Martin Guitars Top 10! | The Ten Things You Should Know About Martin Guitars before buying one! 

Got my D12-28 during the Vietnam war. Some poor guy was being sent there and needed to sell his guitar, I guess. I couldn't possibly afford it, but the dealer just said, "Strum it once." I strummed it, and I had to have it. It took my old 12 string plus 3 weeks wages, which was a killer to me. I've had it ever since. It's still beautiful

Thank you, Chris. Fun and informative, as always! I own both Martin and Taylor. I love each for different reasons! So blessed to have the tonal variety at hand!

Fantastic video on Martins. I've always been able to get some new tidbit of information from Alamo Music videos. I've also had the privilege of visiting the store on a couple of visits to San Antonio. Each time, I was met with friendly, welcoming staff. Keep up the great work!

Grew up in Nazareth, PA and toured the facility as a 5th grader many of years ago. Been playing guitar since I was 10. About time I make my first Martin purchase!

I love my Martin's. I have a 1995 HD 28 and a 2004 HD 35. Absolutely great! I also had a Taylor 718e that had a great neck, but I just didn't bond with it. Taylor's are good, but there's something about the Martin's low end I really like.

I loved the Taylor video you did about the top 10 things I've been waiting for this one thank you Chris!!

Really good coverage of Martin Guitars. Kept my interest. Thanks

Thanks, Chris. I love the tone and playability of my GPC! Hope to visit one of your stores someday.

I’ve been to the factory, and have have four Martins that I love.

Bought my first guitar this year (a Martin 000-10E). It's one of Martin's more affordable guitars but still not cheap if you are starting out but it was important to me to get a good instrument that had a great sound, was well-made and would grow with my ability to play (I'm done 'fighting' bad instruments!). I really love playing it and it sounds better every time I play it; probably because I'm getting better at playing it - not that difficult if you start from scratch :-). Would recommend them to anyone.

Years ago I asked Martin to make me an 8 string acoustical guitar. It took several months and cost five grand. It’s magnificent. Its rich sound and quiet beauty have given me years of great pleasure in spite of my tragic inability as a guitar player. I expect my grandchildren…undoubtedly more talanted.. will agree when they play it.

I own all the food groups, including Taylors and Gibsons, but my Martins are all special with a warm tone that just grows with the years.

I started playing guitar at 10 years old.. Never owned a "quality Instrument" before...My go to, for decades, was a Fender DG20s ( for reference)... Now at 53, I have just received my Martin HD28. I am shocked at what I have missed out on over the years... There is most definitely a difference!! I simply play better, BECAUSE the quality of the guitar. Better sound and ease and playability. I am no where in the universe of a "good" guitar player, by any means... But I sound better, want to play more and lament when I am not playing... Not something I had with my Fender of 30 years.....

Great stuff as usual. Thanks. Love your vids.

I have a Martin D16 RGT. Absolutely love it.

First, Martin started in NYC before moving to Nazareth. I love my Martin guitars. Started with an HD-28 and my last one is a custom. You cannot go wrong.

Great video ! Thank you so much !

Great presentation, Chris!

I'm in the market for a new acoustic. I used to have a cheaper Martin like a decade ago and I'm looking for one for recording music but also for going to the park and playing in different places. Thinking maybe the D-18. I've played a bunch of different Martins at music stores, and love all of them.

Charming chap! I learned a lot. Thx (Subscribed)

Chris, Great job. Thank you.

Very cool, informative video!

Love my OMCPA4 and my 00-15M.

Paul McCartney played a d28, he actually played it in Blackbird too.

According to Martin’s website, the didn’t start making steel-string models until about 1900, and then only as a special-order. The 1st standard steel-string model was the 2-17 in about 1922.

I’ve put so many miles on my gorgeous mahogany Martin OMC-15M orchestra body acoustic/electric since 2018. I love the Fishman electronics especially playing through my Fishman acoustic mini amplifier and at Church. I just lowered the action a few notches and she plays beautifully! Speaking of the Martin X-Bracing System of the Martin guitars, just got my first 12 String Taylor 362ce last month and it has the shorter scale length and the V-Bracing system.) Love them BOTH but Martin is my primary always! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Buyers guide 2019 😊

Great info thanks.

Love this video. Greetings from Germany.

In 1972 after a electric guitar lesson I was going to buy a D28. I had saved the $650 but my teacher had some time and said wait. He blindfolded me and picked 2 guitars. Playing both I, to my surprise didn’t pick the Martin but a vintage Ibanez 645T D28 copy. No serial number. Same design and exact tuners all for $250. I still to this day, my go over an older Taylor. Much warmer sound. About a year ago I took to a shop just to check the setup for first time. I repair man, an older gentleman like myself, commented it played as good as his Martin. My only regret is the 1970 Martin would’ve increased in value much more. Only regret!

In the early 1970's a friend brought his Martin 00-18 with him to our house. I think the guitar was built in the early 1940's. The sound to me was as if I could hear every string individually, nice, clear, full of energy, no muddiness. It was then that I wanted to own one of these someday. But I have been on there website many times and has led only to confusion. My most expensive guitar today is a Gison vintage LP which I am incredibly happy with. I can make any kind of sound with it, but I have a very crappy acoustic. Ha! Somersworth, NH.

My favorite Martin story is about what might arguably be the most valuable guitar in the world. The Mark Twain museum has his original OM-45 Grand Marquis from 1880 something. Twain's own guitar, aside from just being an extremely rare and valuable Martin, in the original coffin case is the original bill of sale with MARK TWAIN'S SIGNATURE! A curator was asked by an interviewer how much it was worth, and the guy was genuinely offended that he should even ask. "How can you put a dollar value on something like this??" On a personal note, I was a member of the Front Porch Boys in the 70s with Robert Earl Keen, who sold me his 76 D-35. I still have it. It's as crappy a guitar now as it was then (which is why he sold it to me). Martin kind of lost it's way for a while there, but then so did Gibson.

If he didn't mention it, Martin's tend to have high actions from the factory. If you are buying from a guitar store, you have to ask to get it lowered. Other than that, great guitars.

Martin guitars are the best sounding acoustic with warm bass tone and smooth high notes

This is such an awesome video! I almost spilled my coffee because of that banjo-joke 🤣. Unfortunately you are a little too far away, i would love to visit your shop!

Thanks for always making great reviews! Also before people jump on it, your title may need to be edited. "...Ten Things You Should Know***..."

One.very important suggestion I would make concerning buying yourself a Martin guitar, is do not order your guitar online, and make sure you can pick up the model you are interested in and play her before you buy it! Not every guitar is made the same, even though they are the same model. I have an 1989 HD-35 which I love, but I have played many a HD-35 through the years, and maybe 2 or 3 were as nice as mine. Several of the ones I tried, were just not of the same quality as the one I bought in Sam Ash back in 89’. So, take your time, and shop around until you find the guitar of your dreams. I knew I was going to buy the one I own, after two or three strums of the guitar-it was magic! She cast her spell on me! ;)

A martin is on my to buy list

Best guitar reviews out there

@ 4:21 Ibanez AC340 (OOO-15M copy). I have one, it is beautiful, as is my Martin D 10-E Road Series. But I still plan on getting my much sought after dream guitar.. a Martin OOO-15M StreetMaster sometime down the line.

I’ve had a Martin GPCRSGT for about a year now and it’s a great guitar. I was thinking between a Taylor or Martin but I noticed that Taylor solid body guitars start at about 1500 dollars I think. I was able to get my Martin for like 999 dollars and it is all solid and built in the USA . I double checked my serial code and all that and it was confirmed to be built here. So price was I chose the Martin. But the taylors I played were great too. I own a seagull mahogany s6 and I’m by no means a Martin fan boy but the guitar I got is really nice in the sound and quality and I really like it 👍🏽

I love my Martins, as well.

I'm a local in SATX, looking forward to stopping by! So what I got from the video is they mostly all produce a warm sounds? (I'm looking for a George Strait, Johnny Cash sound), everything about the designs and wood is all personal taste and style?

I was at a restaurant recently and there was acoustic live music there, a musician was playing guitar and singing, I listened to the song and said to my dad “that’s a martin, it just sounds like one” then I realised that from where I was sitting I could se the guy playing but I could only see the guitar body but at first glance I said “yep, that’s a martin for sure” and then I tried to go a little to the side to see the headstock and when I saw it I said “I knew that was a martin!”

Hello Chris, I’ve had the pleasure over the years of HD-28’s, D-18v, but my latest ( March 10, 2022) is a Martin 00-15M. I love this guitar! I am a disabled Veteran with skeletal issues and it just works for me! Now, school me. Who is Lester Scruggs? 🤣

Ok I’ll subscribe now 🙌

Enjoyed this video about Martin guitars. Thanks.

I have an 001XAE, and I love it. Even though it's cheap, for a Martin, there's no mistaking where it's come from. The thing sounds fabulous, and other guitarists are always praising its sound, both acoustic and electric.

Tony Rice’s guitar was first Clarence White’s guitar. It was never modified on purpose to the larger sound hole. The original collectors, father son, duo who were buying up prewar’s at pawnshops garage sales and anywhere else they found them including this iconic guitar that had a damaged sound hole. So they simply enlarged the sound hole to get rid of the damage and the rest is history.

One word : EXACTLY !

If you have not made it out to the Nazareth factory it a great tour & well worth going. I own two Martins one a DC Aura & one from my uncle which is a 1950 0021. The 21 has never been touched for repair & the only thing that has been changed are the strings. Still plays awesome & the wear is just from years of playing. Great guitars & it's no wonder everyone copy's them or try's to. Many talk price but most all these so called boutique guitars cost as much or more than most good Martins.

Loving my Martin....

I have played many great and beutiful acoustic guitars in my 47 years of playing music but the best sounding acoustic guitars lve played are definitely Martin guitars. lve played some D45s which lve always wanted but could never afford one but have 2 D35s that have an incredible sound and are beutiful to play. Some people like the small bodied guitars but if you want the big fat sound especially on the bottom end you have to have a dreadnought Martin and in drop D or open tuning you can't beat Martin's for delivering that magical sound. Most of the greatest players play them because they are the best from Tony rice playing bluegrass to Neil Young and I recently watched Joni Mitchell playing a BBC concert in the late 70s one girl with the voice from the heavens playing a Martin in open tuning out of this world. 🌏💥💫👀

Love my 2017 D 28

I think a very important quality that was missed, perhaps because the presenter also sells other brands, is that Martin has a sustainable rare wood program, where some other manufacturers just consume , presumably until all rare wood isl gone. I was impressed that on my particular guitar a computer used fuzzy logic to analyze the wood grain using memory files gathered from thousands of guitar top undersides, to then carve a preliminary shape, to be passed on to a human to do the final shaping for tone. Thus giving me a break on price by incorporating a robot, almost doing an apprentice's work , in part of the production, but I still get the result of a craftsman's hand in the final product. I believe my series, a commemorative series with two made for each Sam Ash music store, was the first production to use the robotic rough shaping of the top. Because Sam Ash started in New York and there was something going on with the statue of liberty in the year when the guitar was released, it has a small inset in the headstock of the Statue of Liberty, if you look closely and kind of guess. Otherwise it looks kind of like a bird dripping, but plays flawlessly, much better than the store model on display when I ordered the last one, which was in another stores inventory, which was discounted on close out sale. I knew I would get lucky with the instrument, just had a belief, and I got a good one.

YES!!!!! Thank you for making his video!!!

High Thogh you seem to be into the various types of martin guitars here my question What does the suffix w/cs at my d-45 mean? Geetings and thank you Uli from germany/spain

Iv wanted a Marin guitar all my life and yesterday brought my very first Martin Smith aciustic guitar.

I was a card carrying Taylor guy the sound is crisp and clean with a great mid range punch . Then I got bit by the Martin Bug. I just prefer the rich warm sound of the Martin . A V braced Taylor will not sound as rich and warm as an X braced Martin

I wish I had Alamo music here (France). I have a 000-15m Martin...she's sweet...Cheers! 🎵🎵🎵

i have a x series and even though it is not an expensive Martin I'm always amazed on its tone. I took it to a shop to have a set up and the first thing the tech said when i picked it up was "the neck on that is fantastic". I have other acoustics that I really like, but when I pick it up it just plays like butter.

Good post. Ten grand is a lot of money to spend for the top of the line custom shop. But the quality of woods, abalone trim, beauty and tone is top notch. We starving musicians can only dream. But we're never jealous when someone takes out a bank loan to get one. :^)

My very first Martin was HD-28. I loved the smell each time I took it out of the case. Thats the only reason I put it in the case to open the lid and ohhhh how sweet. Then I bought a 1929 parlor guitar. The bridge pulled off so I had to send it out to be fixed but when it came back that little guitar belted out the sound like crazy. I had to let her go due to carpal tunnel in both of my hands :( I did buy a Taylor cut away with all Koa. It’s perhaps the prettiest guitar in my opinion. Looks don’t make sound, of course. But then I also bought a 2004, D41, Dan Fogelberg signature series guitar. Omg. I played the Taylor next to the 41 and there’s a difference there but I’m not educated or have that good enough of ear to explain. Just I would say the Martin has more deep throaty sound. Ahhh you know what I mean. Enjoy

Martin also has a Dovetail neck attachment. Can you please explain the advantages and disadvantages of this? Thank you!

I love my martin

What about the 13th Fret to body guitars? As in SC10E?

Interesting!

The C. F. Martin & Co. guitars are awesome. I own four Martins myself. The first claim made here in this video is inaccurate. Martin made its first custom order acoustic guitar with steel strings in 1902. The first non-custom order steel string guitar sold by Martin was the test market they did for their 0-18's that came out in 1918. The test market in 1917 was a limited test run of 17 guitars made completely of Hawaiian Koa wood. (They also sold the same model in mahogany with gut strings.) The steel stringed koa model was marketed through the Southern California Music Company and was given one of their model numbers, Model 1350 koa. I own one. It has the Martin name stamped on it. The very first steel string flat top guitar was sold by the Lyon & Healy Company. The rosewood model was called a Washburn (after Healy's son). The mahogany model was called a Jupiter. These were on the market between 1895 and 1915. I own a Jupiter model. Martin did NOT come out with the first steel string flat top guitar. They just made a much better one than Lyon & Healy. Martin made the real first steel string guitar that was made by Lyon & Healy sound like a toy by comparison. I own both, so I know. My 1917 Martin 1350 koa came with correspondence between Mike Longworth of Martin and a previous owner of the guitar, Jim Milne (the original bass player for Downchild). Both my 1917 Martin "1350 koa" and my 1895 Lyon & Healy "Jupiter" are in excellent playing condition.

I have a D-15M. What category does this guitar fit in?

Chris, please let me know when I can pre-order my 200th anniversary Martin - 2033 model!!! Agree that art is subjective, but I can say with a substantial amount of confidence that 99% of us have the same eye for Martin's idea of "art", and we steer clear, lol! 🐰❤️🎸🎵🤝✌️

I had a customer bring in a Martin D18. Beautiful guitar. The top has a slight arch to it. A straight edge layed across the frets, hits the bridge about 3mm below the top of the bridge. It's a brand new guitar. Dont these instruments have flat tops, and isnt the straight edge supposed to land on the top of the bridge?

I mean there were archtop acoustics with added floating pickups waaaaay before Fender was even making guitars or were even in business

Cheers Alamo, which Martin Geeetar are you holding in this vid?

I Have a great acoustic collection... none of them compared to the sound of my Martin D41

Yup. The Martin sound-hole (standard; traditional) does seem smaller than the Taylor guitars which you feature in another video. What's the difference in sound QUALITY : projection; clarity of tone; sustain, "feel"? Tony Rice must have had a real reason for increasing the diameter of his custom-made Santa Cruz guitar. I had bought a Martin HD-35 just to get good at playing bluegrass rhythm guitar. Am in the process of restoring and "ancient", dried-up Chinese "Burswood" dreadnaught hacker. Just for fun. Is there any hope? Well, I've got all the best tips to work with from RU-vid, though "closeness" only counts in horseshoes, hand-gernades, and friendship. Thanks for uploading.

Easy on the banjo pickers!!

the dreadnought body shape was actually designed and first built for Hawaiian bands to keep up (volume wise) with the other instruments (mostly mandolin) in the Hawaiian bands.

Get a Martin because they are worth every penny. Even the MIM Martins are amazing.

12- fretters are The Best steel string guitars ! Open headstock and wider nut width even better !! Martin's are wonderful ❣❣ Dreads > high° dislike 4me (atleast their appearance /box shape) took a while to get over my phobias of pick guards, shaded tops, and cut aways; but Dreads, sorry just can't do it 😕

I’ve owned 2, have a 000-18 Adi top

What is that 000 in the first part of the video?

What martin guitar was the first one?

Anyone what model guitar he's carrying within the first four minutes?

Is it true that you guys have a storage room in the basement of the Alamo?

I appreciate the history...but it is hardly anything that should help me in choosing one. Like.. what shapes of necks are available..what woods are available?

Good video-p

Why doesn't any comparison of Martin lower bout tones (especially to Gibsons) ever mention Martin's 3 1/8 inch bridge placement from the sound hole (vs. Gibson's 2 3/4 inch placement) as a major contributing factor in "The Martin Sound"?

What happened to the D35

History is cool but it's about which maker is making the best now!

So if you had £2000 or $2800 would you buy a new Martin middle tier or would you buy a used top tear? Or would you buy a different guitar? I'm interested in getting a Martin but I want to make the right choice if I'm spending all that money 😬

I want a carbon fiber hot pick with a Floyd rose and emgs In the bridge

I like martins because the low e string doesn't ring out like a plucked string like other guitars. Its hard to really explain if you haven't played it yourself.

Martin problem.... my DC4PA has to have the neck reset and it’s only 3 years old. Bought it at Guitar Center and they couldn’t do anything for me. Basically said it’s not our problem.

Might mentón some other famous Martin players: Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, John Prine, just off the top of my head. In fact the first black Martin was made for Johnny Cash. There is also a John Prine signature model but only 75 were made.

I learned a long time ago that i will never be able to buy a Martin Guitar.Im the poorest of all the poor.I am very lucky that i was able to get a Seagull guitar,

Check out the hateful 8 where Kurt russel unknowingly smashes a 1880-something priceless Martin acoustic antique , thinking it a cheap prop, heartbreaking.

will any martin guitar remain the same value as when it was bought?

Let me save everyone some time: 1-10: Martin makes the best acoustic guitars...PERIOD.

7:22 whoops,....that's Lester Flatt, Earle Scruggs being his banjo bandmate....

Made in a small town in USA, Nazarath has less than 6 thousand residents. Also, excellent point about not buying a Martin copy, no point in buying a plagiarized design.