Expensive vs. Cheap Martin Acoustic Guitars | 000-X1 vs. 000-42 

As a retired 'soundman' (and I prefer that name as opposed to the more grand sounding sound engineer), I have found that sound is very subjective, in concert audio systems and in guitars. I have travelled the world producing live sound for many top artists with a variety of different cheap to expensive instruments. It was my job to make them all sound as pleasing and as good as possible. In this video I actually prefer the brighter sound of the cheaper guitar for my own personal use and it being better to add into a mix with other instruments. Many will prefer the more mellow tones of the more expensive one. Both sound great and it is your personal choice. Do I think the most expensive is worth 10 times more...definitely not. In a live sound mix or studio I could make either sound great, the same or entirely different. I think there may be a playability difference but that would be personal again and of course there is pride in ownership for some with all the fancy inlays etc. of the more expensive guitar which may persuade some. However do not be fooled by the most expensive or the most complex being the best because often it isn't.

AFTER A FEW GLASSES OF WINE EVERYTHING SOUNDS GREAT REGARDLESS OF PRICE

My dad bought a Martin New Yorker for around $200 in 1959 when I was 13 and had proved I loved to play guitar on the Stella it replaced. Loved it even after someone fell on it at Ocean Beach and had to have it completely repaired in 1972. It was stolen from the trunk of my car in 1992. Still Miss it

you know the topic is of importance when jesus himself has to explain it on youtube.

I'm a retired musician, life time Martin player. Price is more about woods, craftmanship, appointments rather than the more you spend the better a guitar sounds. My favorite guitar is not my most expensive, a first year OM-18 Authentic. I have others 3-5 times the price, I don't expect them to be 3-5 time better. My lifetime experience is different tone woods for a variety of voices. I have 3 OM's with 6 different woods (OM-18 Authentic Adi/Mahogany, Custom Shop OM-28 Alpine/Madagascar, 2005 OM-45 Engelmann/Tasmanian Blackwood w/alternate torch). 50 years of playing and 37 Martins has shown me personally that different tone woods in different body sizes gives a wonderful variety. Don't get hung up on just rosewood, or just mahogany, try tweener woods like Koa/Tasmanian Blackwood. FWIW my high enders were not closet queens, they went on gigs, carefully monitored, and I never had a problem, "play your best to sound your best".......

I bought a £130 guitar when I first started, I handed it to my guitar tutor and it sounded amazing. I believe, a £500 guitar can sound like a £5000 in the right hands.

Martin guitars, to me, have always sounded well balanced with crisp, clear overtones. But, from the first chord on the expensive Martin I heard the mid tones project with a brilliance that I could not believe. Without hearing it live I still believe it may be one of the most beautiful sounding guitars I have ever heard. The less expensive Martin sounded muted an dull by comparison although still with a good Martin sound.

I picked up a D42 and strummed one chord. I’m sure my jaw dropped when I heard the wonderful tone and resonance I then pu it back on the wall. I couldn’t afford $6995 and I already had a $4200 Taylor. Once you have heard and felt the D42 or 00042 you will be plagued by the desire to own one even if you only play that one chord after you have it. Thanks Cooper.

All of these videos you guys have been putting out the last 6 to 8 months have been awesome.Keep it up!

For a working musician it comes down to this "for me". I have both. For gigs (when we could actually play clubs w "people") played the way less expensive one. For home and studio played the nice one. You don't want a 5 or 6 K guitar at a beer joint and they play and sound just great. Np. Plus, the biggest thing for me is I can relax on breaks not worrying about a 6K guitar as I go to bathroom or outside for some musicians cologne.....

I bought a Martin D10e to upgrade my cheap used Yamaha I had been learning on. I absolutely love it. It’s a solid wood Martin dreadnaught for under $1000. You can't beat that.

Love your comparison. Both guitars sound beautiful.

Your noodling is much different than my noodling lol... Great demo, young man! I look forward to seeing more in the future.

Yes, I agree there's a difference in the tonal quality of each guitar. The more expensive one has a lighter overall precise sound while the less expensive one has a deeper flat sound that more, or less resonates along with each chord as you play it. To me it's like the difference between mono and stereo. Both are excellent instruments.

A Martin GPC-X2E owner here. I love it and enjoy playing it day in day out :) And even though it has HPL back and sides, I still noticed it sounded better after months of playing, probably its solid top has opened up. Its resonance is beautiful. Would love to have an all-solid Martin one day, maybe an all-solid mahogany, but I am happy with my GPC-X2E.

I have been playing for 49 years, and it took a long time before I got to own high-end Martin Guitars. Both of the guitars you demo here sound good, but the 000-42 definitely has a warmer sound to it - a depth that is not reached with the 000-X1. The low end projects out more and is more in balance with the higher notes. And the sustain is fuller for a longer time. I have a Martin J12-40, a D12-35 with Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, a D-41, and a D12-41 with Adirondack top. All of them are top of the line for Martin. But I would not take one of them camping. The 000-X1 would be great for camping and still get a great sound while playing around an evening fire.

I didn't know Ashton Kutcher knew so much about guitars! Seriously though, nice comparison video. I love when someone does this and plays the same chord/lead riffs for each instrument in comparison. Unfortunately a $6k guitar will never be in my budget. Thank you for this video.

Great demo man. I’m amazed at these Mexico made guitars. I have some nice standard Martin’s. I love them. But I find myself often picking my south of the border Martin. It’s a great time for owning great sounding guitars. The technology that goes into them is the reason they sound so good. Thanks for the great demo. It’s great that in these hard times most anyone can own a Martin.

Congratulations on both the 100k subscribers and the 700k views on this one! Great review, headphones make the difference

The 42 had a more full bodied sound for lack of a better way to describe it. the x1 had a certain constraint to it. But each sounds good in it's own way. I would probably eq each one to it's own voice so to speak, but I assume you recorded them both with the same setting. Only way to get a fair comparison of how each sounds unadorned so to speak.

Hey Cooper, A big "Thank You" for making this video. It is very informative and you made it so interesting. Martin makes some really great guitars and it is nice that someone can get a Martin at a reasonable price that sounds so good. The more expensive one is really beautiful, but the hpl one offers a new player the opportunity to have a good guitar to learn on made by such a great company for a reasonable price. Great job!!! Brad from Long Island

6:32 vs 7:59 6:59 vs 8:30 7:26 vs 8:57

I bought a guitar because of you guys and I couldn’t be happier with it.excellent job fellas.thank you

I appreciate the series you have been doing on cheap vs. expensive guitars. It is important that guitar players know what they are paying for and how it will affect their satisfaction with their purchase. As a long time part time guitar player that does not practice enough and does not play in public, I have purchased a few guitars. When we had a family and limited funds, I bought a Martin DX1AE. It had the craftsmanship and design that made it easy to play, which naturally made me feel more fulfilled with my playing. The DX1AE had the Sitka Spuce top, the easy to play neck and finger board. The laminant body had good sound, but was dull, not crisp. When the kids were out of college and we had more funding for hobbies, I bought a Martin D28E. The D28E had very good sound, deep, rich, and balanced. The DX1AE was about $500. The D28E was about $2,600. Was the D28E worth $2,000 more? If you have an extra $2,000 to spend on your hobby, then YES!, it was worth it. If you only have $500 for a guitar, the DX is great! In the comparison video for the 000-X and the 000-42, you play both very well and they both sound amazing. Honestly, listeing and watching, it seemed like you had to work a little harder on the 000-X to make it sound as crisp and clear as it did. Be sure to tell people , as a player, how they are to play.

Wow, I was surprised that even on my phone I could hear the difference. looking forward to trying it out on a sound system.

Clearly the expensive one has a brighter sound and has a bit more “echo” on the sounds and the “cheap” one sounds deeper and personally I prefer deeper sounds over the brighter sounds tho the echo on the other one sounds cool but I stick to the 000X1 plus no gloss is 🔥

In a quick an easy way to narrow it down. The 000-42 has a fuller Warner sound with more frequencies in the bass. The 000-X1 has less bass. Both guitars high end sounded exactly the same. Both guitars sounds extremely amazing.

The 000-42 sounded warmer and more resonant to me. I kind of felt like you played better on 000-X1 though, maybe because you were more warmed up. They both sound great anyway! Thanks for the cool demo 👍

The 42 sound deeper and brighter in sound. That being said they are both nice sounding!

Good comparison video. Way to tell it like it is. I worked for Martin back in the 80's at "Woodworkers Dream". It was in the old plant on north street. Dick Boak was my boss at the time. I assisted customers and Martin repair centers in ordering parts for repair and spec's for all the Martins. I say all that to say this, the triangle on the back of the headstock is their for looks and to mimic the old Stauffer guitar that Martin made when they first started. You see the wood they could purchase was much to thin to make a "one piece neck" so they pieced together the neck from three pieces. The headstock triangle was a dovetail joint of sorts. It allowed the neck to be attacked to the headstock. Since the guitar was strung with gut strings there wasn't the strong pull on the headstock to cause issue. Many of Martin guitars still carry that triangle like the D28 but the D35 does not. So yes it adds strength to the area but it's more for cosmetics than anything. Side note when I worked at Martin a employee D28 guitar was 600 dollars. That's how they have grown in value. Wish I took them up on the offer and bought a few back then. I'd be the richer man for having done so. I would say what a great company to work for. They treat everyone like family still to this day. It was a time in my life I'll never forget.

The Martin Guitar factory is about 4-5 miles from me . Worth the time to do the tour .

I have an '80s X1, it sounds absolutely fantastic. It smells, looks, feels, and plays like it's big brothers.

Both sound great but honestly the more expensive one sounds so much better the highs really ring out brighter and the tone all together

I prefer the $6,000, but my 64 year old fingers only have about $600 worth of life left in them. The X series sounds great-tho not as great as the TPL0 42.

The 42 is possibly the most beautiful tone I've heard to. The tonal difference is noticeable in comparison, the resonance and the tension felt absolutely dream like. Hands down 42.

I was hoping to say "no difference," but really, the 000-42 sounded like heaven. Thank you.

I have a trip 0 28. Absolutely agree that the 000 28 is perfect. I also don't need the 42 for the abolone shell either. my trip 28 is so beautiful nd has the most beautiful sound. The Indian Rosewood sides and back give it all of the warmth it needs. Great video series man!

I owned one of the x series for a bit. Fantastic guitars.. I sold it to a friend that wanted a good acoustic and it allowed me to upgrade. If you only have 600 to spend versus 6k then it is a no brainer. A wonderful guitar for the price.

The low priced one was more lively whereas the expensive one had more audio depth and restraint ,but was a sleeping tiger sonically. Thanks for your hard work.

I normally prefer the sound of the high-end Martins, but in this case I actually prefer the cheaper one. It just sounds better to me. And now I'm really perplexed.

The difference was there but not as noticeable as I anticipated. I’m a 000 fan and I love the 42, but there’s no reason to be disappointed with the X.

I definitely hear a richer tone with the more expensive guitar. I grew up playing my mom’s older 1940’s Martin. I just bought a 000-28 (Eric Clapton edition). I haven’t played in quite a few years and I felt like I needed a really good instrument to inspire me.

Nice review, I have a Taylor 714ce Vclass and it has such a nice tone as well. One thing I notice right away with the more expensive guitars vs the cheaper ones is the feel of the neck and overall quality of craftsmanship. I would like to get a nice Martin one of these days, I just love that warm tone they have.

love your playing, and that OOO-42 she would be proud to have you play her, you all have a Happy New Years from Oregon Coast

Great comparison! I much preferred the pricey model sound, but they BOTH sound great. Excellent intonation up and down the fretboard for both. My ears heard distinctively more sustain in the 4 figure guitar, as well as something I don’t have a word for but know it when I hear it: “ringy-ness”. Meaning, I could hear more detail in each string and note, very much like the difference in sound you get when you FIRST string a guitar and the strings have that amazing tonal quality for a few days. The “Inexpensive” guitar sounded great and I’d be more than happy to gig with it. It sounded a bit more dry and muffled in comparison to the other. An intangible that only YOU can answer: it appeared to me you were working harder to play the lower end model to get the same results, maybe pressing harder, concentrating harder…. I don’t know. It’s just something I noticed. I can see how a sound guy would prefer it though. The more dry sound is much less likely to feedback and the crispness of the notes during the solo portion of the demo I think edged out the expensive big brother. But the open chords, hands down to our $5k friend!

The gain is actual, but it is not a straight line. The sonic benefit gets incrementally less as the price goes up. At a certain point, you begin paying for things other that sound and more for perceived value of exotic woods and bling.

I can't imagine there is a guitar out there that you can't manipulate to sound beautiful. Fabulous playing Sir.

Excellent video and review. Thank you .

I'd be so paranoid about every little nick and scratch on the ultra high end instrument that it would completely take the enjoyment out of playing guitar. Isn't that the whole reason we pick them up to begin with?

Martin really knows how to make their higher end guitars sound considerably nicer, fuller, basically grand.

I definitely heard a qualitative difference in the sound. It was a richer, warmer tone which is what people look for in quality Martins. I recently was offered a 1969 D-35 from an acquaintance which I bought after being blown away by how good the tone was. Was in excellent condition. I have other inexpensive guitars and it is grade school T-ball versus the New York Yankees. I enjoy these reviews.

A great video. Over the past six years I have tried and purchased nearly 80 acoustic guitars (still own 12). I presently own four Martins but have owned the 0001X AND a 00018 side by side.You can feel and hear the difference in the guitars. If I could afford the $6000 guitar I would definitely buy it. But the lower line Martins still retain a specific sound that tells you “yeah, it’s a Martin”. For me, the perfect mix is in the middle ground somewhere but having said that, I love my 00015m as one of my three favorites. Thank you

I've been player guitars since 1957, with a Sears Silvertone F-hole with bridge adjuster, a Martin folk in 1960, an electric Guild Starfire 1967, a Ymaha FG-50 classical, a F-800 acoustic (2021)...my verdict on this: The least expensive guitar beats the expensive guitar handsdown.

Martin have been around such a long time that they have perfected a regime of design,tonewood selection and construction that works well no matter the price point. I may sound like an advert which I'm not,but currently owning four at different price points I am an advocate.By virtue of the above,Martin can produce a consistent sound through all of their instruments which has become known as the "Martin sound."All guitars have a different voice depending on size and wood selection,Martin have the skills to minimize that difference..................

Great playing and good choice of mic and room etc because this is much better sounding than a lot of RU-vid videos.

I have a Martin DXc1e. Had it for about ten years now. I believe it was Martin's first low budget offering. It is the first and only Martin that I have ever owned and when I first picked it up to play it I instantly recognized that Martin sound. The neck is made out of a resin composite that kind of resembles Heartwood. At first i hated the fact that it was not wood, But! It turns out that the neck is incredibly stable. It is un affected by temp and climate. Awesome!

I listened to it without looking (phone was in my back pocket) and I didn’t hear the announcement of which guitar. Had on decent bt earbuds and I could definitely hear the 000-42. Over all EVEN without highend cans I could hear the difference in the harmonic structure. Everything rang with a different clarity. The HPL isn’t a bad guitar but it’s not close to the 42. That said having a guitar that plays well will make all the difference in the world to beginners and intermediate players... the lower end martins are head and shoulders above most other inexpensive guitars.

You will definitely get some sour grapes reviews on this one. Once you have invested in a quality guitar, it’s hard to go back to a base level. That said, when I was 22 years old, I could only afford gas and lunch. I think you could work your way up to a few nice guitars over time and the more you play, the more worthwhile the investment. The first time I strummed a D-42, I was blown away. How can this sound so much better than my D-35, which sounds amazing? Put it on the wish list!

I own a 000X1, I am very happy and pleased with the sound

Well, what an interesting comparison! I have 4 Martins, including a DJR10, a 1965 0018, and a 1948 0018. I just recently picked up a used 2005 000X1 (which was American, not Mexican made). I got this guitar off Marketplace at an absolute steal of a deal, and am completely blown away by it. I had to do some work on the truss rod (to flatten the finger board) and to both the nut and saddle (which I replaced) to get the action where I wanted it. The tone is really good and it is very comfortable to play. It will be my "camping guitar", as I think the HPL will stand up better to heat and humidity changes. What a great guitar this has turned out to be!

They both sound great!

I've spent alot of time trying to decipher the difference between high vs low dollar guitars. His playing is incredible on either guitar. But the 000-42 is far superior in tone, sustain, and resonance. If you have the resourses the decision is easy.

Great video, thank you!

You are great with breaking things down . Very thorough and Honest . Undoubtedly the “All wood” has a warmer tone , but the alternative has the stratabond neck and I prefer those over any other neck for Martin .

As a previous owner of the 000-X1, it is the absolute best bang-for-your-buck guitar on the market. The tone, playability, and visual character of the guitar are spectacular for a guitar of that price point (about $600, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a guitar in any budget below $1500.

Just a side note: The volute, on the headstock of a Martin, is a nod to their past. The headstock and neck used to be two pieces joined together, and the volute was the joint. When they switched over to a one-piece neck, they left the volute there for aesthetic purposes.

A d35, j45/50, d28, d18, 00-21, and a 000-28 is my dream acoustic collection. Martins are so beautiful.

The 00042 sounded very tight, like it needed to be played hard for a couple of years, which was the case with my 000 in rosewood as well. Mine was so tight the first year, i almost sold it, but then, all it once it began to bloom, which is always the case with nitro Martins. Now it SINGS, and easily produces as much volume as an 814 Taylor that my band mate owns. The X2E is gig ready, very warm and balanced, and would record very well out of the box. We're in the golden age of guitars, guys, lucky us!

Loved the review and obviously the 42 is a better richer sounding guitar, but the x1 is a fantastic guitar for that price. I love the sound the x1 produces and the materials used for the neck and body are extremely durable especially if you play a lot of jams where I would feel uncomfortable bringing a $6k guitar. I think you are getting more for your money with the X1.

When the guitars are all solid it's completely subjective imo, soundwise not the build quality... I really enjoy all mahogany guitars as an example because I pretty much only play fingerstyle and the bass notes are always there they never get lost while playing they almost feel like the focus when I play I love that.

Thank you so much for the comparisons

There is beauty in the simplicity of the the 000x1 as well.....sounds beautiful too! IM in the middle I like my 000-18. ....solid wood.....no bling....just does its job very well......although I could be quite happy with the 000x1

I love a soft V too, Coop! 😇

WOW ! Impressed . Both very good. Martin quality in ANY guitar they make in USA or Mexico. NICE !

Very fair comparison. Thanks for including a full description of the builds for each guitar. One thing you didn’t mention is cost of ownership. I just bought a 2019 Martin D-18 used for about $2500. I will enjoy it for years and when I-or my family-sell it 10 or 15 years from now I could probably get all of my money back (I admit, in inflated dollars). But I would have enjoyed a very fine guitar for 10 years. So if I can readily pay $2500 I should enjoy the higher priced guitar. It’s just a better way to enjoy life and play an upscale instrument. It’s a personal choice. My cost of ownership is very small. I should mention I am almost 72 yrs old. I won’t be owning my Martin guitar for 55 yrs, as I have owned my 1969 Mosrite combo electric. I am the first and only owner, and the Mosrite is worth about $3k to $4k today. I paid $325 in 1969.

I love the higher end guitar sound. I paid £3000 for my Martin 28e about 5 years ago and it has been worth every penny, beautiful to play and beautiful rich mellow sound. I had an Ovation before and I tried all the Martin range until I got up to this price bracket before I would seriously consider buying because nothing else felt or sounded as good. The sweet dulcet tones woo all who hear it and it goes on improving with age. Even other band members comment on the beautiful sound when I play it at church. I’d go for quality every time even if I had to pay by instalments!

You could make rubberbands around a shoebox sound good! Keep em coming Thanks

I can tell you that I absolutely love my Mexican Martin DX-1 for bringing out to parties or campfires. After a good setup, it's a wonderful players guitar.

great honest video man. Love the cut of your jib.

You have to hear the comparison in person. My old guitar teacher had a wide range of Martin guitars and the difference between his D-15 and his D-45 was the difference between sitting and enjoying as light breeze and being the guy in the old Memorex adds. We used to call his D-45 "The Cannon". Of course the D-45 also had beautiful inlays and exotic wood backing whereas the D-15 was plain looking but still sounded great.

The pricey one had better clarity but I kinda liked the cheapo because it was deeper and fuller to my ears. A blind test would have been interesting.

I have one of the x series guitars and I love it. It might not be quite as nice as the high end Martins but at around $500 I don’t think you can get a better acoustic for the price. It blows everything else in that price range out of the water

I can tell the difference between the two in sound. Very well done comparison. You can't go wrong with a Martin. I love Martin's.

Great Video !!! Thanks !

thanks for telling us that your company has preowned guitars. I didn't know that. Now I can go to your website and find preowned guitars for sale, is that right?

I'd pay to have that abalone shell taken off. Never understood why they decided it brought anything to the instrument. The beauty of the acoustic guitar is in the wood and the craftsmanship.

The cheap one sounds beautifull in your hands Cooper!! Wich proves as always that the player makes the difference in the first place , then the guiars . IMHO. Thank you for your demos .

I picked up a used X series dreadnought back in 2006. I walked into the store that day ready to pay as much as $1,500.00 on an instrument, but after playing most of the acoustics in the store, the X series Martin sounded so good and they were selling it for $400.00, so I went with that and it still sounds great today.

What I love about Taylor is the fact even a cheap model sounds good enough next to the expensive one so it always become a matter of style and taste than a matter of what sounds better. Whereas with Martin I always feel I would be better off investing in the more expensive models

I like the X series sound for the price difference !

I have a 000X1 now and absolutely love it.I bought it with a LR Baggs in hole pickup already in it and live sound I get from it.

Man, I love the Martin 42 series! One day I hope to own a D42.

Very nice comparison, both sound really good, but the OOO42 seemed to me have more deeper tones.

You definitely played the lead guitar licks better on the X Series! Or it could be that I’m biased because I just bought a Martin 000 X Series Special Acoustic-Electric. Lol. Great demo!

The 000-42 definitely had a much richer sound with better sustain, but I was impressed with the inexpensive 000, for that price point. Will try to get by, to listen to the 2 to hear the electronics😎

They both sound great. My guitars range from high end to low end prices, and each one sounds great for diff reasons. For me the cost is not the decider. Some days my higher end Martins do not appeal as much as the others. Great video!

The lower priced guitar has a cleaner sound to my elderly ears; it truly does!

Thanks for the fantastic comparison, and your very astute, and honest remarks about the 10x price difference. I can't agree more. Yes, the expensive one has better resonance, and projection, and has an overall superior sound. But, what can you expect of a laminate bodied guitar, compared to solid Sitka Spruce on top of solid Rosewood? That "cheap" laminate guitar still has the quality of a Martin. It does not have the projection or clarity of the 10x one, but it still sounds very good to me. It has a warm sound, and it seems to project and resonate better than any such a guitar that I have heard in quite a while, if ever. You have made a very good point, and are a darn good player too. Great job.

Hi Cooper, many thx for this comparison! As Jon William put it, it‘s a bit difficult to judge from youtube and he as a soundman can make everything make sound good. I was perplexed how good that cheap Martin sounds here. And I was not surprised how good the expensive one sounds. That’s what one could expect. But you‘ve named the main aspect: You can feel the rosewood vibrate when you play the 42. And that generally is the main difference to my experience and you have to touch the guitars to feel it. If you take a cheap guitar it doesn’t vibrate and you feel the absence of wood. If you grab an expensive one it immediately starts to vibrate and to resonate. You don’t even need to play it. And then come all the pros and cons you need, scale length, mud width, neck profile and so on. For me it must not be a 6.000 $ one. As long as it really vibrates maybe 1.000 or 1.500 may be expensive enough. F.e. I love these Sigma models of a little higher price range shortly above 1.000. They are really great copies of the expensive Martin models. What about a comparison of a Martin and a corresponding Sigma? Many thx and cheers! Norbert

I have an older DXM Martin, one made in Nazareth, PA. (Before they began manufacturing these less expensive, models in Mexico.) It is a really nice guitar. Rings like a bell! I love it!