both instrument (including string gauge/type) and player technique; as you said, "treble is there but not emphasized in any way" and "a full-sounding guitar" - which in my book is what a good dread is supposed to be (PSA: listen through a good set of headphones):

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Old 12-04-2021, 10:19 PM
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If they were new, they're not broken in yet, the tops are still tighter than a drum. The way you describe them, one was still a little tighter than the other.
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Old 12-05-2021, 04:42 AM
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Of the two, I would choose B. Sparkle and chime will likely never develop, but the lower end has a decent chance of filling in with play time - at least this has been my experience.
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Old 12-05-2021, 04:52 AM
JKA JKA is offline
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Always wanted a Martin D45...until I eventually got one. Tried to convince myself it was the best guitar I was ever going to own until I played my current Guild D55. The Martin was sold and I now play the best guitar I'm ever going to own. Had two Froggies along the way but they too were sold on as they couldn't out preform the Guild. I've stopped trying to find anything better. Recently purchased an M20 which is every bit as good as the D55 and might even be more enjoyable to play...
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Old 12-05-2021, 05:31 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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There has been talk of "new" "tight" "opening up" etc.

Take these comments seriously.
because I refer to have guitars that are a little different from the 14 fret dreads and OMs that most pursue, I have bought most of my instruments sight unseen.

I have experienced a fair few that were very much in the "tight" category, with no real option to choose another or even to return them.

I had no choice but to "work them in" to "open them up".


In 2014, I bought a Santa Cruz "RS" (Roy Smeck) from a guy in the USA (I'm in the UK) The guitar was two years old but virtually unplayed. Adi top apparently, Big deep body jumbo -
It took a long time, I tried a Tonerite quite a lot, nothing, and , of course, I played it -then suddenly after some YEARS - Boom, it came to me. Everytime I play it now it makes me smile.

In the shop, my Waterloo was so much better than any of the gibson L-00s that I'd gone to buy, but a disappointment when I got it home in November 2016. I hung it on the wall in my little home office for a few moths as I was having medical treatment, and couldn't really play for some months, but I spent a lot of time in that office listening to talk radio thought really good '70s amp and speakers.

Then, one day, I took it down and "WOW" it sung.

The task of a guitarist with a new instrument is to male it sound like you want it.

Many like to buy old instruments because whilst they might be buying maintenance issues, someone else has ,theoretically, done the work for them.

Now, they do these "torriefied" tops for us old guys who don't feel we can hang around that long - your choice.
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Old 12-05-2021, 06:15 AM
Tony Burns Tony Burns is offline
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Ive owned blinged out guitars -
But as time marches on , dont think any of that ever made a guitar better
just flashier . Ive played some older D-28's that i feel had a better tone than any D-45 - So I listen to the tone rather than look at the bling .
I love beautiful hand work on a instrument - which is art . but the older i get I realize Tone and playability are #1
and I always put a decent guitar in a decent case .
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Old 12-05-2021, 06:40 AM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
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Steve, that's a great video to highlight the tone of the D-45. It's just as you describe it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa View Post
This is about as close an example as I can find, of course bearing in mind differences in both instrument (including string gauge/type) and player technique; as you said, "treble is there but not emphasized in any way" and "a full-sounding guitar" - which in my book is what a good dread is supposed to be (PSA: listen through a good set of headphones):

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  #15  
Old 12-05-2021, 08:26 AM
sinistral sinistral is offline
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The thing about that video is that it’s a recording of a guitar through a PA system, so it’s impossible to tell what EQ adjustments were applied by the sound technician. I’m left-handed, so I’ve never had a chance to play a D-45 in a store, but I have heard a couple played. They both sounded pretty much like the guitars in these videos:



This guitar was built before the reimagined series, but has the forward-shifted bracing that now comes standard on a reimagined D-45;


Of the dreadnoughts I have (2020 D-28, 2012 HD-28 & 2020 HD-35), the closest in tone and responsiveness to what I hear in the D-45 is the HD-35. What I have noticed about the HD-35 versus the others is how sensitive it is to differences in attack. When I arpeggiate a chord with the fleshy part of my thumb, the D-28 and the HD-28 sound like an amplifier with the treble backed down to 5. When I do that with the HD-35, the trebles are much more muted, like the treble is set at 2. On the other hand (but still on the same hand), when I play with the tips of my fingers to get some attack form my nails, the trebles of the HD-35 have even more shimmer than the other two—same when I play with a pick. And if the bass on the D-28 and HD-28 is like a grand piano, the bass on the HD-35 is like a pipe organ.

I agree that the guitar will sound better the more you play it, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting it to sound great day one. I would pick the one that sounds the best to you based on the way you play it, since a lot of the way a guitar sounds is a function of how you play it.
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