Not Impressed by Two Martin D28s

[Mark Stone]

Originally Posted by pickinray

Obviously, setup and strings have a huge effect on how a guitar plays and sounds. Martins generally come from the factory with high action to allow the buyer to set it up to their specs. Taylors are more user-friendly out of the box. The 814ce is a great guitar in its own right, but it is a very different type of guitar from the D28. If the OP likes the Taylor tone and playability, a D28 with old strings and high action is probably not going to float their boat. However, if the OP can try a D28 with a good setup and fresh strings, they might like it. A good D28 can give you things that you can't get from an 814ce, but a lot of it depends on playing style. For fingerstyle, I'd go with the 814ce. For strumming and flatpicking, I'd go with the D28. YMMV.

I think this is a great response, in addition to Rev Roy's response a few posts up. A D-28 and an 814ce are different animals. 99% of the time I play flesh-on-string fingerpicking (Be brave! Click on the link in my sig!), and the clarity and note separation and sustain on the 814ce is astounding, and serves me well. The D-28 is an excellent instrument, but it doesn't do what I need a guitar to do. I fingerpick a Martin (or Gibson) dread and they just seem to muddy up and then I can't hear the high B and E and then I try to compensate by backing off of the bass strings and then everyone just starts laughing, so then I twang real hard on the treble strings and say cuss words. Yeah, for me I agree wif the OP.

[Scotso]

You are allowed not to like a guitar/maker. It is OK. And it is OK to say so.

[jkilgour2000]

Originally Posted by Scotso

You are allowed not to like a guitar/maker. It is OK. And it is OK to say so.

100% ‘this ^^

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by MartinGibsonFan

I'm not gonna be bias but I will be

Playing Raw is the only way to play.

Unpracticed, mistake prone and just all around ROUGH

The best way to play guitar in my opinion

MGF

That about sums me up.
Truthfully, I’m not a finger style guy even though I can do it “ok”. For strumming and flat picking, I prefer the “unsophisticated voicing” of guitars that were designed for the “Everyman”.
Actually, my J15 is more balanced if I want that.

[Spineycat]

Originally Posted by jcpharm

i've heard a lot of descriptive terms for Furch but "geriatric" is not one of them. i think young folks can enjoy a Furch as much as an older person...but maybe that was a typo?

I think he meant generic?

[FingahPickah]

Something many of us might relate to:

For many years Martin D18 s and D28 s were essentially most acoustic guitar players' visual image and tonal points of reference. (Any "duds" referenced in some posts aside). They were (maybe still are) the most copied designs ever - from inexpensive "learners" to Collings super-versions and everything in between. The more I play (50 years and counting) the more I appreciate the individuality of instruments and those who play them. (As well as the way that AGF quite often exemplifies that thought).

I can remember as a young teenager being perfectly happy with the sound of my (possibly/likely all laminate) Japanese made Epiphone (that looked kind of like a D28).. and then playing Martins that took my breath away.. as well as some that didn't.. and being let-down... because I thought ALL Martins were guitars of the gods.. At 44 years old - I bought my first and only Martin (a D40) - still love it after 20 years. Those D28 s did or will sell and maybe end up in closets - that happens - I'm willing to bet at some point at least one of them will be discovered by someone who considers it a hidden gem.

I sometimes still experience the giving and receiving of "wow, that guitar sounds better when you play it"... I love when that happens because it fortifies the notion that guitars are sometimes looking for the right owners.

My favorite case in point example: About 10 years ago, I bought a new Vancouver made Larrivee OM-03 that I was very impressed with - after a year or so it became more than apparent (a little upsettingly so) that my talented, serious player, broke grad-student son connected with it more than I did. It made quite a nice, feel-good graduation gift. It's his main gigging acoustic and I'm confident it'll remain in the family... perhaps handed down by him some day.

I recently got myself an Oxnard made Larrivee 000-40. I've posted about this previously. And although I did, in fact, take a chance by buying it on-line I'm happy to say .. no one gets this one until I'm ten-toes-up. Hahaha

[aeisen93]

I played a new D28 today. It was in great condition, perfect action and new strings. It sounded great! Totally different than the two D28s I wrote about in my initial post on this thread. This might sound odd, but I do actually prefer the tone of my cheap Martin X1-DE. The D28 sounded great but had more of a treble sound as compared to my X1-DE. The D28 is definitely a great guitar though, and I’m glad I was finally able to play one that was well taken care of and in perfect condition.

[s2y]

I used to dislike Martin because they were so hard to play in the store. Throw in some dead strings and it wasn't exactly something I wanted to take home. I initially gravitated to Ovation and Adamas because they were easy for me to play coming from electric. Eventually tried a Taylor and felt at home with the tone and feel. That being said, I liked Taylor's old DN offerings and kick myself for not getting an 810 DLX when I had the chance.

I ultimately landed on Bob Thompson guitars because I wanted the sound of a Martin with a Taylor slim neck and low action. I also added a bevel like Taylor's DLX series for comfort.

It's also worth noting that the "ultimate" tone for something like the Taylor 814 and D-28 require vastly different techniques. That's not to say that EVERYONE needs to like every single guitar. Not into vintage guitars? Get a really cool modern fingerstyle guitar! Like both? Well, that gets expensive.