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Lower priced Mexican Martins.


mark theriac

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I'll probably piss a bunch of people off for saying this' date=' but IMHO, the only line of Martins that are really worth a [b']s[/b]hit are the "standard" line. You get what you pay for. Go look at a D-18 or maybe a D-28. Cough up the extra bucks.

 

I'll see your opinion and will raise you one...

 

Nah. It's the Sabbath.

 

Peace.

 

I think HPL has a purpose that the standard line of guitars can't fill. Or, maybe they shouldn't. Live gigging immediately comes to mind. I would not take a D-28 outside for that or to a club. If I can afford that guitar I can afford an additional HPL battle-axe to joust with. The 00CXAE I have is a perfect specimen for that. I don't particularly like it but I wouldn't hesitate to use it instead of a more prized guitar for gigging. That's why I bought it (used).

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"Martin X1AE" could be either a dreadnaught or a 000. Which did you get? FWIW, I mentioned in another thread that the "cheap" Martin that appeals to me is the D1GT. Solid top, back, and sides, with a Stratabond neck and Richlite fingerboard and bridge. Dunno what it is but I like that model. However, as FretFiend mentioned, for some folks a "real" Martin is a D-18 or above.

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Thanks for your comments. I ordered tha 000 with a harshell cae.Didnt want to spend the "big Bucks" on a D18 or above. When I get it I well report back, if I dont like it I will send it back. All the reviews were positive so we will see. Thank you all again!

 

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I had the D35, D12-35, D18, DM and OMC16E. I've played the rest of the D-variants and many of the 0's and O's. All decent, all expensive and all above the needs of a hack-noob. To those people I say the X-Series puts you into a Martin if you're seeking a legendary association. There it is. For my money, though, I'd be looking hard at the Yamahas and range through them until I lost the need to keep ranging. I can say that now that I've spent a lifetime letting money decide what I should have let my ears and hands decide.

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I have owned Martin guitars over the years. Because I travel a lot, I never paid for a premium model, but, I loved the D15 (mahogany, not Sapele). I had one of the original DX1 models (made in Pennsylvania before the stratabond neck and Mexican factories). The laminate was very durable. A friend played it for a while and the bridge popped off when he had it. He paid for a local repair and the top was marred in the repair process. I eventually sold it dirt cheap. Before the bridge popped off, it was a nice little guitar. It was not, however, like the original D1 model (another good gigging guitar).

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Not a Martin aficionado . . . .

 

 

. . . . . For my money' date=' though, I'd be looking hard at the Yamahas and range through them until I lost the need to keep ranging. I can say that now that I've spent a lifetime letting money decide what I should have let my ears and hands decide.[/quote']

 

No. I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of Martin guitars either - too many $$$$$$$ for what you get IMHO.

 

Yamaha, of course, is always a good buy but in recent times I've been playing quite a few Recording King guitars and am very impressed with their quality and sound - great prices too!

 

http://recordingking.com/products/guitars-all-models

 

 

 

PS. Not that I'm belittling the OP's Martin. no, no . . . . .

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The lowest I'd go would be a MF Custom D Mahogany. In their price range the X's are outclassed by Asian made guitars like Eastman or Blueridge which are more akin to the "standard" Martin line than the X's. Basically, the X is marketed to tree huggers who feel guilty about deforestation but still superficial enough to pay extra for the name on the headstock.

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I've only owned one Martin (D35) which I recently sold. I play every one I can get my hands on. Over the years, I have found them to be somewhat inconsistent. One will sparkle and the next may be dull and boring sounding. At some point, I may run across one that I can justify laying out the money for but I don't stay awake at night trying to justify the cost anymore. These days I play a pawn shop Yairi. I love it's sound and I got it freakin' cheap. So, who knows....

 

On the lower end of the Martin food chain, some are decent sounding guitars. However, somebody above mentioned Blue Ridge and they are generally better values for the money, imo. I have played a few Morgan Monroe guitars that were pretty decent as well.

 

In my world, I don't care about names so much anymore.

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Brother I will suggest you to buy Zager Guitars. The Guitars are available at only $495 and free shipping service also available with every guitar. They are specialize in providing custom guitars for sale price and 100% guaranteed discount .

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Brother I will suggest you to buy Zager Guitars. The Guitars are available at only $495 and free shipping service also available with every guitar. They are specialize in providing custom guitars for sale price and 100% guaranteed discount .
I quite agree. Zager makes a fine, quality instrument for reasonable price. The set-up is excellent. And with that guarantee until the year 2525 - how can you go wrong? It is by far the best warranty in the industry. If anything is amiss, your distant descendants can get a full refund long after you have left the Zager behind with your other worldly possessions.
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Mark, I can bet you my bottom dollar that if you purchased this guitar, unplayed and untested, it would be a great guitar to your ear. Sure, there are other guitars made elsewhere that will sound as good, maybe better, for your price, but you like the Martin, and so do many others. It's a name that is "good". You won't go wrong, musically, with it. So, wtf, get it if you like it. Screw all these "no, get a xxxx guitar, they're better" kind of posts. No, not better, maybe cheaper without the Martin name, but who cares. You're gonna get a good guitar that will age well and won't even think about the cash 10 years from now.

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Got my Martin 000x1e Thursday. A hard shell Golden Gate case with it. I am amazed! Tuned it up and it is everything I have always wanted in a guitar. Unplugged it gives me the "dirty boogie" sound I love. Just crisp and clear and so easy to play. The spruce top is bookmatched perfectly, straight grain and beautiful. The plastic **************** on the sides and back mean nothing to me. It sounds much better than my Martin D-15 which is "aged" which I bought from MF when they first came out, 10 years ago? I do have a collection of accoustic guitars. I wanted to compare them to this Martin. I had an old friend come over yesterday and got all of my accoustics out to compare to the Martin. Bear with me. I have an Alvarez,2 Great Divides, Yamaha, Epiphone, and a Silvertone, Gretch Jjim Dandy and an aniversary(sp) Washburn. All of the above mentioned guitars except the Gretsh are beautiful museum pieces. Perfect. What blew me away yesterday is that the Martin blew them all away. All of those beautiful well crafted guitars sucked! I didnt realize how lame they were. Yes sound is a personal thing and to be sure after playing live since the mid 50's until maybe 10 years ago my hearing is damaged. I failed to write down the model #'s of the accoustic guitars that I have, except for the Gretch, none of them are bottom of the line price wise. And, what blew me away is that the Washburn ran a close second to my new Mexican Martin. I am hooked. I am going to get rid of the other beautiful all wood guitars because I will never play them again.

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