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Old 02-13-2020, 03:31 PM
Troubador Troubador is offline
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Default Best sounding Martin

I know this is subjective, but I just want opinions anyway. What is the best sounding Martin guitar, considering both low-end and high-end price-wise?
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Old 02-13-2020, 03:35 PM
zoopeda zoopeda is offline
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Best new guitar I've ever played is the Martin D-1 Authentic 1931.
I've played 4 of them, and they are all out of this world--and blows the doors off all the other Authentic series dreadnoughts. Rich tone, endless volume, but super responsive.

My favorite lower end Martin (I guess I'm defining that as below the standard series) is the 000-15SM. Really sweet, unique, but versatile sounding guitar. I bought one of these a while back hoping it would make a nice guitar I didn't have to worry about, and now I find myself reaching for it just as often as the D-18GE.
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Old 02-13-2020, 03:37 PM
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UncleJesse UncleJesse is offline
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Impossible to answer. Some people like dreads. Some people like small-bodied guitars.
Some people like mahogany. Some people like Rosewood. and on and on and on....
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Old 02-13-2020, 03:38 PM
pagedr pagedr is offline
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I love my custom shop OM-18 - Adirondack top with Adirondack GE scalloped braces, it's everything I could ever want from a hog OM. On the lower end, I also like the all mahogany 15 series guitars, especially the 00-15 and 000-15SM.
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Old 02-13-2020, 03:40 PM
619TF 619TF is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Troubador View Post
I know this is subjective, but I just want opinions anyway. What is the best sounding Martin guitar, considering both low-end and high-end price-wise?
My opinion is that the one that sounds best to the owner's ears is the best one.
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Old 02-13-2020, 03:49 PM
egordon99 egordon99 is offline
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My 1956 00-18.
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Old 02-13-2020, 03:55 PM
Goodallboy Goodallboy is offline
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Guitars aren't judged this way.
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Old 02-13-2020, 03:59 PM
zoopeda zoopeda is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UncleJesse View Post
Impossible to answer. Some people like dreads. Some people like small-bodied guitars.
Some people like mahogany. Some people like Rosewood. and on and on and on....

OP mentioned this, but it’s worth restating.

He’s looking for varied personal opinions...
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Old 02-13-2020, 04:14 PM
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For my taste the best sounding Martin I have played was a 00015SM. I have the 00015M which I’m quite content with but if money was no object I would be highly tempted to go for its 12 fret cousin.
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Old 02-13-2020, 04:35 PM
ataylor ataylor is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Troubador View Post
I know this is subjective, but I just want opinions anyway. What is the best sounding Martin guitar, considering both low-end and high-end price-wise?
I played a number of Martins (and guitars very much inspired by Martin) over a period of 6+ years and found that regardless of price point, the guitar that sounded best to me was the standard D-18.

That said, I played a number of Martins I’d love to own. I particularly love what they’ve done with their standard series models in recent years, which I think is probably the sweet spot in their lineup in terms of cost, value, tradition, aesthetics, feel, and tone.
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Old 02-13-2020, 04:35 PM
JimT JimT is offline
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The one in your hands! 😎
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Old 02-13-2020, 04:37 PM
Fresh1985 Fresh1985 is offline
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Anything with spruce over rosewood, the older the better.
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Old 02-13-2020, 04:49 PM
bufflehead bufflehead is offline
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I played a custom-shop D-45 once that was crazy nice. Brazilian Rosewood. I wanted to hate the guitar because I'm much more into mahogany than rosewood, and I'm not at all into bling, but this guitar was amazing.
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Old 02-13-2020, 04:51 PM
lowrider lowrider is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pagedr View Post
I love my custom shop OM-18 - Adirondack top with Adirondack GE scalloped braces, it's everything I could ever want from a hog OM. On the lower end, I also like the all mahogany 15 series guitars, especially the 00-15 and 000-15SM.
Another CS OM-18 here. Mine is 7 years old and it was part of the second order of 12 sold by Mandolin Bros on Staten Island.

It's the true ''do it all and sound better doing it guitar''. My friends who play Martin dreads are shocked by the sound that comes out of this guitar!
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Old 02-13-2020, 04:54 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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I like this one.



Martin liked it so much that they decided to make it too ... but not as good.

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