Martin D-45 Troubles

[Wellington]

Originally Posted by journeyman73

I have been interested in this model and finally decided to pull the trigger on a Standard. I have been lucky enough to A/B two new examples.

I can’t believe how immediately and fundamentally different these two guitar sound compared to each other.

A:
- very full, percussive low end
- overall, it’s a full sounding guitar
- treble is there but not piercing or emphasized in any way
- not a particularly noticeable midrange but what is there could be described as a bit lower midrange

B:
- tons of sparkle and chime
- not nearly the amount of low end…what’s there is almost a
bit ‘tight’ and not particularly percussive - it’s very balanced with the rest of the spectrum
- treble is not harsh but MUCH more noticeable
- midrange seems more prominent - and I would describe the overall voicing of this guitar as a bit upper midrange

So, I am not sure about either of these…I sort of wish B had the bottom of A and it would be a slam dunk.

I am also wondering which of these descriptions would you say is closer to a ‘typical’ D-4x model?

Is the thicker, bassier with potentially some sacrifice of brightness and treble of A more typical? Or is the immediate sparkle and higher singing voice with not a particularly boomy bass of B more expected?

I think what you seek can be found in a Guild D-55 or F-55.
https://youtu.be/z8PhBYzWWEk
Unfortunately this video compares with a D28, not a 45, but it might give you an idea.

[Zissou Intern]

A D45 is a big purchase. I wouldn’t settle for either of the guitars. I would keep looking.

[Glennwillow]

I have a 2018 D-45. It has forward-shifted, scalloped top bracing, so it sounds like a D-45V of previous years. I like the sound of this guitar, which has a fair amount of bass but still has some sparkle in the treble. This is a video I made right after I obtained the guitar.



I hope this is helpful.

- Glenn

[journeyman73]

I appreciate everyone’s thoughts on this!

I think between the 2 my heart says I was more immediately taken with B, so should I get one it should be that one.

However, I am contemplating passing on both and continuing to look - real question there is just is it reasonable that another example would have everything that B does but just a little more too.

On a totally separate note I noticed something in the neck binding that surprised. A discoloration that also felt a bit rough to the touch - like a tooling mark or a scrape or something along those lines. I try not to be ‘that guy’ that seeks perfection under the magnifying glass but at a d-45 price point I was a little surprised.

I am curious what thoughts are on the acceptability of this and/or commonality of this type of issue at this level of guitar.

The mark is clearly visible, even when not zooming in on it but I did so in the picture to try and most clearly show it.

[coyote95667]

I would prefer B out of those two choices. I felt like I have beat my head against the wall for literally dozens of years buying martin dreads that look beautiful with beautiful specs but whenever I got one it was FULL. "full" in a way that got dreary fast to me and I got rid of all of them. I don't like that feature in a guitar, I like to hear the notes.

I would hope a D45 would have exquisite balance and no mush no drone no thud. I would hope for shimmer and clarity as I feel you're describing in B.

I think the thread is really interesting because I'm used to seeing endless youtube demos and conversations of "this model vs that model" - and so when you've compared and decided what you want, you call Sweetwater and buy one. But your experience shows that there is as much variation between one D45 and another D45 as there is between a D45 and a D41 and a D42 reimagined you see on a youtube demo... which is a trip.

[rllink]

What were you expecting from that particular guitar before you tried them out?

[hovishead]

I personally wouldn't go for either unless I was 100% in love with either.
I once bought a vintage D-45 from a guy in London on a whim. I'd always been desperate to own one since I was a huge Neil Young fan.
Anyway it turned out that when I got it home and played it at length next to my D-28 I didn't like it nearly as much as the 28.
This seemed weird to me as I always thought the D-45 would automatically be superior. Luckily the guy was ok about me returning it as he had another customer that was desperate to buy it.

Lesson of the story for me was; only buy a guitar if it really speaks to you.
I have owned loads of Martins since and one thing I'd say is if the bass is too muddy it will never become less muddy over time.
If there is not enough bass for your liking, there will be an increase in that department over the years, but...... I'd recommend you wait until you play a guitar that blows you away from the first time you pick it up.

My Gibson J-45 was like that. I went to the local shop with the intention of buying a Martin that day and while waiting for the assistant to get it from storage I picked up the Gibson.
I knew even before he'd returned with the Martin that I wasn't letting go of that guitar until I'd paid for it.

[hovishead]

Originally Posted by journeyman73

No, new strings on both.

Although this could be part of the problem......

I hate new strings on any of my guitars. Especially my Gibson... which is probably my fav guitar.

In my opinion brand new strings remove all character from a guitar. Martins can sound incredibly zingy with new strings and not in a good way. The sweet spot for me is roughly after a month to two months of playing them in.

Then you can really start to hear the wood and not just the fizz of metal.

[journeyman73]

Originally Posted by rllink

What were you expecting from that particular guitar before you tried them out?

I think basically a ‘cannon’! Lol

Coming from 000s, I thought there would be an extremely full, thick sound with a lot of low end - I was actually a little worried that I might have to give it time for my ears to adjust and that I might be put off by too much low end compared to what I am used to.

That’s why B surprised me - but also made me wonder if NOT having a lot of low end on the bottom E and not necessarily feeling full/thick across the spectrum was typical or not.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by sinistral

The thing about that video is that it’s a recording of a guitar through a PA system, so it’s impossible to tell what EQ adjustments were applied by the sound technician...

Considering that the guitars were miked up, rather than equipped with built-in pickups going direct-to-house, probably far fewer than what you might expect nowadays - especially given the relatively "primitive" live-sound gear of a half-century ago, and the well-known difficulties of making a modern acoustic-electric sound natural through a contemporary FRFR system. In truth, Neil's D-45 sounds very much like my own, as well as several others I had the pleasure to play/hear during that time; while I'm sure some sweetening was done in the recording/post-production process the results sound natural, and IME correspond well with what might be expected in an intimate unamplified setting...

[Russ C]

If you’re noticing something not wonderful about both of them, neither is for you.
Keep looking - and it may well be that you will choose a different make or model. You will not be happy with any guitar that expensive that lacks something you want.
That said, there often is a bass vs sparkle thing going on and if you are a person (like me) who wants to AB every guitar you care about you may have to accept compromise on some level if you ever want to settle down with one guitar.

Also, if you want a D45 don’t let the anti blingers spoil it for you. Like all makes and models there are better and worse among them and there are many out there that you would love - but you will need to be comfortable with having more $ tied up in it than you would need to find the same quality in another model or brand - but that is not a massive problem for most people who can afford a D45.

For most of my life I wanted one. I have owned 3 and each offered something the others didn’t .. my first 2 were as you described your A and B. I found that I missed the bass more than I missed the sparkle but I still say keep looking until you feel you’ve found “a good one”.

[jrb715]

Just a question about your "interest in this model." What piques your interest other than reputation? At the price point and a little lower I would want to investigate other models as well. You have some splendid alternatives--most I would prefer to the D45. In addition to the Guild recommendations you have all the small--and one not so small--shop manufacturers who make splendid guitars. Santa Cruz, Bourgeois, Huss and Dalton, Goodall, Froggy Bottom, Collings--and even the Martin Authentics--are great alternatives.

If you're looking for the best combination of A and B--guitars that have the virtues of the warmth of A and the chime of B--I'd get ahold of any Huss and Dalton dread or slope dread to try.

[zmf]

Originally Posted by jrb715

Just a question about your "interest in this model." What piques your interest other than reputation?

You have some splendid alternatives--

After reading through this thread, I had the same reaction. Broaden your search and be open to other brands that provide the tone you're after. There are a lot of fantastic dreads out there.

[Zissou Intern]

The OP's question wasn't about what brand to buy. He was very specific; he wants a Martin D-45 and is merely asking for advice on A, B, or is there another Martin D-4X he should be considering. Why bother recommending Guilds or Collings or H&D's or Froggies? He wants a Martin 40 Series.

[Slimt]

Hope you find what your looking for. There a Nice guitar.