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I've sold five Martins


MapleManiac

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MapleManic, you have got the same problem as I have! I have always wanted to be the Martin man, having owned a dozen or so, and still have 2,

yet my Gibsons ( 2 1993 J-45s) are two guitars that I will never sell. They are special.

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When I first began buying good guitars (about 10 years ago or so - couldn't afford them before that), I went over to the UMGF and poked around because - to me - Martins were the best American guitar. My first Martin was a D18vms. Since then, I've probably owned 25 to 30 different Martins. I really enjoyed most of them - particularly the 12-fret variety. I could never figure out what anyone heard in a Gibson. All the Gibs I'd played were dead-sounding. Then one day I was in my local GC playing a J45 with the typical dead strings and suddenly "I got it". Something about the sound and feel of that guitar made me want a Gibson. I've now bought and sold a fair number of Gibsons and own no Martins. I currently own an AJ (BR bridge), a J185 (HC), a J30, a '64 LG1, a Fuller's J35 reissue, and 2 Gibson clones made by an old Gibson employee named Aaron Cowles (Jubal guitars). I'm going to sell a couple of the Gibsons (most likely the AJ and the J185 - to fund a custom I've ordered) but the remaining ones are keepers (for now anyway). I will own another Martin or 2 before time's up but I will always own a Gibson. I agree - my head does say 'Martin' but my heart says 'Gibson'. I've also described it this way - Martins are booksmart while Gibsons are streetsmart. With all their faults, Gibsons just have more soul.

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What Martins did you sell..... all the same model?

 

No all varieties. The best of the lot was a D18GE. But the neck bothered me. If I could find one with a low profile neck I would probably buy it. But it was also maybe just a bit too much of an in your face tone after a while. I'd like to try an 000-18. That might be the one Martin I would love.

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Kinda the same story with me. I've had numerous brands and varieties of guitars over the years, but now I'm down to my two Gibsons. I'll keep them for ever! Nothing has ever come close to the sound and tone of these guitars. Have I ever regretted selling one? I would love to have that 1976 Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty (2 pickups) that I bought brand new back again! :)

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I'm down to one Martin-- it's my 'campout' guitar. Great for those outdoor, all night jams.

But I'm also selling off a few Gibsons that I don't play, as well as my one fancy boutique handmade guitar.

 

As time goes by, I'm more and more focused in on what I like to play and seem to need fewer guitars.

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Funny how it goes ?

I've sold 4 martin's and 3 Gibson's ( ES-135, J-45,AJ ) over my life.Still have an HD-28 which I love but it doesn't get out of the case much since I got my SJ Woody Guthrie.There just seems to be a comfortable familiarity with a Gibson is all I can say.

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Beleive it or not the slopemeister bought a square shouldered dread and a Martin at that ! [biggrin] [biggrin]

But I have to say it is the all time best Martin I have ever played or tried out ! [-(

 

Its a Martin D 18 Authentic Just a great sounding guitar ! Way different from Gibsons but very old sounding ! Hard to explain.

Any one played one? [biggrin]

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And I've only bought two Gibsons. A J45 and a Dove.

 

And I can't bring myself to sell either.

 

My head tells me to be a Martin guy but my heart seems to belong to Gibsons.

 

(but I prefer Fender electrics)

Hurray! It mirrors my experience. I went through about 8 Martins of various types until I realized those Gibson necks were for me - especially short scale. These were the Martins:

 

Martin 000-18GE

Martin HD-16R Adirondack

Martin DSR

Martin M-16GT

Martin OM-28V

Martin 000-18

Martin 00-18V

Martin 00-1 (still have)

Martin D-1

 

Make mine a Gibson:

 

J-45

L-00

J-185.

 

Only A Gibson is Good Enough!

 

Pic

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Was at Sam Ash here in San Antonio yesterday. Listening to the salesguy explaining to a customer buying a starter for his teenage daughter. The customer - a lawyer - was asking lots of questions, of course. Came down to accepting the fact that the salesman had a sophisticated ear and could tell the difference and superiority of Martins, Taylors and of course - Gibsons. Of course there were 3x as many Martins and 3x as many Taylors - but he disagreed with the lawyer's initial understanding that Martins were the Cadillacs. It got me to thinking why I am never excited when I try a Martin or Taylor. First - everyone doesn't hear the same, so others will hear different. Second, to me Gibsons are like "surround sound" and the others are like mono. If you were building whistles - do you design them for the dog's ear or the dog owner's ear?

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Was at Sam Ash here in San Antonio yesterday. Listening to the salesguy explaining to a customer buying a starter for his teenage daughter. The customer - a lawyer - was asking lots of questions' date=' of course. Came down to accepting the fact that the salesman had a sophisticated ear and could tell the difference and superiority of Martins, Taylors and of course - Gibsons. Of course there were 3x as many Martins and 3x as many Taylors - but he disagreed with the lawyer's initial understanding that Martins were the Cadillacs. It got me to thinking why I am never excited when I try a Martin or Taylor. First - everyone doesn't hear the same, so others will hear different. Second, to me Gibsons are like "surround sound" and the others are like mono. If you were building whistles - do you design them for the dog's ear or the dog owner's ear? [/quote']

 

 

So which one did he buy?

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While I understand there are "Gibson people" and there are "Martin people," I've never understood why you couldn't be both. Both can be fine guitars, and there environments in which I'd rather play a Gibson than a Martin, and vice versa.

 

Part of the problem is we live in a world where everything is sped up, and so we want quick and succinct definitions or explanations of everything. Hence the lawyer's belief that Martins were "Cadillacs." He wanted some shorthand way to think about guitars, instead of sitting down (or having his daughter sit down) and finding out that every guitar is different and every guitar has its strengths and weaknesses.

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David said: "While I understand there are "Gibson people" and there are "Martin people," I've never understood why you couldn't be both. Both can be fine guitars, and there environments in which I'd rather play a Gibson than a Martin, and vice versa."

 

+1. I have four Gibsons and four Martins, very fine examples of each. Both vintage and new guitars. There are periods when I don't play one, even long periods. Then, I re-discover the other. They are just different sounds, really, different instruments. Spice of life.

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I've owned some really exquisite Martins and sold all four -

 

1974 D-18 (which I had a tone of work done: waverlys, neck reset, bridge, bone nut & saddle)

1996 D-28

2004 HD-28V

2007 00-15

(also spent a bit of time with a friend's late-40's 00-17 and a 000-15.)

 

all remarkable guitars in their own way, but once I held / played my J-45TV, I knew it

was the tone I've been looking for. my J-45TV is my only acoustic now. I'd like to add a pre-1955

J-45 to the family at some point though. as someone mentioned, scale length also was a big factor...

the J-45 is effortless and feels exactly like my electrics - both ES-175's.

 

I'm sure that 000-18 above sounds great in person.

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I spent months looking for my "it" guitar a while back. It was to be my first "high end" acoustic. With $2000 in hand and some solid forum jabber under my belt, I was convinced it was going to be a Martin. But time and time again, each time I went to the guitar store - no matter which one - I ended up sitting down and making music with a Gibson.

 

Needless to say, I absolutely love my J-45 TV. It sounds like a guitar should. And whatever the price tags may have said, I've never really played a Martin that spoke to my soul.

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I grew up on Martin guitars and love their tone. I got a J-45 via a strange trade and did not even play it much for a while. After spending some time with the short scale and Gibson neck, I really prefer the feel of a Gibson. The strange thing, it that after I got used to hearing the Gibson tone, I can not go back to the Martin. The above posts are correct, the Gibson tone is not as refined, but has more soul.

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For me it has not been a Gibson is great/Martin sucks kind of thing. I have always appreciated the Martin signature tone and for years thought I wanted one. My problem is that I HATE a V neck on a guitar!!! Taylor necks are what I truly loved from the first time I felt one and both of my Gibson's have a similar enough feel that I am very happy with them. Martin necks on the other hand, just don't work for me or my style of playing. I have nothing aginst them, they just don't work for me. Gibson and Taylor necks do....

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Greetings

 

Although I seem to spend more time in the electric section.I have SWD Cutaway that I have had for two years. I recently had to take it back beacuse the pickgard has cracked and has airpockets underneath the pickgaurd. My Guitar Dealer has sent the unit back for repair or replacement. It is a beautiful guitar with great sound.

 

I wondering what peoples thoughts where on the Dove in comparison to the SWD from a sound perspective. I have only had the opportunity to see the Dove on two occasions but have never played it. And drom what I see the "regular Dove" is no longer on the Gibson site which means it may not be in production.

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When I first began buying good guitars (about 10 years ago or so - couldn't afford them before that)' date=' I went over to the UMGF and poked around because - to me - Martins were the best American guitar. My first Martin was a D18vms. Since then, I've probably owned 25 to 30 different Martins. I really enjoyed most of them - particularly the 12-fret variety. I could never figure out what anyone heard in a Gibson. All the Gibs I'd played were dead-sounding. Then one day I was in my local GC playing a J45 with the typical dead strings and suddenly "I got it". Something about the sound and feel of that guitar made me want a Gibson. I've now bought and sold a fair number of Gibsons and own no Martins. I currently own an AJ (BR bridge), a J185 (HC), a J30, a '64 LG1, a Fuller's J35 reissue, and 2 Gibson clones made by an old Gibson employee named Aaron Cowles (Jubal guitars). I'm going to sell a couple of the Gibsons (most likely the AJ and the J185 - to fund a custom I've ordered) but the remaining ones are keepers (for now anyway). I will own another Martin or 2 before time's up but I will always own a Gibson. I agree - my head does say 'Martin' but my heart says 'Gibson'. I've also described it this way - Martins are booksmart while Gibsons are streetsmart. With all their faults, Gibsons just have more soul.[/quote']

 

Geoffrey,

 

Hello to a fellow J30 owner! I too have one and have never conversed with another owner. I have a 1996 Rosewood and just always go back to it. With its square shoulders and basic appointments it seems a bit like a D18. I wonder you're impressions of that assessment? As well would welcome any comments you have on your own J30. My most recent addition is a 2007 AJ and while both are sitka/rosewood they are totally different not just in feel but sound as well, I am assuming owing to their differing dimensions/scale and bracing. Which to me anyway highlights the fact that woods alone cannot account for tone differences.

 

As for my last purchase - the AJ, I'd gone in to play the used guitars at GC not to purchase but to play higher end guitars that were NOT Gibsons. I played many and kept coming back to the AJ and it eventually came home with me. Cheers - yaz

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I have played Gibsons for over 45 years - always had a thing for them I guess but right now there is a beat to heck 1951 Martin D-18 sitting at my favorite little music store that I would love to own. Best sounding Martin I have ever gotten my hands on. Fat, quick, punchy, and incredibly well-balanced for a Martin dread. While I turned down the offer to trade my SJ for it, if I did not think my wife would kill me, my J-200 would be history (she loves that guitar).

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