Is there REALLY a "Martin" sound?

[caperrob]

I had a Martin GPCPA4 rosewood a few days ago. I sold it to fund a 000-18.

I've been home all morning picking away and I realized something. Although the GPCPA4 is a great guitar, I was always trying different strings and picks to get "that" sound. Oddly enough, the Martin Lifespans ended up being my strings of choice and they came on the 000-18.

What I learned this morning is that the 000-18 sounds amazing with any pick. I can't say the same about strings just yet but I'm sure I can tinker a little. Of course my choice of pick does give my a slightly different dynamic but the fundamental tone remains.

Anyway, for a couch player who does a little jamming and has been chasing that tone, I found it. I also tested dozens of different models over the years and feel that the 000 body is perfect for me. Tone wise, I found my dream guitar.

Martin tone? It floats my boat but to each their own.

Cheers!!

[Tony Burns]

Yes their is -that's why their are so many brands
because of distinctive sounds .
Some of us can close our eyes and tell you the brand .
I can easily tell between a Martin and a Taylor .

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

True.

However Martin and the others thickness all tops (for each model) the same, regardless of the individual piece.

"Select spruce" is marketing speak for the one on top of the pile.

Which is more support for each builder having a tonal signature. Just because a builder thickness all their tops the same doesn't mean they thickness all their tops the same as other builders do.

Heh, "Select Spruce." I have a friend with a X-braced '47 Gibson LG-2. Except it is stamped on the neck block to be an LG-1, which should be ladder-braced. So either they built the guitar, and found when they needed it that they were out of ready-to-go ladder braced tops, and so "selected" an X-braced one, or they needed a neck and did the same. Still sounds like a Gibson.

[Dru Edwards]

There is a Martin sound. I also believe that there's a Taylor tone as well as a Gibson tone... same with other manufacturers.

[Cypress Knee]

When I made my first "significant" purchase, (I was about nineteen at the time) I could not afford a Martin or Gibson, even if I could have made up my mind of which I was more interested in owning. A music store owner told me that a Guild would sound halfway between a Martin and a Gibson, and he had one that sounded good that was half the price - so I bought a 1969 Guild D-35.

Back in the mid-'70's there was a Martin sound and a Gibson sound. Ovation started in that time frame, with easy playing and onboard electronics but they never sounded the same as a solid wood guitar.

Now it seems as if it is Martin and Taylor, and everybody else occupies the middle ground, though some are closer to Martin and some closer to Taylor.

I have played many Martins that I really liked, but not so many on the Taylor side. So I would say, yes, there is a Martin sound.

[Riverwolf]

Originally Posted by Lodos

...played an om-35 clone once, it was built by a japanese luthier (or so i was told), same woods and the exact same dimensions, and it really was a great guitar, amazing craftsmanship, but it sounded nothing like the actual martin. i mean it sounded great, but the tones were just different..

How can this be?

[jkilgour2000]

I don’t know why, but there is

[whvick]

Yes, I think I hear a Martin sound on some martins. It must be a good sound or People would not keep saying “my XXXX sounds like a Martin.”
My wife got me a D-15M and after the neck reset [emoji848] it has that sound. Love the sound, but I like wider necks, so I am passing down to my son to play for his family times.
But yeah, Martin has a great sound.

[Cool555]

Yes, there is a Martin sound/tone. I hear it in my wife's Little Martin, my ex-Dread Junior 2 and my current 00-15m. Earlier posters have done a good job describing the Martin tone.

[RockerDuck]

You can't compare a Martin dreadnought to a GA body Taylor. Martin made the GPCpA4 that doesn't sound like a Martin because of the laminate and cutaway. My Taylor 314e sounds alot better than the Martin GPCPA4R that I owned for years. Don't compare any guitar unless the body sizes are similar and the strings are the same.

[dnf777]

Great question. Definitely YES, but difficult to describe. I would suggest any Paul Simon or John Prine solo-acoustic vids to appreciate that beautiful sound...even on a pad or phone, that tone rings true. They really seem to showcase their guitars’ tones somehow. The intro to ‘homeward bound’ especially.

[TBman]

The first Martin I ever played was a D-35. I loved that guitar. Unfortunately at the time it was out of my guitar budget, but my wife did buy me a D-16GT as an anniversary present.

We can't go 4 pages without someone posting Martin sound clips, so.....


Not the greatest recordings, but that Martin sound is there, even from a D-16...



and



and one more..



Now we need some strummers and flat pickers to post some clips.....

[Riverwolf]

Originally Posted by Cool555

Yes, there is a Martin sound/tone. I hear it in my wife's Little Martin...

OK, been enjoying this thread, but, really?

And, yes it is still a wood box with very few moving parts.
I still don't understand why it is so hard to clone one.
And yes, I still want one.
A 000-18 would be so sweet.

[Cool555]

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

OK, been enjoying this thread, but, really?

And, yes it is still a wood box with very few moving parts.
I still don't understand why it is so hard to clone one.
And yes, I still want one.
A 000-18 would be so sweet.

I know it’s hard to believe. A martin-tone in a tiny guitar. It does sound boxy but it has the warm tone associated with Martin guitars. A couple years ago, we also had the Baby Taylor but preferred the Martin to the Taylor sound...for tiny guitars.

The 000-18 is a great guitar. Go for it!

[boneuphtoner]

I certainly think there is a Martin sound and I dig it above all other factory produced guitars I've ever played and owned.