Martin Guitar Reviews

Martin 1 Series D-1E Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar with Presys+ Onboard Preamp Natural, ~$999

The Martin D-1E Acoustic-Electric Guitar is equipped with a solid Sitka spruce top, with scalloped hybrid Sitka bracing, joined to solid sapele back and sides to create a resonant and powerful voice with excellent balance. The guitar's 14-fret Stratabond neck is fast, slim, and strong (25% stronger than mahogany), making the D-1E an ideal guitar for the road. Add to this superb Fishman Presys+ preamp electronics and you've got an acoustic-electric guitar that delivers a true acoustic sound in any venue. The Presys+ Onboard Preamp System on the Martin D-1E offers maximum control, performance, and quality in a small, unobtrusive format. This compact sophisticated Presys system features Volume, Bass, Mid, and Treble controls, a Phase switch, and a built-in tuner with LED display. Presys preamps also include a pre-wired Fishman Sonicore pickup for solder-free, plug-and-play installation; a low- battery indicator; low-profile control knobs; and a unique pivot design for easy access to the battery compartment.

Martin 1 Series OM-1E Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural, ~$999

The Martin OM-1E Acoustic-Electric Guitar boasts a solid Sitka spruce top, with scalloped hybrid Sitka bracing. Solid sapele back and sides help to create the OM-1E guitar's excellently balanced resonant and powerful voice. The Martin 14-fret Stratabond neck is fast, slim, and strong—25% stronger than mahogany—making the Martin OM-1E an ideal guitar for the road. Add to this the OM-1E guitar's superb Fishman Presys+ preamp and you've got an acoustic-electric guitar that can deliver a true acoustic sound in any venue.Martin equips the OM-1E guitar with the Presys+ Onboard Preamp System for maximum control, performance, and quality with a small, unobtrusive footprint. This compact sophisticated Presys system is outfitted with Volume, Bass, Mid, and Treble controls; a Phase switch; and a built-in tuner with LED display. Martin Presys preamps also include a pre-wired Fishman Sonicore pickup for solder-free, plug-and play-installation, a low-battery indicator, low- profile control knobs, and a unique pivot design for easy access to the battery compartment.

Martin 1-Series DC-1E Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural, ~1,099

The Martin DC-1E Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar from the 1-Series is an affordable, solid wood-bodied guitar, backed by Martin's heritage of over 175 years in skilled building excellence and a limited lifetime warranty. Constructed from solid tonewoods including a Sitka spruce top, bookmatched Sapele back and sides, as well as an East Indian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge, the 1-Series DC-1E creates that legendary rich and commanding Martin sound guitarists everywhere have come to know and love. This Martin guitar comes equipped with a Fishman sound reinforcement system featuring volume and tone controls and an onboard digital chromatic tuner. It also comes with Martin SP strings for great long-lasting tone and sustain, as well as a hardshell case to provide protection and security.Martin has created the 1-Series to deliver legendary Martin quality and tone at a more accessible price.

Martin 1 Series OMC-1E Orchestra Model Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural, ~1099

Model: OMC-1E . Label: Paper Label w/ Model Name. Construction: 1 Style; Ply Blocks; Mortise/Tenon Neck Joint. Body Size: 000-14 Fret Cutaway. Top: Sitka Spruce. Top Braces: Sitka/X1 Style/Scalloped. Pattern: 000-14 Fret #102a. Bridge Plate: Maple. Side Brace: Sitka Spruce. Top Binding: 5/32'' Black Boltaron. Top Inlay: .0325'' B/W Boltaron (White Against Binding). Rosette: Style 28; First Cut 4.063''. Pickguard: Black, Pattern 6 (Om28 Style). Back: Solid Sapele. Back Binding: 5/32'' Black Boltaron. Sides: Solid Sapele. Endpiece: Black Boltaron. Neck: Rust Stratabond. Neck Shape: Mod Low Oval. Headstock: Solid/6 String No Diamond/Standard Taper. Truss Rod: 2-Way Adjustable 356mm. Heelcap: Black Boltaron. Nut: White Corian. Headplate: Indian Rosewood Pattern HPL Texture Finish w/ Printed Logo. Tuning Machines: Ping Chrome- 18:1 Ratio W/ Small Knobs (Drill Y Step). Fingerboard: Solid East Indian Rosewood. Radius: 16''. Scale Length: 25.470''. Width At Nut: 1-3

Martin Performing Artist Series DCPA1 Acoustic-Electric Guitar, ~$2999

The Martin Performing Artist DCPA1 acoustic guitar comes very close to setting a standard in acoustic-electric guitars for player comfort and performance. The Performing Artist Series was designed to blend Martin's legendary guitar tone and appointments with player-friendly features for outstanding playability and tonal performance. This wonderful Martin acoustic guitar features solid Sitka spruce top, 2-ring rosette, Solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, solid ovangkol binding, 25.4" scale length, 1-3/4" width at nut, solid black ebony bridge, and gold tuning machines enclosed with large buttons.Articulate, yet powerful, the new Fishman Aura Blender electronics system delivers stunning realism and projection in an easy-to-use onboard preamp system. With only 2 low profile knobs and a single LED display, F1 Aura offers advanced features in a minimalist design: digital chromatic tuner, volume and blend controls, independent 3-band EQ for both pickup and image signals, compressor, phase control and an automatic antifeedback filter with up to 3 notches. The genius of the F1 Aura guitar system is its ability to replicate the sound of 9 different world-class studio microphones. Here, Fishman engineers have captured the distinctive audio "image" that these high-quality microphones "hear" and allow you to blend it in with the legendary Martin Gold Plus undersaddle pickup. The Gold Plus undersaddle pickup is sensitive along its entire length for responsive, lively sound with no string spacing problems. The Delmar tortoise pickguard tops off its gorgeous appointments.

Martin Performing Artist Series OMCPA1 Acoustic-Electric Guitar, ~$2999

The Martin OMCPA-1 guitar from the Performing Artist series comes close to setting a standard in acoustic-electric guitars for player comfort and performance. The Martin Performing Artist guitar was conceived with the idea of combining Martin's legendary acoustic guitar tone and appointments with player-friendly features for outstanding playability and tonal performance. This wonderful Martin guitar features solid Sitka spruce top, two-ring rosette, Solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, solid Ovangkol binding, 25.4" scale length, 1-3/4" width at nut, solid black ebony bridge, and Gold tuning machines enclosed with large buttons.Articulate, yet powerful, this Fishman pickup system delivers stunning realism and projection in an easy-to-use onboard preamp system. With only two low profile knobs and a single LED display, F1 Aura offers advanced features in a minimalist design: digital chromatic tuner, volume and blend controls, independent 3-band EQ for both pickup and image signals, compressor, phase control and an automatic antifeedback filter with up to 3 notches. The genius of the F1 Aura guitar pickup is its ability to replicate the sound of nine different world-class studio microphones. Here, Fishman engineers have captured the distinctive audio "image" that these high-quality microphones "hear" and allow you to blend it in with the legendary Martin Gold Plus under-saddle pickup. The Delmar Tortoise pickguard tops off its gorgeous embellishments.

Martin Performing Artist Series GPCPA1 Acoustic-Electric Guitar, ~$2999

The Martin Performing Artist GPCPA1 acoustic guitar was built to blend Martin's legendary acoustic tone and appointments with player-friendly features for outstanding playability and tonal performance. This wonderful Martin acoustic guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top, 2-ring rosette, solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, solid ovangkol binding, 25.4" scale length, 1-3/4" width at nut, solid black ebony bridge, and gold tuning machines enclosed with large buttons.Articulate, yet powerful, the integrated Fishman Aura electronics system delivers stunning realism and projection in an easy-to-use onboard preamp system. With only 2 low profile knobs and a single LED display, the F1 Aura system offers advanced features in a minimalist design, unobtrusively top-mounted. It includes a digital chromatic tuner, volume and blend controls, independent 3-band EQ for both pickup and image signals, compressor, phase control and an automatic antifeedback filter with up to 3 notches. The genius of the F1 Aura is its ability to replicate the sound of 9 different world-class studio microphones. Fishman engineers have captured the distinctive audio "image" that these high-quality microphones "hear."The F1 System is paired with the legendary Martin Gold Plus undersaddle pickup, known for its natural response. The Gold Plus is sensitive along its entire length, eliminating string spacing problems. The Delmar tortoise pickguard tops off its gorgeous embellishments.