How many of you own Martins?

[fungusyoung]

I just can't help but respect a company that has been making guitars for 176 years . They've stayed in the same place, Nazareth, PA. Something to be said for corporate stability and staying in touch with your roots. I understand they are also pretty good to their employees.

I've only spoken to Martin employees (and ex employees) on a handful of occasions, but one of those discussions (and one of the longest conversations I had about the company) was earlier this week. Martin makes great guitar or I really wouldn't care all that much, but the people that work there really love what they and their company does. How often do you hear that? And over 175 years after they started? It's simply amazing. And inspirational.

 

[kostask]

I just can't help but respect a company that has been making guitars for 176 years . They've stayed in the same place, Nazareth, PA. Something to be said for corporate stability and staying in touch with your roots. I understand they are also pretty good to their employees.

That is basically it with Martin, they haven't, for the vast majority of their existence, been "corporate"; they've been a family owned business. They have treated their employees as an extended family, and the employees responded in kind. I expect that probably still are being treated that way, but I don't really speak to any Martin employees, so I will maintain the belief that they still do treat their employees well unless I hear otherwise.

I don't really know what Martin is trying to do with their "gimmick" guitars' the ones with HPL for back and sides, or aluminium, or some of the ones with the cartoonish graphics. I have no idea if they sell well, or not, for that matter, but in my mind, it does cheapen the image of Martin somewhat.

Kostas

 

[Scratch]

Looking forward to the D16 getting here on Tuesday... Outnumbered by my Guild passion... yes. But still a valued and appreciated thoroughbred in the corral...

 

[killdeer43]

I owned three Martins (D18, 28, & 35) when I lived in Texas in the 60s and 70s (the D18 was my favorite). It seems that I might have been a 'Martin groupie' and convinced myself that there wasn't a better guitar out there. And then I put my hands on a Guild D35 in Santa Fe. That guitar just felt good and even sounded better than the Martins. Maybe it had something to do with the elevation gain of over 6,000'.

I also took a Shenandoah D18 copy as payment for a job and picked up a Backpacker for Xmas one year. Sold 'em.

Over the years, it seems that my hands/fingers/ears/brain have all become very comfortable with Guilds. They are very underrated and to know them is to love them, especially those gems from Westerly! *I'm not responding to medication for terminal GAS, so I'm always looking for the next one.

I could go on....
Joe

 

[Tunes]

*I'm not responding to medication for terminal GAS, so I'm always looking for the next one.

Joe

Amen to that brother :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Russell Letson]

I plan to keep my 1920 0-18 until I'm too crippled and/or senile to play it. It's one of four I feel that way about. Among them is my '65 D-40.

I may have posted the Guild link before, but here's what these two sound like:

http://cloudnet.com/~rletson/Martin0-18.mp3

http://cloudnet.com/~rletson/GuildD-40.mp3

 

[killdeer43]

Great sentiments and sweet music.
Thanks for sharing.

Joe

 

[onewilyfool]

I have a pretty Rare Bird Martin......1933 R-18, very few made with the round hole, 1933 makes this guitar made in the 100th year of Martin's history. This guitar is 00 sized mahogany back and sided body like their standard 00-18 guitars of that period. The top however is over 1/8" thick and is actually 'bent' over rounded x-bracing with a floating bridge. For me, the sound is sublime.....hybred between a flat top and archtop.......Larger "V" profile neck with 1 3/4" nut. Very comfortable for my big hands. Previous owner had refinished the guitar, and I had a bow taken out of the neck, and a new fretboard put on. All in all, ready for the next 75 years.....

 

[Beal]

I got a few, A 31 O-18K, a 34 C-2 conversion to a OOO-42, a 35 and 39 D-18, 65 D-28 and a 94 Martin-Bruno (OO-41 basically).
The 18s get played somewhat regularly.
Quite different animals from Guilds.

 

[J45dale]

I am sort of like kydave, as I grew up in a time and place ( southwest Va ) when the big 3 acoustics were Martin, Gibson and Guild. Of course all of us poor folks were lucky to have a Stella,Kay, or Silvertone.
But as I could afford them I expanded to those 3 brands.
Being a Mahogany fan I only have 1 Rosewood Guitar, a Guild D55. I really do like the Martin 28 series Dreds, but just not enough to buy one so far.
To me, Martins are not as comfortable to play as others, and it makes no difference which neck shape or string spaceing. Yes they do arrive with a high action, and to my ear, when it is lowered something I like vanishes. They also scream for medium gauge strings, which are tougher on the fingers. They can really sound off when you pound away with a heavy flat pick. Martin pays attention to finish and detail, and I really like my D-18 for cutting a lead. But I do not use it for every musical style or tune , but its good for Bluegrass, Country and acoustic Rock. I also carry a Martin Back Packer when I travel on business. It is built tough and keeps my fingers limber.
I still like Guild for overall value and ease of play, they are well rounded, they can cover everything from Gillian Welch Folk music, to Hank Williams 111 Rock, to Western Swing.
For the Blues and Old Time, I still prefer one of the Gibsons.
To me they are all good...and a good Martin sure has its place.
Dale.

 

[P-E-Z]

I have a D28 but don't play it often.
It cramps my hand

 

[timbo2]

My first "real" guitar was a OO 18 that a neighbor lent to me, I'm guessing it was from the 30s or 40s. Had some fire damage that my neighbor fixed himself, the action was about 3ft high but I LOVED that guitar because it was the same brand played by the Kingston Trio! As I got older I drifted into 12 strings, saw a 512 and was hooked! I've had more Guild throughout the years than I can remember but now I appreciate the differences among the various makers. I have an old D 35 that is a keeper but not my main player. Every guitar has something to offer the player. I've stick with Guilds since the 60s but adore good guitars no matter who makes them.

 

[High Mileage]

I do not, and have been very satisfied with my Guilds: an '81 D-46 and a '95 DCE-5 that I gig with.

However, I stopped by Dusty Strings in Seattle while I was there on business; I skipped all the nice new guitars and went right to the used/vintage guitars, and found a mid-90s HD28V. I played that guitar for a long time, and fell head-over-heals for it. It was a stunner.

It was on consignment, and priced right; I'm guessing they would have knocked a little off the price as well.

However, I passed, didn't feel like spending a bunch of $$$ at the time. Problem is, I think about that guitar every single day. It was everything a Martin should be: balanced, loud, played easy, and looked great.

I'm not one to look back, but if I could go back and it was still there, I would buy it this time.

 

[kydave]

HM,
Take heart. There are a lot of fine HD-28V Martins out there that will sound equally good and you'll run across one some day when you're flush, this memory will return, and you'll become the owner and player of a top-notch Martin!!
Congrats in advance,
Dave

 

[pope858]

I am a dedicated fan of CF Martin & Co., I currently have 4 Martin guitars: 2 dreds, a 1980 D-25K, and a 1995 D-16T, a 2000 OM-28V, and a 2001 00-15. These are the one I've kept! I've also owned an HD-35, 000-16TR, another D-25K, 3 pre-1994 D-16's, an OM-21, and a Jimmy Buffett Polywog. You could say I am a Martin guitar guy! But my 12 string is a Guild!!

(the OM-21 , bottom left, was recently sold and replaced with the 00-15)

Paul

 

[chazmo]

Paul, beautiful brood ya' got there, bud.

 

[richard]

I own two acoustic guitars. A 1969 Martin D18, my very first "good" guitar which I bought new in early 1970 when I was about 18 and a 2007 Guild GAD 30E that I bought at Maple Leaf Music in Brattleboro, VT when I was up to visit my brother in New Hampshire. I love my D18 and will never part with it, it has a nice rich tone and brings back many sweet memories when I play it on occasion. However, I play the 30E every single day, still cannot get over how great the guitar sounds and it is such a comfortable instrument. Each guitar has a voice of its own and a place in my life, I guess that's the way it is supposed to be.

 

[TonyT]

Zowie, I found a Martin M-38. 2007, NOS, in a shop today for $!500. I'm no genius, but that seems crazy cheap, does it not.

Oh, I meant $1500.

And, as of about an hour ago, it's mine. Mine.MIIIIIINE!!!!

 

[Graham]

Zowie, I found a Martin M-38. 2007, NOS, in a shop today for $!500. I'm no genius, but that seems crazy cheap, does it not.

Oh, I meant $1500.

And, as of about an hour ago, it's mine. Mine.MIIIIIINE!!!!

Breathe Tony, breathe.

And post pics!!!Pics!!!Pics!!!

 

[TonyT]

Zowie, I found a Martin M-38. 2007, NOS, in a shop today for $!500. I'm no genius, but that seems crazy cheap, does it not.

Oh, I meant $1500.

And, as of about an hour ago, it's mine. Mine.MIIIIIINE!!!!

Breathe Tony, breathe.

And post pics!!!Pics!!!Pics!!!

I will. I just wanna hold it for awhile.