Acoustic guitar players: Is it so wrong to love a Martin D-35?

Yes, he bought it from a guy that owned a liquor store in 1975 for $500. I think it is a 1934 and has some unusually small dimensions with an extra large sound hole and a non-Martin neck. So while it's a well known 28, it isn't that close to what you get when buying one.

Martin made or makes a Clarence white model that is a copy and the Santa Cruz is an attempt to replicate as well.

 

I think most of their guitars were set up on the high side at the factory.

I brought my J-40 to Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI a couple years ago for a repair to the bridge plate, and the repair guy asked me, "Er, do you like it set up so high like this?" And I thought that was normal, I thought all Martins were supposed to be set up high. He shaved the bridge down a bit and it became much easier to play. I sort of kicked myself for not doing that 20 years ago.

 

yes, the factory set up is less than ideal. I had mine adjusted but I think it was just the neck and if I go anymore I'll get a buzz on the first fret. They certainly play better if it doesn't feel like you are fretting a bob wire fence.

 

https://www.fretboardjournal.com/58957-tony-rice-and-his-holy-grail-martin-d-28/

 

Dropbox - Assignment 10-1.wav »

My D35 is on the right track. The left track is my Gibson.

 

Great post!

 

Born and raised in Lancaster, PA and my uncle lived in a little town called Stockertown and worked at the factory in production.
I bought his 63 D-28 Brazilian rosewood on a payment plan right after I graduated from college.
I've played the D-35 and it's very full sounding, but with the D-28 and a 000-28EC I'm set on acoustic

 

Interesting to see mention of Snuffy Smith in that article. He was doing some banjo and Martin guitar work out of Northwest Arkansas back in the mid-1970s when I was at University up there. A friend of mine got one of Smith's first compensated bridge saddles for his D28 around 1976. I hadn't heard about him since then and was pleased to learn that he had become a luthier of some note in the Bluegrass scene.

 

I have a redesigned D-18, 000-18, and a Gibson J-45 Custom. I had the chance to buy a brand new D-35 Seth Avett and D-35 Johnny Cash (2300 and 2600). I just don't need another acoustic guitar. They are both really nice, though.

 

Speaking of Martins...anybody see Vince Gill on Fox And Friends this morning with what looked like a 000-28 and sounded like heaven. Great song too for George Jones and a bit of emotion from Vince cause it seemed he got overwhelmed and gave a just a little glitch in the ending like he wanted to go on but thought better of it and sort of left it hanging and said something like...I guess that's about all.

 

John Fahey went through a lot of guitars in his career. He was frequently broke and would sell a guitar if he needed to pay some important bill.

I think he had a 1976 D-something that was on the cover of "The Best Of John Fahey" LP and book.

 

It looks like my Takamine that i never managed to learn to play it.

Maybe someday???

 

I work with an old time studio musician. He keeps an early 70's D-35 around because it is the perfect accompaniment in certain situations. When I play it, it sounds thumpy and dull, when he plays it, it's perfect. A buddy of mine has a '73 that is one of my all time favorite D size guitars to play.

 

I'd like to get an Authentic Martin. Yea, $7,000 is a lot, but compared to the price of a pre war dreadnought....

Maybe a D-28 Authentic. Sounds just like one from 70 years ago, I think?

 

Minus the 70 years,yeah. They keep on improving the new ones. It's the late 30's/early 40's all over again Yogi. Be nice to have a time machine and shop for a new D-28 in about 1934-44. I'd still bet the bank that the ones back then were still a bit better new than a new one today.

 

I always thought that was a D-35 but maybe it was a D-76 or whatever they called those Bi-centennials with the eagle on the headstock.

 

I have owned practically every iteration of the Martin D28. These days my only Martin is a sensattional D18.

However, if I ever get the itch for a rosewood dread it would be an HD35.

 

That's how I'm leaning these days too,rather have a great D-18 but still love the rosewoods sometimes.

 

A '71 D-35 was my first Martin and I thought it was all that and then some but became less enamored with it and finally determined it was more a 'strummers' guitar - great for rhythm with a bellowing bottom end. I have a couple of D-28's and they suit my style better - the tone is right and the notes just launch off the board. That said, my 'go-to' Martins are a '41 D-18 and a '64 00-21 New Yorker - they're both light, nicely balanced and play beautifully. They each have their own tone and personality and both feel as they're creating their own energy, like singing along as I play... of course, I'm biased.

Someone mentioned 'bargain' Martins earlier and I would submit the Shenandoah line as a great lower-priced option. Beginning in the mid-80's, the S'doah series was built in Japan using tone woods and a solid spruce top (although some models switched to laminated back/sides and Nato necks shortly after production started). Still, the early runs were practically identical to Martins, only the parts were built in Japan and then sent to the Martin factory for final assembly and finish (same as the real Martins). Martin was trying to offer a low-cost guitar while still retaining the 'Martin' quality but costs were too high and the laminates and neck materials were cheapened over time, then the guitars were completed and finished in Japan and within 10 years, Martin decided to drop the line altogether.

Find a Shenandoah D-1832, 2832 or any other model (Martin just suffixed the original model with '32' - ex. D-18 ~ D-1832) with 'MADE IN USA' stamped on it as Martin had to drop that designation soon after production started. Most models can be easily had for far less than $1000 (used, of course) and the early ones are extremely close to the original Martins in build quality, playability and even sound. Later models sound fine - on par with the Sigmas and Takamines of that time, but most folks, including dealers don't check for the 'USA' stamp and don't value the earlier (and IMO, better) builds over the later ones.

 

Um........ no! You jsut like what you like; that's what makes you a real person instead of a shallow and transient one. The whole "guilty pleasure" stuff is BS to me. If it sounds good to you and if you like the way it plays, then so be it. You are you. 'Nuff said.

 

Guatemalan Rosewood....very cool. I'd be interested to hear how that tonewood sounds. The Madagascar Rosewood that Martin started using awhile back became a favorite of many folks.

Tonewoods are like ice cream flavors--each is worth sampling.

 

It was.