Bought a Martin

Bikerdoc

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So I check out this pristine D16-RGT. Not a mark on it anywhere. Pick guard still covered. Strap pins not yet in. Price? Let's just say I was excited ny the deal. Documentation? From its beginning. Tone? It' simply doesn't measure up to my Guilds. I'm not sure what I expected. I've never owned a Martin. It does sound but I won't be keeping it long.
 

Bonneville88

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I just sold that same guitar! Played easily, great quality, handsome, sounded good... but my Guild dreads have character
 

dreadnut

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A few years back I went with my buddy to Elderly Instruments to help him select a guitar. He ended up with a Martin D-16R. Tried to talk him into buying a new Tacoma D-50 they had, but it cost a few hundred more shekels than the Martin, and rightly so, the Martin was real basic comparatively. Plus he had "Martin on the brain" syndrome.
 

Stephen

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I'll jump in here since the thread is about Martins. I have a Blueridge BR-183A, which is a 000-42-style guitar with a 25.5" scale length. I recently bought (and instantly returned) a Martin 000-28 because I wanted to see how if I'd enjoy its 24.9" scale length. My made in China Blueridge sounds like the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Show -- the Martin sounded like a wet match, and it didn't play as well either. My appreciation for the Blueridge was re-ignited. Moral of this tale: caveat emptor Martin.
 

twocorgis

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In all fairness, the 16 series Martins are mortise and tenon neck joins, and are a lower end model in their matrix, so comparing them to dovetail join Guilds really isn't a fair comparison. I love Guilds as much as anyone here (as my sig will bear out), but my Martin D18DC is still the best dread I own, and probably the best dread I've ever played.
 

Taylor Martin Guild

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I do believe that there is such a thing as a "Martin Sound" and a "Guild Sound".
I own a Martin D-35 and a Guild D-55.
I love both of them.
They both have their own voice, which is why I own them.
Neither one is better than the other. Just pleasantly different from each other.
 

AcornHouse

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In all fairness, the 16 series Martins are mortise and tenon neck joins, and are a lower end model in their matrix, so comparing them to dovetail join Guilds really isn't a fair comparison. I love Guilds as much as anyone here (as my sig will bear out), but my Martin D18DC is still the best dread I own, and probably the best dread I've ever played.
I don't think the joint comparison is a valid one Sandy. Lower end vs. higher end appointments, finish, and tuning, ok, but a number of high end custom builders use some type of M&T joint, including Somogyi, McKnight, etc.
The wood grade, bracing, thicknessing, fine tuning of all, and setup will have much more of an impact on playability and sound than how the neck is joined.
 

twocorgis

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I don't think the joint comparison is a valid one Sandy. Lower end vs. higher end appointments, finish, and tuning, ok, but a number of high end custom builders use some type of M&T joint, including Somogyi, McKnight, etc.
The wood grade, bracing, thicknessing, fine tuning of all, and setup will have much more of an impact on playability and sound than how the neck is joined.

OK, maybe I'll just revise that statement, and reiterate what TMG said, which is true. Martins are Martins, and Guilds are Guilds. I know that I preferred the tone of my D50 to either of the Martins I played, or the Gibson J50 back in 1976 when I bought it. But the '70s were far from the best era for Martin or Gibson. I do know that over on UMGF, there's a lot of members there that only like the higher end dovetail Martins. I also don't like to get into Martin bashing, because obviously they're doing something right to stay privately held, and manufacturing in the same place for so long.
 

Cougar

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Some time ago I got a very good deal from Sweetwater on a mid-range Martin GPCPA4. Really nice guitar, very nice finish, but.... well, the tone was very refined. It just wasn't for me, and I sold it. And I didn't even have a Guild yet to compare it to. Now, on the other hand, I will NOT be selling my F50R!
 

crank

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Love Guild, however, for tone and volume nothing I have heard beats a really good Martin.
 

AcornHouse

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OK, maybe I'll just revise that statement, and reiterate what TMG said, which is true. Martins are Martins, and Guilds are Guilds. I know that I preferred the tone of my D50 to either of the Martins I played, or the Gibson J50 back in 1976 when I bought it. But the '70s were far from the best era for Martin or Gibson. I do know that over on UMGF, there's a lot of members there that only like the higher end dovetail Martins. I also don't like to get into Martin bashing, because obviously they're doing something right to stay privately held, and manufacturing in the same place for so long.
Oh, I do think it's fair to talk about a lower end, built to a price point, guitar not being able to compare to a premium built guitar, regardless of the maker. I just objected to the dovetail necessarily being superior.
 

bobouz

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Over the years, I've come across far more Gibsons & Guilds that push the right buttons for me, compared to Martins.

Part of this is most likely due to the fact that I tend to be partial to the tightly-defined & punchy tone of maple instruments - and Martin rarely utilizes maple, so there's a built in disadvantage right out of the gate.

As for playability, the flatter fingerboard radius of Martins is not as comfortable in-hand for me. And although I fingerpick 99% of the time, neither is their tendency in recent years to produce more models with the wider 1-3/4" fingerboard width.

I still own a couple of nice Martins, but they're not the ones I reach for first.
 

Quantum Strummer

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My acoustics are mine because of how those particular guitars play and sound. They could all say ACME on the headstock… But I have to admit I enjoy playing my Martin 0-15 a little bit more knowing it was the least expensive six string they made at the time. ;)

-Dave-
 

richardp69

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I've tried to convince myself that Guild is the only viable option out there. But, as is usually the case, I've failed. I just can't pigeon hole things like that. I do have a preponderance of Guild for sure but also have several really good Martins, Gibsons and a couple Taylors as well. A statement earlier talked about a lack of Maple offerings from Martin and that is true. However, I once owned (and am still kicking myself for selling it) a J 65M and it was one of the finest Maple guitars I've ever had the pleasure to own and play.

However, at the end of the day, Guild for sure (IMHO) gives you the best value for the money of any made in the USA acoustic guitar.
 
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