If you were going to buy your first Martin....

[eljay]

Originally Posted by SKYHIGH

I would go out and shop Martin but buy a Gibson.

This ! ^ ^ ^ or a Santa Cruz!

[tippy5]

If you want a great, used 2016 000-18, please PM me.

[AZLiberty]

Knowing what I know now, and knowing what I like, I'd get an M-36

[Sagebrush Tom]

I'd buy two, 000-15sm and a 00-15m. 15 series are the best all mahogany for the their price.
Tom

[v32 finish]

AZLiberty... that's crazy, you plucked the very model right out of my brain before i could post it. I'm not ultrafamiliar with Martin... but the one that I have my eye on is an m36. I'd love to play it. I played a 1999 d-28 and I liked it, but for $2500 I wasn't blown away (or was it an hd-28? not sure about the difference there, if someone wants to chime in, between a d-28 and hd-28)

Wow, do I get sidetracked. Anyways*. One of my favorite Martins that I've had my eye on for a while is the m36. overall I'd like to get more acquainted with Martin, but I think it will take some time.

Anyway, if I were to buy my first Martin today, it would likely be an m36.

[BoneDigger]

Definitely either a D18 or a D15M for me. But, I'm a mahogany type of guy...

[Ed-in-Ohio]

Originally Posted by RP

What would you get? Let’s assume a budget of $3000....

I'm one of those crazy "all-mahogany players", so I get something like this Custom Shop 14-Fret Mahogany Dreadnought.

At $2,400, it would leave me a nice cushion left over to invest in an after-market pickup system (probably either a K&K or a Baggs Lyric depending on what I'd think would work best in the specific guitar).

[dfordtexas5]

I would go used, and get this: Martin Special Edition OMJM John Mayer Signature Orchestra Model ~ Unplayed!https://applink.reverb.com/item/1059...model-unplayed

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by ataylor

I’m hoping to get my first Martin someday soon and I’ve played a bunch over the last several years. For me it’s the D-18.

For me it was the D18 also but only after playing all of the contenders repeatedly which is also my suggestion to the OP.

[jp2558]

When I went shopping for my first Martin, I truly expected to come home with a D-28 or 35 as those were the ones I was most familiar with. I came home with an M-36. I never even touched the D 28/35 models. I already had a Takamine dread, and the comfort of the M-36 was so apparent, and the sound so good, it was no contest. My two cents: try every guitar that appeals to your eyes. You never know when a guitar will find you.

[v32 finish]

man, this thread has made me want that m36 even more.. i think it just jumped a rung or two on my collection 'ladder' so to speak...

totally agree about a guitar "finding you", and not the other way around. Or, I guess, I think of it as finding each other...

[archerscreek]

A Custom Shop HD-28 with an Adirondack top, a modified V neck, and 2 1/4” at the 12th fret and for bridge spacing. Only hard part is the wait.

[Tracy Perry]

Dreads are to large for my shoulder (causes pain to play any length of time)... so I settled on an OM-28 and a 000-18 for my prime guitars. I also enjoy my 00-17se for when on the couch.
I like the sound of the 000-18 the best of the 3 although the 00-17se runs a close second.

[TBman]

For $3,029 I'd get this.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by RP

What would you get? Let’s assume a budget of $3000....

If I don’t get off this forum soon it will happen to me with extra money coming in within the next two months. Here in Canada the dollar is taking another plunge against the American so a D-18 goes for something like $3,600 CDN? Prerequisite for buying is I must be able to try in store - if a 00-28 is available I’ll try that first but it will be over $3000. Second choice is 00-15, but I’ve never seen any at the local shop, so likely a 000-15 for just under $2,000.