Martin D-41 vs D-42 vs D-45 - Powerhouse Martin Guitar Comparison! 

I really like Martin guitars and have owned a D28 since 1973, as well as a couple of 000 models, a D18 and D28 Marquis. Some of the best music of the past 60 years has been written and played on a Marin D18, D28 or D35. Outside of the glitzy appointments on the 40 series (and extra cost), I’m not really sure if they provide better sound or playability. I guess I prefer a more basic, no frills “workhorse” guitar. Just my humble opinion.

My ear thinks the D-42 is the one . If I chose one for looks, D-45. So I settled on a D-28 a long time ago and played the hell out of it !!! As Toy said , "Can't be wrong!!!" A line from one of the many songs he wrote .

D41 in this batch. i have a '72 D18 and a '72 D28 and i bought a new D42 last year and it blows them both away by far. you just never know til you try but your odds of getting a great one are better with these three models.

I bought a D41 last year for my 40th (couldn’t wait another year) …it’s big money … but in my opinion worth it as it will be handed down to my son eventually …for me I would find it hard to buy a D45 unless I won the lotto !

Always love the Martin videos! I'd love to have that D-45... Dream guitar

The D-41 sounds the best. I use to own one, I have an Eastman E40D that plays and sounds great.

The 45 seemed a little brighter than the other two, but can’t go wrong with any of these. Overall liked the 41 sound best. Lifetime purchase.

I can hear differences between the 41, 42 and 45 series. However I find that the Music Villa Martin Custom Shop guitar specifications produce guitars of similar excellent sound with less bling. And possibly lower cost (depending on what is added). Thanks Quinton and Paul

Very interesting! Thanks! I thought all three sounded so similarly great that I had no preference, which is the way I would hope it would be.

All beautiful! The titanium strings on the D-45 had weird ringing harmonics poking out- I bet with the phosphor bronze strings it would have sounded more similar to the others.

Nice guitars. One thing demo never mention is how much each guitar has actually been played. This is important because some will have possibly opened up more than others

Nothing beats a D-41 in comparison to sound and value …. Spending more for just for a slight or barely different tone to me doesn’t make sense . I’m happy with my D-41 and it only sounds better with age…. Getting close to 10 years…. Of these 3 the D-41 is the winner. They all sound amazing though….

I’ve got to admit that I liked the sound of the D-42 best, but that’s probably down to it sounding the most like Neil Young (despite the fact that he plays D-45 and a D-28). Appointment-wise, I have always loved the snowflake inlays more than the hexagons, but I could do without the inlaid bridge.

All three are just phenomenal instruments. When you're playing in the world of a 40 series dreadnaught Martin, you're in the highest echelon of acoustic guitars short of an ultra custom hand-built bespoke instrument like an Olson. I own a 1970 D-41 which has aged like a fine wine and sounds absolutely magical. I would really need to hear all three of these beauties in person, or with a really high quality audio recording of each of them to choose, that's how close they are. From what I can hear in this video, the 45 and the 41 have a bit more balanced dynamic range with the ability to belt out bellowing low voices and bright highs, where the 42 sounds a bit more resonate on the low end. But we're kind of picking gnat crap out of pepper here. All three of them sound like the voice of what an acoustic guitar should be. All three of them are the purchase of a lifetime. All three of them represent the pinnacle of Martin's acoustic pedigree. I am 100% confident that if you purchase any of these three instruments, it will bring you a lifetime of musical joy and satisfaction. I have never once heard someone say "I bought a Martin and it didn't sound good, so I sold it."

Great help thank you

The 45 is pretty, but the 41 sounds awesome.

All three are fantastic guitars, I happen to have a D-41 that I love.

You can’t go wrong with any Martin guitar. From the legendary D-18 to the beautiful D-45. It’s all about you and the money. 😊

I had some d35's (72, 97, 2019) and a 97 d42. The feel and sound of that guitar made the 35's feel and sound like toys. Definitely a difference in the spruce and rosewoods.

Excellent!! Quinton!!!!

The titanium strings have treated B and high E. To my ears, they are warmer and last longer. I suspect they sound like that on select guitars. They are pricey but worth it on some guitars.

Things to consider that are often overlooked, that impact sound: More Bling = More wood Routing/more movement + altered contiguity, and D41 has a soundhole located closer to fretboard.

I thought the 41 sounded best. Tomorrow, it might be the 42. I tried the titanium strings and didn’t really care for them. I liked them even less when the B string broke. I rarely ever break strings, but I do cringe a bit when I am tuning new strings when I get to the B and E. Nice comparison, guys.

That was one of the best comparison reviews I've ever seen. I appreciated the differences described and of course hearing each side by side. All sounded excellent but my ears liked the D42 the best. The titanium strings surely made part of that distinctions for the D45. I'd never heard of titanium string & may check them out. I prefer Martin 80/20's, Medium gauge for finger style playing. I have a D18 which has been my main player for 20 years. Thanks again. (Let me know if you get a lefty). 😊

Well I’m not showing them to the party with some garage sale dread… I’m going D-45 baby

I have a classic d28 standard which I love... There probably (dreadnoughts) the best sounding guitars arguably but pretty big so once you get off the stool ie performing my dream is a 000 28 a bit easier to manage while performing... The dream play a massive audience with my own 000 28 and sing some of my favorite songs :)

I ALWAYS ENJOY THIS FEATURE,! I OWN SEVERAL GREAT MARTINS!

I thought I heard a little more treble sparkle from the D-41, but felt all three were pretty equal-sounding in the mids and bass according to my aging ears. Aesthetically I love the D-45 with the big bold no-nonsense hexagons plus the vertical headstock lettering on the fingerboard. Full size hexagons are the sole preserve of the D-45 and I wouldn't want anything else if I were fortunate enough to be ordering one for myself. I always think the snowflake inlays are better suited to the smaller bodied Martins like 00-45, OM etc. and look a little too delicate on a big manly-looking dread. The D-42 bridge inlays make for a slightly too busy appearance imho. Having said all that, I'd love to have any of them. All fabulous-looking guitars with wonderful sound, beauty and provenance in abundance.

Lovely guitars!

For those wanting a premium 40-series but budgeting is a consideration - check out the J40!

Picking between those 3 is almost impossible. The awesomeness of those models…wow.

All 3 sound incredible! But I'm getting a D-35 because of the 3-piece back. It's still in the store and I'm making payments on it. I did request a sunburst finish. It's still beautiful looking.

The D-41 comes in ambertone, so that makes it’s the winner in my book.

That D-42 sounds amazing

I love my D18 but picked up a D28 the other day and was really surprised so I can only image how the 40s sound and feel as you progress.

The 45 def has more shimmer. But I feel like the 41 is the “bargain” of the bunch. Most bang for buck.

Hard to tell, especially when I realize that Quinton can produce a better tone on a "Backpacker" than I could get out of the D-45. Still... The D-45... Wow...

Love my D28 Custom!!! 2014.... These guitars are Allllll Fantastic!!! 99% exotic wood... 1% metal and plastic!!! Thanks Acoustic Letter

I just do so much misstake 10 years ago when i was like 24 years old. I try one used d42 and the price was 50- 60% of the price of new one. I sit ther in this store and fall in love with that guitar and now for 10 yers i have never seen one used for sale in my contry it was big misstake not buying it, i want it so bad now in my life 😀

I've always loved the D-41 more than any other acoustic guitar. And after watching this video I still do

This tin ear cannot separate well enuf to decide. Were $$$ not an object, I'd go the D 18 and live most happily.

5 years ago I bought a Martin D42 Peter Framton - it's an amazing instrument. But a month ago I bought a Martin D45V - and it won, it turned out to be more interesting in sound than the D 42. Nevertheless, I do not want to part with the Martin D42 Peter Framton, and I keep these two great guitars with me.

All beautiful but that D45 …Wow!!!

What happened to D43 and D44 ? 😁…. Great video by the way.. 👍

About 9 years ago I bought a custom Martin from Nazareth Music. (The owner of the shop is friends with Chris Martin) it looks like a cross between a D-41 and D-42. Do you think it will detract from its value that it isn’t a standard model? At that time, the D-41 wasn’t available.

D41 to these ears. I'm not a bling guy, so don't know if that's coloring my opinion or not.

To my ear they all sound fantastic, though slightly different, like any 3 guitars compared. I wouldn’t have a problem with the tone on any of these. That said, I’m a form follows function guy and would take a 28 because the sound would also be similar, and I could pocket the rest. The day the inevitable “ bump” comes along will also hurt less. I have several good vintage acoustics, but they aren’t anywhere near this league ( or price, all under 3500.00) and I have no issues taking them outside the house or passing to a friend. 40s are gorgeous, no doubt, but not on my dream list. I have an old Guild DV 52 and it says “ made to be played” right on the sticker, I could never buy just to have.

More info on each guitar would be nice. All new or were some used??? Regular or baked top option? New guitars sound a bit harsh to me until they age/get played in. My 1997 D41 sounds much better and sustains longer than a new D41s. Thats why they offer the baked top option on better guitars.

The Titanium core strungs are the best. Got 18 months on my D-35 and they sound the same as the day i put them on.

Love❤my drs2 first edition 🎉

In guitar chat rooms there are countless pages of discussion about 40-series guitars versus the standard D28 and HD28. Do they sound different? Are the 40's better? If so, why? Most agree that the 40s do sound better and richer (if you'll excuse the expression) with more of the heavenly harmonic overtones. Many theories about the effect of the extra routing to accommodate the abalone making the top thinner... about abalone being more brittle and causing more overtones... about whether Martin knows which woods are going to sound best and saves those woods for the 40's... etc. I bought a new D-41 in 2011 and it keeps getting sweeter.

Probably just the strings, or my imagination, but the D-45 sounded almost like it had a mahogany body. Slightly more clear and responsive. All have too much bling for me, but they are certainly beautiful instruments.

D41 or 42 I would chose. For the cost there is not that much difference in sound between the two.

I'm afraid to put my butter fingers on anything above a D-35 🙂

45 then 41 then 42 for my ear. All excellent dreadnaught guitars.

Is there a minimum income bracket required to watch this video?

Great video but I’m sorry nothing beats a D18

There is an acception to that rule. While yes the body size is 000 OM D etc and of course the numbers get fancier as they go up and an H gets you heringbone and a few other details. They aren't all the same because the D-35 besides the 3 piece back which doesn't do much for tone it uses a more narrow bracing which changes has a major influence on the sound. So yes it is a dreadnought with body and neck binding but is really in a class all of its own because of the bracing. It doesnt sound like any of the other Martin Dreadnoughts.

To properly compare, you need to have the same type and age of strings on each guitar. A blindfold test would be interesting. Better is in the ear of the beholder. Also, the same model may sound different from guitar to guitar.

The more stone or shell decoration you inlay into an instrument, the brighter the sound will become. IMHO, the less inlay, the better. I prefer the HD-35, HD-28 and other less ornate guitars. With the exception of course, of Neil Young's old Martin pre-war D-45s. They are heavenly guitars.

Decoration schmecoration . Fine woods , hide glue construction , and a high-quality case are where your money is best spent

42 and up have higher grade wood then the 41 i believe

They all sound more or less the same. Great!

Thanks for the video. What is the point of the video (views I guess) if they are all same specs and all forward shifted bracing ? Now it's just a matter of trying them in a shop for real, and not even the best video can't help unfortunately....

The D-42 sounds best in this specific comparison. D-45 looks the coolest

So, If I buy the 41 I can afford the titanium strings! Hey guys, thanks for the video! This is subjective but my ears preferred the 41 & 42 tone over the 45. If I bought today I’d buy the 41 and be happy ever after. One more thing, I wish Martin offered the D-41 ,42 in a slope shoulder at an affordable price point. I prefer the design over dreadnought. And if Martin did build it and I bought it, it would give my Gibson J-50 a well deserved break.

the D45 has a AAAA grade top which the D41 & 42 doesn't have.

I have five Martin guitars, 000-18 custom shop, 000-28 Modern Deluxe, D18, HD28, D28 Modern Deluxe, and the D41. I think the overall tonal quality goes to the D41. It's notably louder and the bass exclipses even the HD28. With that said, though, I enjoy playing the D18 and D28 MD. If you want more bling, go for a 40-series Martin. A step down in bling, but a beautiful guitar, is the D28 MD. For sitting around, I find I always choose the 000-18 due to the form factor. They're all wonderful guitars and my ability comes nowhere close to justifying the 25k I spent on them (bought all new). If I had to choose only one guitar, it would probably be the D28 MD, though. It's the best of all worlds because it has nice bling and nice tone an volume.

Love my D-45

Strumming with a thumbpick is killing the tone of the guitars. They all sounds sharp and aggressive without any big difference.

You forgot to show the bling on the bottom of the 45 around the strap peg...like around the heel. My 41 has it all but my friends 45 beats it. The top is unbelievable and the factory pickup is the best ive ever heard.

I found this video disappointing in that there was no mention of which year each instrument was built and what woods were used for each guitar, the whole focus was on cosmetics which does nothing for tone or sustain and the majority of the video was the sound differences between instruments which is played on a RU-vid video with compressed audio.

The differences folks in the comments are hearing between these guitars are the differences you'll hear between two individual guitars of the same model. The D-41, 42, and 45 are for all intents and purposes, the same guitar. They just have different levels of decoration. If you want to save a few thousand dollars and still have the look and sound of a D-45, the D-41 is a no-brainer. That D-42 does look lovely though...

I've never really known why the price difference between the D42 and D45 is so considerable. I wouldn't buy a 45, but I would buy a 42. Lovely.

The dumbest thing I ever did was sell my 1978 D-28. It still kills me and it's been decades!!

Isn’t the bracing different on the 41 from the 42 and 45?

If you put PB strings on the 45 it would sound better!

Sound much the same to me - I think theplayer's 'verve' can more than compensate for lack of MOP or choice of finest wood selection (of same wood type) .

Having owned 2 d28s, a 000, and now a d41, I can tell you there are levels of all facets of lutherian workmanship. My problem is, inheritance. No one wants my Martin's. 😞

The 41 sounded the best

For me D 41 sound wise is more on the sweet side and also powerful.

I still like Martin’s .They all sound good and different but there’s one thing they all have in common. All over priced. Compare your d-41/42/45 with , collings, bourgeois,preston thompson, Boucher ect. All in the same price range . For those that have never played boutique guitars. Just go and try them out. You’ll be amazed of what’s out there other than the big 3 companies. I was surprised last week when i compared my d-28 with an Eastman e-20d / adi top. That Eastman was played and sounded way better than the28. 🤦🏼‍♂️. Maybe i haven’t found the right Martin yet. Lol . I’ll keep trying them out .hopefully someday I’ll find that one out of 100 that’s unbelievable and have to bring it home with me. And yes i love martin’s. Just don’t like what they’re charging us for them. 🙋🏼‍♂️

just, wow! D-45, party animal, ha, ha

I have a martin D 45 marquis prototype (2/3) and it's another dimension compared to the D 42.

Better get some phosphor -bronze for the D-45 - the other 2 blow it away

D28 is nuff no blingy 😊

The 41 sounded best to me, but man they were close

Not that it matters to me, but I thought the main difference between the D-41 and 42 was that one has forward bracing and one doesn't, and IMHO that would make a difference in tone..But Im no expert like the guys in the video! Sooooooooo!

D 45 !

41 and 42 is very close. They have very much robust sound. There is distinctive difference between those 2 and D45. Sound of D45 is articulated and melodious than the 41 & 42.

Sometimes I wish someone could blend taylor aesthetics with martin tonal character.

In my opinion the D-28 is the best Martin guitar, the 42-42-45 are just added bling for way too much extra money.

D-42

D41 sounds best in my opinion.

41s 42s and 45s might be pretty but you can keep them because none of them sound as good as a D35, especially a vintage D35 made with Brazilian Rosewood.

With a $3.2k difference between the 45 and 42 how can it JUST be a bit more inlay difference. They should really advertise if there actually is a difference in wood grade bc that's actually insane that there is no difference. The reason it's important they actually claim that difference is then they are held to that. If it's just inferred then they could interchange wood between the whole standard series all the way to be the same D18 tops if wood supply was low etc... I can understand wanting the "best" for whatever the cost, but I did think and still hope Martin is above just slapping a small bit more abalone and stamping a 45. They are literally upcharging the price of a D28 (which could be the exact same wood by the way) from the 42 JUST for the 45 name and a sprinkling of extra abalone. I love Martin but realizing this in the video has definitely rubbed me the wrong way lol

Way Over Priced For Most Guitarists

45 has a grade 8 top while the the 41 and 42 have grade 7. That's all the difference.

Nothing has that sound, even on the phone, Martin guitars dominate. I’m sorry about the $ but it’s worth it if you care. (I’ll take my 2013 D-35)

I couldn't even afford a 3rd hand toyota corolla. 😭