I posted what I really feel about the idea of this guitar BEFORE I read this heavy metal-lite thread. I wanted to say what I felt off the top of my head before seeing what others thought. I'm glad to see that we see things pretty much similarly.

And I had no idea they had put out a "cowboy guitar"--complete with a western painted top. This makes me glad I altered my D-76 and turned it into a 9-string guitar. Martin's Mike Longworth always shook his head in amazement whenever he saw it. I did it because my hands were going numb and I wanted to obtain more sound from strumming since I was picking a bit less then (1980s) ---- sort of the way Bob Gibson played his 12-string combined with Merle Travis style picking. Later, when I got worse and couldn't lift a Dred naught, I went back to a 6-string model 000-18. ----------------And those old Autry/Hoppy/Leonard Slye guitars were fun to find for $3.00 in a Goodwill resale shop just like my Martin was fun to win in that raffle at the Old Town Folklore Center.

Martin will always be my favorite guitar. It just was the best. Probably still is. In my mind it always will be the best. If I ever went deaf, I'd want to keep playing a Martin guitar. The wood vibrates so you can "hear it" even when you can't !!

ACCOUSTIC STEEL STRING INSTRUMENTS FOREVER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Art Thieme