All user reviews of 4/5 for the Martin & Co D-35

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

MODEL Martin D-35
CONSTRUCTION: Mahogany Blocks/Dovetail Neck Joint
BODY SIZE: D-14 Fret
TOP: Solid Sitka Spruce
ROSETTE: Style 28
TOP BRACING PATTERN: Standard ''X''
TOP BRACES: Solid Sitka Spruce 1/4''
BACK MATERIAL: Solid East Indian Rosewood - 3 piece
BACK PURFLING: Style 35
SIDE MATERIAL: Solid East Indian Rosewood
ENDPIECE: White Boltaron
ENDPIECE INLAY: Black/White Boltaron
BINDING: White Boltaron
TOP INLAY STYLE: Multiple Black/White Boltaron
SIDE INLAY: Multiple Black/White Boltaron
BACK INLAY: Black/White Boltaron
NECK MATERIAL: Select Hardwood
NECK SHAPE: Low Profile
NUT MATERIAL: Bone
HEADSTOCK: Solid/Square Taper
HEADPLATE: Solid East Indian Rosewood /Raised Gold Foil
HEELCAP: White Boltaron with Multiple Black/White Boltaron Inlay
FINGERBOARD MATERIAL: Solid Black Ebony
SCALE LENGTH: 25.4''
# OF FRETS CLEAR: 14
# OF FRETS TOTAL: 20
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT NUT: 1-11/16''
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT 12TH FRET: 2-1/8''
FINGERBOARD POSITION INLAYS: Style 28
FINGERBOARD BINDING: White Boltaron
FINISH BACK & SIDES: Polished Gloss
FINISH TOP: Polished Gloss ; Sunburst available at additional cost.
FINISH NECK: Satin
BRIDGE MATERIAL: Solid Black Ebony
BRIDGE STYLE: Belly
BRIDGE STRING SPACING: 2-1/8''
SADDLE: 16'' Radius/Compensated/Bone
TUNING MACHINES: Chrome Enclosed w/ Large Buttons

The legendary, old brother..or maybe cousin to the D28?? Not quite sure but they are both legendary and offer very different tones even though on paper they are very similar.

UTILIZATION

It's just your basic acoustic guitar, so there's nothing to it in terms of ergonomic designs or access to the upper frets etc. Just wood and wire!

SOUNDS

Here's where it becomes worth the money. Most guitar players in the market for a good acoustic, when they look through the Martins it's almost always a battle between the 28 and 35 and there is a huge tonal difference. Most people say it's because of the 3 piece back and I can say yes that has something to do with it but the biggest difference is the bracing, it's a thinner piece of bracing used on the 35s vs the 28s that allow such a huge bottom and low midrange from the 35 that 28 lovers may not like so much.

This is what makes or breaks it. Totally up to you of course and which sound you like better. The 35 definitely has a bigger sound for those powerful chords and whatnot. Of course, I would probably replace the strings first with a decent set. I very much dislike the martin lifespan strings and would rather settle with plain jane Daddarios that have been just fine for me for a very long time.

OVERALL OPINION

HUGE sound. Legendary guitar. Awesome build, ALWAYS consistent from model to model and lifetime warranty with Martin. Can't really complain can ya? If you're looking for an acoustic guitar that'll probably last longer than your own lifetime, with a great huge warm and BIG low midrange, this is definitely worth looking into. Yes it's a bit pricey but once you play it, you'll understand that it's worth every penny.