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Post subject: Re: Fender verses a Martin
Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:13 am
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Even Fender has fairly good acoustics on the market. As with most things, it really depends at the price what you will got. Martin is located in the high price segment and a league of its own, if you like the special sound of these guitars. I own a Gibson, a Fender, a Martin and a Taylor acoustic and everyone has its own sound and playability.
But, whats most important from the point of view of a guitar player, if your husband has a certain guitar in mind, IT HAS TO BE THIS GUITAR and nothing else. Believe me, I know what I'm talking abount after more than 40 years of playing and truckload of gear I owned :mrgreen: To buy him a Fender or other brand will end that he has that guitar and will buy a Martin next time ....


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Post subject: Re: Fender verses a Martin
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 12:42 am
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gage1103 wrote:
63supro wrote:
sammy22 wrote:
I am thinking about getting my husband a new guitar for Christmas.
He has an Ovation now. Used to play a Fender Bass in a band years ago.
He has always talked about the Martin-D28. How do you think a Fender Acoustic guitar would compare to a Martin?
Any input would be appreciated.


This is funny because I just bought a Martin OMCPA4 Performance Series on Saturday and I can tell you right now that after spending a few hours comparing all kinds of acoustic guitars, the Taylor's which I originally wanted to buy sounded really thin and way too bright compared to the Martins I tried. I ran the full gamut. The Martin model I bought was in my budget, made in Nazareth, Pa, and is guaranteed for life. The top sides and neck are solid tone woods. I tried a D28 and is was beautiful sounding and playing, but more than I really wanted to spend. I needed something that had a pickup in it for performing in some of the acoustic shows I just started playing in as well as not making me cry too hard if something ever happened to it. I also tried, Parkwood, Epi Masterbuilt, Takamine, and the Martin won hands down. There's a lot of nonsense going on about the quality of different woods. The fingerboards and bridges on some lower and mid range models are being made of Richlite which is a composite of paper and resin. I don't mind it. It feels a little like Ebony and sounds just fine. What nice about the Taylor guitars is the neck, the sound was just really thin and harsh to my ears. I was really disappointed. Also even at the $900 mark, I was still looking at laminates. The Martin I bought was about $1200.

As far as Fender acoustics and many others, like Ibanez and other lower end guitars go, I would look for an instrument with a Sitka Spruce top, solid wood sides and neck. Fender uses laminates in most if not all their guitars. The Epi Masterbuilt are all wood but just lack something and are made in China.

Anyway I would have no reservations recommending a D-28 at all. They are still hand built in Pa, and sound and look stunning.


That Fender uses laminate in all their guitars is not true....even cheap ones have a solid spruce top..the exeptions are the Tbucket and CD60 and probably some of the classic guitars. solid wood in the body back and sides is not usual unless u buy a very expensive guitar. the cheapest Taylor and Martins uses laminate in the back and sides too.


USA Select Fender Kingman is very good guitar. All hand made in New Hartford CT USA.... along side Guilds and Ovations. If likes the Ovation he might want to try Adamas their premium guitars. They most responsive acoustic I have ever played. He also might was look at USA Guild they a steal. I own except the USA Select Fender I own all the others. I have seen being made.


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Post subject: Re: Fender verses a Martin
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 12:47 am
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63supro wrote:
Tone wise, I'd take even a Mexican Martin X series over a Fender acoustic. Fender has never been that much of a player in the acoustic guitar arena. Laminates are one thing, but build quality and tone are another. Martin has been at it a long, long time. Not all Martin guitars are real expensive. I just tried a Martin 12 string X series that was under $500 that sounded and played better than a Breedlove and Takamine 12's that were almost twice the price. The funny thing was the Martin had HPL back and sides, a stratabond neck and black richlite fingerboard. The only solid piece of wood was the top. No glossy finish, but played like a dream.

It all boils down to what you call expensive. I paid $1200 for my Martin. It's a quality instrument made in Nazareth Pa which is less than an hour from my home, not in China or Korea.
The Fender acoustics are pretty much in line with Ibanez and some of the Epiphones. I originally started looking at the Epi Masterbuilt but was seriously disappointed. In the $400-500 range, I'd still lean toward Martin. What they lack in glossy finish, they make up for in tone. I'm also a fan of Fishman electronics.
Just my opinion YMMV. Bottom line is get what you like and can afford, but check out all possibilities in acoustic guitar land and try some lower end Breedlove, Taylor, Martin etc. They've been building acoustic guitars longer and can make a cardboard box sound good.

If you're more into looks and than sound, go with Fender, Ibanez, Carlo Robelli....
Believe me I have a few budget acoustics and for the money I've spent on them, I could have had the Martin a long time ago.
look at the USA Select. http://www.fender.com/products/acoustics


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Post subject: Re: Fender verses a Martin
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 9:08 am
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As far as an acoustic goes, only a Martin D28 sounds like a Martin D28. A Corvette will go as fast as a Ferarri but it isn't a Ferarri.


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Post subject: Re: Fender verses a Martin
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2012 10:32 am
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One of the kids in the guitar club at the University of Central Florida brought in one of the cheaper Martin "X" series, and it was a phenomenal guitar for the price.

I own the Fender Sonoran SCE, and it is a pretty good little acoustic. This is a solid spruce top with scalloped "X" bracing, Laminated Mahogany back and sides, and a perfectly serviceable Fishman pickup.

The neck on the Sonorans are modeled after strat necks, so they have a narrow profile and are very comfortable to play. They also have the traditional Strat-style headstock, so style points for that.

The guitar sounds pretty good, even throughout the range, and certainly a good "strummer". I thinks it's a model that's worth checking out if you're on a budget ($350 or less). Since you're looking at the Martin D-28, I'd day you're ready to spend a bit more.

Compared to the Martin (i don't recall the specific model, but it was less than $800), the Fender lacked volume, and it's tone seemed "thinner" than the Martin.

Earlier in the thread, somebody said that Takamine's could be comparable to low-end Martins, but I have to disagree. I wish I could remember model numbers, but I played one exceptional Takamine, and more than a few that didn't even measure up to my Fender Sonoran, even though they were more expensive.

Seagull guitars have a universally good reputation, and are worth looking into. I believe they are carried by Guitar Center, if there is one in your area.

Buying an acoustic guitar is a hands on experience. Even with the same make and model, there is a lot of variance. Other peoples recommendations can narrow down the choices, but a final choice should only be made after playing it yourself.


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Post subject: Re: Fender verses a Martin
Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 6:09 pm
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sammy22 wrote:
I am thinking about getting my husband a new guitar for Christmas.
He has an Ovation now. Used to play a Fender Bass in a band years ago.
He has always talked about the Martin-D28. How do you think a Fender Acoustic guitar would compare to a Martin?
Any input would be appreciated.


Well, again to be diplomatic, we have the infield, and outfield, and the cosmos. By comparison to these guitars it would be the cosmos for Martin, outfield for Ovation... The rest is yours to figure out :-)


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Post subject: Re: Fender verses a Martin
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 8:50 pm
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There are Fender Artists who endorse Martin acoustics: Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler and John Mayer to name a few.


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