Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From:
Date: 02 Feb 99 - 02:12 AM

Many years ago I heard about a little demonstration that was held in a New York music store (possibly Matty Umanov's) A number of players and listeners gathered and allowed themselves to be blindfolded. They then played on, and listened to several guitars, including Martins, gibsons, Guilds, and some less expensive ones. The winner? An off the rack Yamaha!

The old Martins just seem to have class. On the other hand I wouldn't kick one of those pretty Collings, or Santa Cruz numbers out of bed.

Rick F

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From:
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 11:53 PM

Everyone ought to have one material thing that he or she feels is very, very fine, indeed. Something they never get tired of picking up, feeling, admiring. Something that has the power to change a mood from dark to bright, or at least happily mellow. For some, it may be a fine watch or automobile; for others, an exquisite sculpture or other object of art. For many of us in this forum, it's probably a cherished musical instrument. For me, it's my relatively late-model HD-28. Maybe nothing special to you owners of vintage instruments. But I've been playing guitar for over 30 years, dreaming of owning a Martin one day. I bought mine in early 1995, after playing all the popular alternatives to Martin. I've never regretted buying the herringbone. Nothing but pure pleasure every time I open the case. Long live the 'bone!!

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 09:50 PM

I always knew those Martins would do me in, Barbara. I've had a few of 'em in my day. Had one (000-28) stolen from the trunk of my car in New York (popped open while parked in a "secure" building); had one (000-28S)on which the bridge saddle was almost a quarter of an inch out of place (ask Ray Frank about that one, he worked on it for me and it was he who took the incriminating measurement). I now have a Laskin and two Larrivees (one of which is out on permanent loan to my younger son), plus a 12-string built by Nick Apollonio and a Contreras classical. The only Martin left in the house is my wife's (nominally) little classical which once belonged to Hally Wood.

I'm glad you found an instrument you can love. Get Ray to adjust the action for you. It ought to play like a dream! You can always buy records later through Mudcat and spread the profit around a bit.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From: Barbara
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 08:58 PM

I'm a new Martin owner. I went into the music store to see if I could find a smaller-than-dreadnaught model in my price range and instead I ended up with a new Martin 000-1R. I was seduced.
For all you folk who don't immediately recognize any Martin from its number, this is a new line, smaller bodied and the R tells you it is rosewood.
I'm enjoying it, though my savings account has not yet recovered from the shock (incidentals, indeed!).
What I find most interesting is other people's reaction to it. People keep taking it away from me. (They ask first, yes.) They try it out, rave for a while about how amazing it is, and grudgingly give it back. Well, that's nice. It's like having a new sports car. Everyone wants a ride.
Someone recently compared it favorably to their Collins (which cost 3 times as much). Can anyone tell me what this means? (sheepish grin) I didn't want to ask her.
I keep wondering, though, how much is the name. I love the sound, that's what got me. But I'm finding it a little hard to play. Partly the thinner-than-I'm-used-to neck, and then the action is high.
(And that, Sandy, is the specific of why I haven't ordered a pile of CD's from you).
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From:
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 07:48 PM

There is even a song about a musician and his Martin, called "Me And Martin."

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 01 Feb 99 - 06:11 PM

I am the very happy owner of a Martin D-28, circa 1957. It has served me well for 34 years (I bought it used). It has served me well all of these years.

It has had the tuners replaced due to an accident. At that time the action was lowered. It has a few non-moving cracks on the front and the back. The bridge and some bracing has been reglued as the face was starting to arch. The action was raised just a tad at that time (an occasional buzz on the bass E was eliminated),

The guitar, I regret to say, has not been well cared for. I have put it back in the case religiously, but it has ridden in many a car trunk for many an hour, sat there over night in the winter, been subjected to forced air heat without benefit of a humidifier, and has been taken almost anywhere (beach, woods, mountains, etc.). It has held up very well. I take better care of it now then I did 10 years ago.

I have been blessed with a Martin that achieves all that Martin hoped to achieve (I got a good'un). My guitar is loud even with light guage strings. It responds well when I beat on the strings and when I finger pick. I find it fits well with a wide range of musical styles.

It has also spoiled me. I haven't heard a guitar I'd want to take in trade. In the last year, I have spent many an hour in music stores playing their guitars. The guitars that might match my Martin are in the same price range or higher, but they still don't match the mellow of a 40 year old guitar.

Some of them are truly a mite prettier than my old D-28. The brass colored Grovers are the flashiest part of this guitar. A few fret dots, some plain binding, a tortise shell pick guard, and the Martin logo are about it.

I do have another love (in the guitar arena), but that would be for a later thread.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 29 Jan 99 - 07:35 PM

THanks for the Thread .This is one of my faverite subjects! I finger pick with brass finger picks and a thumb pick. I hit on the strings very hard.For that reason the 28{Rosewood} instroments sound like I'm molesting them where as the 18 {mahagony} family soke up or something that over exileration and sounds great. I have a 018 1949 that is my best freind.I had a 00028 years ago that did sound great in the studio but the warmth of the 018 fits what I do..I have never made a drednaught sound good. The soup has to meny flavors {overtones} for what I do.I love the sound of a d28 in Rick Starkies hands. I would love to hear his opinion here for reasons that wuold become obvius. More on the National and the Kay when they come up. Listen to Martin Carthy playing a small Martin.I wonder which Ry Cooder pieces are on a small martin or not? Cheers to al

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From: Chet W.
Date: 29 Jan 99 - 06:56 PM

What we are really talking about here is the sounds of the guitars, right? Among the big American companies, there are basically the Martin sound and the Gibson sound, of which most others (except resonators and those wonderful cheap Stellas, of course) seem to be but variations. Taylor, for example, is clearly a Martin style guitar and a very good one. But then again, the fact is that every individual instrument is different, especially if you are into older guitars. The reason that the old ones can make sounds that new ones can't is that it takes the wood, regardless of normal drying processes, about 50 years (depending on the species of wood) to completely dry, leaving millions of dry hollow tubular wood cells to resonate like organ pipes. I think what drives most of us in one direction or another, especially when we're starting out, is that there is somebody we want to sound like. If you want to sound like Lester Flatt when he played in Bill Monroe's band, then there's nothing but an old Martin D-18 that will make that sound. After some years of experience, we refine our ideal sound and hopefully find the guitar that has it. Mine is a 1933 Gibson L-00 flattop. I have played several others of the same model and era, and only one of them sounded very similar to mine, though all were very good. You just have to listen and listen to what you like and then begin that search, which hopefully will be over soon enough for you to enjoy that guitar for a big part of your life. I also have several other guitars, each with its own sound, some expensive and some far from it. If you can, keep several guitars that you come across along the way. But there will be one that you love the most.

Over-rhapsodizing maybe, Chet W.

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From: Frank in NJ
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 11:42 PM

The more opinions...the closer reality. I've played guitar over fifty years. My first Silvertone and Stella had the best sound for the type of music I then played. They still today cause me to go back to the old style I played on them when they were new. My 1935 Martin suggests to me that I play still yet another style. My Martin D28 suggests I play a more modern style. My Martin D35 suggests I play hard driving rythm. Each decade has a sound of its own and a guitar associated with that sound. Many of my friends have quality/expensive non Martin guitars. A few of those are a joy to play, but none to my ear have the "throat" of any of my Martins. In fact astonishing at it may seem on many many occations when a group of Martins are playing, the other brands sound out of tune. Try as one may to "tune them in" they still clash and sound out of place. As far as good sound among Martins, pre 1969 & pre truss rod are the best. Why? Better choice of wood. The good old sound "went the way" with the old trees and tube radios. If you never heard that sound you will not miss it. As you can plainly see this is guide for only us old folks. We still prefer the sound of cylinders and 78's to the nude sound of DAT and disc. When you "put your Martin up" for more than a few hours, tune it down at least three frets and retune when you want to play again, especially if you use heavy gage strings as came on the old Martins. You will never then need a neck reset or a "tuner" and the saddle and bridge will reward you with the "dream touch" of the pre-war Martin D's. I could go on but there are not many of us still around to listen. The answer to the question is another question. Who drove the price of the old Martins out of the reach of those who should be playing them today? Why is that? I still play out once or twice a week, and when I open my case, more often than not, some guitar player will glide on over and ask "what year is your Martin?" Think on that! Thanks to all you great Mudcatters for the great sounding board! Want to trade your house for my old D-45????

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 11:39 AM

Hi catspaw!

I'm sorry to hear you have had such bad luck with theft. People do like to lift guitars... a warning to all of us that we never can be too careful.

Here's what I know about Martins.

I have owned a few in various sizes: 0, 000, M and D. I think the M is a lovely compromise for most folk music although it may not be ideal for any. It can be fingerpicked, flatpicked and strummed very well. The size is handy too being roughly in-between a 000 and a D. The volume is adequate for almost any purpose. If I could have only 1, I would have an M. This is a personal choice, however.

You hear a lot of talk about rosewood. I have had a couple of nice rosewood Martins (my M is rosewood) but I have had some very good mahagony ones as well. I recently sold a 1952 0-18 that both Andy O'Brien and Mick Moloney played on my CD. They loved it. It was a gem. My musical partner, Bob Conroy, plays a practically new Vintage D-18 that is very loud and very evenly toned. I have heard quite a few Vintage D-18s and they have all been great guitars. It is the bracing, I guess, that makes them superior to standard D-18s.

I have had some dogs too. Guitars that looked great and never matured in terms of sound. The difference in sound quality between individual guitars of the same model can be trememdous. I would say to anyone considering a Martin to only buy a guitar that sounds good now; if it improves with age, so much the better.

A few words of warning and reasons to consider a newer Martin rather than an older one. Pickguard cracks: Martin changed the way their pickguards are fixed to the guitar top within the last 15 or so years. Cracks in the guitar top caused by the pickguard shrinking were far-too-common in instruments made earlier. Adjustable neck rods: Martin started placing adjustable neck rods in their guitars in 1985. An adjustable neck rod can save you the $350+ cost of a neck reset many times over.

The workhorse of my stable is a plywood Sigma DM-4M that has passable sound, good action and on a value-for-money basis is one of the better new guitars to be had. Having said that, I think the "stripped down" an all-mahogany Martin D-15s at about $550 discount retail is good value.

All the best,
Dan

Subject: RE: Info/Opinions RE: Martin Guitars
From: Don Meixner
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 07:58 AM

Cat,

I own several guitars. I have a Martin 0-16NY which is a beautiful guitar to hear and play. It is very much like a 3/4 size classical body with a fullsized 12 fret neck. While it suits parlor music I'd never play it in a bluegrass band. I have a Guild F-30 which is without a doubt my all around guitar, its similar in size to a Martin 00-18 or 00-28, its sort of the cross trainer of the guitar world. I have a Yamaha FG-180 which is D size guitar like a D-18-21-28-41-45 Martin, plays good sounds fine. And I have an Ovation Elite on semi permanent loan from a very good and generous friend, It plays well. I findnothing particular about Martins in general except to say they are well made. But so are Taylors, Guil;ds, Gibsons,..... Buy a guitar you like that suits you and will stand the long haul. Even if its a Yamaha or a Stella.

Don Meixner

Subject: INFO/OPINIONS RE: Martin Guitars
From: catspaw49
Date: 28 Jan 99 - 06:28 AM

I've noticed there have been posts lately regarding gear, passing on the knowledge of the "old guys before they kick off" (was that how you put it Max?), advice on buying a particular guitar, the benefits of having info on one thread, etc. When I first came on Mudcat I searched the forum a lot to get a feel for "who's who" at Mudcat. I noticed that gear came up a lot, but spread all over the place on lots of threads. Also, since many of us have been playing 30 years or more, we've acquired a good bit of info/knowledge/opinions regarding guitars as well as songs, a kind of natural phenomenom. So.............

The intent here is to let the thread run for awhile and then change to a different brand. You can always go back and add. The "biggies" like Martin will be alone and we can do combinations on smaller companies (Lowden,Larrivee,Lakewood). This would make the info easy to find in the forum by subject, which it sure isn't now.

Starting off with Martin seemed logical as they are widely used and would attract more attention to the thread. I've never had much luck (or maybe I've had bad luck) with Martin because 3 out of 4 times they've been stolen within a year. This wouldn't have been so bad except that they stole my others as well resulting in a net loss of 14 guitars!!!

Talk about your experience, opinions, friends,Corp. other lines(like Sigma), whatever. Might make a nice, easy to find reference...and YOU KNOW it will result in lots of differing opinions...but like I told someone the other day, that's the beauty of Mudcat!!!

catspaw