Best Martin Dreadnought type under $2000

[SGFan]

Can annyone reccommend the best Martin type guitar under two grand? Standard size, rosewood or Mahogany back, Adirondack top. Sloped or non sloped shoulder. I'm looking for a great playing acoustic with a great feeling neck and a nice balanced sound with good projection.

[usc96]

I bought a DC16-GTE (mahogany and Sitka spruce) last Wednesday and haven't been able to put it down. It has electronics (which you may or may not want), and it was still 40% less than the not more than price you gave.

You should be able to get a D18 or D16R for that price, but I'm not sure about the Adirondack top (at least on an actual Martin) at that price.

http://www.mguitar.com/guitars/choosing/guitars.php?p=z&g=h&m=D-18

http://www.mguitar.com/guitars/choosing/guitars.php?p=z&g=h&m=D-16R

[teleking36]

under $2000 will get you pretty far.

I would suggest checking out a D-28. Nice RW back and sides with a nice spruce top. not sure about the adirondack, but nevertheless the guitar is one of the nicest dreadnoughts i've played. if it hadn't been for gibson releasing a CS hummingbird, i probably would've picked one of these up.

For a little less, you could go with the D-18, which is their mahogany dreadnought. also a great guitar, but won't give you the projection that the D-28 will. come to think of it, it'll be hard to really get both projection and balance from just one of these. the D-18 will give you a more balanced tone because of the mahogany, and the D-28 will give you some great projection, but with a little more emphasis on the bass because of the RW. still, they are both excellent acoustics. check em both out.

[SGFan]

Thanks for the help. I actually am looking for one without onboard electronics, so maybe the D-28 is the way to go.

[Trandy]

D-18 or D-28 are good choices...BUT...they have Sitka Spruce tops...not Adirondack.

Martin doesn't have anything available, not new anyway, with an Adirondack Spruce top in that price range.

[fender23]

FWIW - I have an OM-42, which would be outside your pricing parameters, but I post this to say that it has the sitka spruce with indian rosewood - and they sound GREAT together IMHO. The only variable is that the OM-42 may come with a higher graded sitka top than, say, a D-28 (I've never used the flashlight and mirror routine to see how my top is marked) but nonetheless don't overlook the sitka in lieu of adirondack, alpine or englemann. It makes nice music.:dude

[SGFan]

I really don't think I would be able to discern enough of a difference between sitka and adirondack to justify another thousand dollars.

[fretnot]

Buffalo Bros has a D-16 with an Adirondack top for under 2k. Worth looking into.

[SGFan]

I'll check it out

[pickaguitar]

a used HD-28V


Jason

[jayn]

If you like big necks with a soft V, you can't beat the D-18GE which is available for a little under $2000 if you look around.

If you like medium necks with a V, the HD-28V and D-18V are super guitars for the money.

If you like a low profile neck, I'd go with a regular HD-28.

It also depends on what you are using it for. And, try a few...Martin has improved in QC, but not all are great.

[pickaguitar]

RIGHT THIS MINUTE ON THE MARTIN GUITAR FORUM THERE IS A HD-28V FOR SALE!

$1890 shipped!

http://p082.ezboard.com/ftheunofficialmartinguitarforumfrm3.showMessage?to picID=9468.topic

Jason

[SGFan]

HD-28V sounds like a winner, I'll have to check it out. Thanks a lot!

[elambo]

HD-28V is my favorite Martin at any price.

[pm250]

I have to agree with the HD28V. I just got a brand new one from My Favorite Guitars in Florida for not much more than $2000. I had it shipped to the UK with no problems. Give Jon Garon a call there,he`s super helpful and I`m really pleased with my purchase.He had a used one there at the time also so that maybe worth looking into if he`s still got it.
Paul

[exhaust_49]

Forget martin's. There not worth if for the price you pay. I have a simon and patrick which is basicly a martin copy ($800 can.) that plays great and is very even sounding. I don't have a want for a martin at all, even if it was given to me, I'd sell it. Give s+p a look.

[SGFan]

I'm going to try and go to Mandolin Brothers in one of the enxt few weekends and try out some of their HD28V's. Will update on what I find.

[Bryan T]

You should be able to find a used Santa Cruz D/PW for under $2K.

Bryan

[stucker]

I agree with jayn that the D-18GE is a great sounding guitar. Everyone I've played was fantastic and that's not true for most new Martins. I don't think you can find a new one for 2K though.

[suttree]

You should be able to find a used Santa Cruz D/PW for under $2K.

Bryan

+1 on the santa cruz. i have an OM/PW i'd put up against any guitar on the planet, no questions. should be within spitting range of 2k. one of the finest guitars around.

[Cybercat]

I had a Simon & Patrick for 2 years, & have played a few Santa Cruz. I've also had Fender & Takamine, & still have a Tacoma & a Taylor. Nothing has given me the pleasure that my D-28 has. It was less than your budget of US$2,000. The tone, projection, feel & playability is perfect for me, & it just has "the" sound, which reminds me of many of my favorite acoustic songs over the past several decades. I can't put it down, I've played it every single day I've had it.

I think it is very important to try before you buy, and see which guitars really "speak to you", rather than just going by the model number. I compared the one I bought to several other D-28s, and HD-28s, HD-28V & GE, plus a couple of D-28 Marquis over a couple of weeks, & had my luthier friend check it out too before I "pulled the trigger"... ( - & he phoned reccomending I grab it quickly!) :AOK

With the exception of the two D-28 Marquis, the D-28 I bought sounded way better to my ears than all the others - it is a 2000 model which I bought "new" but shop-soiled in February this year - it had been the store "demo" guitar & quite heavily played for the previous 5 years, don't know if that or its reddish-hued top - quite dark when compared to all the othes (see pics) - has anything to do with its great sound.

I've since replaced the tuners with Waverleys, the Tusq bridge with a FWI one, & the plastic bridge pins with FW jawbone - now I think it even beats the Marquis! :cool:

http://homepage.mac.com/cybercat/.Pictures/temp/catmatt.jpg

[infiniteposse]

You might also check out a used Santa Cruz Tony Rice model on eBay. For some reason they sell all day long on eBay at right around 2k, despite the fact they're WAY more pricey when new. It's one of those strange anomolies of the universe I guess.

Anyhow, they're supposed to be stunning dreds and I can also vouch, as a fellow OM/PW owner, that SC makes an amazing instrument. I would also follow up on the D/PW suggestion as well. Great company.

[suttree]

You might also check out a used Santa Cruz Tony Rice model on eBay. For some reason they sell all day long on eBay at right around 2k, despite the fact they're WAY more pricey when new. It's one of those strange anomolies of the universe I guess.

Anyhow, they're supposed to be stunning dreds and I can also vouch, as a fellow OM/PW owner, that SC makes an amazing instrument. I would also follow up on the D/PW suggestion as well. Great company.
they are stunning dreds. large soundhole, killer projection, nice chunky neck, tone for days. good call fellow om/pw owner!

cybercat's suggestion is a good one, too. there's a reason martin sells so many guitars. i went shopping, and i just bought the best guitar i could find though, brand didn't (and IMHO doesn't) mean anything. the santa cruz was better than any of the martins i played that day.

[guitarlix]

The Tony Rice SC is a stunner when it comes to tone.

[SGFan]

I actually just checked out one of those Tony Rice guitars this weekend at Rudy's and really liked the tone. I think it was $4.5 or $5K!!

[mindwave_21]

I think it highly depends on which Martin you're actually playing. My favorite Martin sound of all time was an HD-28 at GC; had the best balance in a Martin I've ever heard with good clarity and definition. I've also played other HD-28's that sound like crap because they're so muddy, bassy, and "boxed-in" (could be they haven't opened up yet, but I'd buy the one that sounds better now...). I also liked the D-35 and the occasional D-28.

All that said, I own a Larrivee OM-03R :). Got it the first year they came out with the tortoise shell pickguard and not the POS clear ones.

[Alister]

If you just want to spend $2,000 just to spend it, I would agree with most of the suggestions here. I own a Martin HJ-28 -- noit a dreadnought, but a 'boombox' all the same). Saw a Santa Cruz T.R. on Buy It Now for $1700 the other day.

But my question is, if you only needed to spend, say, $800-900, and get the same sound/quality you're after, wouldn't that be acceptable?
I would look at Alvarezx-Yairis in the 'masterworks' series. They're tough to find and test play, but $$$ for $$$ on a dreadnought, that's what I'd do.

[Fantom1]

Not sure if Martin is still making them, but a used D-40 is a very hard value to beat. Quite a few of them got "ungraded" tops that are pretty exceptional (whether by accident or what not no one knows).

[DrSax]

you have to play alot of Martins...I've played so many that were horrible, some were magic. My HD-28 is absolutely irreplaceable, best guitar I've ever played/owned. I got lucky with that one.

[SGFan]

Well, I'm not looking to spend 2k just to spend it. I basically have that budget and am looking for the best possible acoustic for that price range.