Better Guitar

player opinions

Name: Chris
Band: -----
Model Year: 2008
Price Paid: -----
Performance
This is the most beautiful guitar I have ever played. Craftsmanship is flawless. PERFECT. This model is the most beautiful I have seen. The Rosewood is intoxicating. The sound is so pure and balanced. I can't put it down at night after work. Had a top notch player drool over it and play it. He made it sing so sweetly my eyes were bulging. Martin is one heck of a company.
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
The sound is pure heaven. Balance, pure and powerful when you want it to be. I will never sell mine.
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
It could not be made any nicer. The spruce top is matched so perfectly you cannot tell where the seam is. The inlay, rosewood and playability is perfect. Wow is all I can say.
Construction Rating: 10

Name: Ned Kimbrough
Band: -----
Model Year: 2002
Price Paid: $3300
Performance
All I can say, if you can only own one guitar, this would be the one. It is by far the best sounding guitar I have ever heard. Its tone is nothing short of magical. I think this might be because of the forward shifted scalloped bracing. It plays like butter and sounds like a cannon.
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
The sound is what sold me on this beautiful rascal. It has the most golden magical tone I have ever heard coming from a guitar. Deep powerful and clear bass, with clear mids and highs. The string balance is amazing. Every note rings loud and crystal clear whether you are finger picking or getting down hard on it with a flat pick.
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
This is one of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen with a solid spruce top that has incredible silky cross grain all over the top. Solid rosewood back and sides with dark brown straight grain (some of the best looking wood I have ever seen used on a guitar). Fret board is solid Ebony as well as the bridge. The bridge has an abalone snow flake on each side, and the fret board has abalone snow flakes and cats eyes. The rosette has abalone as does the entire top (even around fret board extension. Grained ivoroid binding with w/b/w. The neck is one piece solid mahogany connected to body with dove tail joint. This is a very solid, well made guitar.
Construction Rating: 10

Name: Warren Wigutow
Band: -----
Model Year: -----
Price Paid: $3300
Performance
Here’s the deal. I have been trading and buying guitars for years. I have owned Collings and Santa Cruz and on and on. I have come to the conclusion that these fine shops do NOT make better guitars than my Martin D-42, they make DIFFERENT guitars. Ultimately, Martins sound like Martins and nothing else does. If you want a Martin, buy a Martin. Each maker has its own characteristic sound. This 1998 D-42 is a marvel of an instrument — deep woody tone and a great neck, and, of course, it is beautiful. Collings D’s have a more sparkly mid-range, but they just don’t have the warmth and “bark” of the best Martins — it’s all in the ear of the beholder, but I can’t say that Martin has anything to worry about from the fine smaller shops as long as they continue to built them like this!
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
Clear, full and rich.
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
I cannot find a single flaw or anything that is less than perfect.
Construction Rating: 10

Name: Dan Clark
Band: -----
Model Year: -----
Price Paid: -----
Performance
Clearly a top notch performer, this guitar is a joy to play.
Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
Crisp, clear tones are what you get from this beauty. Open tunings and chords truly ring. However, it’s not a box I would pound on for a big sound — its strength is its melodic tone.
Sound Quality Rating: 10
Construction
First rate materials and craftsmanship. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth every penny/dollar/grand.
Construction Rating: 10