Martin Acoustic Guitars: LX1 Little Martin

by Guitar Guru
(play-acoustic-guitar.com)

”Quality Travel Guitar”

The Martin LX1 Little Martin is, at $299 (including a padded gig bag), a steal for anyone looking to travel or beginning student guitar. The body has been modified to make this little jewel perfect for those with small hands. The sound, however, belies the small body.

Made with a solid Sitka spruce soundboard, the Martin LX1 has a full, rounded tone that is surprisingly rich considering the size. While it does not stand up to aggressive strumming, getting a rather boxy thrum if treated too roughly, for basic fingerplaying and flatpicking, it holds up very well.

The modified 23” scale (3/4 size) of this piece can make fretwork difficult for those with larger hands and/or longer fingers. But the action of the LX1 Little Martin’s neck is so smooth that beginning students or those with smaller hands will have no problems getting this guitar to produce a good, full sound.

Many prospective buyers compare the LX1 to the LXM. To this end, the Martin LX1 has a solid wood top that resonates better than the LXM’s laminate top. Yet, the solid top of the LX1 is not as durable to travel bumps and humidity changes as the LXM’s laminate top. Furthermore, the LX1 sounds lighter than the LXM’s woody, darker tone.

Martin is known for making some of the best acoustic guitars available, committed to making sure that quality instruments are available not just for their advanced players, but for their beginning students as well. Martin has a sterling reputation when it comes to the quality of their instruments and they make no exception with the LX1.

See more great guitar reviews at Martin Acoustic Guitars.

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