Why is the Martin D-45 almost double price of D-41?

[Parlorman]

Originally the numbers in Martin’s model nomenclature referred to the list price.

May I interest you in a nice D-11,599?

[Mr Bojangles]

It's all good until the binding starts lifting...

[varmonter]

There are those of us that think the "bling" is worth the buck. And those
that dont. There was a post on page one about mandolins.
I bought an ellis mandolin some years back. Most expensive instrument I own. There is a huge following of the f5 style of mandolin.
"It's what Bill played." There is also
An A5 model that for the most
Part sounds identical to the f5
Given the same woods. The f5 generally has more purfling and
This takes alot of labor. The horns on an f5 are solid and dont contribute to
the tone. So is there twice the labor
Involved between an a5 and an f5??
I wouldn't think so. Yet the f5 is twice the price. Tom Ellis makes
beautiful mandolins. As does collings. My a5 special was 6k.
But his f5 is 14k. But it's what bill played..
here is 2 vids of these mandolins A5 and f5 specials.
There is no significant tonal differences.

[GmanJeff]

Originally Posted by hamburg325

I've owned the HD-28V, HD-35, D-41 Special, and D-42. All wonderful guitars.

Now I own a D-45. I love all the pearl trim and the gorgeous headstock. I don't see it as bling. I see it as artistry and craftmanship. Just looking at the guitar is pleasing to me.

Even more importantly, the D-45 tone is simply amazing, surpassing all the other Martin dreads I've owned. (The D-42 comes closest).

It has a unique combination of tonal warmth, clarity, and color. The ultimate Martin tone, to my ears at least.

As many have observed (including Bill Collings), the pearl trimming isn't just decorative–it contributes to tone. My sense is that it creates even more of those sparkling overtones.

This is why I own one, too.

[nitram]

And folks buy Rolexes when a cheaper watch might keep better time. If you want to impress people it's what you do.Cars and guitars: it's all the same no matter what people say.More status than functionality.If you've got it- spend it!

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by hamburg325

All sorts of purfling materials--including herringbone and other very fancy ones--come in strips. Abalam, too. Still requires a lot of time and skill to create all that trim on a 45-level guitar.

https://www.lmii.com/402-purfling

It may not be the old, piece-by-piece technique, but it's also not quite the same as "just like any strip of plastic."

Alabam is literally a long strip that gets placed along with the purfling and binding layers as they are laid and glued onto the guitar. It’s true alabam is more expensive than white boltaron, but it does truly lay along the edge of the guitar like a piece of plastic. Labor on these now is a tiny fraction of what they used to be—which was the real production expensive justifying the markup. Additionally, it’s true alabam is more expensive than boltaron, but it’s cheaper than good solid abalone shell. Another way in which producing today’s d45 is cheaper than in the old days pre 1996.

It used to be you were not only paying for flash, you were paying for a very high level of craftsmanship and materials. Nowadays, you really are getting a Martin that is minimally more complex to assemble than lower standard model and without the level of craftsmanship it once was. It’s fine that people have different preferences and tastes, but this guitar now really is nothing more than a flashier looking HD28.

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by nitram

And folks buy Rolexes when a cheaper watch might keep better time. If you want to impress people it's what you do.Cars and guitars: it's all the same no matter what people say.More status than functionality.If you've got it- spend it!

And a Corolla will last longer than a jaguar..ha..

[JonWint]

Originally Posted by zoopeda

Alabam is literally a long strip that gets placed along with the purfling and binding layers as they are laid and glued onto the guitar. It’s true alabam is more expensive than white boltaron, but it does truly lay along the edge of the guitar like a piece of plastic.

Abalam is not flexible. ZipFlex is flexible and is installed with the other binding/purfling. Martin doesn't use ZipFlex. (They still use solid abalone on the Authentic guitars.)

Abalam comes in 5" x 9" sheets before cutting into strips. It is rigid and is placed in a channel formed by a plastic spacer strip that is removed after the plastic binding/purfling is installed. It's requires the same labor as solid abalone.

[hamburg325]

Originally Posted by nitram

And folks buy Rolexes when a cheaper watch might keep better time. If you want to impress people it's what you do.Cars and guitars: it's all the same no matter what people say.More status than functionality.If you've got it- spend it!

To me, the D-45 qualifies as a very expensive guitar. I had to sell other guitars in order to afford it.

For me, owning it has nothing to do with status. No one ever sees it but me, my wife (occasionally), and my dog and cat (frequently).

I know some owners for whom it represents the "Rolex" of guitars. This alone caused me to never consider buying one.

But I got over it and gave it a shot. I do happen to like the pearly magnificence of it.

And the tone is magical.

[L20A]

The big difference between these two guitars is great marketing.

There are a lot of people that are willing to pay the price for a D-45 and know that they have the cream of the crop.

Yes the D-45 takes a lot more time to build but they could still be sold for a lower price if needed.

[ascotia]

I stumbled across this video yesterday, and you may find it informative...

[FLRon]

Just about every manufacturer of something has a "top of the line" or flagship model. It adds value(real or perceived) to the entire product line.

When I was in the auto manufacturing business, you had your basic,or economy model, then mid-range, and finally the top of the line. You had something for everyone and every budget. The top of the line had extra features of course, but it also had a huge number of cross model parts and components.

I suspect the same goes for guitar building. The basic building blocks might be the same or close to the same, but the top of the line gets the best of the best. Each buyer then has to decide if that represents enough true value to warrant the upcharges.

[Br1ck]

Originally Posted by varmonter

There are those of us that think the "bling" is worth the buck. And those
that dont. There was a post on page one about mandolins.
I bought an ellis mandolin some years back. Most expensive instrument I own. There is a huge following of the f5 style of mandolin.
"It's what Bill played." There is also
An A5 model that for the most
Part sounds identical to the f5
Given the same woods. The f5 generally has more purfling and
This takes alot of labor. The horns on an f5 are solid and dont contribute to
the tone. So is there twice the labor
Involved between an a5 and an f5??
I wouldn't think so. Yet the f5 is twice the price. Tom Ellis makes
beautiful mandolins. As does collings. My a5 special was 6k.
But his f5 is 14k. But it's what bill played..
here is 2 vids of these mandolins A5 and f5 specials.
There is no significant tonal differences.

I don't think you will find anyone with any knowledge disputing that an A and F style mandolin will sound pretty much the same, or that a F styles take a whole lot more time to make. It is the nature of the F tradition that style often trumps substance. I'm not pretending logical thought here. 6L6 has a story of selling a D 45 to a guy who didn't even play. He was an emigrant, and a D 45 symbolized the greatness of America to him. Pure emotion. Reason enough.

[hamburg325]

Originally Posted by ascotia

I stumbled across this video yesterday, and you may find it informative...

FYI. The “Reimagined” versions of both are different than the ones compared here.

[MickZ]

I own a D-41 and love it. I never played a D-45 because I can't rationalize the expense, but I'm not going to knock it. I will confirm that the 41 sounds better than all the other Martin Standards I've owned and played.