Martin & Co Steel String Guitars

I bought this guitar about two months ago from a large music store in Lansing, MI. It was about $800.00 after tax, but it came with a hardshell case. This really is a VERY nice guitar besides the fact that it smells really good, it has a bright tone, GREAT sustain and volume, great equalization, and is built from the best woods you can get(cedar, sitka spruce, mahoghany). Plus it is all American-made by a famous and renouned name The only things that bother me are the bright sound it has can get a little boring if it's all you hear for a long time and I kind of wish it was a cut-away. Oh and it is a little pricey. As for as the quality goes IT'S GREAT...from Martin what do you expect? I haven't had the slightest problem with it and I have even bumped it pretty hard a couple of times(accidentally). It doesn't scratch easily and the glossed top offers some reassuance in case you drip some soda on it. Also it is just one of those guitars that feels sturdy and right. If you have the means to scrounge up 800 dollars and want a good acoustic buy this one because for quality like this in many other brands you would have to spend well over 1000 dollars. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased my D-28 from a local guitar shop who mainly sold Martin and Taylor guitars. I had tried my friends Martin guitars and had always liked the construction and tone quality. I paid $1650 and later saw it retailed for $2400. I like to play blue grass and fingerpick- the D-28 has a rich tone and a nice projection which sounds great with other string instuments. It was easy to dislike the sound of the D-28 at first play, but the more I played it and broke it in, the better it sounded. I guess that's not necessarily a dislike. The body is very solid and feels a little heavier than other guitars I've played- I enjoy that aspect of it. Good quality and well constructed. This guitar was definitely out of my price range, but I quickly forgot about the $$ and began enjoying the rich tones and nice feel of the D-28. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this guitar online (auction) for $290. This is a WONDERFUL guitar. The first thing for me is the tone, and this guitar is all tone. I don't know how they do it so cheaply, but it sounds like it cost 5X what I paid for it. I spent a weekend and played every brand and price range in a 20 mile radius, and this little Martin outclassed a lot of very expensive guitars.The sound is round and woody, but does not lack in high end. The bass is like a truck driving by on a small street! The only thing this guitar is lacking is volume, but that's not so bad, I don't really need to play that loud anyway. Not much to say here. Its very basic, no binding anywhere, no inlays hardly any finish! But the look is nice and spartan anyway. Its a Martin! American made, HIGH quality. The setup and action are a dream! For the money, you can NOT get a better sounding guitar. It plays like a dream, sounds like a dream, and cost me under $300. Somebody pinch me... This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

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

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 it at h&h music for about 700 dollars (im not sure EXACTLY how much cuz i got it as a gift) Everything about this guitar is great, its solid wood, nice looking, and best of all is the fact that it stays in perfect tune. I got the guitar at christmas and i have only tuned it once in about 6 months! The only thing i dont like is that there is no cutaway in the body, because i generally play alot of riffs in the upper frets and its a little difficult to get my hands onto the areas of about the 15th fret and upwards. This guitar is great, they didnt even do anything to it at the store when it was bought to adjust it, and it plays like a charm. Great guitar, if you can afford it, its a much better investment than a cheaper guitar because it will last you forever and it sounds pro! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Paid 800.00 used from Bill Hardin Music in Chattanooga, TN. This untit had a Martin/Fishman pickup with equalizer installed previous to my purchasing it. Upon first glance, it was easy to notice that this guitar was constructed completely of solid Mahogany, except the fingerboard and bridge, which are ebony. The dark color, simplicity of design (since there are NO decorations at all--not even purfling or binding) pleased the eye--the warm colored wood and lack of distractions make this guitar a statement like that of the Shakers' furniture: pure, simple, functional and beautiful. Playing this guitar is a joy: a warm, deep bassy tone emits from the sound box causing an almost dreamy state. I found that this guitar is much better as a finger-picked instrument, as using a pic does not dmeonstrate the full sound capability of it. Whil it is still a very nice tone, the highs are not as bright as one might expect from a Martin guitar. However, the brightness and warmth of the tone truly comes alive when finger picked. The satin finish is a bit thin, and since Mahogany is a fairly soft wood, it dings easily. I keep it in the case unless I am actually playing it to minimize the damage. All Mahogany construction, no purfling or binding, solidly constructed, though. I love this guitar with all my heart! If it was lost stolen or caught on fire, I would use the insurance money to replace it with the identical unit! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

MODEL Martin D-18 CONSTRUCTION: Mahogany Blocks/Dovetail Neck Joint BODY SIZE: D-14 Fret TOP: Solid Sitka Spruce ROSETTE: Style 18 TOP BRACING PATTERN: Standard ''X'' Scalloped, Forward Shifted TOP BRACES: Solid Sitka Spruce 5/16'' BACK MATERIAL: Solid Genuine Mahogany BACK PURFLING: Style 18 SIDE MATERIAL: Solid Genuine Mahogany ENDPIECE: Delmar Tortoise Color ENDPIECE INLAY: none BINDING: Tortoise Color TOP INLAY STYLE: Multiple Black/White Boltaron SIDE INLAY: none BACK INLAY: none NECK MATERIAL: Select Hardwood NECK SHAPE: Modified Low Oval Profile w/ Performing Artist Taper NUT MATERIAL: Bone HEADSTOCK: Solid/Square Taper HEADPLATE: Solid East Indian Rosewood HEELCAP: Tortoise Color FINGERBOARD MATERIAL: Solid Black Ebony SCALE LENGTH: 25.4'' # OF FRETS CLEAR: 14 # OF FRETS TOTAL: 20 FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT NUT: 1-3/4'' FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT 12TH FRET: 2-1/8'' FINGERBOARD POSITION INLAYS: Old Style 18 FINGERBOARD BINDING: none FINISH BACK & SIDES: Polished Gloss FINISH TOP: Polished Gloss w/ Aging Toner; Sunburst available at additional cost. FINISH NECK: Satin BRIDGE MATERIAL: Solid Black Ebony BRIDGE STYLE: 1930's Style Belly w/ Drop-In Saddle BRIDGE STRING SPACING: 2-3/16'' SADDLE: 16'' Radius/Compensated/Bone TUNING MACHINES: Nickel Open-Geared w/ Butterbean Knobs RECOMMENDED STRINGS: Martin SP Lifespan Phosphor Bronze Medium Gauge (MSP7200) BRIDGE & END PINS: Black PICKGUARD: Delmar Tortoise Color CASE: 445 Hardshell INTERIOR LABEL: none Very cool and classic martin acoustic made in Nazareth, PA. Mahogany back and sides as opposed to it's 'bigger brother' the 28, which is rosewood. UTILIZATION Martin guitars are one of if not the most traditional style guitars out there for acoustics. Especially when it's regarding the D-18. SOUNDS Again this always differs with every player but I'll try to break it down to make things simpler. This is basically a Martin D28 with mahogany, what's the difference between rosewood and mahogany you ask? Rosewood has a very rich and thick low midrange, while mahogany isn't brighter per se, but it is definitely more neutral sounding in the sense that there is no enhanced low midrange like you'd usually get from rosewood. And so of course, depending on the player, some might find rosewood to be too boomy sounding and mahogany perfectly tight and not too boomy at all. So of course this depends on the player, although in the end, majority of guitar players do usually prefer rosewood over mahogany, but again the option is always there to choose a different type of tone from the lot. I think they both sound great in their own right, especially if one is mainly a finger picker but wants projection and thus needs a dreadnought-sized guitar but doesn't want overpowering low midrange so that each note comes out, a guitar like the D18 with mahogany back and sides might just do the trick. OVERALL OPINION Great guitar for the price. Martin guitars are always top notch. Though again, it's mainly just a big difference between rosewood and mahogany and you have to be able to play them both side by side to hear the difference so you know what you're getting into. There's no modifying the tone on acoustic guitars (except different strings) so you should choose wisely. It completely depends on what type of music you'd want to play and how versatile a guitar you'd need to be able to play the type of style or styles you play. Otherwise Martin build quality is always top notch so you have that peace of mind with the guitar and the only decision left to decide is which tone is right for you.

I'm a big fan of Martin guitars, although I have only owned one. The Martin D-16GT is my choice for a mid-range priced Martin guitar. Mine actually came with the pickup installed, and that's what was one of the more important features to me. When I first bought this guitar, it had an amazing sound to it. It's not as light and twangy as a Taylor, and not too loud like a Larrivee. To me, the Martins are right in the middle with a smooth and rich sound. When you go for the lower end martins, you don't get that rich quality of a sound, so I went with this one. The Martins that go for higher, such as the D-28 is my dream guitar. Sometimes i wish that I saved up more for the D-28, but I am content with the D-16GT. This guitar isn't as good sounding when it comes to finger picking. I recommend this guitar to somebody such as me. Not enough money to spend 2 grand on a fancy Martin, but you still love the Martin sound over most acoustic companies. UTILIZATION you will love how easy it is to get that sound you are looking for. SOUNDS love the tone and playability of this guitar! I chose it over a Gibson Song maker that was similarly priced and while I liked the Gibson playability, tone, and quality, it really was no match when compared with the Martin D16. Besides great tone and playability, I wanted a solid body guitar that was affordable. OVERALL OPINION I love martin. The feel, the booming bass and the playability. I'm glad i bought this guitar. It beats anything in the price range easily. The action is set very low so she plays fast. It blends well with other instruments and is great quality. Thanks Martin for another great guitar! Continue to bring these guitars out and you will always have customers. I recommend this guitar to any acoustic player or lover.

This is my first Martin guitar and after endlessly playing through so many different OM types, I finally settled on this one. Made in USA, it has very simple features: Solid Sitka Spruce with aging toner top indian rosewood back and sides mahogany neck with ebony fretboard Gotoh butterbean tuners 25.4" scale neck standard scalloped X bracing pattern 1-3/4" nut width Vintage belly drop-in saddle herringbone binding diamond and square inlays 14 fret neck to body (20 frets total) for an acoustic guitar, this is plain jane plus a bit of splash. There aren't any exotic woods or any super flashy inlays or modern pickup design. UTILIZATION OM shapes, I've found are extremely comfortable with the way they're contoured for both sitting as well as for your strumming arm hanging over the top. This is a non-cutaway version with decent accessibility to the 14th fret, most acoustic players don't go all the way up to the 20th fret often, maybe for a single note at the end of a lick etc. Thus the need for a cutaway is not necessary. Out of the box the guitar sounds great! It's foundations are simple and the woods are the normal pair of woods you'd get on 99% of all acoustic guitars that has proven to sound consistently good. There are two problems most players would have with this is probably the 1-3/4" nut width. This is a different string spacing than a guitar with a 1-11/16th nut width (found on most dreadnought guitars). If you're not picky then you'd see no problem, though there are some people who cannot seem to adapt well to the difference. Another thing is the V neck profile. This is part of the whole 'vintage' package which also includes the belly saddle, the gotoh butterbean tuners, and the aging toner top. The V neck profile was originally how Martin had made most of their guitar necks to be shaped to on a lot of their older guitars throughout the years. As modern technology improved and tastes changed, guitars with C shapes and D shapes were created. I can understand some players won't be able to wrap their hands around this one (the neck) properly for, let's say, bar chords. It does take some getting used to, others may find it TOO thick and lumpy. I myself have been able to take the time to get used to the guitar and play it the way it was designed with not much trouble at all. So I advise that this guitar DEFINITELY has to be played before bought!!! For me, I think it's near perfect! SOUNDS I might seem like I'm exaggerating here but I'm not. I have played at least 3 OM-28Vs before I chose this one, and I've also played many other brands also! Soundwise, this is the BIGGEST sounding OM I've heard from any guitar maker out there. I've tried Bourgeois, Collings, Taylors and other Martin OM models and found this one to be the absolute biggest and warmest sounding one. I do a fair share of both fingerpicking and strumming tunes. I wanted a guitar that was able to cover both styles and also be comfortable to play with. I started off playing dreadnoughts just because everybody seems to start that way and have finally discovered that not only are they uncomfortable for me to play, they sound way too boomy when recording and require too much tweaking in a recording environment. Also when it comes to diversifying the styles from strumming to fingerpicking, the OM28V is warm and punchy enough to have every note come out clear, yet big enough for strumming. I've seen a lot of people play this model guitar at the stores and always have something positive to say about how it sounds. I've yet to meet somebody who dislikes the tone! OVERALL OPINION I love my OM28V! I was on the search for the ONE acoustic guitar that I would own for a VERY long time. Simple, no fuss, and great sound that would fit the budget I had at the time. I tried many different OM guitars to filter this one out. Bourgeois, Collings, the Martin 000-28EC, the OM-21 special etc. There's something about this specific model that gives it that huge sound. On paper it may seem very similar to others but if you picked it up and played it, you'd know the difference right away! Martin is a great guitar company! VERY consistent. I played 3 different OM28Vs and they were all consistent in tone and build quality. You'd expect that from such a company especially considering the price!! Yes it's quite expensive! But you get what you pay for! At first I thought I was paying merely for the aesthetics of the vintage package. Then I played it next to many other guitars and instantly heard the difference. A Lifetime Warranty ain't bad either!! Overall, great guitar, very happy with my purchase! Wouldn't sell it for anything!! I'm only rating it a 9 because I know some players wouldn't like the V neck or 1-3/4" nut. And to be honest, I DID have to take some time getting used to the neck profile. Otherwise it's near perfect!

The Martin & Co 000-15 is a beautiful jumbo style acoustic guitar. The guitar is made out of mostly solid genuine mahogany wood, which gives it an incredible look and sound. Like all Martin guitars, it was made in the USA - in Nazareth, PA to be exact. It's not an acoustic/electric, so there aren't any pick ups or electronics inside this guitar... UTILIZATION The overall feel of the Martin & Co 000-15 is nothing short of impeccable. It plays just as good as any guitar I've used before, as the real wood really seems to make a difference. It's an absolute pleasure to pick up the guitar and play it as it seems incredibly easy to play on this when compared to other guitars. It's easy to play up and down the fretboard and it couldn't be easier to get a nice sound from it. SOUNDS The tone of the Martin & Co 000-15 is as rich as the look of the guitar. It's the perfect guitar for recording as it has a natural sound that makes recording acoustic guitar easy and an absolute pleasure. It's only acoustic so you don't have much wiggle room here to change your tone, but trust me when I say that you aren't going to need it. It's a got a jumbo style body which accounts for it's more biting sound rather than the more lush sound you'd get with a dreadnought, but all of this just adds to it's great sound. I've only played a few guitars out there that I'd put on the same level as this one. OVERALL OPINION The Martin & Co 000-15 is one of the cheapest ways you can get an incredible all wood acoustic guitar. It's as nice as some guitars double and triple it's price that I've played as I really think it's up there with some of the best being made today. I don't need to try to sell you a Martin, there's good reason why they're the best in the game when it comes to acoustics guitars and the 000-15 is proof!

The Martin & Co. 000-1 is a jumbo size acoustic guitar. We have one of these at the studio where I work, and it's always getting played and used on records. The one that we have has a custom pick up inside of it, but the stock 000-1 guitars are just acoustic guitars without any pick ups. This guitar in particular was made in the mid 1990's, and I'm not sure exactly how long these guitars were made for in general. UTILIZATION The overall feel and playability of the Martin & Co. 000-1 is outstanding. It's got a really friendly and fluid feeling neck, as it's extremely easy to navigate up and down the neck, regardless of if you're playing rhythm acoustic or lead. The guitar is smaller and feels smaller than your traditional Martin dreadnought guitar, which is definitely something that I welcome. It's got the body you'd see with any jumbo guitar, but that doesn't mean that it's necessarily a big guitar... SOUNDS The tone of the Martin & Co. 000-1 is terrific overall. While it's a really full sound, it's also bright and vibrant. However, as you'll find with most jumbo sized acoustic guitars, the 000-1 has most of all a great sounding low and low mid end. In general it just sounds clean and in a word, professional. It differs in tone than other Martin guitars that I've played which are usually a bit brighter, but then again this is one my favorite Martin guitars. If you're looking for a really bright sounding acoustic this isn't going to be it, but it's perfect as a more well rounded sounding acoustic. OVERALL OPINION There isn't a bad thing that I could say about the Martin & Co. 000-1. It plays and sounds great and is in general an almost perfect acoustic guitar. I haven't heard the custom pick up in it however, as I've only played it acoustically to date. I don't know much about the availability of this guitar or if they are still making it, but the 000-1 is a must try for anyone looking to get a top tier acoustic guitar.