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Martin D-16R available with gloss back/sides?


Ostracized

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Posted

Hello,

 

I am just curious if Martin produces a D-16R model (or equivilant) with gloss finish on the back and sides. I just played a D-16RGTE today and loved the sound...but I felt that the matte finish on the back and sides felt and looked cheap for the price of the guitar.

 

With the exception of the D-28, does anything fit that description?

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Posted

I should have specified, I wanted the rosewood/spruce combo.

 

The D-16R Gloss top and the HD-28 that I tried sounded similar, I just didn't like the look or feel of the D-16, due to the matte finish on the back/sides.

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Posted

 

Originally posted by Ostracized

Ahh.



The D-16R is more expensive than the D-16RGT. Correct?

 

 

Yep. May be as much as a few hundred bucks' difference. Gloss is a labor-intensive process, although qualitatively it is no different from satin. It is generally an aesthetic consideration for most people, although I have heard some people mention that satin has more of a tendency, in live and recorded play, to pick up the sound of your shirt rubbing against the back of the guitar... I'm basically a livingroom kind of player, so I have nothing against satin & have never noticed the shirt thing.

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Posted

 

Originally posted by Ostracized

Ok thanks. I'll have to track down a D-16R. That's probably the guitar for me.

 

 

Tracked Down:

http://elderly.com/new_instruments/items/D16R.htm

 

Should be around $1380 USD retail. A call to Elderly will confirm, although I have no idea what the tax situation is with shipping guitars to Canada, or whether it would ultimately be cheaper to buy a Martin locally up north (?).

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Posted

Dont confuse the D16R with the D16rgt. The rgt is the gloss top only, the D16R is full gloss, but additionally has the ebony fretboard and split back. I compared them side by side 2 years ago and thought the D16R sounded better than the D16rgt, but subtley so. It was worth the additonal $ in my mind. In fact I preferred it to the D28. People say that is because the non-scallopped braces of the D28 takes years to "open up". I'm not patient enough to wait.

 

Now the HD28 is another matter, it's a fine guitar........ However, if you feel they sound similar, jump for that D16R, you won't regret it.

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Posted

I had a D-16R, I really liked it but an OM-21 caught my eye. Now I might be looking in the future and I like the D-16R again. But I'm really battling with a Larrivee D-50, I know, it's mahogany, but man, very purty. The plain jane d-16 doesn't do it for me, and it's Sapele. If they could have the regular D-16 with Hog back and sides and a Paua shell rosette I would be sold. Oh, and open back tuners.

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