Entry Level Martin Guitars?

[Randy99CL]

Just noticed that MF has a few Martin guitars on sale. I hadn't looked at them before, I didn't know you could buy a Martin for less than $500.
Question: How would these two Martins compare to similar Fender or Yamaha or others.
MIM, I would expect them to be of high quality. If I were buying another brand I'd pick one selling for less but the name is worth a lot to me.

4th of July Deals

Get the best price on our selection of 4th of July Deals at Musician''s Friend. Most 4th of July Deals are eligible for free shipping.

www.musiciansfriend.com

I know there are a million import guitars in this price range, are there others that may be obviously a better value giving more for the money?
TIA

 

[NJDevil]

I'm not familiar with the 2 connected to the link you provided but I have played the all mahogany O and OO options and they played well with a nice balance of tone for well under $1k.

 

[Emergence]

For $799 you can get an all solid wood Martin with a sitka spruce top on sale. The finish is satin. A little polish may bring spruce up its appearance. Personally, for under $1000, I'd look for a higher level used guitar. You'll need a little patience but your search may be rewarding. If you have the discipline to save while you search, you may end up with something very nice.

 

[wabash slim]

Paging Thunder58!

 

[dspellman]

Just noticed that MF has a few Martin guitars on sale. I hadn't looked at them before, I didn't know you could buy a Martin for less than $500.
Question: How would these two Martins compare to similar Fender or Yamaha or others.
MIM, I would expect them to be of high quality. If I were buying another brand I'd pick one selling for less but the name is worth a lot to me.

Nope. My perception is that I'd rather have a similarly priced offshore brand (Yamaha, Seagull, etc.) than a cheap Martin. The name doesn't mean a thing to me if the guitar it's on is a CPOS. It mostly will NOT be "of high quality." I have an 814ce Taylor and a '67 Martin D35. I wouldn't touch a cheap Taylor or Martin. Instead, I have a cheap Yamaha, and it's a better guitar than anything near the same price from the other two brands. Don't be blinded by the logo.

 

[thunder58]

MIM, I would expect them to be of high quality.

And they are .... I was on the factory tour ( for the 4th time ) a few years back . Martin puts the same quality control standards in Mexico as they do in Nazareth . Even geographical location was important to them when looking for a location at the time . My D-13e is MIM and it's a great guitar . ( of course my HD-35 and my D12-28 are in a class all themselves ) ...But back to MIM , those guitars are great deals . When it come's to a Martin I always like to buy new due to the lifetime warrantee ( you must register , on the web sight , then you'll receive the paperwork )
But like anything else , go to a local store and try if it's available . Keep me posted

 

[thunder58]

@Randy99CL

 

[thunder58]

@Randy99CL My D-13e Road Series

 

[WillyW]

My $300 7ender Sonoran and $160 Gretsch Jim Dandy had the cheap martins beat.

my j-45 has every other martin beat.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

I havnt played the MIMs. I wouldn't be afraid to try the Special D or 000 but honestly I wouldn't expect anything greater than any other new $800 box..
Historically I have not been impressed with anything under the 18 series other than the 15s which are great but a bit one dimensional. Still Id love to have a D15 12 fret with the slotted headstock.
16s, DMs, Road series, were just kinda meh to me, ok but nothing spectacular.
The cheaper laminate/composite ones were not good at all in my opinion, loud like a Martin yea but the tone was harsh and brittle IMO.
But personally if I was looking for a Martin as my main acoustic I wouldn't settle for anything under a D18 in a dread or 000-28 in a smaller body.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

I love Gibson acoustics too but they are a totally different thing.
My favs are J45s and Southern Jumbos.

 

[Pine Apple Slim]

If I was you I'd look at the higher end Eastmans. A buddy of mine has a 000-28 Eastman that's a real cannon. A 000-28 Clapton model at half the price. Very good guitar with a sweet tone and a volume that will hang with my old D28.

 

[radd]

If I was you I'd look at the higher end Eastmans. A buddy of mine has a 000-28 Eastman that's a real cannon. A 000-28 Clapton model at half the price. Very good guitar with a sweet tone and a volume that will hang with my old D28.

Eastmans are beautifully made instruments, I’ve owned 4 or 5, one somewhat higher end Dreadnought. the dread played great and was a cannon but the tone did not compare favorably to the Guild D40 or J45 I had or the D18 I have now that beat them all……to my ears.

 

[TSims1]

You know about guitars so nothing revelatory to add other than you typically are not going to get a great guitar at the bottom end of a manufacturers lineup. You may get a guitar that plays okay and sounds okay. Lower end Martins are just eh. Especially the low low end. Personally I’d pass.

 

[TSims1]

And up n up it goes. For instance the Eastmans referenced above. Nice guitars for the money. Really nice even. But a good Martin sounds better. And I’ll put on my flame suit here and say a good boutique acoustic sounds even better than a Martin when you get into that upper echelon, which is how I wound up with a Collings that would steal your heart forever were you to strum her once. I went out to buy a parlor Martin, and wound up forking over some more $K’s to get a Collings. And it was worth every cent.

 

[thunder58]

say a good boutique acoustic sounds even better than a Martin when you get into that upper echelon

Oh I agree too . Have you ever heard a Bourgeois Guitar . Josh Turner of " Rhonda Vincent and The Rage " fame plays one . Sounds incredible and made in Maine . And I know your familiar with Maton Too Tony

 

[TSims1]

Oh I agree too . Have you ever heard a Bourgeois Guitar . Josh Turner of " Rhonda Vincent and The Rage " fame plays one . Sounds incredible and made in Maine . And I know your familiar with Maton Too Tony

Oh yeah. I actually have a one-off NAMM show special sitting in my studio right now from Bourgeois. My friend bought it the same week I bought my Collings. I’ll try to post a pic, it’s really something to see.

 

[TSims1]

@thunder58 here’s that guitar. Fit for a King!

 

[radd]

And up n up it goes. For instance the Eastmans referenced above. Nice guitars for the money. Really nice even. But a good Martin sounds better. And I’ll put on my flame suit here and say a good boutique acoustic sounds even better than a Martin when you get into that upper echelon, which is how I wound up with a Collings that would steal your heart forever were you to strum her once. I went out to buy a parlor Martin, and wound up forking over some more $K’s to get a Collings. And it was worth every cent.

I don’t doubt that guitars such a Collings are a cut above Martins.

I was going to say that Collings guitars are out of my budget, but truth be told that budget limit is a self imposed one, not based on my finances. I feel that my Martin D18 exceeds my skills all ready.

 

[TSims1]

I don’t doubt that guitars such a Collings are a cut above Martins.

I was going to say that Collings guitars are out of my budget, but truth be told that budget limit is a self imposed one, not based on my finances. I feel that my Martin D18 exceeds my skills all ready.

A D-18 is a WONDERFUL thing.