Martin guitars are one of the better brands when it comes to acoustic guitar. Most of its models come in high quality builds that produce beautiful music. If you are looking for a new Martin Guitar, here is what you can expect. We have grouped the models according to the different price levels so you can find one that is within your budget.
Best Martin Guitar under 600 – for beginner
Guitars in this range are probably the most affordable among all the Martin guitars. In this price range, the Martin LXK2 guitar is probably the best Martin guitar for a beginner.
The Martin LXK2 is a small guitar but the sound it produces is incredible despite its small size. For a beginner, it is probably a good option as it not only plays and sounds great, but can be used in a more rugged way. This is because it is not made of natural wood that is more prone to scratches and such. If you want to take this out camping or outdoor playing, you wouldn’t need to as careful relative to other guitars.
Being small, this guitar is pretty portable so it can double up as a backpacking or travel guitar as well!
As a bonus, it comes with a padded guitar bag so that will save you some money as well.
If you are a beginner looking for something that wouldn’t cost you as much but plays great, this Martin guitar is for you.
Best martin guitar under 1500
For those with a more generous budget, say between 1000 to 1500, you can try the Martin D-15. This is part of the so called ‘classic’ Martin range with all the beautiful finishing and material (mahogany body and neck). There are of course a bunch of cheaper Martin guitars like what I recommended above but these are called contemporary Martin guitars.
Under the classic range, the D-15 is probably one of the best model under 1500 dollars. Some say it doesn’t look as beautiful but to me, it looks just fine with the ability to produce beautiful notes at a fraction of what you need to pay for, say a D-18.
The sounds has an enchanting melodic feel that can be played deep. Yes, you will be surprised at how low this guitar can go, bear in mind that this is not an electric acoustic but an pure acoustic guitar. I saw one particular reviewer who said that others thought his D-15 was some 100 year old guitar worth a million dollars because it played so well!
At the end of the day, the D-15 is a dream come true kinda of guitar for acoustic players. It is very well made and sounds that you can feel the difference.
Best Martin Guitar for strumming
If you are a strummer, then the best line to get is the Martin dreads. However, models in this line is not cheap as most go beyond the $2000 mark. The best value for money is the Martin HD 28V.
The bass is just smooth without being over powering. This is why the nickname for this guitar is called the cannon! The higher notes can be heard in bright tones while the lower notes sound like just they are coming from pipe organs. That is how good the guitar can sound.
Well it is expensive, it isn’t as crazy as D-42 or D-45 which can go up to 8-9k.
This package also comes with a padded guitar case that does a very good job of protecting the guitar. The weight of the guitar isn’t as heavy as I thought so taking this around is still possible. However, with a 3k price tag, I am not sure if that it what you want to do.
Best Martin guitar for Bluegrass
For those playing bluegrass and wants a Martin guitar, then there are a couple of choices available. The choice will depend on whether you are playing the rhythm or the lead.
If you are a lead player, the Martin D18 is the best choice as it can cuts through the noise with ease. When playing with a D-18 you can have no problem of being hear.
It also plays wonderfully well and is probably one of the best guitar on the market today. It has a one piece mahogany neck with beautiful graining that is only often seen in custom made guitars. The body has been made lighter in the post 2012 version with more details made to the sound boards.
Cost wise, it is definitely not the cheapest but you get what you paid for, which is quality and a great sound.
For those who want a guitar that can be played as a lead and rhythm, then the Martin HD-28 mentioned above can get the job done. Although it functions slighting better for strumming, using it as a lead guitar is also fine.
How about playing the blues
I think any Martin guitar is great for playing the blues. However, if you forced to pick, I prefer a model that has a smaller body which makes playing blue a bit easier. In this case, it will be the 00 series. I prefer the Martin 00-15 for its set of great set of quality materials. The body is made of mahogany while the rest of the sound boards uses redwood.
When using it, whether playing blues or if you are a fingerpicker, it is hard to put the guitar down.
The main difference between this and the classic Martin guitars is the absence of X-bracing and a dovetail neck joint. Very few players will miss this unless they are really a hardcore Martin player. If you are not, the cost saving from buying this, rather than a classic Martin guitar will be significant.
Conclusion
If you are a guitar player, you need to play the Martin guitar at least once in your life. The sound from it is incredible and their workmanship is beautiful. The good thing is they have a wide range of models for every budget and playing style. I have highlighted some of these above. Hopefully, you can find what you are looking for.
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