Martin D-45 buying decision

[therailriders]

My 2cents is that the d45 is bloated with eye candy. Whiles it’s an ok, fair price, You are just entering in higher end building range and as much as like Martins, I would look for the finest sounding/playing Dred in that price range; probably used.

If it’s the d45 then great if there is another, I would buy that. Or spend 2.5k on a used d28(something) and buy another cool guitar. On tape nobody can see the inlays

Originally Posted by regan46

Hi,
Or spend 2.5k on a used d28(something) and buy another cool guitar.



I'm about to pull the trigger on a new old stock Martin D45, the guitar itself was built in late 2015 (Nov) but has been hanging around the store for a number of years in a glass case unplayed it's in perfect condition.

The price is $5,500, i guess i just wanted your thoughts on whether it's worth it or should i go down the path of a custom build.

thanks
Regan

[regan46]

Originally Posted by merlin666

The price seems to be considerably lower than a new stock D-45, so make sure that this is actually "new" from an authorized dealer and makes you eligible for warranty. IMO a custom build is always a gamble, as you provide the specs, and depending how far you stray from the common configurations this can be very experimental and you have no idea what the sum of individual components will sound like in the end. So if you want to have a high end new guitar at a potentially reasonable price this seems to be a great opportunity.

some great advice there.

The guitar is indeed new and was in my local Guitar center locked away in a glass case and is in mint condition they just happened to stick a clearance tag on it last time i was in and i put it on layaway as they have a 30 day money back guarantee as long as you stick down a 25% deposit.

So i have some time to mull it over, i'll be honest it was the first D-45 i have played and it sounded great but i'm not the greatest player i just happen to enjoy playing and i love guitars.

I'm travelling right now but when when i get back i will put a fresh set of strings on it and play it one more time as the ones on it were the originals and obviously a few years old and then decide whether to pull the trigger but i'm pretty sure i will.

Thanks for all the advice it's a great forum even if i'm more a lurker then a contributor.

[Wade Hampton]

Regan, if you still like it once you’ve put fresh strings on it, then buy it. Given the price, you basically can’t lose, so long as you refrain from letting small children use it to play with it in a sandbox in lieu of a Tonka Toy dump truck....

It doesn’t matter what your musicianship level happens to be. If you like it and can afford it, if you buy it it’ll be yours to enjoy. Despite the rest of us being forest green with envy, none of us will begrudge you that. (Okay, well maybe we’ll begrudge you just a little!)

We’ll get over it. Once you buy it, have fun with your heirloom quality lifetime guitar.


Wade Hampton Miller

[CylinderBear]

Originally Posted by merlin666

The price seems to be considerably lower than a new stock D-45, so make sure that this is actually "new" from an authorized dealer and makes you eligible for warranty. IMO a custom build is always a gamble, as you provide the specs, and depending how far you stray from the common configurations this can be very experimental and you have no idea what the sum of individual components will sound like in the end. So if you want to have a high end new guitar at a potentially reasonable price this seems to be a great opportunity.

I totally agree with this. I am sure Martin experimented a lot to get all the components/ configurations right for their flagship D45.

Going custom may not yield the results you are looking for.

[Steve DeRosa]

Buy. The. Guitar.

[JKA]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Regan, if you still like it once you’ve put fresh strings on it, then buy it. Given the price, you basically can’t lose, so long as you refrain from letting small children use it to play with it in a sandbox in lieu of a Tonka Toy dump truck....

It doesn’t matter what your musicianship level happens to be. If you like it and can afford it, if you buy it it’ll be yours to enjoy. Despite the rest of us being forest green with envy, none of us will begrudge you that. (Okay, well maybe we’ll begrudge you just a little!)

We’ll get over it. Once you buy it, have fun with your heirloom quality lifetime guitar.


Wade Hampton Miller

Regan
I'm with Wade on this one. I dreamed of owning a D45 from first learning how to play guitar many years ago. It was the poster on my bedroom wall as a little boy and a few years ago I was lucky enough to be able to get one.

It didn't stay with me for too long as I always struggled with Martins but regardless of there being 'better' (whatever that means) guitars for that kind of money, hey, it's a Martin D45 and that was good enough for me at the time.

All I would say is don't be frighten to play it. It's a beautiful instrument and should be played and shown off.

Even if you only keep it for a short while at least you'll have bragging rights that you actually owned a Martin D45, one of the most famous guitars in the world and the envy of many.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by regan46

Hi,

I'm about to pull the trigger on a new old stock Martin D45, the guitar itself was built in late 2015 (Nov) but has been hanging around the store for a number of years in a glass case unplayed it's in perfect condition.

The price is $5,500, i guess i just wanted your thoughts on whether it's worth it or should i go down the path of a custom build.

thanks
Regan

The risk you run with a custom build is not knowing if you'll like the thing before you put the money down and it is built.
You're buying a high-value item with the D-45 and it appears to have been hanging around for a while, so I guess you're in a great position to bargain. Buy the D-45.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

It sounds like a good price but you’re paying for a lot of bling and if that’s a priority, it’s there for sure.

My personal opinion is that for that price you could buy a “better” guitar on the used market. But that’s a personal opinion and may or may not resonate with you.

Under no circumstance would I commission a custom guitar, the risk of it not being what you expected is too great for me. And that same logic applies to buying a guitar unplayed. Reference the current thread on trying to return a guitar you don’t like.

I currently own a custom guitar that I came across in a guitar store in Nashville. It’s the best guitar I’ve ever played. Played, being the operative word.

Good luck!

Yes, as I posted earlier commissioning a build comes with a huge caveat. I had two custom guitars built by a well-established small English company, and my expectations didn't match the reality. They were rapidly sold on.

[musicman1951]

Better wood stock selected, prettier guitar, beautiful sound - what are you waiting for? Grab it.

[DenverSteve]

The D-45 is a gorgeous instrument. The entire 40-series are superb instruments. That price is approximately $1,300 less than a new D-45 from a forum sponsor. Or, $3,000 less than average street price. So, the NOS price of $5,500 is an amazing steal so if you don't want it let the group know where it is and someone here will snatch it up. That price for a D-45 with warranty would be the find of a lifetime for some guitarists.

That said, the D-41 & D-42 generally get the same wood selections while some 42's and the D-45's have access to slightly higher-graded wood. The difference is the amount of inlay that goes into it. They are all superb guitars. To be able to buy a D-45 at the same price, with warranty, as a new street priced D-42 is a great deal if you want the back inlay.

[regan46]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

The D-45 is a gorgeous instrument. The entire 40-series are superb instruments. That price is approximately $1,300 less than a new D-45 from a forum sponsor. Or, $3,000 less than average street price. So, the NOS price of $5,500 is an amazing steal so if you don't want it let the group know where it is and someone here will snatch it up. That price for a D-45 with warranty would be the find of a lifetime for some guitarists.

That said, the D-41 & D-42 generally get the same wood selections while some 42's and the D-45's have access to slightly higher-graded wood. The difference is the amount of inlay that goes into it. They are all superb guitars. To be able to buy a D-45 at the same price, with warranty, as a new street priced D-42 is a great deal if you want the back inlay.

thanks Steve,

I'm almost certain to go for it when i get back to NY and i'll post a couple of pics when it's in my hands, probably no playing vids as there are too many folks here with the chops to make me look foolish.

From what i gather i have 30 days from purchase to register it with Martin in order for the warranty to be activated.

great advice on this forum

[vintageom]

$5500 is a great price, of course you will pay sales tax on it too. Perhaps gets you over $6000 in NY. Still a pretty nice price for a new D-45.

Over the years I have seen lots of GC guitars in locked cases with lights inside of them that were dried out from low humidity and heat.

Check out the fret edges at the neck binding

Check for binding separations around the body

Check for a sunken top in front of the bridge

Check the neck angle and fretboard straightness

Check all seams/joints and look for wood cracks.

If you get it home, and within the 30-day trial period, be sure to get the guitar fully humidified properly and then relook at the above items. Sometimes tops will regain their shape when humidified, depends on how long they were left dry. Sharp fret ends will not improve with humidification in my experience. They must be filed. Severe drying of the neck can allow the fret ends to push the binding away from the neck.

I hope this is not overkill or presumptive of me, just want you to get the best D-45 that will serve you well for years and not take on problems of some new old stock that were neglected over the years.

[regan46]

Originally Posted by vintageom

$5500 is a great price, of course you will pay sales tax on it too. Perhaps gets you over $6000 in NY. Still a pretty nice price for a new D-45.

Over the years I have seen lots of GC guitars in locked cases with lights inside of them that were dried out from low humidity and heat.

Check out the fret edges at the neck binding

Check for binding separations around the body

Check for a sunken top in front of the bridge

Check the neck angle and fretboard straightness

Check all seams/joints and look for wood cracks.

If you get it home, and within the 30-day trial period, be sure to get the guitar fully humidified properly and then relook at the above items. Sometimes tops will regain their shape when humidified, depends on how long they were left dry. Sharp fret ends will not improve with humidification in my experience. They must be filed. Severe drying of the neck can allow the fret ends to push the binding away from the neck.

I hope this is not overkill or presumptive of me, just want you to get the best D-45 that will serve you well for years and not take on problems of some new old stock that were neglected over the years.

thanks i did check most of the above and all seemed good but i will be extra vigilant when i got to pick it up next week.