Log in
Log in

or
Create an account

or
< All Martin & Co DM reviews
Add this product to
  • My former gear
  • My current gear
  • My wishlist
Martin & Co DM
Images
1/161
Martin & Co DM
Price engine
Classified Ads
Forums
MGR/Raymond MGR/Raymond

« Martin DM »

Published on 01/16/03 at 15:00
4 years ago everything I owned was stolen, and I had no job and $700 left in my bank account. Needless to say, I was devastated and decided to take my remaining $$$ to buy a new guitar. It was pretty silly in retrospect, but I had all this free time and nothing but the clothes on my back. I paid $565 at Guitar Center in Boston, and I literally tried every guitar in the joint. At this price point, there is really no comparison in terms of sound quality. And honestly, that's all I care about in a guitar. I was worried the laminated components would hurt the tone, but it's amazing what a difference the solid spruce top makes in comparison to the other model that is fully laminated.

TONE. PLAYABILITY. That is the bottom line. It plays and sounds better than guitars that cost twice as much. No kidding, it might not be particularly pretty to look at, but I appreciate the bare bones approach they took to make a great sounding guitar at a price reachable by the masses. The neck is great, and the thing stays in tune rock-solid. The tone...it's warm, and has amazing projection. If you slash at the strings this might not be a good guitar for you, but for fingerstyle and a light touch, it makes the most wonderful tones under $1000. This guitar brought my playing to a new level and I'll never replace it short of natural disaster.

Well, I had my guitar for about 4 months, and I discovered a one-inch hairline crack at the base of the neck. I was relieved when Guitar Center made amends and gave me a new one no charge. The funny thing is, I had grown so attached to it in such a short time that I was sad to let the broken one go. My second DM has lasted 4 years now, and the tone is still maturing. It's an ugly duckling, but I don't mind.

It has all the classic Martin touches, but at half the price. The fit and finish are first class. It's obvious somebody was paying attention to the details. The joint, detailing, and construction are rock-solid and mine at least is flawless. It is made with some inferior materials(laminate, plastic in some places), but it's got good quality wood in all the important places.

BUY THIS GUITAR.
YOU'LL NEVER BE SORRY.
(and you'll be the envy of all your friends)

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