I don’t understand this guitar’s existence or pricing

[Shaneh]

https://www.elderly.com/products/mar...37804170248383

[J Patrick]

…..I’m with you..

[jklemm18]

Isn’t Sipo a cheap tonewood. This looks like the rosette is a decal. I’m open to be enlightened

[Brent Hutto]

Probably for guys who already own four or five Martins and want another one that's "something different". Hence the non-standard tonewood and unusual rosette/backstrip.

[jklemm18]

Originally Posted by jklemm18

Isn’t Sipo a cheap tonewood. This looks like the rosette is a decal. I’m open to be enlightened

I should have said less expensive tone wood. I meant no disrespect to anyone with a sipo guitar.

[fpuhan]

Not for me. Just not my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't appeal to someone.

Martin, like so many other manufacturers (and not just of guitars) seems to try to make "one-offs," "specials," "limited editions" and what-have-you. Sometimes, they hit it out of the park. Other times, they fall flat on their face.

I think their face might hurt on this one.

[Brent Hutto]

Originally Posted by fpuhan

Not for me. Just not my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't appeal to someone.

Martin, like so many other manufacturers (and not just of guitars) seems to try to make "one-offs," "specials," "limited editions" and what-have-you. Sometimes, they hit it out of the park. Other times, they fall flat on their face.

I think their face might hurt on this one.

I believe that might be a special order custom that Elderly had Martin make for them.

[sinistral]

Not sure what the rosette and backstrip are made of, but I would note that Martin used the “arrowhead” design as far back as the mid-1800’s (although I’ve only seen it as a backstrip detail, not on a rosette).

Sort of an odd combination of details. This is where a demo video would be helpful—perhaps the unstained and lightly finished top has something going for it sonically.

[Ken Carr]

It might be a fantastic instrument, but $3500 for this seems like a premium price for a non-premium guitar.

[Llewlyn]

My CEO-7 has sipo B&S and rocks.

Ll.

[gmel555]

Sipo (sometimes called "Utile")is Entandrophragma Sp(?) and is in the Mahogany family Meliaceae. Thus, many guitars called "true mahogany" (or just "mahogany") may be Sipo (vs "Genuine Mahogany "of the genus Swietenia from the Western Hemi tropics). Most Martin 15 series guitars are made of Sipo (according to Martin). I wonder if it were stained like most mahogany you'd find it less "peculiar"...? I generally like mahoganies with inconspicuous grain like the wood in this guitar to be stained; but it sure is different and I bet there are some who will like it as a pure matter of taste (no right wrong). One thing I do find interesting is while the B&S are called Sipo, the top (which looks just like the B&S) is called Mahogany. While I said above Sipo might be referred to as "mahogany", it seems "peculiar" not to call the top Sipo as well, if in fact, that's what it is. BTW, Sapele being in the Entandrophragma genus is a very close relative of Sipo.

[L20A]

This is the world that we live in right now.
Not a good time to buy a guitar.

[Wellington]

I kind of like it

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by Wellington

I kind of like it

I'm not quite ready to pick it over a less expensive OM-28, but I'll admit it's kinda growing -visually- on me too. With the light color, arrowhead rosette and back stripe, ivoroid binding, silver foil logo, etc., it's kinda got a Desert Southwest thang going. LOL

[Shaneh]

The strange thing to me is a 3500 16 series guitar