Martin DCX1E Acoustic-Electric Guitar Review

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(More customer reviews)I own a Martin DCX1E, and like it pretty well. It plays well and has a 'Martin-like' sound. Why do I say 'Martin-like'? Because the body and sides are not wood. They are made of a laminate, not unlike formica. I know, that sounds cheap, but it actually has turned out to be pretty successful for me, and apparently for Martin. It is tough stuff. The top of the guitar is solid Sitka spruce, which is as it should be on a higher-end guitar. So how does it sound? Because they use Martin bracing and a solid top, the instrument sounds pretty much like a Martin, but because of the laminate back and sides, the guitar has noticably less volume than an all wood guitar. The sound is still good, just a little quieter than you would expect. It does retain the resonant low end which characterizes Martins. This IS an acoustic/electric, and if you play it electrically, the lack of acoustic volume is not an issue. The guitar has a piezo pickup under the bridge (pretty standard for A/E guitars), which is mated to a Fishman EQ/preamp, which sounds good through a regular amp, and even better (Wow!)through a PA (use a DI box, though). If you are playing electrically, you may have feedback problems. If so, get a Planet Waves Screeching Halt sound hole plug. Now, here's some other stuff. The neck and the action are pretty good, although I had an action job done by a luthier to make it better. The neck is a little different, too, in that it is laminated. Some people pooh pooh this, but I like the looks, and have never had any problem with it. So, if you get this guitar, I think you will like it..........except for one thing.........After a year and a half, my frets wore out big time. In 45 years of playing, I have NEVER worn out the frets on any guitar, or even come close. Yahdah, yahdah, I won't bother repeating the whole story. Suffice to say, Martin denied that their guitar had a problem, and would not stand behind their product. My luthier, who is "THE" luthier in a city of 2M people, confirmed to me that Martin will not honor their warranty for any fret issues. It would have been nice to know that up front, and frankly, I would not have bought the guitar if I had known that, since a fret job cost me $400. Considering that I paid $700 for the Martin, I could have bought one hell of a guitar for $1,100. You'd think with all the Martin-playing people who espouse social causes and the rights of the down-trodden underclasses, that Martin might have a conscience, too. Forget it. Martin is just another big company, like the rest of them. I wonder how long it will take them to scream bloody murder and make Amazon take this review down? Until then, Rock On ya'all.

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