martin d42 or d45

[robtc3uk]

hi i am thinking of buying a martin i can get a good price on the d45 and the d42 .the d42 is about 2K less than the 45 is there a lot of difference betwen them.is it just the binding or is there more to it than that . thanks for the help

[Cldplytkmn]

bling

[robtc3uk]

bling i know but the shop has got a a very very nice sounding d28 i might go for that as is sounds so nice.but i do like the 42 and 45 i have had a sigma d41 for the larst 13 years it sounds good but i would like to get the real thing now

[Fstpicker]

You may be better off posting your questions over on the UMGF "Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum" as there are likely more D-42 and/or D-45 owners there.

 

UMGF's Home Page

 

Jeff

[Terry Allan Hall]

Well, the D-42 is not quite as "over-the-top", decoration-wise...I like 'em better than the D-45, myself.

 

But, you should go play both and decide which YOU like best...might just be the D-28!...It's your $$$, so get what makes you happiest!

[fredjones]

Cosmetic differences aside, the most important difference is the top bracing pattern. The D-45 has the standard scalloped X-bracing, while the D-42 has the forward-shifted scalloped X-bracing. Shifting the X forward puts the bracing farther away from the bridge, allowing it to vibrate more freely and giving it a deeper bass response. Since a pronounced bass is the reason most want a Martin dreadnaught, the D-42 might be the better choice, provided you are satisfied with its appearance. Saves you $2000 too, which is mostly mother-of-pearl binding on the back. See if you notice a difference in the way the two sound side-by-side. It may be hard if the strings are old. If they are, for that kind of money, the dealer should be willing to restring them both so that you can get a meaningful comparison.

[robtc3uk]

thanks i was wondering about the bracing i did try the d45 and was not all that inpressed with the bass.i like the snow flakes on the 42 to .Iam trying to find the type of sound stephen stills has on songs like blackqueen . he uses lots of drop D so the bass is important i will give them all a good test thanks for the help

[Gimme You Money]

hello...the d42 has a different bracing pattern them the d45. the d42 has more of a bassy tone to it. the d45 sounds a little "even" in its sound the d45 has more pearl inlay on the gtr then the d42...both are beautiful gtrs.. you might want to check out a d28 which sounds incredible if you get a good one and cost alot less.

[DonK]

As others have pointed out, the D-42 has forward-shifted bracing that gives it more bass. If you're okay with the D-45 tonally, you might consider a D-41, which is what I have. I'd lusted after a D-45 since I was in my late teens 'cuz Stephen Stills played one (one of my guitar heroes), but when I finally got enough money to buy one I decided to save myself a few grand and get a D-41 instead, which looks almost identical from the front (the D-45 has a lot of abalone on the back, but the front is very similar to a D-41).

 

BTW, while I love my D-41, I can't say that it sounds dramatically different from the D-28 it replaced.

[Tony Burns]

best advice- play them both- buy the one that sounds the best- dont judge them by what they look like - look at it like a pretty girl without brains !