Martin & Co D-35

Nazareth Music Center
$1600

This is a truly full sounding guitar. Very strong bass but not boomy like some Tacomas I have played. Nice to look at and I really like the thin neck compared to some of my less expensive guitars. Notice I said thin not narrow. For example, my Washburn neck is thick and V shaped. It took some getting used to after many years of cheap guitars with necks like the Washburn. Now I love it and going back is hard.

Action was a bit high for my taste. I took it to my local shop and they did a great job to lower it. This was the shop that informed me about the neck, read below.

Guitar looks nice, great finish but it had a bad neck set and needed to go back to the factory for reset. Only a few months old. Not what I expected.

Nice guitar but I think Martin is cranking out instruments in too large a quantity for quality workmanship. Maybe that is not true with the higher priced units. A neck reset on a vitually new guitar shouldn't happen. I just purchased a lower end Breedlove to replace some of my cheap guitars. I was originally thinking about a Martin D16 but had a bad time with Maritn customer service involving my D35.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought from a (good) friend for $500 altho it needed some work.

Once I added a few hundred dollars to enhance the bracing, bridge plate, add inlay, and other minor enhancements, it plays like no other guitar I've ever owned. Deep, rich tone, and after adding a Sunrise pick-up, the quality of this guitars tone amplifies quite nicely. I've since played new D-35's, which are also very fine instruments, but I would talk to a qualified guitar craftsman to enhance the beauty and sound.

There are no dislikes. I recommend the D-35 to any advanced guitarist.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchasted this on the internet at Musicians Buy.com for $1625.95
It was a worry to shop on the net as I was a little new to shopping via computer .
It was a pleasent experience and my guitar was here in a week , no problems at all
I have seen lower prices since . I guess I should have shopped around more .

This is a great sounding guitar , Each string sounds clean and clear allmost bell like
The Martin D35 has a interesting three piece back with the center section a darker
color rosewood . The finish on mine is perfect with great piece of spruce for the top .
I had heard this model might have a strong bass and indeed it does . It is a nice
effect for finger picking . This is the first guitar I have owned that did not come out
of a pawn shop or the used rack in the music store and it seems to sound better
every day . This martin guitar comes with a lifetime warrenty and a good hard shell
case which are something I appreaciate . I like the new Martin guitar smell of thing
too .

There is not a lot to dislike about it BUT the strings are higher than my inexpensive
Fender La Brea . and it is a little harder to play . ON the three piece back ,
the center sections wood runs even to one side and meets the other at a angle .
It would have looked nicer if the grain ran centered evenly up the middle

The construction is first rate and I have noticed no flaws . It has a great finish with
a lot of depth to it . I feel it was a good purchase and would buy another Martin
guitar .

The D35 I own has a good sound , it is the best sounding guitar of the three I have
but it is by far the most expensive . It is harder to play than my Fender or Gibson
with the Fender having the fastest action and duller sound . The Martin is a great guitar
and it should be . It cost ten times what I payed for the used Fender La Brea which
by the way is also a good looking guitar .

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this guitar brand new in 1970 for $350, which also included the case.


When I purchased it, Martin was just running out of their stock of Brazilian rosewood, (because of the fire) so mine is unique in that the back center panel and sides were made of the Brazilian and the other 2 back panels are Indian rosewood.


The only thing I don't like about my D35 is that I wish at the time I purchased a D45 for a couple of hundred dollars more. I find that I'm partial to all the abalone and fancies.


My guitar was constructed with the same excellent craftsmanship that all Martin's have.


The only work I've done to my Martin was to hand sand the top braces to a scallop for more tone and power. To accomplish this I used my 1940 Martin 0018's braces as a sort of pattern.


this review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com