I bought a Martin DX1K -solid spruce top and koa style laminate back and sides -composite neck too. I hated the look of the DX1R rosewood laminate and the mahogany style neck's grain. The koa is so much better to look at with nice unusual contrast. Most people don't know what Koa looks like so don't guess it is composite unless thay look in the soundhole and see the grey interior. It has a really full sound for the price and on a blind trial with much dearer guitars would hold up well. As it is new it has a very bright sound and I am waiting to see how it matures if indeed it does. The factory action setting was way too high at 1/8 at bass 12th fret so needed lowered quite a bit . This reduced the volume slightly but still great and not as bright a sound which was better. Sometimes I feel that if strumming it has a compressed sound which is odd. It sounds best with Martin SP+ Phosphor bronze strings. I play fingerstyle and it is really powerful with these. This is a good mid range guitar gor gigging but eventually I really want a D35 which is 3 times the price but feels and sounds perfect from the start with a great factory setup.