Showing posts with label martin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label martin. Show all posts

Gibson AJ Advanced Jumbo Guitar Vintage Sunburst Review

Gibson AJ Advanced Jumbo Guitar Vintage Sunburst
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As far as I'm concerned, this is exactly what acoustic guitars should sound like. You might find more silky or strident highs elsewhere, or more punchy lows from an old martin, and there are plenty of other guitars that excel at one particular element of timbre and tone (though you'd likely pay much more for them), but the advanced jumbo is the complete package! Balanced, delicate, powerful, and resonant, with enveloping depth and richness. Everything comes through clearly, no dominant strings or chords. The tones are nicely complex without getting confused or muddled. The neck is on the thin side which some people may dislike, but it's not anemic. Binding over the fret ends was sloppily finished between the heel and soundhole, and the plastic bridge pins and strap peg seem a little cheaply made, but both are easily remedied. Looking at it, it's about like you'd expect a $2000 acoustic to be. Close your eyes and play, and those little things are quickly forgotten. Beautiful. You can't come close to this kind of sound without paying a heck of a lot more.

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Norman Encore B20 High Gloss Guitar Review

Norman Encore B20 High Gloss Guitar
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Our nonprofit, Guitars in the CLassroom, receives donations of guitars for use with the teachers we instruct; among those we receive, Godin provides us with the best guitars from the companies who support us, Kaman, Martin (yes, Martin!), Saga, etc. This B20 just came back from a teacher to whom we had loaned it for her use in the Classroom with her students, as she has now purchased her own - probably not as amazing as this loaner was! When I played it, I was blown away with the power and tone....and the construction detail was superb (and I assume we are getting Blems or 2nds....but I can't tell what the defect might be.) Buy one of these, and revel in what a true large acoustic can do for both group singing and recording. What a sweet guitar! Thanks Godin....
Doug Bowers, Tucson, AZ

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Fishman Ellipse Matrix Blend w/ Wide Undersaddle Pickup Review

Fishman Ellipse Matrix Blend w/ Wide Undersaddle Pickup
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I love this pick up! It sounds great and the microphone is a wonder change! Nothing negative to say! We play Contemporary Christian music. Put this into an Epiphone Jumbo. Installation was not too difficult. Did it myself. Had to drill the hole at the strap button a little larger. I made very little change to my saddle to adjust string height and had to drill a small hole in the bridge.

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Martin D-28 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Natural Review

Martin D-28 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Natural
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I bought my Martin D-28 in 1972. I have a Guild 12 and a Stetson 1928 Parlor. I played my Martin D-28 semi-professionally from 1976-1991.
Being of the age that my Martin D-28 is it does not have a truss rod. Never-the-less, it rings like Christmas bells in the philharmonic. I do feel the need to have the neck reset. The newer ones, I believe, have the rod so my problem will not be yours. (The action on mine is a little more difficult after all this time and travel)
The D-28 is a wonder. It is so very true to all types of music. BlueGrass, rock, jazz. CF Martin had his stuff together on this one as it has lasted for decades + and been lauded by all the stars of the aforementioned types of various groups that have needed and used an acoustic guitar.
Construction is superb. Woods are superb. Mine is Brazilian Rosewood and German spruce top. Ebony finger board and saddle. I will have it buried with me to keep it close.
If you are looking for a sweet and life long friend, this is it as to instruments. Not as fancy as some Martins but the sound more than makes up for its basic look. Strum an E or A chord on this or finger pick or knock yourself out and watch your audience perk up. The sound of the Martin D-28 is individual to other guitars. I can pick a D-28 out of a sound track most every time.
Just a sweet and dependable friend. Buy a really good case to protect it.


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Martin DCX1E Acoustic-Electric Guitar Review

Martin DCX1E Acoustic-Electric Guitar
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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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Takamine Pro Series EF360SC Dreadnought Acoustic Electric Guitar, Natural with Case Review

Takamine Pro Series EF360SC Dreadnought Acoustic Electric Guitar, Natural with Case
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I bought this guitar for myself ... and I am very impressed with the sound / the feel / the consistent quality even when using a capo ... best guitar by far I have ever owned ... makes me want to play every day !

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OMJM John Mayer Signature Model Acoustic Electric Guitar Review

OMJM John Mayer Signature Model Acoustic Electric Guitar
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this thing is really a joy to play. compared to a older D 15 i have this is a lot more detailed and a bit louder. the action is smooth and great for someone with smaller hands. while it sounds great unplugged, it sounds much better plugged in. the sound is the most perfectly balanced of any guitar ive ever played throughout every string. finger picking is where this thing goes through the stratosphere. every note is like listening to a mastered recording. the case is super high quality. for recording, mix in a little reverb or delay and it will make a track.
pros: perfect tonality and balance. plugged in sweetness. great looks and balance. bracing is overkill and will last for generations if cared for. pull this outta the case and its a cannon among bee bees. perfect for recording. great neck. only 1000 made so u wont be bumping in to many and give a unique feeling. very collectable, heirloom quality.
cons: while it is perfectly balanced, it can lack bass next to a full dreadnought but not thin like a taylor. coated strings sound exceptionally bad on this guitar, totally killing the detail that makes it stand out. the signatures on the inside of john and martin are copies, not actual signatures. lacks dove tail neck.

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Takamine EG440SC G Series Acoustic-Electric Guitar w/FREE SKB Hardshell Case and Stand Review

Takamine EG440SC G Series Acoustic-Electric Guitar w/FREE SKB Hardshell Case and Stand
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I ordered this on a Sunday evening & it arrived the following Wednesday afternoon without expedited shipping! I've tried Martins and Taylors costing much more & the sound of this guitar is one of the nicest I've come across; with a nice rich midrange & plenty of low end. The intonation, sustain & action are awesome. Plugged in with a touch of reverb justifies the extra I paid for the electronics. The onboard tuner is a nice feature too. I'd recommend this guitar to anyone.
Most online sellers charge a minimum of $50.00 more just for the guitar. That's without the hard shell case and stand! I saved a lot buying this through Amazon.


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Takamine G Series G360S Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar, Natural Review

Takamine G Series G360S Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar, Natural
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I am not an expert, this review is based on my observations and comparisons with other guitars that I tried out in the store. This is a dreadnought guitar, might be too big for those of smaller stature. It has a solid spruce top with rosewood back and sides, which probably accounts for the great sound and resonance. It has a glossy finish with abalone inlays and rosette, really looks nice ! I tried the Ibanez AC30NT and the Yamaha FG720S. The Yamaha didn't sound as resonant as the Ibanez or the G360S. The only downside is it's pricey compared to the AC30NT (hence, the 4 stars).
It is my opinion that guitars are very personal. You need to sit down and play a few chords on it and play the same chords on the other guitars to arrive at a fair comparison. Note both left and right hand positioning and see which is most comfortable to you. If you decide on 1 model, see if you can try out other guitars of the same model. You might be surprised they may sound different, too !

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Epiphone AJ-500M Masterbilt Collection Advanced Jumbo Guitar, Natural Satin Review

Epiphone AJ-500M Masterbilt Collection Advanced Jumbo Guitar, Natural Satin
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Recently traded in a 4 month old Epiphone Chet Atkins model for this guitar. Also have a Martin D-16RGTE Premium and this guitar sounds better! Our band plays bluegrass about 2 times a week at local pubs,etc. It gets lots of use and sounds great using a condensor microphone. Also gets a lot of looks due to the "old-timey" look. This guitar has a great feel,almost familiar. Great case included! The only issue is the hygrometer always reads "70". If that worked,I would rate it at 5 1/2!

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Takamine G Series EG340C Dreadnought Acoustic Electric Guitar, Natural Review

Takamine G Series EG340C Dreadnought Acoustic Electric Guitar, Natural
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I just got my Takamine in the mail today, was a day beyond the estimated shipping..But hey, it's an estimate right.
No complaints, it looks great and most importantly it sounds better than I expected. It was strung up and almost in tune surprisingly. The built in tuner is pretty cool, The sustain is friggin nice. Definitely a great guitar for the price I say. I even have somewhat of a "thumbprint" pattern on the wood grain which I really like...Cause it's undeniably my guitar from the looks...Maybe someone would find something like that un-appealing...though i think it gives some good character to it.

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Takamine G Series EG340SC Dreadnought Acoustic Electric Guitar, Natural Review

Takamine G Series EG340SC Dreadnought Acoustic Electric Guitar, Natural
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First off... I'm not a great guitar player and don't know everything about guitars.
With that said, I really like this guitar. The sound is amazing and the craftmanship is fantastic. For my birthday I received Takamine G Series 340C Acoustic-Electric Guitar which my family had purchased from Long and McCuade (In canada). I went up there to see if they would price match amazons price of 275 for it and they told me that was below their cost... so I returned the guitar and went to buy it on amazon. (I loved the sound of the guitar as well... but the 340SC does sound much nicer). I decided to upgrade to the 340SC model since it was very cheap on amazon as well 327(still below orginal purchase price of the 340C). Long story short... I would recommend both guitars but for $50 difference the 340SC was an easy choice.
I like the gold tuners but they might not be for everyone. They seem to be holding the tune very well. The rosewood, spruc and mahogany is very sharp looking all with really nice grain lines. I really like the abalone dot inlays and the abalone rosette. One difference visually between the 340C and the 340SC is the the top bind stripe (around the edge of the spruce ... on top), for the 340C it was abalone while the 340SC is 3 alternating black and white lines... ~1/8" thick.
I love the built in tuner. Works like a charm... it simply displays a letter for the chord it hears with either a ^ or v to indicate to tune up or down... when in tune they both appear. Since it shows a letter for the chord I found it quite useful in remembering bar chord positions. I have not pluged into an amp yet and tested out the equilizer. It has a low battery light... and the screen is easy to see even in the dark or bright lights.
I also purchased Guardian Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Case (Fiberglass, Dark Grey) and the guitar fits perfectly into the case.
I am planning on taking the guitar to a technician for a proper setup since the 340C came with a smaller amount of play between the strings and the frets than the 340SC.
I was very worried about purchasing a guitar on amazon but it was all for nothing. Shipping was fantastic, signature required. It was shipped in the orginal guitar box placed into another over sized box filled with shipping peanuts (a full big garbage bag full). I purchased it from Gear 1 Music.
Overall for the price I paid I could not be any happier with this guitar. I hope this helps... if not check out this YouTube Review: [...]

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Voyage-Air Transit Series VAOM-02 Folding Orchestra Model Acoustic Guitar Review

Voyage-Air Transit Series VAOM-02 Folding Orchestra Model Acoustic Guitar
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We tried out several smaller travel guitars at local guitar shops. We searched for several other online. Martin Backpacker, Mini Taylor, Mini Martin, Washburn Rover all sounded good for their size, but really cannot be compared to any full size guitar. If you are basically strumming, then those smaller travel guitars are fine. You can even buy them on E-bay for cheap. If you are doing some more intricate playing, then a full size guitar is a minimum. This Voyage-Air line of guitars fits that need.
This model is the laminate-top model. The least expensive too. Paid 355 bucks here on Amazon with free shipping. We decided that since it is primarily for travel, the laminate would withstand the abuse of travel better than a solid-top. That was confirmed after reading advice from guitar experts.
When locked into position the neck is secure, and it has the full sound of a regular guitar... not the sound of the smaller travel ones. The screw which secures the neck to the base does protrude a bit and you do feel it when your hand slides down toward the body of the guitar. It's no high-end Martin or Taylor, but that is not the right comparison.
The backpack is high quality and custom fit. I'm sure it will fit in the airplane overhead bins as we had hoped. The backpack even has a padded area to fit a notebook computer.
Now my teenage son is excited to be able to bring a full size guitar on our upcoming vacations. I'll try to get him to post a video review.
Voyage-Air has raised the bar with travel guitars.
Update 5/20/11:
Traveled to central america with this guitar. He loved having a full size guitar on our vacation. Fit into all the overhead airline bins easily. No problems with the humidity of central america. Easy to carry around compared to a regular guitar.


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Martin 00028EC 6-string Eric Clapton Acoustic Guitar with Case Review

Martin 00028EC 6-string Eric Clapton Acoustic Guitar with Case
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First, I don't own this guitar. I simply played one. But there were no reviews so I thought I would add a basic one.
The body is slightly smaller than many guitars, both in terms of the size of the soundboard (face), and the thickiness of the guitar. This does make it quite comfortable to play. The sound was typical of martins, but more delicate or gentle than say, a dreadnought, due to the slightly smaller body. It played like a dream and I'd love to have one but for the $3200 price, its a bit oversold. You're paying for Eric's endorsement, and a couple inlays and minor features that are not on the basic 00028.
If money is no object, its an interesting piece and a nice guitar. But you might do better to pay a grand less and get the basic 00028. Unless you like guitars with other people's names on them. But hey what do I know. I have a Reverend Horton Heat Gretsch 6120, so....ya know...its about the feature set and what you really like. I didn't buy that for the name. On this guitar, this model gives you different tuning machine knobs and a couple inlays for a grand....not sure that's worth it.
I downgraded one star on the price tag, because I don't think the value is there. But its a very nice guitar and if you buy one, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Its a fine instrument, just overpriced.

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Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar Review

Seagull S6 Original Acoustic Guitar
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I bought a Seagull in 1995, with my first paycheck after graduating from college, at a small guitar store in Petaluma. It might be the best $400 I've ever spent.
Over the years I've become a much better guitar player, but I haven't outgrown this instrument, and I doubt I ever will. It is a fantastic guitar that plays beautifully and sounds better every year. It's very easy to play, very reliable (haven't needed to adjust the truss once) and did I mention it sounds great?
It's beautiful, too, with a wonderful light finish. Most guitars in this price range are cheaply made in asia and heavily lacquered. Not this baby!
If something ever happened to it I'd skip right past the Taylors and Martins and buy another one of these without a second thought. I brought it to a party recently, and met someone who asked to borrow it. I let him, and he strummed it for a few minutes. Turns out he's one of those guys who owns half a dozen guitars, and when he handed it back to me he said, "Don't ever sell this guitar, unless it's to me."
The only guitar I've ever played where I felt like I was clearly handling a better guitar was a Paul Reed Smith hollowbody which runs for over three grand.
You could spend a lot more money and not get an instrument this nice. For $400, it's hard to imagine that you'll do better.

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Taylor Guitars Baby Taylor, BT2, Mahogany, Natural Review

Taylor Guitars Baby Taylor, BT2, Mahogany, Natural
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A PERSONAL OPINION. The Taylor BT2 is a really nice guitar. I did not say The Taylor BT2 is a really nice little guitar. Why? We could talk about guitar size, shape, wood type, action, nut size, and acoustics but it is easier to just say, this guitar is very easy to play and sounds much bigger than it really is. I bought this guitar to carry to parties and family gatherings (I'm the lease musically talented in my family but I got guts) as I was getting tired of toting my big Ovation back and fourth. This little guitar with the big voice was just what I was looking for. Fact is, I messed around trying to buy a used Baby Taylor off eBay and found this guitar sells for $220 to $305 USED. Shoot, I bought a new one for $299. This is a very nice guitar and I am sure the model BT1 is good too; I just like mahogany better than spruce. I recommend this Baby Taylor to anyone as a first guitar or as in my case, a second.

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An alternate version of the original Baby Taylor substitutes a solid mahogany top, giving this 3/4-size Dreadnought a dark, attractive complexion and a mid-range boost.


The Baby Taylor Series The Baby Taylor is the ultimate travel companion, delivering volume and tone that surprise for its diminutive dimensions. At three-quarters the size of a full-sized guitar, the Baby Taylor lives for the road. It also loves little hands, which makes it an irresistible choice for kids taking lessons. Available with either a solid spruce or solid mahogany top.
Tropical American Mahogany Top Mahogany is supple enough to make excellent, responsive bodies, yet sufficiently strong and stable to use in necks. Mahogany produces a bright, clear tone, with a unique balance that yields an expressive dynamic range in response to even the lightest touch. This makes Taylor's 500 Series guitars especially popular with fingerstyle guitarists and blues players, and it gives this particular Baby Taylor great looks and a more pronounced mid-range.
Sapele Laminate Back/Sides This exceptional, mahogany-like wood grows throughout the tropical rain forests of Nigeria and the Ivory Coast of Africa. Ever since we introduced it in 1998, its legion of fans has grown exponentially. As a tonewood, it's denser and harder than mahogany, so it has a crisper, clearer, brighter, "pop"-ier sound than its more familiar counterpart. Loud and robust, with a lovely ribboned grain, sapele has been used by Spanish guitar makers for many years.
Dreadnought Body ShapeThe original Dreadnought acoustic guitar appeared early in the 20th Century, and its no-frills, no-nonsense shape made it a logical namesake of the huge battleships of that day. Most subsequent Dreadnoughts, including Taylor's, have been derivative of that early design. In 1997, however, Bob Taylor re-designed the Taylor Dreadnought by softening the curves at the top and bottom and generally refining its overall shape. In 2003, gloss-finish Dreadnoughts also underwent bracing refinements that substantially increased their overall volume and bass response, without sacrificing Taylor's signature balance and clarity. Dreadnought six-strings shine as "plectrum" or "rhythm" guitars because they respond well to flatpicking or light-to-heavy strumming.
Varnish FinishA durable varnish finish offers protection, good looks, and a smooth feel to the touch. The spruce top's beauty shines right through.

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