Martin 000-16GT

This is a 2007 CF Martin 000-16GT (gloss top) guitar. As has been stated..it is a solid wood acoustic with a beautiful solid spruce top and mahogany back, sides and neck. It has a Micarta bridge and fret board. Corian nut and saddle and came with the standard tuning machines. The body with the exception of the gloss top has a nice satin finish.

This guitar has a fairly bright sound due to the triple ought body size. The lows are present without dreadnought boomyness. Unplugged...this guitar will produce a variety of sounds depending on whether picked softly or more aggressively or finger-picked. As a worship leader playing alot of open type chords...I find this guitar rings very nicely. I really like the body size for it's comfort and accessibility when either standing or sitting.

Right out of the box...I was very impressed with the craftsmanship of this guitar. The action was a hair high allowing for adjustment. The truss rod was perfect and all joints and hardware were fine.

I just sold the Martin that this one replaced..a D-1 that I played for several years...if this one holds up as well...and it appears that it will...I will enjoy it for many years. I immediately replaced the tuning machines with Grover vintage sta-tite 18:1's for a visual up grade. I like them alot!! I also had an LR Baggs M-1 active pick-up installed because I play plugged in 90% of the time. I can't for see a situation where I would need a back up instrument...I'm really gentle with my guitars. I humidify and case the instrument when not in use as recommended.

Had a great experience with CF Martin...I ordered this guitar through Musician's Friend and when the first one arrived it had a couple of severe wood seasoning cracks in the back piece...I contacted both MF and Martin...They both worked diligently to get a replacement to me...C.F. actually E-mailed me himself...Cool! Has a Lifetime limited warranty against defects...(Hope I never need it!)

I've been playing for 20 plus years...more of a strummer/flat-picker than anything else...I've played, tried and owned many different makes...The price was a factor in that I appreciate quality and would love to own a 000-28 or higher or some other hand made guitar...but, money is an issue...so for around 1200.00 with the pick-up and tuners...I could justify the purchase. It's one of those guitars that you find yourself thinking about playing at work...good thing my wife isn't the super jealous type. I really like everything about it! If it were swiped I'd cry and look for 000-28

Bought new in 2004.Solid top, back and sides ( spruce and mahogony) Satin finish to back and sides and a gloss top as the name implies.
Wonderfully comfortable thin neck. Case included.

I play fingerstyle blues, jazz, rock, country, pop, classical.
Sound is mellow but bright enough.The thickness of your nails and strength of attack will affect this. Sounds great strummed with a plec as well and records well with no booming low notes.
I like the size of the body,and overall comfort when holding this guitar.

The action was a little high over the top nut which is great as I will cut it when I finally decide on the gauge of strings I will use.
The spruce top is quite a nice match, the rosewood back (in 3 parts) is not as well matched (who cares). Overall it seems very well finished.

I have every faith in this guitar. I should point out that in terms of accoustic guitars I have four and this one cost more than the other three together. The matte finish on the back and sides is apparently very thin and as such would contribute to the tone. I imagine it would wear through easily? The neck seems to be getting a little shiny with use and I'm not sure how much protection the finish will provide long term. I have owned the guitar for 2 months and it remains unmarked.

Have only contacted the makers to register the warranty and join the owners club. Their response was rapid.
The supplier was quick and helpful also.

Playing for 43 years.I own Gibson and Fender electrics and Fender and Manuel Rodriguez accoustics.

This is a new 2003 00016-GT with solid spruce top, solid genuine mahogany back and sides, tortise pickguard, chrome tuners, Micarta finger board,bridge, and a very nice TKL hard shell case. It's not real fancy and doesn't have a lot of the bells and whistles but for most people that is not why they buy a Martin. The spruce top on mine is very heavily silked and is gorgeous, I have seen others that weren't nearly so nice. I took a chance and got mine off the net and just got lucky.

It's an all solid wood Martin with scalloped braces and has the expected "Martin Tone" you either love it or you don't. I wanted the Martin sound in a small body and was not disappointed. Right out of the box it had very good bass, mid, treble, and loads of volume but it does sound like a Martin and as I said some people don't like the Martin tone, I do and this guitar has exactly the sound I wanted. Since it is all solid the sound will only get better, I can't wait.

The fit and finish is superb I couldn't find a flaw in it anywhere, I even used a mirror and looked inside the body. Martin used to set the action of their guitars very high and hence they were difficult to play I was very surprised at how well this guitar was setup. I play a mix of finger style and flatpick, mostly folk and country, and for me it is near perfect. However, action is a very subjective thing and should play several and decide for yourself.

It's a Martin and remember there are many Martin's in use today that are well over 100 years old. I don't think reliability or durability will be much of an issue, even with the micarta. I feel sure without gross negligence on my part this guitar will outlive me.

The guitar has a lifetime warranty and I have heard that Martin is very good about the warranty however, I personally have never dealt with them so can't really say.

I have been playing awhile and also have an Epiphone LP-100 with Seymour Duncan pickups and a Washburn G300S. I wanted a solid small body guitar with big sound, cosmetic embillishments were not important, and this guitar is perfect for what I wanted I couldn't be happier with it. However, if you want abalone bindings, mother of pearl inlays and, don't like the Martin sound it won't be perfect for you.

I bought this used for $550 with the hardshell case.

Solid top with a glossy finish. Solid sitka spruce top with mahogany sides/back. Ebony fingerboard and ebony bridge.

Wonderful full sound to me.
Great for fingerpicking, you can really get your arm around the body, unlike a dread. It even sounds good when you start getting on it hard with a pick.

I bought it used and took out the plastic nut and saddle for bone. Did the saddle myself and lowered the action as well. The action was quite high for me so I lowered it. The bone really made the guitar louder and with better sustain.

It seems like this guitar will withstand vigorous live playing. She's very well built and doesn't seem frail like my D-15. I would gig without a backup, just a few more sets of strings will do for me. The hardware is pretty good.

I've only had this guitar for a month, but I've played it before and didn't hesitate to buy it.

Others have said it: solid spruce top w/gloss finish, solid mahogany sides & back with satin finish. Cedar neck with rosewood fingerboard & bridge, Micarta saddle. Scalloped braces. Classic Martin 000 size, or "Grand Auditorium" as it was once called. A plain and handsome guitar, very reminiscent of older mahogany Martins like the 000-18 and OM-18.

Sound is just what I wanted in an inexpensive fingerstyle guitar - bright with a full midrange, bass tight and clear but no where near as powerful as my rosewood dreadnought. Quite loud, making it especially nice for barefingered playing as one does not have to "push it" to get a very satisfying sound.

The good news: typical Martin construction, neat as a pin and pretty as could be. Satin finish on sides and back dramatically reduces cost, while gloss on top shows it off where it counts. Neck feels great.

The bad news: typical Martin factory setup. Nut too high, saddle too high on bass side. I am not surprised or disappointed, really. I have never played a factory setup that is satisfactory. I had the instrument properly setup by my favorite luthier as soon as I bought it. Now it really shines, as it is setup EXACTLY for what I wanted: fingerstyle. It is also a lousy flatpicking guitar, but that is the price paid for my setup choices. I have a Martin dreadnought for flatpicking, setup specifically for that purpose.

I do not consider factory setups important, as they cannot anticipate the player. Martin is correct to leave the action high so that it can be cut down by the end user.

This is my sixth Martin. They don't wear out unless you run over them with your car. If I keep it, it will last until I am dead and then some.

I have dealt with Martin only occassionally, and they are wonderful.

I love this guitar and would replace it with the same if it were lost, but a few comments:

1. All real wood guitars vary like the trees from whence they come. You can order these guitars over the internet for less than I paid locally, but you really don't know what you will get. I played several of these to find the one that spoke to me, and I am glad I did.

2. The 16 series are great guitars for the money, but don't compare them against the high end Martins directly, it's not fair. I love this 000-16GT, but my HD-28 (at more than twice the cost) flattens it for volume, majesty and craftsmanship. That's as it should be. If I felt like spending more, I could have had an OM-18V and it would beat my 000-16 for certain. But for $900, it is fabulous.

3. Don't be fooled by factory setups. A good repairman can adjust a guitar for all sorts of different playing styles and string gauges. I have this 000-16 set for fingerstyle (low action, light gauge strings) while I keep my HD-28 setup with medium gauge strings and higher action, which makes it a killer flatpicking guitar. Neither instrument shipped this way; I had them setup this way for my own purposes and you should, too.

4. Practise, practise, practise....

Made in the USA Martin. Spruce top and Maghoany sides. Made in 2001.
The guitar is very well-made and typical of Martin manufacturing techniques. Very Impressive for the money.

If you are looking for a steel-string under 1000 dollars for fingerpicking and light strumming. Then this the guitar of choice.
The magohany sides make the guitar sound quite warm and not booming like a dreadnought. I do alot of fingerpicking. It is an excellent guitar.

Excellent construction. However, try several models, apparently, they each have their own identity.

It's a Martin. It can only get better with age. unlike my wife.

Never dealt with Martin. However, an excellent warranty

Been playing for fifteen years, fingerpicking Beatles, van morrison, and blues. Would recommend it for anybody on a budget. If money is of no concern, try the COLLINGS.

It's a recent(probably 1999-2000) baby to roll out of Martin, sterile and unbroken into. Very simple, unpretentious Auditorium body guitar with what you only need: a gloss solid spruce top, solid mahogany neck, back and sides, macassar ebony (the only model in Martin's mid-range using ebony) fingerboard and bridge, black binding, chrome tuners, tortoise pickguard.

Very tasteful and elegant in its simplicty.

Geez, it's so new, the tone hardly rings out, but gets buried under the unseasoned woods. However, like all things from car tires to hifi speakers, play it a couple of days and it just sings! Great tone only a solid wood guitar can give: tight bass that's not as boomy as a dreanought; clear midrange and bell-like treble, all working together harmoniously. Classic Martin tone. Still, I had to whack on it a couple of days to get the tone out. A few years will do the trick, I guess.

One thing that bugged me was the action: I play mostly fingerstyle and some strumming at times and the guitar is set as if for slide-playing! Lower registers have a soft buzzing although the relief is almost perfect.
What can I say about the finish? That's what a Martin is all about - great workmanship. I can hardly find a fault except for a little gap at the body-heel joint, otherwise the neck is rock solid. The entire guitar is built as solid as an Abhrams tank.

With it's built, it'll seem to last forever. I got a great SKB molded case for it. I have to worry about climate though, it's rain and sun rain and sun here and I dunno whether Martin treats their guitars that are shipped to Asia. only time will tell I guess.

Uh... never tried. I have to contend with a distributor here. And I heard that Martin provides a lifetime warranty? Wow!

I have been playing for over tens years now and had owned guitars from an Ephiphone to an Ovation. This is my first Martin and I'm simply impressed, the tone, the woods, the build quality, all except of course with the action. The Ovation just simply can't hold up in terms of tone and volume. It is unbelievable that a small auditorium body guitar can sound louder and produce heart-melting tones with greater ease than an Ovation deep bowl! The hype about Martins are well founded. Tried Taylors but they just don't have that element only found in Martins - soul.

My girlfriend commented that I have a new wife when she saw the Martin... You bet!