Yeah Tim, A Taylor was on the top of my list. The Taylor models I tried were just a little too bright for my liking. They played really nice though. It was a tough two hour decision. I just kept going back to the Martin. A cutaway was important to me because of all the lead work and slide that I play, I needed access to the upper register. It's all just a matter of taste and how damaged your ears get over the years.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

Love the old Martin!!...I've seen Marty use one without a strap since I was a kid....there's nothing like the sound of an old Martin,they get better all the time.
Great photography!

Rebelsoul, you know what's funny, when I was a kid I used to have to play "El Paso" at family functions. The song was stuck in my head for decades! You really don't even need a strap for the 5-18. It's a little smaller than a 3/4 size guitar and sounds huge for its size.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal