Martin Custom D anybody?

[C-ville Brent]

I have one that I bought in 2004 from Musician's Friend. I've played out with it a great many times (sound hole pu & mic on separate channels & mixed) and is the guitar I generally use on the now rare occasions I play out. Played it so much that I had the first 4 frets and a professional set up done in 2016, replacing the saddle with bone and graph tech bridge pins. Mine is light weight and projects well. It has a different sound than my BR-180 and D-41, but that is to be expected. There are some dings (it happens) and the bottom of the sound hole is showing some wear, but I still love it. It seems that Musician's Friend has had them as low as $899 over the past year, but that is rare, $949 is a more common on sale price.

[SpruceTop]

I bought my daughter a Martin Custom D for Christmas back in 2005 for $589 with a hardshell case. The guitar sounded beautiful and played well and I couldn't have been happier overall with the value it represented. Sometime later on, she apparently backed it into something that caused a separation of the top from the rear-end side of the guitar with no dings or scuffing and it was repaired under warranty by Martin at a local Martin Authorized Repair Shop. It got traded-in later on but was an exceptional value in an American-made guitar. I can heartily recommend a Martin Custom D for a player wanting a quality guitar at a good price!

[magazine]

Originally Posted by baw3

I was a little curious how it compares to your Taylors. Do you like it better or is it just about equal to them.

I needed to update my signature. I never have been a huge fan of hog tops and the 324 was traded for a four wheeler of all things. I do have a fantastic DN8 from 2007 that is exceptional. To answer your question comparing the Martin to the Taylor, as far as sound goes, its slightly woodier. The Taylor feels more refined in my hands. It sounds more refined but honestly I cant imagine anyone listening to the two could tell much difference. The Martin feels lighter. I've always loved Taylor necks but this feels very good. I had a Collings for a short time that sounded great but the neck was too chunky past the 4th fret. The new Martin is much better than that, just a bit skinnier feeling that the Taylor. The Martin case is actually pretty good. I had a SWOMGT once and this case seems better than that. I'd say the Martin is probably one of the best deals going right now if your wanting an American Martin for cheap. My only real gripe is how little saddle is left after a setup.

[baw3]

Thanks for the reply. I think the Martin D is probably one of the best deals out there right now. Glad your happy with it.

[Kitkatjoe]

Magazine
Are you saying the Taylor has the mid and low end of the Martin?
Thanks[emoji847]

[magazine]

Without a doubt.