The Martin D45 Acoustic Guitar - Is it Any Good? 

I know one thing for sure...you have your recording DIALED. All your videos like this capture whatever guitar you're playing very graciously.

Martin & Co swear that they don't use any "special" woods in their "40" series (41, 42, 45) guitars. Nor that the abalone purfling adds any "sonic quality" to these instruments. I have a D-42 and a 000-42. I have played just about every high-end Martin guitar "below" the 40 series models (D28, HD28-E, D35, 000-28, OM 28). Not only are the D42 and 000-42 drop dead gorgeous, they have a clarity, depth, evenness and sustain that distinguish them and all "40 series" Martins from all "lesser" Martin models. Whatever the "magic" Martin puts into these models, I'll take it. It is unmistakable the instant one picks up one and plays it. They are profoundly different. Your playing and recording quality are beautiful. Rich

amazing guitar.......so rich. You bring out the best in it. thanks Michael.

It's no doubt a beautiful instrument, by sound and looks. The only problem is not many people can afford it. And even those, who can afford it, mainly put it behind a bulletproof glass cabinet as an investment. I would buy a Chinese copy any time, they're so good.

Tonewoods make the difference. The '45 series uses the best tonewoods available, whether it is Adirondack or Sitka. Age of the wood is also a factor. The use of Adirondack or European or Lutz Spruce adds headroom and a different voice. The correct technical answer to "is it better," would be "it depends, better for who?" Adirondack and Lutz Spruce seem to me to match my voice better when I'm singing. Some luthiers/ makers are offering old growth Sitka, which also sounds great. I try to find guitars with less bling, more sing. Thanks for the review.

In your hands it sounds like PARADISE! It is so beautiful. I'd love one...........but don't deserve one!

OH The Sound!!! ❤ Lovely! Beautiful playing!!

Michael Watts can make any guitar sound like a treasure....but that guitar sure sounds sweet. The spruce top on that guitar is stunning!

The guitar sounds and looks great. No doubt about that, especially as played by your capable hands. Any other wood combination would have likely had no impact. The bracing design likely has more impact.

Very nice choice of repertoire to show off the possibilities with this fantastic instrument. I haven't heard a Dread sound so good... I happen to own Martin's smallest guitar, their model 5-16, also known as the Terz. (I think you can fit 2 or 3 of them inside a D45!). Big difference in the tonality of those instruments. Maybe a trio of Terzes could match a D45 in sound... Although not in cost. :/

Don here, from NZ, some time ago I bought a Martin acoustic,it was D3R, and it had undergone a small repairs,it was And Still is the best Martin I've Ever heard & played, it's bottom end sound is incredibly,for the relativly small amount of money I paid for it, It's the equal of Any Martin, Sound -wise I've Ever Heard & played ( trust me, over my 60 years of playing I've played a few) that says something doesn't it, take care now 😊😊

Michael, you and that guitar belong together; the D45 sounds even more melodic and beautiful with your playing.

Sounds great, even through buds. A guy down our folk club has one and it sounds and looks amazing, although for sound quality I'd be hard put to favour it over either my J40 or HD35. In life, I also found the volume and projection less than I was expecting, though that may have been just his playing style. Good to hear a little bit of fingerstyle - after all Still and Crosby can't be wrong, can they? I think price is a big issue, even though my view is that all high end Martins are worth every penny. However, at around £10k you are well into bespoke territory (Rosie's start at about £7.5K, I think, and there are plenty of competitors). Concerning Brazilian, I have never heard one in life, but did have the opinion of Stefan Grossman regarding his J38 (madagascar) and my J40 (EIR): 'not much different'. As an aside, back in the 70s two companies did J41 copies in all solid woods: Tama and Takamine. My wife had the former and my best friend the latter, and they both sounded amazing. The level of care was equal to Martin, and she just passed hers on to her brother after about 40 years, still sounding and playing great with no repair or set-up in the interim.

I don’t understand the plain bridge 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

Beautiful. Best tone, bar none. If my ship ever comes in , I will own one of these beauties. Might have it buried with me and my wife.

Beautiful sound, it’s why I have an HD-28, well that and a lack of funds to buy the bling! 🤣

5:58, Oh Yes Indeed I want one. Thank You Michael

I think it was Chet Atkins who once said that it takes a guitar 20 years to figure out that it’s not a tree anymore.

The epitome of fine guitars, arguably the best factory produced guitar of them all. As far as the tone woods are concerned I'd say that there is more influence on the sound from the player than the woods themselves as demonstrated aptly by yourself.

Beautiful playing as always Michael!

You make any guitar sound great … even Martins

This brings me full circle. A few years ago, I purchased a 1989 Alvarez-Yairi DY90, from the front a spitting image of a D-45, from the back a three piece D-35 of Brazilian Rosewood laminated in Kazuo’s special way. I was, sadly underwhelmed at my fingerpicking sound. I asked Google and she came up with your video, a favorite, on that very subject. And today, the same principle applies. Your glorious picking makes such an instrument strut its stuff. My nails just don’t have the oomph to get the top moving. Yet, I haven’t give up on her. In the land of fingerstyle, though, my Martin 000-15SM (mahogany 12 fret) does run circles around her.

Interesting chord projection. There's nothing like a Martin dreadnought for tone and volume projection this one has the looks with abalone in abundance .

5:56 You said you want one, but can you afford one? 😂

Martin do have a sound that’s consistently Martin and I’m a fan. I follow a channel that regularly has modern luthier and vintage Martins. Oddly enough the best I heard was a rare thing called a J55 and man what a sound it had

Great review and playing. After 50 years of aspiring I finally got one myself earlier this year, a 2021 Reimagined that sounds just as this video conveys, this after a 2022 D41 and a 2006 D42 over the past 12 months, all moved along to make way (and help pay for) this one (though both sounded sublime in their own right) ! It just kills me however when I see someone install the forward strap button directly into the heel cap...idiotic and grounds for capital punishment. Cheers

Both Stephen Stills and Neil Young said that when they got their first decent cheque from their record company they went straight out and bought a D-45. The guitar that stated loud and clear that you had arrived. Both recorded fairly extensively on those heavily inlaid monsters. I do wish that Martins flagship guitar came with an Adirondack top and Brazilian rosewood back and sides.

My grail guitar

❤❤❤

It'll do.

Beautiful ambient playing as always, Michael. And a nice guitar. Thank you for introducing.

It's nice in both looks and sound, but for IRW back/sides with Sitka top ( NOT knocking these woods, as they have always been the basic standard from every maker for decades ), I still think Martin has these priced too high at $9699 ( the nut & saddle are bone, but the pins are still plastic )......and this is indeed from their "standard" line.......NOT the custom line, which pushes prices over $11,000.......and even more, depending on tonewoods & appointments. My Hsienmo D45 clone ( bought brand new from their custom shop, I own 4 different Hsienmo models all from their custom shop ) does have high grade Adirondack top (aged yellow, NOT "torrefied" ) with solid Honduran RW back & sides, including forward-shifted & scalloped bracing also made of Adirondack spruce, exactly like the old Martin D45's. It also has all of the same abalone & antique trim, hexagonal inlays, but mine has the gorgeous ultra-fancy abalone "tree of life" vine that covers most of the front ebony plate on the head stock, along with an ebony fingerboard & bridge. Genuine camel bone nut, saddle, and pins. The key difference ( other than more exotic tonewoods ) in mine is it has Hsienmo's bolt-on neck with FLOATING fingerboard over the body: the ebony fingerboard does NOT touch the body, with a very slight & perfect gap between the two, that has a solid maple block hidden beneath that attaches to the neck heel, for solid attachment. This floating fingerboard totally eliminates the chance of "the S-shaped hump" that all too often happens on traditional acoustics when they get older, which calls for an extremely costly repair/replacement. It also has the same Grover open-gear gold butterbean tuners. It even has nitro-cellulose lacquer. My Hsienmo custom shop D45 clone truly is a fine instrument & costs only $2500. It looks, feels, plays & sounds glorious. ( Try finding a "negative review" on any Hsienmo acoustic. ) Of course it will never appreciate in value like a real Martin, but I don't buy my guitars as "investments". Hsienmo is somewhat of a boutique builder in China, using modern technology yet still using much of the hand-built age-old techniques, getting the best of both worlds. ( even most of the boutique builders are using modern technology in conjunction with hands-on construction ) Hsienmo produces no more than 400 acoustic guitars PER YEAR, and they don't even offer "a cheap, budget guitar" as their prices start at $900/$1000 for their base models, and can go as high as $5000 with their custom shop models, if you want Brazilian rosewood, for example. My other 3 Hsienmo custom shop models are amazing as well. Close inspection of each internally reveals VERY fine detail, very clean, with NO glue squeeze out & not a splinter or chisel mark to be seen anywhere. The master luthiers at Hsienmo truly care about their craft. While I love, respect, and admire the pre-war Martin's as much as anyone else ( KILLER guitars ), I still think they charge too much money for what you're getting with their modern acoustic's.........PLASTIC bridge pins on a $9699 guitar, seriously? Of course I know that no American, Canadian, or European company can compete with a Chinese builder in pricing, I still think Martin, Gibson, and Taylor are charging a bit too much for their models across the board. If I could afford it, I would much rather have an acoustic from one of the boutique builders such as Boucher or Gallagher, just to name a couple. They are offering a much better value. But if ya can't afford a true boutique instrument, and want high-end value on a realistic budget, I encourage anyone to take a serious look at Hsienmo. Ya won't be disappointed.

Sorry to me sounds muffled and muddy through phones.... Just my humble 2C

D-45, always makes my heart flutter!! Great video. Put that A-B up against that big Gibson Jumbo.

Aloha Micheal. Very nice guitar. I would want one. It would be nice to have a Brazilian rosewood D 45 to compare against. Mahalo nui loa Michael.

What is the title of the intro song? That is an extremely calming tune... especially when played on a very good guitar such as this Martin D45!

Tbh sounds pretty tame, especially compared to anything put out at Cedar Rock Studio or by Wilborn Guitars Speaking of, you should really demo one of Wilborn's Comma series Arums or Nautiluses

Sounds alright I suppose ;-)

Of course the D-45 is an excellent guitar. But what I question is the price.

Now I have to have one... Oh wait, I can't afford that! 😔

The bling doen´t make it ring?

Sitka spruce + Indian rosewood 12,000 Euros, seriously? It's a bad joke. There are many equally good guitar models at a quarter of the price; Yamaha, Alvarez, Cort, Furch, Takamine etc. What matters is what you play on this guitar. Bullshit with this guitar.

Is it any good. Why are you even making a video?