Martin Rep Diane Ponzio

[jimmyb]

Martin deserves every accolade they get, they have been a great company through just about all of their history (the early 1970's were a dark spot). It is funny when Martin re-issues (copies THEIR OWN guitar) some famous guitar of the past and charges 5 figures, folks go nuts with "How dare them?" etc. Then a luthier like T.J. Thompson can make a SLAVISH copy of a 1930 Martin OM-45, charge $35K for it and no one peeps.

FWIW, I think H-D would be happy to be the Martin of motorcycles. Don't forget that Reagan slapped import motorcycles with a big tariff in the 1980's to help save Harley Davidson, who was in DIRE financial condition.

I don't own a Martin and never have but I do admire them, as we all should.

JImmy

[Caleb]

Amen to jimmyb. 

I have to wonder what music would have looked like had Martin never came along.  I know there were other makers back in the 1800s but Martin took it to the next level and became pretty much the standard.  As far as I know they've always been "expensive," even back in the day with a couple hundred bucks was like a couple thousand now.  Stuff is expensive for a reason though.   Anyway, I was thinking today about old country and certainly what later became Bluegrass.  The Martin dread pretty much defined the guitar part of that sound.  Music would sound a lot different without them.  Just makes one wonder. 

[carruth]

BMW makes very fine motor bikes.  Perhaps we can link them up with Gibsons.      And Taylors are Hondas...or Yamahas   .      because of their sound and bolt on necks.

[rockstar_not]

BMW makes very fine motor bikes.  Perhaps we can link them up with Gibsons.      And Taylors are Hondas...or Yamahas   .      because of their sound and bolt on necks.

I'm glad that my motorcycle analogy worked.  Sometimes when I draw analogies like this it only confuses the reader.  Several have picked up on it so I think that one worked.

Anyhow, I'll take a D-28 from any era, thank you very much.  And I like some Taylors FWIW, if someone is looking to gift one to someone that will use it - I'll pay for shipping costs. 

[carruth]

Well, Honda and Yamaha make some fine Motorbikes, and Taylor makes some fine guitars.  I own one Taylor, that I only use when playing in the jazz band cause it has a pickup and the neck works for me for that style of music.

[Caleb]

I'm glad that my motorcycle analogy worked.  Sometimes when I draw analogies like this it only confuses the reader.  Several have picked up on it so I think that one worked.

Anyhow, I'll take a D-28 from any era, thank you very much.  And I like some Taylors FWIW, if someone is looking to gift one to someone that will use it - I'll pay for shipping costs. 

I've played a few Taylors I liked.  The great thing about Taylor, Martin, and even Larrivee, is that they've achieved a signature sound and have done it pretty consistently.  That's got to be harder than many ppl realize.

[prof_stack]

...
Saying all that, I love the Martin dread sound. It defined a lot of the old country sounds I adore. My D-03BW has plenty of low end but cannot growl like an old Martin.  But it's one of the best all-around guitars I've ever played and I don't plan to part with it. I also prefer a Larrivee because not everyone owns one. Road less travelled, etc.

Anyway, Martin is an old American company built upon the old American Dream. May they live long and prosper.

Oh yeah, my D-18GE has "IT" with the traditional mahogany dread cannon of sound. 

It's registered in my son's name so he can keep the lifetime warranty and get a neck reset as needed down the roads, AFTER I can't play it any more.   

[longlaketech]

I see Martin as the Harley Davidson of the acoustic guitar world.

Thats a great comparison.