Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?

Subject: For Sale: Buy:Guitars/Gibson/Martin/Taylor/Larrive
From: GUEST,john Marquez
Date: 07 Dec 08 - 11:41 AM

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Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: goatfell
Date: 07 Dec 08 - 11:45 AM

to me a guitar at £100 sounds exactly the same as one at £4,000

and the same with guitar strings, a set the cost you £7 sounds exactly the same as ones at £12

so I can't see what is difference about Guitars and strings, becasue as I say one Guitar sounds exactly the same as another.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Lowden Jameswright
Date: 07 Dec 08 - 12:16 PM

I wish I had your ear Goatfell - would have saved me a lot of money!

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,Stringsinger
Date: 07 Dec 08 - 12:55 PM

I have had the Martin 0021 that I play for years. It has a beautiful balance and
the intonation corrected by John Carruthers.

The instrument is only as good as the player. You can have all kinds of
preferences but the bottom line is that a good player can make any guitar
sound good.

Frank

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Stringsinger
Date: 07 Dec 08 - 01:08 PM

Guitars have their own personalities. Some players can make some makes
sound right for their style of playing. Their style may not work on all
brands. Each Martin has it's own personality and reason for being built.
Yamaha had a testing program in California where they attempted to
compare their brand with the Martin in an A.B. testing. The Yamaha had
a different tonal texture which would be desirable on certain musical styles.
The Martin on others.

The reason Martin is expensive is because they were there first. Over the
years they built quality instruments. I would never trade mine for any
other.

For example, when Josh White had his original Gibson guitar stolen, he
switched to the Martin 0021 which he played in later years. I played one
that he had owned at the time in possession of Bess Hawes and fell in love
with that instrument. I subsequently bought one and have stayed with it
for a long time. It sounds good with a Rare Earth going through a Sunrise pre-
amp and mixed with a standing mic.

Every player gets something different out of each instrument. To compare
good guitars against one another makes no sense. It comes down to
the player's style and personality.

Frank

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 08 Dec 08 - 11:21 AM

My first D-28 was purchased in 1967 for around $350, which included a hard-shell case. The sound was wonderful and the straight-grain Brazilian rosewood was gorgeous, but the neck needed some adjusting. It was stolen in 1978 and I never found anything with that particular sound until I came into possession of a Taylor dreadnaught about three years ago. Because of an index finger injury to my left hand suffered a few years back, I don't play it as much as my classical guitar (bar chords can be problematic), but I love it when I do. Now, if I could just get it back from my son, who is using it for all the acoustic work his band does.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,Mr Big palms-short fingers
Date: 08 Dec 08 - 11:44 AM

Irrespective of price, I just wish more acoustics would be marketed with thinner/narrower electric guitar dimension necks.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: goatfell
Date: 08 Dec 08 - 11:47 AM

I know a guy who payed £4,000 for a guitar, god you can buy a second hand car for that and still get change

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 08 Dec 08 - 11:55 AM

But the guitar won't make a hole in the Ozone Layer! :-) :-)

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Terry McDonald
Date: 08 Dec 08 - 11:56 AM

I'll bet the £4,000 guitar will increase in value whilst a car soon becomes worthless.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 08 Dec 08 - 03:34 PM

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Lanfranc - PM
Date: 05 Jan 08 - 06:25 PM

Given the weakness of the US Dollar and the current oversupply of Martin guitars, they appear to be in the process of becoming much less expensive!


what a difference a day year makes ...

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 01:42 PM

Given the weakness of the US Dollar and the current oversupply of Martin guitars, they appear to be in the process of becoming much less expensive!

Don't count on it. They are making some nice lower priced instruments, but the upper models are still selling at high prices

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Amos
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 02:06 PM

I wouldn't surrnder my Martin for twice what I apid for it.

But partly that is because of its accumulated seasoning in the forty-odd years it has made music.

That siad I would be open to a Taylor if I met one I loved and had the dough to buy it.

Martin prices their product high (a) because they can, having the brand cachet and (b)because they have developed a very high quality product line.


A

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 05:48 PM

My trusty old 1970 D-41 is in the hospital for some restorative surgery. Actually it's in to try to undo the damage the last guy (Randy Wood) did who was supposed to restore it but wrecked it instead. So I haven't had it to perform with for nearly two years.

I originally thought I'd have it back much sooner but I needed a performing axe in the meantime so I picked up a Blueridge BR-260. It's a herringbone dreadnought with Brazilian back and sides modeled after the pre-war Martins. It is a very nice sounding guitar. It probably sounds as good as any new Martin D-28 or any model below that. I've performed with it and recorded with it and people would often come up after a show just to find out what make it was.

But two or three months ago I was in a local shop and the owner said he just got one in that I needed to see. I picked it up and started playing through some things and it was as if the heavens had opened and the angles were singing. I had never heard any guitar (and I get around) that could hold a candle to my 1970 D-41 but here it was. A 2004 Martin HD-28CW. Not the Brazilian one, just the standard HD-28CW. What an amazing guitar. A rich and loud but wonderfully focused sound perfect for driving a working bluegrass band (which is what I do). It handles sensitive crosspicked passages with the same clarity as a balls-out fiddle tune and the bass runs cut right through without needing to overpower the other instruments. It is now mine and the other members of the band are very pleased too.

A student of mine owns an HD-28CW but I never thought it sounded better than my Blueridge. But this one... Oh, my.

Martin is capable of making really wonderful guitars and every once in a while... they do.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Cretzon
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 06:27 PM

I bought an Epiphone 12 string guitar in 1970 and it cost around 60 quid, which represented about 5 weeks pay as a young journalist. I've still got the guitar, and today it plays as well as it ever did and sounds finer. Not everybody's an Epiphone fan, but I never thought I'd find another guitar I preferred.

Two years ago I bought a Martin D12; had it set up by a luthier, and now I wouldn't part with it. It's usually the most striking sounding guitar in the room; at 62 I seriously doubt I'll be around to hear what it sounds like in 40 years.

Cost? 535 quid - including import duty, postage and VAT. And it came in faultless condition with a Martin case. Don't overlook the cheaper range Martins.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,Tony
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 02:51 PM

The guitar gets sweeter with age I could not put a price tag on my 1971 D35.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Amos
Date: 08 Mar 09 - 03:33 PM

See the new thread of this date on "Eric Claptons Guitar"--all is revealed.


A

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,twangbar king
Date: 14 Aug 09 - 06:24 PM

Some Martins are great, but the new ones are not worthy of the heralded reputation. Taylor's have gone WAY downhill fast. I will stack my Larivee up against all of them. Want a decent inexpensive acoustic made in canada, solid wood, try out a seagull by Godin. Maybe the best acoustic (nothing fancy) made today for the money.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Kosmo
Date: 14 Aug 09 - 09:27 PM

This answer comes late but it may be because they are made by blind nuns ... no?

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Aug 09 - 06:40 AM

hi

I agree with your point about what other people hear.
I used to p[lay a Martin D-18 and thought it had a great sound.

Unfortunately it got badly damaged in a road accident and I had to replace it quickly.

I couldn't afford a comparable Martin at the time and so after much looking and testing I bought a Yamaha FG-360.

I didn't think it compared with my Martin but I got used to it.

Because I had changed instruments I asked around at various gigs and not one person said that they could detect or notice any difference in sound quality.

I could but I experiment with different strings and I have to say that the mixture of Yamaha with Martin strings does make a big different to my own ears.

So it satisfies me and the others clearly can't tell any difference so why pay the extra money ???

One other point about the differences in some of the opinions about the quality of Martins' sound.

I have found that certain players sound better on different guitars...and buying a Martin is not going to make the buyer sound any more like his particular "idol".

I once bought a Guild when I was going through my John Denver phase...didn't work !!! lol

I now thrash away on my Yamaha and it satisfies me and as the people out there don't appear to be able to tell....so I'm a happy bunny.

happy playing

John

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,Bigjoe from Jersey
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 09:17 PM

Lordy I used to be such a fan of Martin. But now I have two high end Martins with neck warps and other more minor finish flaws, and action rising faster than the Mississippi. I'm broken hearted, gonna drown my sorrows in a nice Collings I think (Bob Collings, not Tom).

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,CN
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 09:40 PM

Bigjoe's quite right. Over the years Martin have made some fantastic instruments but for sheer consistency these days you simply can't beat Collings guitars. Expensive, certainly, but stunning.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Bert
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 08:31 PM

It's known as 'Peter's Placebo'. You remember, from the book 'The Peter Principle'

Explained by Peter as 'An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance'

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,Have a Martin D 76-E to sell
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 10:33 PM

My sister's partner has a D 76-e to sell. I do not have all the info but could get photos and provenance. He says it's in very good condition and would like around $2500.
Anyone interested?

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,Martin D 76-E to sell
Date: 22 Nov 09 - 10:40 PM

Sorry, meant to say a Martin. Apparently these were made for employees of Martin. If interested, I can put you in touch with him.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: guitaaress
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 06:42 AM

I own three Martins. D35 HD28 and M38. My local store stocks Talylors and I've played every model over the years. Fine consistant instruments. The only Guitars I've ever played that are either equal to or better than any of my Martins are Santa Cruz and Collings. A friend has a 1948 D18 that sings and a D28 from the same year that is simply beautiful beyond words. Of all the Taylors I've played and I've played loads, not one has made my pulse race the way it does when I again pick up a Martin.
That is why Martins are the price they are. Sheer quality and tone at a consistant level. There are poor Martins but so few and far between it's not worth mentioning. Taylor = Toyota does everything it should. Martin = Bently it's the benchmark that everyone aspires too.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,JC
Date: 29 Jun 10 - 01:50 PM

I bought my D-35 from Mr. Music in 1980 and it's tone just keeps getting better and better as the years add up. I can put it away in that original form shaped case I got with the guitar and come back in 6 months and pick it up and it is still in tune. Even with the strings being a little dead, it still resonates good quality sound. It's got good action and I love just picking and grining.

Owned and tried several other brands and yes, I admit hats off to those people at Taylor. They've come up with some good quality guitars as well. Got good action as well but they still lack that deeeeep rick base sound that a Martin rings out.

I paid just a little over $1700 for the D-35 and case in 1980 and yeah I know paid a little over the top at that time, but it's part of me now after all of these years and I would never give it up.

What can I tell ya, but I really like my old Martin regardless what I see and read from others. I have never had to test out it's lifetime warranty cause it just does get damaged.

Thank you Mr. Martin.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 29 Jun 10 - 02:14 PM

When I again saw the title of this thread, I was reminded of my years in the premium wine business. Particularly in France; in Bordeaux, more specifically, some labels command high prices because of a historic record of quality. Others because of scarcity - and a recognizable and well-marketed name. Some, on the other hand, trade on long-lost attributes from a prior ownership and management.

How many instrument makers are still in the hands of original owners? How many, once highly regarded, have disappeared? Martin has had its downs, but has a single family legacy of ownership and a very good track record of quality overall - and it is one of the oldest and best known producers of string instruments anywhere.
In the end, people will always be willing to pay a bit more for what they perceive is a higher level of quality.

In the end, it's a love affair. As we all know, they don't always make sense to others. They don't have to.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 29 Jun 10 - 07:06 PM

Some time ago I toured the Martin plant in Nazareth. At the end of the tour each guest was given a genuine Martin soundhole. If they are giving their holes away it just has to increase the cost to the buyer! If anyone out there has a Martin with a soundhole missing I could supply one for a small cost and of course shipping and handling charges. :-}

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,Achromat
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 04:04 AM

Bought a brand new HD-28 Oct. 2010. Intonation was off but soon realized that the guitar was built in 2008 and had a set of strings on it that were 2 years old! Mind you it sounded fantastic. Changed the strings and the intonation problems disappeared. The high E and G ring out a bit but I'll take care of that after I've had it for awhile as they seem to be working themselves out the more I play it.

I went through a lot of Martins before I settled on this one so the fact that they are hand made and not mass produced on a CnC machine makes them expensive and worth it.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Brian May
Date: 24 Oct 10 - 06:17 AM

As an owner of 3 Martins, a 000-28, a D-28 and a D12-28 and VERY happy with them, I note that generally the most disparaging comments come from people who don't have them.

Not always the case, but more often than not.

I waited 40 odd years before I bought my first, and at 60, I think I now know what 'floats my boat'.

They are individual 'characters' and an absolute delight to play.

I didn't pay list price for any of them (the 12 string was flawless and second hand) and in terms of satisfaction for price - wonderful.

Why did I spend so much overall? Because I'm worth it (as the advert goes).

The best test perhaps, is to play a few makes with a blind fold on - then analyse the results.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Oct 11 - 09:32 PM

I've been around a long time (71yrs.) I'm retired.I've been a studio owner, Record label owner and agency owner. I've owned a lot of guitars. I have'nt seen a real answer to the question of "why martin guitars are so expensive? One thing that always made martin stand out in the feild when I was doing some radio, and television in the 60's and 70's was the tonal quality. There was absoloutely no mistaking the martin sound, it stood alone. Gibson also had a sound
of it's own. I heard nothing that came close. I owned both. Each had distinguishing tones, I'm talking acoustics of which I'm very familiar with. Martin built on this reputation but did slip on build quality in the 70's to 80's. Yet you might pick up one that is up to tonal quality in those years. An example I still have a 1970 D-35 12 string with poor quality build. The neck collapsed on it. Why did I keep it? Any musician who came into my studio and picked it up said " what a great sounding guitar." I hope this helps answer the question. They built a reputation in my musical area on the distinguishing tone.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Bobert
Date: 06 Oct 11 - 10:35 PM

It's a crap shoot...

I own a 1966 D-18 that I bought new...

I also own a 60's S. Yaria parlor that I bought for $40 in a pawn shop...

One I gave to my great niece...

The other I perform with...

Guess ya'll know where this is going...

I gave away the D-18 and perform with the S. Yaria...

Hey, I loved my Martin until it wasn't the right guitar for me... Great guitars... Just had to do what was right for me...

B~

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,herringbone jones
Date: 24 Jan 12 - 05:55 AM

Gee, I can't believe I read the whole thread.
I really do need adult supervision, methinks . . . .

I have a Martin, and I like it a lot.
It's pretty beat up and not too pretty, but you could say that about me too and that's alright . . . I don't care, I live in a swamp . . . . . and try to live by the gospel according to Pogo . . . . .

I also got some similar dreadnoughts a lot newer and not as icky as the old D-28, among them is the Takamine Jasmine . . . a hundred dollar guitar brand new and I like them a lot too . . . . seriously.
Nobody asks why THEY are so expensive . . . . . and I think we can agree that a hundred bucks ain't chickenfeed. The Jasmine may not be handmade, but what's the big deal with that anyway?
Show me a guitar somebody built with their feet, and then you'll REALLY have something . . . .

I like my Gibsons, my Nationals, my old Guild 12 and my Henway** etc. ad nauseam . . . . . . . . I have several other guitars as well (seventy-some stringed instruments), but I do like my old D-28 the best I guess for an acoustic. My ugly old '64 Strat is nice too, but not as good as the Martin for fiddle tunes, ragtime, open tunings and such and it isn't much good without electricity on a mountaintop. . . but I digress . . .

Which reminds me, does anyone know if a dreadnought is a Rastafarian with a normal regular haircut? Just wondering . . .

My ratty old Martin may be old, (1935 ~ SN: 60915) but it sounds real good, boy howdy, and is not near worn out, but again the Jasmines ain't bad and cost a lot less.
I only got a couple of Martins these days, but I got four of the Jasmines (no waiting).
So . . . .
Can ANYONE read between the lines here?

I may (I dread) nought be as dumb as I look.

I have heard it said about sex and pizza:
"It's all good, but some's better".

So lighten up sez I, you snobsters (ya know who ya are) . . . or, you could grow up to be a mule (so sayeth Der Bingle, 1944).

Namaste

herringbone jones
KIng of the Smurf Guitar
Law West of the Pecos


(P.S. I can see y'all is pretty smart . . . . could somebody tell me what diddy wah diddy means?)

**(what's a Henway?)

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: GUEST,Dr. Stephenson
Date: 27 Oct 21 - 11:47 AM

Wow! What a thread... I just discovered it as I was looking at what my Martin D12-35 was worth and there are so many good/valid opinions here that I had to ring in with mine.

Background...

I'm 78 and have been playing since I was 10. I started out on an old Kay arch-top and smashed it when my father kept giving me a bad time about playing "worthless" music (I guess I had a bit of a temper back then). Time passed and I started playing again. When I joined the Navy I had a shipmate who had a Gibson 12. Loved the sound, hated the feel - it had a neck like a baseball bat. But I was hooked on 12-strings.

I had a Gibson ES330 that I played in a band on the Navy base and when I got out and got married we had some gaps in our finances and I sold it rather than starve. STUPID!!! Bought for $300 and who knows what's worth today (that was in 1968 or so).

When we had money again my wife bought a used Martin D12-35 from a want-ad in the local paper for $300 and I was hopelessly hooked. That was in 75, it's a 71 and I love playing it still.

The rest of the story...

Now I can afford feeding my guitar addiction. In addition to the D12-35 I have a Taylor 12, A Martin D28 Retro and my hands-down favorites, a Tonedevil Harp guitar and a Tonedevil nylon strung gypsy jazz parlor-sized guitar. The Tonedevil guitars are custom built for me to specs that the luthier and I worked out (Tonedevil is a small family-owned shop in Idaho).

Never say "never" but with that caveat I never will buy a new guitar that isn't custom. I don't play the Martin 12 out for fear of damaging it (that's why I bought the Taylor) but mostly I play the Tonedevils. Check them out if you're up for a new instrument - Price? NOT cheap... my two guitars from them averaged over $5K each. But well worth the money.

--P

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 27 Oct 21 - 02:09 PM

It's all about the name, I play a Gibson F5 mandolin, it's probably not the best mandolin I own, but it's the iconic Gibson mandolin and I love it.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 27 Oct 21 - 02:31 PM

I could call any of my guitars "Martin".

But I'm not the kind of bloke who gives guitars names..

Neither do I call them "She"...

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: gillymor
Date: 27 Oct 21 - 03:19 PM

I've had 5 Martins and never really fell in love with any of them except for the last which was the cheapest, a 000-17 12 fret slot head, which is still in my hands. However I have played some great ones including a 1930 OM-28, a 1937 D-18 (spectacular Bluegrass guitar) and a '59 D-28 that my brother has.

Subject: RE: Why are Martin Guitars so expensive?
From: gillymor
Date: 27 Oct 21 - 03:34 PM

Whoa, I forgot to post the post that I came on this thread to post. Dr. Stephenson reminded of a Martin that a friend of mine had back in the early '70's, when he was helping me learn to fingerpick country blues. He got himself a D-12-35S, a 12 fret slot head in order to play Leadbelly songs and he got pretty good at it.