Hello all
I may have the opportunity to aquire one of these guitars. I understand they are priced at the lower end of the Martin spectrum, and have a marcato fretboard (if that's spelled right).
Opinions welcomed on the guitar, and the material the baord is made of , as i am not familiar with it.
Thanks and regards
Matt
Check out the forum at UMGF.com You should be able to get all your martin guitar qestions answered there. These guys know Martin Guitars.
Ultimately it's a Martin how can you go wrong? Here are the specs if you'd like D-16GT specs
Chuck Norris invented Kentucky Fried Chicken's famous secret recipe, with eleven herbs and spices. But nobody ever mentions the twelfth ingredient: Fear!
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I wouldn't call $1300 one of their low end guitars. The only question I would have is how well the sythetic material in it will hold up over time.
Tim Madsen
Nobody cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.
"What you keep to yourself you lose, what you give away you keep forever." -Axel Munthe
I've had no problems with the micarta. I didn't even know it was there until someone told me. Plays like ebony.
Ah Synthetic"Here today here tomorrow" just try to where it out :D
Chuck Norris invented Kentucky Fried Chicken's famous secret recipe, with eleven herbs and spices. But nobody ever mentions the twelfth ingredient: Fear!
ChuckNorrisFactsdotCom
Ah Synthetic"Here today here tomorrow" just try to where it out :D
Ah! but what state will it be in tomorrow, solid, liquid or gas. I've worked with a lot of synthetic materials over the years and most of them tend to degrade. Another concern I have is how well will the adhesives used adhere to it over time. It would just be a concern of mine and may not have any basis in fact. Plus I just like wood, yes I'm old and set in my ways.
Tim Madsen
Nobody cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.
"What you keep to yourself you lose, what you give away you keep forever." -Axel Munthe
Repairability is another area where wood and the associated "proper" wood glues have continued to outshine synthetics. On guitars, the problem isn't the synth glues (polyesters, epoxies and cyanos) giving up, but the opposite -- not being easily removed for disassembly and repair. Nevertheless, synthetics have allowed some makers to sell lower cost guitars that performance quite well. In some cases, that lower cost instrument may last only 20 or 30 years, but that seems a reasonable trade-off.
I think the willingness of Martin to experiment will new materials has been a good move. Not every one of their "less wood" guitars is a rousing success, but most have a place in some playing situations -- especially for travel, everyday practice and certain types of performance (local pub and such) -- and aren't priced too steeply.
-=tension & release=-
I bought a Martin 000C 16 RGTE last April (2004). So mine's a cutaway, solid rosewood back and sides, with built in electronics, hence the C, the R and the E in it's name.
I got mine through Elderly Music for a lot less then what Martin lists as "list". Compared to many Martin's it's lower end but they now have many lower then that with their Road Series and X Series. I was uncertain about the Micarta too, and even called Martin and talked to them about it. Now after playing it for a year I would have to say that I really like it.
It's really hard to go wrong with a good American made Martin!
E doesn't = MC2, E = Fb
Music "Theory"? "It's not just a theory, it's the way it is!"
Jonny T.
My advice: Don't get hung up on a brand name. Go out and try lots of guitars, and don't look at the brand name or the pricetag.
The king of rock, some say lives
the lizard king, is surely dead
the king of France, lost his head
the King of Kings... bled
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Ditto
-=tension & release=-
Agreed, to find the right guitar you should play as many as you can. Let's assume you have. Also there is nothing wrong with wanting a particular brand. The guitar you are asking about is a well made guitar with excellent tone. It can be setup for good playability. It's backed by a manufacturer with many, many years experience.
As far as the Micarta fingerboard goes, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It is durable and easy to care for. It should last every bit as long as ebony or rosewood. Probably longer. It in no way hampers the playability or the tone of the guitar.
Also the price quoted in an earlier reply of $1329.00 is not a correct price for this guitar. That is Martin's list price. The real price for this guitar should be somewhere between 30 to 40% off the list price. Somewhere in the vicinity of $800 to $900 is a more realistic price.
Redman
I have the DX1...Micarta fretboard.
I like the Micarta better than the rosewood on my Ibanez electric and Fender acoustic. much smoother. more durable. looks nicer
that guitar can take a beating. it's extremely solid, even if the top tends to ding easily. but that's ok, adds character
I'm glad to hear that the micarta should be fine. I recently traded in my Dx1ce for a D-16 gte. The fret board looks good and plays fine. The tone has improved as well as sustain.
I'm fortunate in having two acoustic guitars. My other is a guild all mahogony. Which in part, was the reason to change the martin as the guild sounded quite a bit better and was a little more playable. Now I'm in hog heaven :lol: as both guitars sound great and I have the choice of either the spruce top sound or the mahogony top sound depending on my mood or the song.
Jim
