What do you all HONESTLY think of Martin guitars?

[FoxHound4690]

Hey guys,

Wanting to know what is your honest opinion on Martin guitars, whether it be body shapes, tone woods, Good for finger picking or flat picking etc. I'm only asking because I'm on the verge of buying one that's really got my attention.

Based on the Martins you all own and have played over the years, what would you say is the ideal Martin for someone like me who's kind of a hybrid with acoustics (flat picker/finger style).

[Heroditus]

My OM 42 is a great guitar. I use it for both light flatpicking and finger style. I’ve had other Martins as well (D15 and D41) and they were great guitars as well.

[Jeremy]

A Martin OM would be a good all-arounder in my opinion. The body is large enough and with its long scale length to be a good flat picker, but small enough to comfortably play finger style.

[Brucebubs]

I think ALL the US guitar makers have great guitars in their range - you just need to find the one that suits you best.

[Yamaha Man]

I bought my D-18 in 1975, still have, sounds great.

I bought my D-35 in 1915, still have it, sounds even better.

Sorry, neither are for sale.

That speaks volumes.

[RRuskin]

Originally Posted by FoxHound4690

Hey guys,

Wanting to know what is your honest opinion on Martin guitars, whether it be body shapes, tone woods, Good for finger picking or flat picking etc. I'm only asking because I'm on the verge of buying one that's really got my attention.

Based on the Martins you all own and have played over the years, what would you say is the ideal Martin for someone like me who's kind of a hybrid with acoustics (flat picker/finger style).

If you've found one you like, that's all that matters. Martin makes a quality instrument.

[Batmitestar]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

I bought my D-18 in 1975, still have, sounds great.

I bought my D-35 in 1915, still have it, sounds even better.

Sorry, neither are for sale.

That speaks volumes.

How’s that D-35 sound after 105 years of aging?

[Rinaz]

I think that their Dreadnought guitars are very bassy and have good projection. They're like bluegrass machine in general. Some of them have too much bass. Their guitars overall have a very dark, warm tone and a bit mellow in it. If their dreadnought is made with cocobolo it sounds very articulate, bright, and boomy. the trade-off is you'll lose that dark, warm tone, and mellow in a bright sounding way. I play with my fingers only so I'm not going for any Martin unless I can try it and it has the right amount of dark, warm, and mellow tones that I want. An example of what I want is Kathy Wingert's guitar. It sounds so mellow, slightly dark, and very slightly sadness in the sound which I like. Martin guitars can be muddy sometimes and very bassy (D-35 is an example) so make sure you try it first if you like it. Most of their cheaper models that I've tried have a very fair amount of dark and mellow which I like but some of them are still bassy and the treble is just not there and doesn't have the quality sound that I look for, but they're good guitars. (yes, I just spoiled my ears from listening to too many high-end guitars)

[Peter Z]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

I bought my D-35 in 1915, still have it, sounds even better.

Originally Posted by Batmitestar

How’s that D-35 sound after 105 years of aging?

How are you after you bought the D-35 105 years ago? :-)

[Yamaha Man]

2015..................

[douglasfan1]

Don't buy the new one, get the old one. The new Martin always has binding fall off issue. The fretboard is now not sure as ebony, the neck is also not sure as One piece genuine mahogany neck.. etc.

[Birchtop]

Originally Posted by Martin Maniac

2015..................

Lol.. I still do the same thing myself. I didn’t even catch that when I read it.

[M Hayden]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I think ALL the US guitar makers have great guitars in their range - you just need to find the one that suits you best.

^^^ This.

Martin makes a lot of models, and it’s probable that one or more will get your attention. If it does, great! They’re a well-regarded company and they build a lot of great instruments.

[Taylor Ham]

Originally Posted by douglasfan1

Don't buy the new one, get the old one. The new Martin always has binding fall off issue. The fretboard is now not sure as ebony, the neck is also not sure as One piece genuine mahogany neck.. etc.

I wouldn't disqualify a guitar with a one piece neck vs a scarfed headstock. The scarfed joint will resist damage better and I'm sure it has no impact on tone.

The volute originated as a byproduct of another type of joint, not to add extra material to strengthen a weak one piece neck.

However, the binding issues are legitimate concern. research the years/ serial Nos affected and steer clear.

[JC.]

The are two questions here. What do we think of Martins and what guitar should the OP acquire.

Martin make such a vast range of instruments its difficult to express a meaningful view that applies to all of them. I have had several and most of them I still have while other (often more expensive) guitars brands have come and gone.

I tend to gravitate towards their high end but non-blingy models so have a Custom Shop OM and a Custom Shop dread. The dread is fantastic and is my “go to” guitar.

To answer your second question, going somewhat against the conventional tide, I’d say how about a dread? To me they sound great finger picked as well as strummed. But of course, an OM would also do both jobs well - just slightly differently.

Really though, don't-over think it. Buy the guitar that gets your juices flowing. You can play anything on anything.