Martin’s Official “New Era” release

[jaymarsch]

After watching the video just out today, a few things:
- Martin does not claim to be the first to put holes in bracing.
- It seems that what they are referring to as being innovative is their approach to how they are developing their version of this “skeletonized” bracing along with what they call “tone channels” carved into the back.
- I like that they are using sustainable woods and we’ll see where this takes them.
- Their aim is to increase sustain without losing amplitude while using maple. I have played a number of single luthier built instruments with maple and I have not experienced that as an issue on those particular maple guitars.
- They are shipping these guitars with their Luxe Kovar strings, which my understanding is that they also bring a different kind of tone profile to the table.
- I’m looking forward to trying one out soon as my local guitar store is a Martin dealer.
So, we will all learn more when these guitars get in more players hands.
Best,
Jayne

[llew]

I believe a lot of the sonic qualities of this particular guitar will attract players who may already own a maple back and sides guitar. It may not be for everyone and is often maligned in my opinion. In the hands of the right builder it can be amazing. I have a John Walker Wise River (think standard scale AJ with Maple) with master grade Red Spruce top and curly wester maple back and sides and it's a great guitar. But...we all hear things differently.

That being said...I would much rather have seen Martin do all this to a Standard D-18. No cutaway...no electronics.

[Steve DeRosa]

Gotta love those Taylor-Solidbody-meets-Gibson-AJ fingerboard inlays but I think I'll wait until the initial interest dies down, find a dealer who still has NOS from the January 2024 release, and celebrate both my 80th birthday and Martin's bicentennial in 2033 by picking one up for 50% (or more) off current MAP - shouldn't be too hard...

[Yeah]

I like the looks of the guitar, and the general approach.

I do not know about the exact impact the bracing would have. I do have my doubts about the 3 piece back.

But most importantly, IMHO it is very very hard to justify a 4 thousand dollar guitar that has Walnut as a wood.

To me, walnut is a cheaper wood, used for priced down models. I have never heard a walnut guitar that sounded better compared to another similar guitar with a different tonewood.

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by sinistral

This to me seems like something even Andy Powers would have a hard time saying with a straight face. I would love to see the tests they did comparing all-maple backs with backs with walnut centers to determine that the backs with walnut were demonstrably warmer sounding. They go out of their way to trash maple as a tonewood for guitars—it’s almost as if maple is unsuitable without routed sonic channels, skeletonized braces, a walnut center strip and a smaller soundhole.

I’d be curious to hear how the braces and channels sound on a regular guitar.

To be honest, this is kind of how I saw it too. On one hand promoting Maple and on another saying look at all we have done to make Maple sound good. To me this continues the propagation of what I think is one of the biggest fallacies of guitars, that Maple is not a good tonewood. I have a large collection and one of the very best sounding guitars I have is a Maple buit by Steve Kinnaird and Ryan Middlebrook. John Slobud is making a killing with his Maple guitars. I also do not think a strip of Walnut will do one iota to change the sound.

Use Maple, build it correctly and it will sound like a million bucks. Build with any wood incorrectly and it will sound like a buck fifty.

[SaintClarence27]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

To be honest, this is kind of how I saw it too. On one hand promoting Maple and on another saying look at all we have done to make Maple sound good. To me this continues the propagation of what I think is one of the biggest fallacies of guitars, that Maple is not a good tonewood. I have a large collection and one of the very best sounding guitars I have is a Maple buit by Steve Kinnaird and Ryan Middlebrook. John Slobud is making a killing with his Maple guitars. I also do not think a strip of Walnut will do one iota to change the sound.

Use Maple, build it correctly and it will sound like a million bucks. Build with any wood incorrectly and it will sound like a buck fifty.

Maybe I was taking it incorrectly, but I heard it more as "we want it to sound like a MARTIN," not that Maple sounds bad.

[gr81dorn]

I talked with Bob Taylor several years ago about the inevtiable move all guitar makers will make to start really focusing on sustainability and localizing their wood sources. It's been happening more and more and I think all for the better. It's going to be necessary in keeping costs down if nothing else, but every time I play something like ash, or walnut or more maple, I find a real enjoyment in the variety of sounds and the sometimes unique tone and also how very minimal the differences may just be from some of the woods that have been used for so long. I'd certainly like to play one of these and just see how they feel.

[Justbrandon]

Maybe I’m being pessimistic, but the skeleton bracing seems like a creative way to cut down on labor costs by replacing hand scalloped bracing with CNC’d skeleton bracing.

Certainly appreciate the emphasis on sustainability though.

[mcduffnw]

Originally Posted by sinistral

This to me seems like something even Andy Powers would have a hard time saying with a straight face. I would love to see the tests they did comparing all-maple backs with backs with walnut centers to determine that the backs with walnut were demonstrably warmer sounding. They go out of their way to trash maple as a tonewood for guitars—it’s almost as if maple is unsuitable without routed sonic channels, skeletonized braces, a walnut center strip and a smaller soundhole.

I’d be curious to hear how the braces and channels sound on a regular guitar.

Well...as Yogurt so sagely muses in Spaceballs:

"Merchandising, merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made. Spaceballs-the T-shirt, Spaceballs-the Coloring Book, Spaceballs-the Lunch box, Spaceballs-the Breakfast Cereal, Spaceballs-the Flame Thrower, the kids love this one."

Money for nothing...{;-)

I am starting to fear that this new iteration of the "CF Martin& Co." , and it's new leadership, is starting to get just a wee bit too far out over their skis...so to speak.

I hope I am wrong.


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[gr81dorn]

Originally Posted by Justbrandon

Maybe I’m being pessimistic, but the skeleton bracing seems like a creative way to cut down on labor costs by replacing hand scalloped bracing with CNC’d skeleton bracing.

Certainly appreciate the emphasis on sustainability though.

The glass half full look at it is that they have created a production method that is sustainable with an aging skilled laborforce that will be (and has already been) hard to replace. It's a smart move in that context.

[leew3]

We're nearly on page 4 by lunch time on the day this is released. It looks like the marketing department has done its job!

[CodeBlueEMT]

I'm here to witness the train wreck, screw the marketing department.
Shayne

[baseball]

Maybe I am DumB BUT

Did anybody notice that the entire video is about development but only a few (talked over) seconds of actual play time?

Really? You kidding me?

Ultimately whether it works or not will have to do with TONE and those few seconds at the beginning sound like a thin, 'songwriter night' 500 dollar guitar.
People in advertising obviously don't understand US guitar crazies very well.

i was looking forward to HEARING the new guitar.

[baseball]

Originally Posted by leew3

We're nearly on page 4 by lunch time on the day this is released. It looks like the marketing department has done its job!

Yes and No. The couple seconds of thin jangly stuff at the front of the video is making me bummed I bothered to pay attention. No video of actual playing?

Feels like the 13 bolt on all over again

[doctone]

Originally Posted by baseball

Maybe I am DumB BUT

Did anybody notice that the entire video is about development but only a few (talked over) seconds of actual play time?

Really? You kidding me?

Ultimately whether it works or not will have to do with TONE and those few seconds at the beginning sound like a thin, 'songwriter night' 500 dollar guitar.
People in advertising obviously don't understand US guitar crazies very well.

i was looking forward to HEARING the new guitar.

I bet it is going to sound like a guitar. The truth will show in the stores.