Martin D35 2018

[baw3]

I finally got the guitar I've wanted for a long time. I picked up the Martin D35 2018 from Sweetwater about a week ago. When I first started playing the guitar I was amazed at the sound of it. I own a Eastman E10ss and an Eastman E20D and they are both really great sounding guitars. But the Martin just has a depth to its sound that is pretty great. I took it to my guitar shop in town here to have a K@K pure mini pick up installed in it. They don't carry Martin guitars, only Taylor and a few other brands. When I went back to pick up my guitar, all 3 of the guys that worked there told me they had pulled down every high end Taylor in the store to compare it to my Martin. Every one of them said they liked the Martin over every one of the Taylors. I don't know how to do the picture thing on here, so if you want to see a picture just go to Sweetwater and they have pictures there. Thanks Martin, for making one of the finest sounding guitars I have ever played. If it gets any better than this I don't want to play it. Because I know I couldn't afford it.

[Kerbie]

Congratulations, that's a keeper! The 35s are outstanding... my favorite of the standard series.

Depending on the source of the pics, you can use the AGF App. Or try this to add images.

[6L6]

Congrats! The D-35 has always been my favorite model Martin.

[IndyHD28]

Originally Posted by baw3

They don't carry Martin guitars, only Taylor and a few other brands. When I went back to pick up my guitar, all 3 of the guys that worked there told me they had pulled down every high end Taylor in the store to compare it to my Martin. Every one of them said they liked the Martin over every one of the Taylors.

First, congrats on your great new D-35. This is a very interesting anecdote and I appreciate you sharing it. There is no doubt there is something unique to “Martin Tone”. Do you mind PMing me about the discount from list SW sold you at? I’ve never been able to get them competitive.

[baw3]

I actually paid the asking price of 2900.

[RP]

Congrats on the new D 35. I’ve been somewhat successful in bargaining with Sweetwater but would agree that they’re more generous with little bags of candy than discount percentage points.

[Shades of Blue]

Wow I must be lucky. I've not had any issue getting Sweetwater to honor the same pricing model as many of our forum sponsors have. Maybe just call them and explain that you know that other dealers give heftier discounts and see if they bite?

[rmyAddison]

Congrats on your D-35, my second Martin many many moons ago,a great model.

Enjoy...........

[BoneDigger]

I have a 2017 D35 and it is a fabulous instrument. I imagine that the new models must be as good or better. Congratulations on a wonderful new guitar!

[IndyHD28]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Wow I must be lucky. I've not had any issue getting Sweetwater to honor the same pricing model as many of our forum sponsors have. Maybe just call them and explain that you know that other dealers give heftier discounts and see if they bite?

Maybe it’s just my salesman. Believe me, I’ve tried everything including payin cash to save them CC charges and driving 4 hours round trip to pick it up to save shipping charges. Believe me. They know what other internet sellers discount but no dice. Maybe they just have too much overhead. Have you seen their campus? Big money.

[MikeInBethesda]

I also bought the 2018 D35 a couple months back after casually trying it out in my local shop. Wasn’t really even on my radar, but was shocked by how great the tone was and love the updated appointments as well. It’s now my go-to guitar and making my j45 vintage envious! Congrats on a great choice!

[Vinnie Boombatz]

Congrats OP on the new D-35!

Like you, I recently picked up one of the new 2018 Reimagined D-35's. I was in the market for one of the new D-28 or HD-28's, but when I played the D-35 next to an HD-28 it was a no brainer! The HD-28 sounded way more scooped with thin highs. The D-35 to my ears was more even, more up front tone with an authoritative, punchy low end that doesn't sound muddy or boomy (I did find that it can get a bit boomy and more unbalanced sounding with light gauge strings, but sounds incredible with mediums. I'm using EJ17's). The D-35 has less overtones than the HD-28 though, but is a better strummer, and is still a very sweet sounding guitar, kind of like the middle ground between the D-28 and HD-28. If you're not a straight up heavy strummer or bluegrasser (D-28), or a straight up finger picker (HD-28), I think the D-35 is a great choice for the player who does a little of everything, and it's great accompaniment for the singer/songwriter, but coming from Gibson acoustics you have to dial it back a bit with the D-35 because it's such a loud/dymanic guitar!

I've mostly been a Gibson guy over the years, but really like this D-35 and it's giving my Gibson AJ a run for it's money. The D-35 has a bit of a more enveloping, smoother sound with more overtones, while the AJ is drier with a bigger punch in the mids, so they actually compliment each other really well. The one thing I've never liked about Martin dreads were the really thin highs that always sounded wimpy and weak to my ear. I don't know if it's the thinner bracing, the forward shifted bracing or the slightly wider nut on the 2018's, or a combination of all three of those, but my D-35 seems to sound more balanced and less scooped with thicker highs than other Martins (including other D-35's I've played). I even got to A/B my D-35 to a D-35 from the late 60's and a 1941 D-45, and although the older guitars sounded like the wood had obviously dried out more and they were a little louder, the new D-35 had the same balance and similar tone, even when compared to the D-45 with scalloped bracing, which is what sold me on my D-35.

[zoopeda]

The new D-35 is AWESOME! Love that forward shifted straight bracing, compared to the older D-35. With I got along with the new Martin necks, but someone out there is gonna love this guitar!

[valleyguy]

I've got to stop reading this forum, the GAS is unbearable...

[L20A]

Still in love with my old 1981 un-imagined D-35.

I played a new one last week and it was the best sounding guitar in the store. The good news though is that my 37 year old D-35 was still a better sounding guitar to me.