Thoughts On The Martin X Series 

If someone hammered and stabbed you with a screwdriver I wonder where you’d be split and busted open. I bet it’d be fun to see.

LMAO. I mean a big selling point on these guitars is that they are more durable and resistant to environment and stress. So its kind of crazy to listen to what this guy is saying lol. If he fixes alot of them its probably because they are small investments and people use them as beaters. I can tell you i've banged mine on the back and sides all the time and never got a hole. but I do have scratches on the spruce, not a single scrach on the HPL.

Agree. I have the DX1 with the solid spruce top for about 20 years also. I bought it because it was the most tonally even acoustic that I’d ever played. Still love it but I’m thinking of trading it for a DX1e

@@chrisrose1508 Get the d10e man.

Agreed, I am pretty happy with mine.

Totally agree! Plus no worry about plane rides, regular gigging, humidity, cold/hot etc.

very strange i've had my dx1 for 20 years. I bought it because it sounded better than the d18's and d28's. wondering if maybe yours was weakening for some reason before you even went to that festival. My spruce top has some scars, its got a real dark orangey yellow now, and dark grain lines have formed in it I believe from past humidity issues but it seems pretty stabilized over the past years. Its also pretty dirty especially where my armpit rests. Talking to you maybe I should condition it with dr ducks and this year get a humidipak for my case in the coming winter. But all i've ever done is use martin polish on the neck and fretboard (i know probably pointless) and keep it in its case in a temp controlled environment. I have bought it outside on occasion but not often. But what you describe sounds farfetched.

@cooloutac you musta played some bad D18 and D28s...but that's off subject It's gets VERY VERY humid in the south. Combine 90s degrees and 100% humidity all day long and into the night...it isn't far fetched at all. Martin repaired it under warranty though. But I gladly traded it for a new HD28 a few months later. It doesn't go outside all day and night though. No way.

@JohnnyRebKy you play outside a lot? I never do I also keep it in a hard case leaning on the wall when I'm not playing. As for the sound it might not have the clarity of a D-28 or as easy to play but it's got thumping bass which is my priority. And with that Spruce top the highs really have come alive over the years. I use the Martin lifespan strings and I really just beat the s*** out of my guitar. Some guys cringe Bluegrass guys love it. Lol.

@JohnnyRebKy only other guitar I like the bass on is the latest d18. Would love to hear one with Rosewood but I don't think they make it?

@cooloutac no such thing as a rosewood D18. That's fundamentally the main difference between a D18 and D28....18 is mahogany, and 28 is rosewood. If you like deep rumbling bass then you have to try a HD28. It's the king of thumping rumbling bass. These days they also make pretty good highs too. They are more balanced than they used to be. Martin changed the bracing a few years ago to not only scalloped bracing, but also forward shifted bracing. So they rumble great and also make good trebles. If you liked the D18 but want a bit more bass rumble and rosewood...grab a standard D28. Then put it down and try a HD28. I like loud rumbling guitars too and that's why I have a HD28. You can feel the entire guitar vibrate and shimmer against your body! It's great lol 😆. It will be a much more powerful and louder guitar than your DX. It's hard to explain or understand unless you put one in your hands. I think you will be blown away. I'm NOT knocking your guitar, I had one I liked a lot too, but I didn't understand how much more volume and power a HD28 had over them until I went and played one. I been spoiled ever since lol Come back and let me know how it goes 😎. Oh I almost forgot....I play outside on the porch a lot. But that's just short time periods. No way I'd take my HD28 on a camping trip in middle of summer heat and humidity in the south unless I had a camper with AC in it ( and I don't). I learned that lesson already lol. But a couple hours on back porch doesn't hurt. If I was going camping in a tent all weekend during summer heat and humidity I'd take a much cheaper guitar. All solid wood guitars like d18 and d28 are much more sensitive to heat and humidity...especially in the south Lastly...life is short brother. If you play one that blows you away...BUY IT

I of course picked an extreme example that showed most of the things I wanted to talk about here. The owner probably did have a lot to do with it.

sounds like your problem right there. should live in the case and you should be keeping your temp and humidity regulated in your home for your own health as well. I"ve had my dx1 for 20 years never serviced great intonation lol.

The stuff I see at the shop is like that pic of the B-17 with all the little dots on it. I might only get the ones that are abused.

The DX2E is the only Martin Model made with Katalox fret and bridge I believe, strongest wood in the world, and a sign The Mexicans are signaling the pride they have in making that particular model and that they are following Martins tradition. The Successor to the original DX1, which a was a successor to the D1. Best sounding Martins of all time. I have had my DX1 for 20 years, never needed service and still sounds amazing.

Selam. Ben de bir martin x serisi kullanıcısıyım. Tavsiye etmem, yanlar ve arkası yapay ağaçlardan oluşuyor. Bunlar yerine taylor 110 daha mantıklı olur. Masif ağaç olmalı

The soundboards are solid wood and are fine on these guitars. The issues come from everything else. Just be gentle with it and it should treat you well but be mindful of the potential issues.

exactly. I'ave had my DX1 for 20 years and from day 1 I thought it sounded better than d18's and D28's in the stores. This guy is a snob lol.

Martin is a good build, it's just these laminate guitars.

The fact this guy put a hole in his, what he doesn't need is something that requires even more maintenance lmao.

Yep

Yeah, its confusing.

Might make for a good camping guitar.

They are probably trying to achieve a light weight guitar in a smaller body. Good for beginners and for when you want something light.

The original D1 for $900 around 1993 as the best sounding Martin at the time and it had mahogany laminate. But when the DX1 came out about a decade later it took the crown. You just can't reproduce the bass these HPL ones have. Although I do agree the new DX1 doesn't sound good with the HPL top, its muffled and no top end at all. But with the SPruce Top it is literally a golden combination. I haven't heard the DX2E but I'm going to assume even though its made in Mexico it has taken the crown now. Just the fact its the only model I believe with Katalox, shows me the pride the Mexicans have in building it and the fact they are putting it on this Model means they are following the Martin tradition hands down. PA passed Mexico the Torch.

That would not surprise me. Cut corners and worse materials don’t lead to good outcomes.

I went to the Guitar Center and tried a bunch of guitars in the $300-$800 price range, different brands, didn't do any prior research, I just needed a relatively cheap no fluff acoustic guitar. I walked out with a variation of this guitar, just rosewood color. I loved how it felt, fretwork was good, fit and finish was neat, action was low and it sounded pretty good. I don't feel I was "conned", I'm one happy customer.

Not a con at all. For the price they’re great if you don’t want to worry about heat/cold humidity, plane rides, regular gigging/busking.

@@AbcDino843 this guitar doesn't beat any cheap guitar, don't kid yourself, with that money you could have bought two yamaha fg830, or a seagull s6, when you buy a martin buying a name on your headstock

@@pepe3675 I am not kidding myself, I actually went and compared the guitars.

I've had a DX1 for 20 years and it sounds better then the D18's and D28's in the stores lol. You are the one being conned my friend. I believe its successor the now Mexican Made DX2E is the new King. The fact it has a Katalox Fret and Bridge tells me the Mexicans have pride in building it, and are signaling that they are following the Martin Tradition with the series and now have the torch passed from PA.

I have found that even the well treated ones often have the seam separation issues I talk about here. Its true though that these are often treated as beaters and that doesn't help. Personally, my beater guitar was an old Johnson acoustic made of the finest plywood. The thing stood up to many a drunken party night while sustaining minimal injury.

The updated version of this guitar has a Martin pick up, the Fishman is no longer used.

There really isn't a good fix for it.

I've had my DX1 20 years. But if you treat it like a throw away guitar, even though it sounds better than a fkn D18, then ya it won't last long with you lmao.

Doesn’t sound as good.

@@NoLefTurnUnStoned. Right, The Martin X series is like if Martin was made in China. There's plenty of better guitars to get in that price range.

@@DiffuseOne “Better” is subjective. Depends what you like, what you use it for, what style you play. I have amongst other guitars, a 10 year old Koa hpl back and sides Martin that blows away many guitars 3 times the price. It has fantastic projection, clarity/balance and a woody warmth that makes people go “oh wow!” when they pick it up. It’s not a 3 grand solid wood, but it didn’t cost 3 grand. Plus I’m not worried about planes, cars, hot/cold, humid/dry conditions or whatever gigging situations. I can go into any ambience and it sounds the same, no tone change. Great workhorse. Very dependable. Always in tune. I haven’t played many guitars that sound as good, (subjectively) and as durable for the price.

@@DiffuseOne the DX2E the sucessor to the DX1 which was sucessor to the D1 has always been Martins hidden Gem. Better sounding then a D18 I can tell you personally (with my 20 year old DX1 since day one). And the fact its the only model with Katalox, a Mexican wood is signaling that the Mexicans are following the Martin Tradition in making it with pride for the people.

I mean, back in my parties, I had an old Johnson I would take in case that happened. Chances are the drunk would have been me.

If you are gentle with them they can last a long time.

I've had my DX1 for 20. I mean I have no idea what this guy is talking about. They are more durable then expensive fancy guitars which is the whole point. If people keep breaking them its because they are treating them like junk. Probably buying them for kids, or treating them as a throw away. Which is a shame, because the D1, DX1, and i'm assuming DX2E are probably the best sounding Martins of all time. But very few people who want bragging rights or who have spend thousands would admit that. If you take your guitar to a snob like this guy try to find another luthier.

Its a pretty common and known problem.

I don't know what you mean by koa, because its a high pressure laminate its not real wood not even a layer. Unless you mean the one with the HPL Top. it does have a unique sound and I guess it can be different and appealing. But to me it sounds muffled and lacking top end sound. The x series with the solid spruce top have a totally different sound, because 90% of the sound comes from the top. Its much louder, clearer and brighter with the same amount of bass. And I don't know how in the fk you took a hammer to the same spot on your guitar. Maybe when you throw these guitars they do have a tendency to slight and hook into the crease with whatever jagged edge you throw it on lmao....

Unfortunately, some of the better looking repairs I have seen have been done that way on these guitars.

@@DrewsGuitarShop ...worked for a furniture repair shop...and Bondo is known to be the best repair stuff ya can use..with the right paint... Never know it was repaired..that being said ... guitar.. obviously you'll..see the repair from the inside... fiber glass as well..mixed w sawdust.. works. But is about as thin of a repair..as you can get..