Stupid deal of the day

12fretter · #1 03-09-2022, 07:51 AM

Musicians Friend has SDOTD for Martin D $ 699.99

nuchdig · #2 03-09-2022, 10:45 AM

I believe this one is in the rotation as I recall seeing this offered before. I bought the Custom D as a SDOTD a while back. Sitka/hog all solid. USA made, with hardshell case. Absolutely zero bling which explains the price for a USA made all solid Martin dread. Quite the nice performer for the price ($900 iirc). The Special is sitka/sapele, made in Mexico, and soft case. This probably explains the lower price. I have not played one, but this is probably a nice entry into the world of Martin.

Jim Comeaux · #3 03-09-2022, 12:01 PM

Oh really? The price is because it has no bling? I don’t think so. It is true that this is the plainest guitar that Martin has ever made, but that’s only a small part of the story. What is it made of? Yep, Sapele, a cheap tone wood that biologically is related to Mahogany but has none of the tonal qualities of the Mahogany that great guitars are made of. What kind of neck joint is that? Oh yes the “new” mortise and tenon joint. I do no trust this joint to be as reliable as the dovetail joint and neither does C.F. Martin or they would save money on all of their guitars and switch over to the new neck joint. Before you ask, yes, I have played two of them. What did they sound like? They sounded just like moderately priced entry to intermediate lev l guitars, nothing special. Worth the money? At the SDOTD price, yes! At the regular price, not so much…..

PS MF contracted to Martin for these. I don’t know how many they ordered, but they have had them a LOOOONG time and it appears that they are getting anxious about excess inventory. They are discounting items that do not sell well.

1stGuitar · #4 03-09-2022, 02:02 PM

I cannot say that I know all the innards of these things. But I would have to say this Martin Special D does bear a rather strange resemblance to my USA made 1999 Martin Road Series DM guitar. Is this new Special D better than my DM? I have not played one of these newer models, but I do really enjoy my DM.

CollingsPicker · #5 03-09-2022, 02:18 PM

I can’t speak to this guitar other than it’s a great deal. However, I’ve played many world-class Sapele guitars. There is no shortage of tone in that tone wood.

Rev Roy · #6 03-09-2022, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Comeaux

Sapele…a wood that biologically is related to Mahogany but has none of the tonal qualities of the Mahogany that great guitars are made of.

Sapele and mahogany do have very different tonal profiles…at least to my ears. And this from Taylor:

geelinus · #7 03-09-2022, 02:46 PM

I don't need or want the guitar in question, so I have no horse in this race - and I'm not a sapele fan. However, since I don't think anyone expects to buy a new Martin with Standard series specs for $700, is the fact that sapele sounds different than mahogany related to whether the guitar in question is a good deal?

lowrider · #8 03-09-2022, 03:49 PM

Yes, a sapele guitar should be brighter than a genuine mahogany guitar. That's not always a bad thing.

Before Covid hit, I wanted to get a D-18, I went to Music Zoo and the Sam Ash, a couple of miles up the road from it three times, and half of the time I liked the sapele Road Series D-12 better than the D-18. I didn't want the Road Series guitar, I wanted a D-18 but the D-12 made it sound like ''too much doom and gloom''. All I got was confused. Then Covid hit and I never got back, but the sapele guitar sounded really good to me.

Maryc-k · #9 03-09-2022, 05:22 PM

So the $8k sapele Santa Cruz OM I played recently that sounded amazing is inferior? Wow. Played a great figured sapele Eric Skye model too.

Generalizations. Gotta love them.

nuchdig · #10 03-09-2022, 05:46 PM

Sorry Jim, my bling comment was in reference to my Custom D. I guess I wasn't clear on that

Tnfiddler · #11 03-09-2022, 06:03 PM

Wait a minute! I’m confused!! So a $700 Martin guitar isn’t as good as a $5000 D41! Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!!LOL

JakeStone · #12 03-09-2022, 07:13 PM

It's $699 and it's a Martin Dread! Excellent reviews online.
Heck of a deal for someone looking for low cost solid wood acoustic.. IMO.

Crosswind · #13 03-09-2022, 07:19 PM

Is this essentially a larger-sized, longer-scale DJr?

Osage · #14 03-09-2022, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JakeStone

It's $699 and it's a Martin Dread! Excellent reviews online.
Heck of a deal for someone looking for low cost solid wood acoustic.. IMO.

Exactly! People can nitpick the specs until the cows come home but I see no point. It's a good guitar at a good price.

Mr Bojangles · #15 03-09-2022, 08:23 PM

Martin has always made good guitars. This one is all solid wood, and if you like the nut width and the neck profile, I really don't see why it wouldn't be well worth the sale price. However, I've never played that model. If I were looking for a new Martin, I'd take a chance on it.