Martin Acoustic Guitars: A In-Depth Guide
Martin Acoustic Guitars
Martin Acoustic Guitars are the Gold Standard of Acoustic Guitars. They have been making guitars since 1833. With almost 200 years of experience, they have learned how to make fantastic guitars. Many players complain about the price, but the quality is very high.
My first introduction to Martin was in high school. My friend had a Martin acoustic that sounded fantastic. It had a warm tone that matches the characteristics of most Martin Guitars. They are a premium guitar with premium prices, but they also create lower end models. These lower end models can let you get a Martin guitar for under $750.
There are five Martin Guitar Series that we will cover today:
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The Standard Series
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X Series
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Authentic Series
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Little Series
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Artist Series
The Standard Series
The Standard Series showcases the iconic Martin Guitars. The D-18, D-28 and D-35 are some of the most popular guitars among professional musicians. They come without pickups to maintain acoustic integrity.
The D-18 is the warmest sounding of the 3. It has a very somber tone that captures the mood of the room. It is fantastic for solo acoustic playing as well as finger-picking. The D-28 has the slimmest neck of the 3. It is a little brighter than the D-18 which can cut through a mix a little better. The D-35 has a beautiful higher tone. It can stand out when there are a bunch of other instruments.
The Standard series has Gloss or Satin finish options. Satin feels like natural wood. Gloss feels like a glass screen over the wood. Satin scratches easier, and gloss has more protection. The standard series often has Natural, Sunburst or Ambertone colors available.
Check out the available Standard Guitars here:
[products=martinstandardseries]
The X Series
If you want a guitar that doesn't change sound when the weather changes, check out the Martin X Series. The X series guitars use High Pressure Laminate back and sides. This is a process of using paper and resin to create a synthetic wood material. This is not real wood. But, they sound great. These high pressure laminate guitars often have wood tops to create a beautiful tone. The best part is that this drastically reduces the cost of getting a Martin Guitar.
You can find them between $650 and $850. These prices are incredible for Martin, and they are Acoustic-Electric. You can plug in your guitar and play on stage without installing a pickup system.
The X Series Guitars usually have different color options. They vary from model to model in a way that doesn’t make sense to cover in a blog post. They don’t come with a Satin or Lacquer option. The HPL doesn’t use lacquer because it isn’t actually wood.
Check out the available X Series Guitars here:
[products=martinxseries]
The Authentic Series
The Authentic Series aims to recreate vintage Martins. Finding the Martin Guitars built in the 30s is virtually impossible. Martin aims to recreate them. They believe that Martin guitars sound better the older they get. So, they want players to experience that feeling without waiting forty years. They match the vintage specs like the tuners, bridge pins and binding.
They also use a process called VTS, for Vintage Tone System, to age the wood to sound like it’s accurately from the 1930s. The Vintage Tone System ages the wood by cooking it. They use an advanced oven where they can track humidity, temperature, and oxygen. They took a high tech scan of a 1930s Martin. When they did that, they learned everything they needed to speed up that process. It allowed them to age the wood and the lacquer. This gives players a chance to experience 1930s guitars without having to buy a guitar made in the 1930s.
Check out the available Authentic Series Martins:
[products=martinauthenticseries]
The Little Martin Series
The Martin Little Series is exactly as it sounds. Little Guitars with great tones. The Little Series guitars are probably the best small bodied guitars available. They stay in tune, and they have a good sound which is difficult to achieve and a small bodied acoustic guitar. Some have wood tops with High Pressure Laminate back and sides to keep the body stable. Others are completely High Pressure Laminate guitars without real wood.
The color options for the Little Martins are limited. Each model only has one color option. For example, the LXK2 has a koa wood pattern, but this model doesn’t come in natural. The LX1 is only natural.
The Little Martin Guitars are fantastic for young players who need a small guitar. They are also incredible as travel guitars. The High Pressure Laminate makes them great for going to different climates.
Check them out here:
[products=martinlittleseries]
The Artist Series
The Artist Series Guitars feature a range of Artist from John Mayer to Billy Strings. They are designed with the artist specifications in mind. These guitars are often used by the players live or recreations of a guitar that the player modified. The Billy Strings signature comes in a D-X2E or an X Series Guitar. It is a complete High-Pressure Laminate body. But, this option gives the consumer an affordable artist signature guitar at $950. The D-28 Billy Strings aims to copy Billy Strings 1940 signature guitar.
The Artist Series guitars typically only come in one color. The Billy Strings only has a natural option. They also only come in one style. The signature models don't give players the choice between lacquer and satin.
The Artist Series are best for those players who want to find a similar sound of the artist in question.
Check out the Artist Series Martins here:
[products=martinartistseries]
The Martin Guitars are some of the most iconic guitars in the world. The sound, the quality and the options give you some of the best acoustic guitars in the world. So if you're looking for a Standard, X Series or Authentic Series, shop for your next Martin Guitar here!
