It's no big secret that I too am a die-hard Martin lover...BUT...it really depends on the style of play as to whether bass boominess is a pro or a con. Also, rosewood/spruce Martins with scalloped braces will bring out more of the bass. I would think if you were using it for rhythm you'd want that extra fullness in the sound. For flatpicking you'd probably want something with more bite in the mids and highs (i.e. D-18) and for fingerpicking something with a fairly balanced sound but enough bottom end to have presence without being overpowering. I have found in my travels that the HD-35 is probably the boomiest bassy sounding Martin. The HDs have a little more scalloping, and as primarily a fingerpicker, I found the bass to overwhelming compared to the mids and highs. I.m.o. they don't make good fingerpicking and especially recording guitars. I have found the HD-28's to be great all around instruments, as well as the D-40s series, and older, straight braced D-28s. But for fingerpicking and balance, I'd recommend the M-38, the OO and OOO 18s and 28s - especially the BRW ones.