The mystique of Martin Guitars
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- Опубліковано 11 січ 2014
- Since 1833, C.F. Martin & Co., has been crafting Martin guitars, widely regarded as among the finest musical instruments in the world. Anthony Mason takes a musical trip through the decades with C.F. "Chris" Martin, the great-great-great-grandson of the man who started it all more than 180 years ago, and with musician John Sebastian, of Lovin' Spoonful, about the legacy of Martin guitars.
Many years I wanted a Martin Guitar. I'm retired now and I finally made my dream come true. I bought a 1999 Martin D-35 in January 2019. Sweetest sounding guitar I have ever owned. I will play this one till my fingers don't move anymore. Thank you Martin for making a beautiful high quality guitar.....Playing the D-35 is the best therapy a person could ever ask for. I thank the Lord for blessing me.
That's wonderful! I'm months away from having enough saved for a D-35. I too will enjoy it as long as possible and pass down to my teenage daughter who is just beginning to play. Can hardly wait!
Same here. Been playing for 41 years and had just about every popular American guitar, but never a Martin. A few weeks back I finally got a D-28. Amazing guitar.
I have Exactly the same story with a HD28 bought 16 years ago. Endless pleasure. Friendship from France.
I bought my D-35 in 1970 and have played it ever since. It was a “big investment” for me back then. I paid $600 for the guitar and case - one of the best investments I ever made!
New Martin owner here in 2024. I hope you're still playing!
What a marvelous talent! John Sebastian makes people smile.
Just got my 15 years old son a Martin D-28 for Christmas. Hoping he enjoys it through his life, knowing how proud I am of him.
Lovely gentleman, very enjoyable segment. I wish the media would do more pieces like that.
There's no denying the tonality and quality of these fine instruments.
Martin does make a beautiful guitar. I had the pleasure of selling them for five years at a large Midwest music retailer back in the 80s. We carried the entire line so I got to play every one. When it came time to get my dream guitar four years ago ... I auditioned probably 40 guitars or more. I ended up getting ... ... ... ... ... a Taylor 816ce. Beautiful, full bodied sound with a gentle nudge in the bass. Sounds equally amazing through a PA ... and unplugged. Perfect for me! The neck is a narrow profile--super comfortable and playable. It's easy on the eyes, too! I use it for performing, writing & recording. It's far and away my favorite acoustic 'pet'.
Bought a D-18 last April, 2013. Love the way the sound resonants thru my whole body when I play my D-18!!!! Amazing guitar!!!
Chris Martin is a marketing genius. He realized his 3rd generation luthiers could make a great sounding guitar from anything so he marketed wonderful Martin instruments at a price point even I could afford. Thanks, Chris for putting us all in the the right price range. You're the best!
I still have my Martin guitar that I got as a christmass present from my parents as child in the early 1960s.
what a WONDERFUL thing INDEED!
Your parents must have been loaded.
I always envied somebody who got something like this as a gift! It borderlines on hate because you are just going to hold on to it letting the guitar age and nobody reaping any benefit except selfish you!
@@johnathanmclaren4116 Back then Martin D-18 was a lot cheaper than it is now. You had a choice of something really cheap or a playable guitar. My first acoustic was a Martin D-18 in 1973 Brand new with case was $450. A Department store guitar was about $100 so it was a stretch but not at all like the market is now.
Don Hancock yeah so $450 in 1973 adjusted for inflation is $2,720 in 2020 dollars.
I have a 1958 Martin O-15 . It has a really unique sound. I got it from my Mom who played it when I was a little boy.
I'm now 66 years old and Mom is long gone... The guitar has mellowed and so have I.
I'll always love John B. Sebastian and his music. A 'true' hippie and his songs preached of love....
He brought a lot of happiness into my life because of those sweet thoughts he penned.
Took me a while to own a Martin but I have one now . Great day when I took it home.
Amen. .....just got my first one at 51 yo.....it was my wife's bd present. ...yep, I married a great lady...
I guess we most be working men cause we didnt get ours until our 50s .. congratulations sir.
+baler johnson Congratulations and enjoy......Happy Pickin' & Grinnin'!
TheMighty B Thanks man ...doing my best ..good for us...WE GOT A MARTIN ! LOL
I was 57 before I got mine and I love it. It speaks to me and I just try to interrupt.
this vs. that brand... and blah blah blah. to each their own. mine is a... NEVERMIND!
what i loved here was to see and hear my buddy John B. Sebastian, still so fine and mellow at 69... as he was in '69.
my memories: jug band music; winning the first bet of my life when i put $10 down at the local record shop/musician hangout, on "daydream" going #1, the day it came out (i bet against Charlie, the owner of the record shop and local "guru" of sorts); The Spoonful in Central Park, NYC; Sebastian the Rainbow at Woodstock, "Far Out, Man!" - tripping his brains out; "I'll Paint Rainbows All Over Your Blues" --- he lived down the street from me in Baltimore in the 80's.
read up on his life - mindblower.
Peace, y'all
It took me 30 years to obtain a Martin and I finally learned what the magic was all about.
Same here...many guitars had...only 1 that will survive me.
Yes sir...its my for-rever guitar!!!
At 60 i just ordered my first Martin and i cant wait. A Martin is what a guitarist either owns or wants to own.
i m playing guitar for just 2 years . just learning more and more. i just was lestening how martin guitars sounds. my gosh sounds perfectly to me and just wishing to by my first marting d15m . my first guitar is a fender guitar really love it. but im just in love with martin guitar specially d15m.
I was lucky enough to be able to afford my D-35 at a young age and I look forward to being able to spend the rest of my life with it. Nothing like a Martin!!
Beautiful, thank you. Love Martin guitars.
My brother has a 67 Martin he bought used in 68 or 69. He was able to to get it refretted for free from Martin after it'd been passed around to me and a couple of others. It's the best sounding acoustic I've ever heard. As others have said, it gets better with age.
I've owned Martin's as long as I can remember, but I picked up a Taylor one day and fell in love. My Martin custom shop Big leaf Maple with Spruce top is louder than any guitar I've ever played, and doesn't break up doing it. But this little Taylor GS mini blew me away, I've owned it ever since. Looking for a Koa version now. Martin builds great guitars, but there are others that build well too.
Have a D-18 I bought 50 yrs ago. Won't part with it ever. Recently played a friends Taylor Mini in Koa and I was very impressed. Very nice guitar. Would love to have my own
Well , Im with you. I have 2 Taylors , K26CE Koa and you find a better guitar in my mind, plus a 322ce Mahogany and Tasmainian black wood side and Back 12 fret. Ive had more complments on both, the 12 fret has a unreal low end. I also have a GP pro epip, a American Teli a J45 Gibson, but the Talors out shine the all
A Martin with 80/20 strings sounds pretty amazing and plays great. That's a hard combo to beat. I have a Taylor 12 string that's awesome, I'm fond of Guilds, especially the feel of the neck. Takamine's are way too bright IMO. I'm a fan of Alvarez, especially Alvarez-Yairi. Bang for the buck, and incredible guitar. I have a classical I bought in the 80s for $550 that I've never heard equalled in tone... by any brand at any price. And it's also stunningly gorgeous.
Give a shout out to Yamaha acoustics. Great and even more affordable
When I was 11 yrs old I went on a weekend trip with my single mom and 15 yr old sister to Santa Barbara California. My mom was meeting an older gentleman for beach walks and window shopping over the weekend. I honestly didn't want to go.. Neither did my sister. On Saturday night the plan was for the guys 3 kids.. 2 sons and a daughter.. (All attending UC Santa Barbara) to take my sister and I to a concert at an outside pavilion. The headliner was Ricky Nelson of 'went to a garden party' .. and 50s TV fame 'Ozzie and Harriet' show. It was a beautiful warm night.. The outdoor bowl arena was full.. I remembered wishing one of the 3 who had taken us had pot.. (11 yr old.. I know.. it was a different time. I now have a 17 yr old daughter who probably has never struck a match.)
The guy who opened the show for Ricky Nelson was a guy named John Sebastian.
At 11 I had never heard of him but the 3 who took my sister and I were primarily there for this John Sebastian guy.. As was seemingly the entire audience who nearly tore the place apart when he left the stage.
The song he sang just before leaving the stage was a song he introduced as having just written for an up and coming television pilot. He gave the whole audience very strict instructions that when qued
we were all supposed to sing "WELCOME BACK. WELCOME BACK, WELCOME BACK".. The up and coming pilot was a show called 'welcome back kotter' .. and at that time nobody had any idea what the show was but the entire crowd was standing and singing his instruction by shows end.. "welcome back welcome back welcome back". over and over again. When he left the stage the place went crazy and actually boo'ed Ricky Nelson.. I remembered feeling sorry for Ricky Nelson. That night was my introduction to John Sebastian.. Ricky Nelson..
and pot.
Yes.. my wish came true. Great show John. And great song. "Your dreams were your ticket out..." I'll never forget it.
I wish I could afford to buy a Martin guitar. They are amazing!
One does not simply "wish" they can afford a Martin. One just finds a way to afford it...be it years, or decades.
Try a Martin Junior! I love the 610mm (24") scale length
I have a D35 I bought in 1975, and another 2001 D35 I bought last week end. Love Martin guitars. I bought my 7 year old grandson a baby Martin for Christmas. My 2 D35's will go to my two adult children some day.
Would you adopt me?
Bought a Gibson J45 a few years ago and very quickly decided its 'focussed' tone beat all others hands down. I continued this thought/belief until recently when I played a Martin HD-28. To my ears, it didn't have the focus of my J45, but boy! it had a far more 'open (almost orchestral) sound which I have never experienced before. Currently waiting - impatiently - for it to be delivered.
Larrivee guitars are great sounding instruments. Played entry level acoustic and was amazed at the fullness and playability of this dreadnought!
I have 3 Martins.......One is a 1980 Martin D-28 Dreadnought-my uncle owned from brand new and played blues and some country down in Miss: when he passed away in 2015 i went to the funeral and I recall his son saying "Uncle Henry gave you something" -he didn't say what it was.
A week later I got that guitar with the case. And I play it EVERY weekend......sometimes with friends at home but mostly by myself......folks here might think I am crazy for saying this but I can feel his spirit in that Martin.
The 2nd is the one I use when I do play outside -it is another D-28.
The 3rd one is one I found in a pawn shop down in Nogales (I live and work in Phoenix but my girlfriend has family in Nogales)-the guy was clearing out his surplus guitars and had 6 of them.
I have no idea where it came or how it got there-the guy wasn't sure but he thought it can from the Mexican side of the border.-that one is a D-12.
I visited the Martin Guitar facility in Nazareth, Pa. in the early nineties. I learned that it takes 3 months to make a standard Martin. It also surprised me that a good third of the factory is taken up by their guitar string manufacturing unit! All in all it was worth the visit, very interesting.
Love my 1999 D-42 and my 1934 0-18. Thank you Mr. Martin!
I have played Martins that sounded appealing to my ears and others, not so much. There are no 'Bad' guitars. Everyone has their own ears and tastes. Many people do not realize that they respond differently to various tones and frequencies. I had these feelings when I was testing out some Martins, Lowdens and Taylors, today. I have a James Goodall, Pacific, Grand Concert model, with a maple neck, ebony fretboard, curly maple back and sides and a cedar top. When I took out my guitar to compare/contrast, a fellow customer said he wouldn't trade the guitar I had for any of the ones I was checking out. However, I unfortunately sold a Goodall, Concert Jumbo guitar, years ago and The Music Zoo in Manhasset, NY, had just received a nice, custom, 00-18 Martin with a koa back/sides, a sitka top, mahogany neck and ebony fretboard. This was a nice little guitar with the same specs as my old Goodall, only smaller but when I closed my eyes, I could hear my old songs I wrote come back to life! You can understand what I'm saying here. To John Sebastian's ears, this guitar sounds great. But to me and others, not so much. I guess it is good fortune that a fellow customer enjoyed the tone of my current guitar and there I was, planning on a possible trade because these guitars can get costly and take up so much space but I think my sweet Goodall may have just acquired a sibling because I keep thinking about that Martin custom 00-18. They are something. I tell everyone that in my experience, playing on and off for over 30 years, that when you hear/see something you really like, it's so hard to get it out of your head. Sometimes, you really have to scratch that itch! Happy hunting/playing to you, all! :)
I know a guy who bought 10 martin guitars from a NYC college in good condition. Then he de-strung them and stripped all the finish off. He then painted them purple and fastened them to fenceposts on his farm. The neck being clamped to the post and the body sticking up (upside down) in the air. After one season every guitar was home to a family of purple martins.
Stumbled upon this video. Interesting to hear a guitar built in 1834 played. I own two Martins, a D-1 and 000C. A friend of mine played my D-1 and couldn't believe how much it sounded like his high end D-35.
Couldn't agree more that the more you play them the better they sound i bought my D28 in 2011 I play her everyday and only in the past year or so has the guitar began to develop the magic open sound that everybody talks about it can only imagine what my guitar will sound like 10 20 30 years from now
Enjoyed this video thanks for sharing..
Love my Martin. Great video!
I bought a Martin M38 in 1980. To me, it's the best Martin model hands down. It's just gotten better with age.
Finally got a Martin. Should have done it sooner. Love my HD28.
+Geotubest I'm just starting out and happened to find a DX1AE for 325$ yea its not all wood but I've heard martin owners say it sounds 100% martin cant wait to pay it off.
+Joseph Best Congrats.. Enjoy it!
I call my D-28 a fusion box, it adjusts to all styles of music, stays in tune, gets better all the time. Same with the OM-21. I like high action, it brings out the tonal qualities. If you play a lot, its a plus. Great seeing one of my Idols, lovin them too, Thanks
Can't wait to own a Martin. I wanted a solid top, back and sides guitar a few years back but couldn't justify the cost of a Martin. So I bought a Seagull and absolutely love it. It sounds great and it sounds better every year. However, I still want a Martin. One of these days....
Best guitar I've ever played was my father's old D-28.
try a Lewden
@@wischiwaschi4817 Lowden?
Glad that you had a guitar in your family that not only served your father but you too!
The magic is all in the ears of the listener and the hands of each player. No two are the same
Great piece! I enjoy all of the quality guitars (Gibson, Martin, Seagull, Takamine, Cordoba, etc.)... they all have souls
I like the way you phrased this.
Lewden is the best
@@wischiwaschi4817 lowdon
so many hits! what a legend!
I've been Blessed to owned around five Pre-War D-28 Herringbone D-28's, They are Cannon's.
I also had a custom made Brazilian Rosewood D-45 Top of the line "Tree of Life" acoustic.
I lost count on the smaller body 1920's and 1930's Martins, Love them also. The Best !!
that 1834--the sound hole inlay is jaw dropping beautiful eye candy. looks and sounds like nylon strings.
my first steel string was a 1940 Martin 0-15, i got it in 1967 in Santa Monica for $100, it was in original condition, i didn't know anything about vintage and original condition then. my first guitar, when i was 14 in 1963 was a Goya F-11 nylon string folk guitar. i saw a photo of an "all brown martin" in a picture of Bob Dylan and that was the guitar i wanted, i thought it looked so cool and old and broken in, my dream guitar.
i was 18 when my boyfriend broke the goya over a chair when he got mad and he gave me $100 to get another guitar because that's how much the goya had cost. i went to that guitar on Santa Monica Blvd and they had an all brown Martin hanging up on the wall, the got it down, it was $100 and it was exactly what i wanted. it sounded good. the only problem with it is that it was very hard to turn the tuning pegs and over time it got harder and harder, but i had a lot of fun playing
it. In 1970, for Xmas i asked my parents for new tuners, and i got Schallers which i picked because they were enclosed and no dust could get on the mechanisms. Over the years people would comment that it wasn't the right kind of tuners for that guitar but i still have the guitar miore than 50 years later ane the tuners work like when they were new. I understand now that it does make the guitar heavier and it looks weird in a way.
Over time i put a lot of holes in the guitar accidentally. i broke the headstock a couple of times in different places more than 30 years apart by accidentally knocking it over when it was leaning against something. All of those things have been repaired.
The one permanent bad thing that happened to the guitar was in around 1999, someone told me the neck needed to be reset. i didn't know anything about what that, just that the neck would be repositioned so that it would be easier to play, which sounded good to me. that was why it was said to need the reset. The guy was highly recommended, there was a long wait to get the guitar back. I had gotten a 66 fender Mustang in 1970 so i had something to play but it was a long wait.
When i got it back, the guy had replaced the original ebony nut with a white colored one and had replaced the original tusk saddle with some other material, he had told me he would do that and that was before i knew anything about any of those things. I just thought i would get my guitar back and it would sound the same. I sat down on the floor with it and started playing it, i was digging into it i guess because the guy said "Oh, i didn't know you played loud." He had a tone of regret in his voice. He assumed i was a soft guitar player, and that made a difference. The tone of the guitar was really changed. It has never sounded like it did. It actually sounds nice when played quietly and softly. But it had been a great sounding guitar originally, i have a lot of recordings of it on cassette. It has never been the same. Not as good, i am still sad about it.. It was easier to play, for what that's worth.
So, after that, i began my search for the holy grail. i was working OT on my job and making good money and started buying guitars, mostly on ebay, vintage guitars, electric and acoustic. I got 2 other 1940 Martin 0-15s but they never had the sound of my original one, they were all right, not the holy grail. i also had a 1942, same model. i sold all of them or traded them. i went through a lot of guitars. Of the martins i still have, only one is a keeper for me, it now needs a neck reset and i don't play it, it's 1944 00-17, a great find on ebay for about $2000, about 10 years ago, that was a very low price for that guitar. Still, nothing has sounded like my pre-neck reset original guitar.
But i did find the holy grail in around 2010, it's a 1931 Gibson L1, 12 fret, i won't digress into talking about that, holy grail is not an objective category, for each person it's personal and unique, and most will never find it--the guitar that unlocked something musical in me and made me a better guitar player, an experience that continues with that guitar, i never expected that, it's some kind of weird miracle, it doesn't sound like my old Martin but it has its own special qualities. the way it plays, for me and what have needed, it kind of a miracle.
But i sure did play a lot of old and newer Martins and none were that holy grail, but it was a fun and often exciting journey. When i found the holy grail in 2010, that's the last guitar i bought. Now i have quite a few i need to sell off or trade, but i'll never get rid of my first Martin, even though it doesn't sound the same as it once did. It sits next to my bed on a stand in my bedroom. i carry Holy Grail back and forth between living room and bedroom so that's mainly what i play day to day, i don't play my first Martin often but when i do i'm always glad to have it, even though i will always hear the sound that was lost and is missing, the missing pieces from its tone. i will always love it and even with the losses, it still sounds good.
I finally gave in and bought a 2008 Martin D-28 Marquis. Totally love it. I play it nearly every day.
I own a hd/28 and have to say it has angelic tones.
There are other great guitars no doubt, but Martins have more than earned their accolades and place of lore.
I love my martins! nothing sounds like them.
I like what Chet Atkins said
to a perhaps well meaning but ignorant person who commented
" Your guitar sounds nice. "
Chet put down the instrument and said
How does it sound now ?
I think I understand Chet's frustration.
As a photographer
I got so tired of people saying
" That's a pretty picture. What kind of camera do you use? "
The most important part of the guitar is.......
the artist playing it.
AMEN
Yeah, I can often make even the best guitar sound like crap
The best guitar is the one you like.
I agree
spot on Scott and sometimes what you can afford for me it has to be a Takamine guitar love them
Scotty Nguyen's 80s Mullet 2 grand is nothing?
2k oooooh big money. Wtf
Do you talk to strangers like this in real life?
very nice...Martin's are sweet as Tupelo honey, iconic heritage!
Wish I could afford one. I picked up a nice Martin at Fuller's Guitars in Houston & fell in love with it. I'll just have to stick with my Ovation, which is great guitar in its' own right.
Thanks, never knew that much about Martin, but learned alot. Thanks!
There is a reason most acoustic steel string guitars are compared to a Martin, they are the benchmark for tone. Iconic guitars such as the Martin D28 & D18, Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster & Telecaster didn't get their reputations from hype. For all the nay sayers have a little respect.
I have 4 guitars, including 12 string D12-35 and I love them!
I have a 98 custom d18, that a preachers kid payed a good amount down and had ordered it at a guitar shop in Mt airy NC , but never came back for it. l went in there after after saving for almost five years to buy a D28, they must had 8 D28 s on the rack , the D18 custom came home something about the tone captured my heart and ear, they do get better with age .
I think what's great about Martin is the simplicity in the fact that it's a Martin. It may not be some jewel incrested masterpiece like some of those gibson jumbo guitars, but it could be argued that a Martin is still more beautiful. When you buy one you know the sound quality will be top tier, best of the best. If you want a cheaply made bolt on guitar, buy a Taylor or Gibson. If you want the standard for American guitars, both sound and design wise to be the very best of the best, buy a Martin.
Never played a real Martin, but I did buy a Sigma, DR1ST for ten bucks, has a couple of holes in the back where someone hung it up on a wall, love the sound and the way it plays.
Saying that all Company "A" guitars sound better than all Company "B" guitars is like saying all roses are more beautiful than orchids. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Likewise, beautiful sound to the ear of the musician. Just my perspective after 53 years of playing acoustic guitars. BTW, I started with a guitar that cost 2 books of green stamps. Since then, I've played pre-war Martin D-28 sunbursts that cost $15-20K. After Doc Watson mentioned Gallagher guitars, I drove to the Gallagher factory in Wartrace, Tenn. to have a guitar custom made for me; years later, I bought a new 1984 Martin D-28V Brazilian rosewood model signed by C.F. Martin III, and C.F. Martin IV. They've all been fun to play!
I couldn't agree more. That's the beauty of guitars (to me that is). It's what you heart and feel when playing. I recently played Martin serial #25,xxx and it was an amazing experience. Then a few days later a new Taylor 400 series. Each had different sound and feel but both remarkable instruments but I can get a great sound out of my old beat up road worn Takamine G series. Just find the guitar you like and disregard what's written in the head stock.
I have my own sweet little Martin guitar. I love it.
I’m a hack player..bought a Breedlove guitar about 10 years ago. I love the sound!
The day I bought my Larrivee I was in the market for a Martin. Turns out the place I stopped by (The Spruce Tree, Madison, Wisconsin), wasn't a Martin dealer. The owner handed me the lowest-priced Larrivee there. I played it for about 15 minutes and said, "I'll take it." I've had it now for 13 years, and it's doubled in value. I also have a Martin, but my Larrivee is my main squeeze.
Larrivee are great guitars. You can often find "the sound" on a much less expensive guitar than a martin, or a Taylor for that matter. Will probably be my next guitar.
I agree. I fell in love with the deep bass of Martins and the playability of Taylors but when I picked up a Larrivee 15 years ago I HAD to have it. I've owned mine for 13 years now and though I've since acquired a Martin and taken the tour this past year my Larrivee is still my favorite.
I have played 3 different Gibson models, plus Lowden, National, Loef, and Levin acoustics; I've also tried out a few Collings and other models for comparison. My recent buy of a Martin 00028 is by far and away the best sounding / playing instrument I have owned or played so far. My only regret is that I didn't make the switch a long time ago!
The Song in the Begining was wild wood Rose my Dads Favorite!
It's Wildwood FLOWER.
Yup, Carter Family... @@Jerry6750
I've played in Washington Square Park, Mcdougall St.... ahhhh... what a day to remember...🎵🎶🎵
I've been quite fortunate to have experienced Martin guitars...my jewel is an Om42; my workhorse a D35S.
Best sounding guitars on the Planet...
Taylors don't even come close.
I bought a D28 in 1977. It takes some years for it to come really good. But when it does, it is the business. It's not the easiet guitar I have ver played, but it has a beautiful character. The 197s Martins have been unfairly criticised. i think a lot of critics jumped on that bandwagon. All I can say is that my D28 is my friend and lets me express myself in ways other guitars don't.
Bought my D 35S in 1980, a few years used. Wouldn't trade it for anything.
Martin rules, I have a D12-35, Baby Martin, Shenandoah, and Dk Martin. Love them all!
Now I know where the reverse head stock came from!
Thank you Mr. Martin!
Martin isn't my brand, but they really do make a fantastic guitar and have an amazing history.
Nothing like a Martin. Every love in my life played one. Really.
only one word Lewden
Very cool thank you
sounds great and looks good
Hank played a Martin. Interesting that John Sebastian kicked off with a song made famous on the Gibson L5.
The Martin Guitar plays beautifully, sounds beautiful and no other can produce that wonderful Martin aroma. They've come so far and what they produce and improve upon in the future is going to be even more spectacular. The judgement of others would have to be taken seriously only after them taking the tour and playing a Martin and walking thru the museum to see the beautifully detailed construction of their guitars. I am just a pleasantly satisfied customer that holds the Martin Guitar factory on a pedestal. They're customer service is pretty awesome too.
I've researched that. It's the Spanish Cedar Kerfing they use.. I've bought some, and put it in my other guitars cases :)
Bought my '93 D45 8 years ago for a reasonable prize because it had rarely been played. It was kind of a bet on what would develop if the guitar would be played frequently - and I won it. As soon as the wood had something to do on a daily basis it started to develop a tone I have yet to hear from another guitar. Beautiful.
There are tons of other great guitars around, but just like women - you can't and shouldn't have them all. Treat the one who deserves it really well, and it will pay off.
wonderful!
Nice story from a great story teller. I lusted for a Martin and back in 1974 I borrowed $500 from my big brother and bought a 1955 0-18. Honestly it wasn't the one I really wanted, but it was within reach. I had to get some work done on it, reset the neck and lowered the bridge, but I've had it almost 50 years now and John is right, it gets better with every strum. Maybe it's just knowing what the guitar responds to, I don't know. I just know it gets sweeter and sweeter. Many years on I had the opportunity to buy a dreadnought which was what I'd wanted all along. I went out one day with the money in my pocket saying to myself I'd take home the sweetest sounding one I could find. It turned out to be a Veterans' tribute model which I think is really just a D-28. I've had to answer questions about that (I'm not a veteran) but that guitar just spoke to me and blinded me to everything else. The rosewood is just so sweet and mellow. Fast forward to the pandemic, I walked into a store and just on a lark picked up a D-18. Same thing, had to have it and my sweet girlfriend just stood there and said, "you must take it home." Totally different from the other two, harder to play, but oh so snappy. I'll never sell any of them. Someone will inherit them. They just keep me company when I have no words.
I bought my D-28 as a teenager in 1974. I've enjoyed it Every day
excellent, thank you.for those of you complaining about sound, find the one you like the sound, silly! I got one I just love, full rich sound. this sound, though, on this one, made this artist famous!
I got to see the Martin factory about 24 years ago, when I was 15: it's still a fond memory, and I learned so much about guitars from that trip (and the books we bought), it's ridiculous. My mom even got to have the factory historian look at a 100-plus-year-old heirloom Martin her family owned. The guy was able to point out workmanship errors that would NEVER make it off the factory floor today!
The first guitar I learned on was a Martin D-35, too. Yes, there are plenty of perfectly respectable non-Martins out there; I've played some of them. But for me, Martin is like coming home. Snark at THAT, trolls!
joe jones After that, it was my late uncle's Ovation (which I inherited when he died). It didn't sound half-bad, really, but it got stolen in 2006.
I've been reduced to a Spectrum cheapie, now, which sounds OK, but isn't set up well. (It's all my family could get me, after the theft.) Life isn't fair.
+Nick Hentschel I bought a used Spectrum at Guitar Center for $50 I made a bone nut & saddle, widened the spacing on the nut, filled the peg holes with wood re-drilled them to widen spacing at the saddle, lowered action at the saddle, leveled & polished the frets, restrung with good strings...now it plays much better but still does not sound all that wonderful
Nick I have always loved Ovations even though they are not the best sounding guitar..they are so comfortable to play.
Well played Mahogany Martins have the most sustain out of any guitar I have ever played. The note just seems to play on and on. This makes for a very addicting playable guitar. And the tone is oh so sweet. Used Martins sound better than new one's.
Addictive!
Lewden
I've owned Martin guitars since 1973. They are worth every penny. There are those who would say you'd be crazy to pay the price for a Porsche but just like a Martin, they are well made, work beautifully and get better and more valuable with age. If you can afford a Martin (or a Porsche), get one. You'll never regret it.
I have never owned a Martin guitar. I'd absolutely love to, but they've always been priced a little out of my reach. I am relegated to an anniversary edition Alvarez-Yairi and a Takemine. Not bad instruments, but not quite the same thing..maybe some day.
I love my Martin 000 and I have played D-18, D-41 & 45 however, there is a hidden gem of a guitar maker that can be found on FB. Rose Creek Custom Acoustic Guitars. These are some of the best I played that I can compare to Martin but, they have their own personality. Pricing is way better then it should be because they are not well known yet.
Try out Crafter guitars. Some call it the poor mans Martin. I got an all mahogany bodied guitar for a little over 400... fitted it with John Pearse bronze ( not phosphor ) strings. Great volume, tone and clarity.
I'm very blessed I own a 2017 HD 28 Martin I really enjoy playing. My 2009 DC 16 is unbelievable finger picking guitar, bymost standers it would be over look, it's an incredible playing picking instrument. I am very fortunate to have found her.i would never part ways no matter what, peace
Think about all the beautiful guitars that old man at 3:18 has made, its so fascinating!
Amazing grace harmonica
There are many ways to value and enjoy a guitar.
I remember buying a Martin D 12-20 in about 1968 from Weirlines( sp?) In Baton Rouge. I carried that guitar around for years until I sold it.
Those little Martin travel guitars are so damn cool
Gabor Szabo's amplified Martin sound is also a great example of the quality of martin guitars.
Love my Martin D-15M!
Love martin guitars and they are the signature sound needed on most radio bound recordings. John's guitar has a great sound there.
AND I have a Martin !!! It is a sweet guitar!!
Nothing sounds as sweet as a Martin!
+Acousticcov the best sounding/playing acoustic I've ever played was a prairie state, long-gone brand at least as good as martin and the only one I ever saw was, as I said, best! there are no rules; maybe one stradivarius is not as good as the best of a lesser-known builder.
+Van Rozay The Prairie State made excellent guitars.Wish i would have bought one when i could have.
I think my Collings gives my Martins a run for their money. Also I have played SCGCs and Goodalls that were the equivalent of any D45 or D41 I have ever played.
Interestingly enough I had a Martin 00028 and a Collings om2h both in for work at the same time (nothing major just a tweak on the setups). I wanted the Collings to sound and feel better than the Martin but it wasn't even close and I'm no fan of Martin's from the modern era but the Martin was by far (and easily) the better guitar and around 2K less expensive. In fairness it was the best Martin guitar I have played and I have played many. That was the only Collings guitar I have played.
PJ561515 Except a Seagull.
One thing I'm not hearing in the comments is how a quality guitar improves tone with use and age. I was disappointed with my DM for many years after I bought it in 1998. But after awhile it began developing a tone that continues to get better and better. Now I'm hard pressed to find an equal among much more expensive (newer) guitars whether it's Taylor, Gibson, Yamaha, or even other Martins. If your Martin (or other quality guitar) doesn't quite sound as good as you like, give it some time and, most of all, keep playing.
DeVon Henne Have you tried setting the guitar in front of some speakers, and cranking the stereo up when you leave the house? I've been doing that with my SP 000-16 and my old Gibson Country Western model, and it really does make a big difference; the db level activates the top in the same way that playing it does.
Eugene - that was one of the most entertaining reads I've enjoyed on UA-cam. I got a few rock n roll tales too but you got that one down. Everything was in it except the women which makes a nice change. Sure hope you still got that ol Martin. And was sure hoping George Jones didn't somehow get his hands on it. ThAt would've hurt! All the best to yer....
that was real nice story thanks for sharing
948$. Not a bad haul. Coulda bought a car back then.
That’s so true
I've had a Martin 00015 Mahogany guitar for about 10 years now. Love it.
Yes it is!
Viino33 awesome for you! I love the sound of the D 28.
Nothing mysterious about Martin guitars. They are just damn good playing instruments, and consistently so across their entire line.
1:28 Beautiful, man....
I'm a daydreaming boy! Martin guitars are heavenly.