Martin 000-16SGT

The Features have been covered in prior reviews. This is a 2001 model so it came with the ebony fretboard and bone saddle/nut (predates the micarta which I hear works just fine... but I like the organic feel of wood on the fretboard). also has waverly tuners which might not be original but they are super nice. I added a K&K Pure Mini pickup.

I was looking for a guitar that could cover a bit more territory (vs. the 00 I had as a main player). This does it. it projects really well - typical for 12 frets. It loves a pick and fingers. I can mess with flat pick runs, accompaniment, and finger style blues. Has a nice compressed feel at times and woody tone. works well for the blues and folk. Does really nice in Drop D and open tunings as well. Action is a bit too low to use for slide, but it might be fine for that given some action adjustment. Hasa nice snap on the bass. It has a very balanced tone - more bass than I rekoned for, sweet midrange and good high end. Capos nicely and stays in tune.

I could play this thing all night. It just stays on the stand in the room, waiting to be noodlded whenever I have a few minutes.In the price range, this is a real versatile instrument. I've been up and down with various guitars between 800 bucks and 2000 dollars. The 00015S, 0015, 00015, 0018V were nice but this one just gives me more. One nice thing this guitar has done... I don't spend time looking for another guitar.

The guitar is well made. I feel that Martin is really just another big builder, making thousands of guitars a year... but they still do an adequate job of quality control. They let out a few stinkers now and then, but they take care of their work. This is an odd nut with the gloss top and satin side/back. But I've grown used to is and love the beast.

It's s stout animal. Everything is solid. I'd gig with it if I ever get around to doing that again after all these years.

Never called them but I hear they pick up the phone.

Been playing for 40 years. did a little singer songwriting in the 70's and 80's. Owned a 1934 Martin 0-17 for about 20 years, and then have seen a string of guitars pass through my hands over the last 15 years or so: Larrivee OM5, Taylor GA4, Kalamazoo, Martin 0015, 00015, 00015S, 0018V, Goodall GC, Petros FS, Harmonys, Gibson WM-00, some electrics, a banjo... I love this little guitar. It's very satisfying. Have not issues with it. I got tired of searching for the right tone... but I finally found it. Sure, there is a $3-4K guitar out there that sounds better, but I only have so much $$ and I only play so much so I can't justify it. This is a very satisfying sort of hybrid Martin that delivers tons of tone for me.

A basic 12 fret 000 with micarta bridge and board, The back and sides are a good grade of mahogany. The neck looks to be cuban cedar but I could be wrong. Tuners are sealed Gotah(?), the nut is corian and saddle is micarta. It came with plastic bridge pins but I swapped them out for water buffalo horn.

The guitar did not have a case so I purchased a Guardian Geib style 000 case which seems to fit fine if a little tight.

This is my second 000-16SGT. I had an ebony/Waverly version when they first came out in 2000.

This guitar has a simply delicious and lively tone with incredible sustain, especially in the bass and lower mids. The low end of this guitar is so loud and free sounding that you would fear it overwhelming the treble, but the balance seems to be fine as well.

This guitar fingerpicks like one of the old smaller Martin hogs from the 30s.

The guitar looked as if it was ready for a neck set when I bought it. I pulled the neck block coverplate, found the screw to be loose, and tightened it. It pulled the neck heel back where it ought to be. The loose screw had allowed the glue on the mortise and tenon joint to creep, but it was a simple fix.

The other workmanship on this guitar appears to be fine.

I would think it would be good but one needs to keep their eye on the neck joint screw.

Ain't needed it. I'm a luthier and I'll do my own repairs, thank you.

Great little fingerpicking guitar. Compares very well to much more expensive guitars.

Martin 12 fret w/ mortise and tenon neck joint. Features are listed on the Martin site and here. This is one of the recent models with the micarta bridge and fretboard. I really don???t see that big of a difference as it has a nice appearance and is a stable material. Would have rated a 9 if it had vintage looking tuners.

The tone is sweet and very responsive. The tone favors the midrange with lots of sustain, lots. The bass is there but blends in with the mids, but this is a mahogany, small bodied guitar. The 12 fret body really gives this guitar a little more tonal range and more volume than other 000 guitars that I have played. I think it???s close to what one would hear in a similar dreadnaught with consideration that it has a shallower body. Overall, the sound rings and is very balanced.

The guitar appears to be very well made. Very close tolerances observed. It has a solid feel. The tuners while not ornate are very solid and very responsive to tuning adjustment. The finish is very well done both the gloss on the top and the satin on the rest of the guitar. The action was high. I cut a bone saddle and lowered the action. With this change, it plays great.

As stated this feels like a solid well made guitar. Has a little bit of weight to it for a small bodied guitar. I believe it will be as durable as other guitars. No compromise in quality that I can tell.

They do respond and seem to be okay. Has a warranty which I hope I don???t need. Have to knock them for the 3 days it took them to respond to my questions via email.

Overall, a shame they discontinued this guitar. This is a great fingerstyle guitar and great all around player. This guitar compliments my Taylor nylon string. I play a lot of fingerstyle and have been playing for 27 years. While I don???t buy into the ???ego??? Martin branding like ???America???s Guitar???, they do make very nice guitars. Although I tend to favor Taylors, in my opinion Martin 000-16???s sound better than Taylor 314???s and 414???s. Martin small bodied guitars are excellent.

The Martin is produced in Nazareth Pennsylvania. There are tours of the factory. The body is all wood. The 000-16GT is not the bottom of the line but it is first "real" all wooden guitar in the Martin line. It has a Mortise/Tenon neck joint,14 frets, solid spruce top, solid mahogany sides and back, hardwood neck, modified oval neck shape, and Black Micata bridge and finger board. The nut is Corian (just like counter tops). Pick guard is tortoise colored plastic. There are no special inlaid patterns. The top has a glossy finish and the sides and back are satin. It is available for left handed people at no extra cost. I comes with a hard case as do all Martins.

The 000-16GT guitar is perfect for my style of playing. I have not played in public in over 20 years. I fingerpick honytonk, classical, folk-music and a little jazz. The guitar is equal in bass and treble. I cannot say the same for other brands. The sound is very sweet and is happy. When tuned it stays tuned. Acoustic players will often hammer, pull, stretch, and or choke the strings. The guitar sounds good with anh technique. Although I cannot any longer play (due to stroke) the harmonics the guitar is capable and sounds like a bell (many overtones).

My guitar came tuned but I bought it in the Nazareth Music Center. Boy do they ever take care of their guitars and their customers. Good place to shop. Everything on the guitar was perfect! I checked and re-checked and my wife checked. I have had it two years and I still have not found any imperfections. Martin craftmanship is great!

The guitar will survive live playing. The construction and the hardware are professional quality. The finish looks the same, two years after I bought the guitar. The "strap button" is merely a peg inserted into the end. I can depend on the guitar. I practice about an hour a day but have been known to practice 4 to 6 hours a day for weeks on end. The guitar is well constructed. I get a lot of use out of the guitar. I no longer play in public, but I would always bring an extra guitar. I think I could play the Martin without a back-up because there were years I couldn't always afford a back-up. If that were the case today I would go Martin.

C.F. Martin company is is a "people-oriented" company. They are legitimate, above board, friendly, and courteous. I have not had necessity to call for support but I have used the C.F. Martin website.
Martin employees are friendly and I recommend the Nazareth, Pa., Martin Factory Tour to everybody. My family was so impressed that they bought my guitar for me at the little music store in Nazareth township.

I have been playing over 40 years. Most notably, I own a Larrivee 12-String. Surprisingly it won me over because the action was better on the Larrivee 12 string than the price comparable Martin. If my Martin were lost or stolen, I would replace it with another Martin. I have no need to buy another model but would probably do so. I do the same thing with cars. It is just compulsive behavior. If you but a Martin guitar, look into having pick-ups and an amplifier. It really makes things exciting for a performance. I really enjoy my Martin!

I have a 2000 model, my 00016SGT has an ebony fret board and real Waverly tuners. The scalloped bracing and longer body yield a very responsive sound. Many of the newer models feature micarta fret boards. My OM16GT has micarta. I like the ebony but I feel that micarta plays like lightening. I would enjoy a model with either fretboard. I love satin finish sides and back. You can feel the wood grain quality in your hands. I like the herringbone rossete.
This has all the "style" that I need in a guitar. Rosewood veneer on the head and heelcap are classy. The 1 3/4" nut is outstanding for fingerstyle, strumming, flatpicking and whomping. Very versitile guitar.

The scalloped bracing and elongated 12 fret body have a very open sound. Anything that you do with your right hand is amplified. This is a great fingerstyle guitar. The guitar has a suprising amount of bass if you use your right hand in the right way. Very versitile and unique guitar.

I replaced the nut and saddle with bone. (Correction, my luthier installed bone nut and saddle - I would never attempt that kind of work on a Martin.) I'm giving this a 9 because Martin should install bone or in the least, drop-in Tusq nut and saddle in a guitar of this quality level. The plastic pins are cheesy. I like ebony or Tusq. The plastic pins were replaced right away. Bone and ebony improved a fine guitar.

Quality fit and finish - quality woods and Waverlies - I bought this one used but Martin's life warantees on new guitars has always instilled confidence in me.

I own 4 Martins - I've called the plant on 2 occasions to ask dumb questions. They are outstanding and very helpful.

The Martin 16 Series in general is one of the best values on the market. I love the bracing and construction on these guitars. You can't go wrong with a Martin 16.

Glossy Sitka Spruce top.
Matte Mahogeny back/sides
Slotted "squared" headstock
Micarta fretboard/nut/saddle
Plastic 18:1 ratio Grover barrel tuners
I added a Fishman gold undersaddle piezo.
Geib hardshell case.
Low score reflects the basic nature of the guitar not the quality of the features it has.

Lovely lots of high-end sparkle, touch of mits and tight bass. Not bassy at all, but it holds its own. Beautiful balaned tone for bare fingerpicking (I don't use fingerpicks, nor my nails). Glassy top end for flatpicking with enought punch to cut through a mix. Not as ballsy as my HD28, but who'd expect it? It's a 000 model, so it has a sound quality all it's own. I love the sound of this axe!

Beautiful from the factory, no adjustments necessary. I'm thrilled with both the look and feel of this guitar.

Looks like it'll hold up well. I've never had a trouble with any of my Martins (I have three). I usually gig with a backup, but I wouldn't worry if I didn't have one.

Never dealt directly with Martin. I've always had good support from the place where I bought my last two Martins. I think it's how they pick their dealers.

It's a beautiful, functional, practical, great-sounding guitar. Combine it with a Fishman Gold, and an LR Baggs preamp/DI, and you have a great gigging guitar for guitarist/songwriter/fingerpickers. It's lively, and balanced.
If it were stolen, I'd find the rat who stole it, and make him eat the Yamaha dreadnought beater guitar that I replaced with the 000-16SGT, then I'd beg, borrow, or steal enough money to buy one that's as close to this one as possible! I may have paid a little too much, but for what I got, I DON'T CARE! I really like Martins, and this one in particular! My 8 was a result of not getting a slightly better deal from the store I bought this at. I've always had great luch with Martins, even when I've severly damaged them, and I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Martin fan. I love the sound of their instruments.

Purchased new in 2004.
Solid spruce top. Nice tight grain with nice silking.
Solid mahogony back. Solid mahogony sides and neck.
Plastic fingerboard and bridge. Not cool. I know it is supposed be some new cool Micarta whatever that will last forever but then why do you suppose the higher end "000" models like the Eric Clapton have EBONY fingerboards and bridges?!
Neck is attached at 12th fret.
Cool headstock with "classical" style tuners. I love to play classical guitar and I'm so used to the tuners all facing the same way... cool.
I will give it an 8 for a kick butt top and nice back and sides but(t) thumbs down on the fingerboard and bridge materials.

This guitar has very nice mid-range for finger pickin'. Also has good treble. The overall balance is nice.
It lacks bass though. This is not such a big deal when flat picked but when finger picked the middle has a tendency to "over rule" the low end.

Nice glossy finish on the guitar top. Nut fits snug.
Frets are finished nice and smooooth, very comfy as well as the 12th fret neck to body.
The guitar looks well made, what else do you expect from Martin?

It oughta last forever! It's a Martin!

After owning and playing this guitar I'm still on my quest for the perfect finger pickin' guitar.
Martin's hold there value well it might be worth hanging on to...

There is something so alluring about a 12-fret, slotted headstock triple-OOO. This was an impulse purchase?it complements my 000-15S and has a rich, mid-range. I bought it new; its construction appears to be solid and flawless.

Both single notes and moving chords project warm and clear. The tones are uniform across the strings and up the neck... well, up to the 12-fret, I never much like the sound of a guitar past the 12th fret, anyways. It's great for fingerpicking and comping behind a vocalist. I don't strum; and I don't think that it could cut through a jam with one or more dreadnaughts... that is unless I caught someone's attention with less notes.

This is a new instrument. The factory set-up is just fine with me. (Or was the set-up done at Elderly's?) I don't think that I've even changed the strings yet. No buzz, no flapping low E string. The set-up also works for slide with a light touch. It stays in tune. The top looks thin. If it cracks, I got duct tape.

I'm pretty easy on an acoustic. This instrument is solid. I'll install a stap button at the heel. For gigs, I would use a mic, or slip a Dean Markley pick-up in the sound hole with an outboard preamp.

I've dealt with the Martin Company in the past and they were most responsive. Once, I even received a kindly reply from Mr Martin on what was a minor concern. I have a lot of confidence in the Martin Company... although some of their limited edition models seem to be expensive and weird. I just hope that the company will be able to stand-down and survive once all the baby-boomer money is spent.

Middleage: I joined the ranks of the guitar army in the 1960's. Over the years, I've acquired a lot of guitars?electric and acoustic?that I've since swapped, sold, or horse-traded without regrets. (My lovely wife is most tolerate?I could have anything.) I've had a lot high-end instruments. But they're gone. Nowadays, I've settled on a couple of plain, relatively cheap, 12-fret triple-000 Martins and a masonite Jerry Jones electric. (Stylisticly, I'll always be more akin to Link Wray and Keith Richards than Kenny Burrell or Clapton?we are what we is.)

A no-frills martin that is a throw back to 12 fret new-yorker type models etc.. All solid woods, i got one from custom shop so not sure if wood are an upgrade from standard but mine is all gloss model w/ real ebony fretboard and bridge. Other than that standard config. for this model

Nice full sound that sounds very good out of the box. the longer OM scale provides a nice powerful yet balanced sound perfect for a variety of styles. Stock martin set up, so a little hight but i really dig in on strings so thats fine.I play country blues, and ragtime and it sounds very nice - i can even do a little slide on it and while not the greatest slide type guitar (like the 00-17's are!) it still does do in a pinch. Bass is not over powering but is there, and mids are awesome and trebles nice. I be intrested what this thing sounds like ion a few years w/ heavy playing. i replaced the light strings w/ medium SPs and it really woke the guitar up - as loud as any dred except maybe my collings D-3 - but still can heard across room w/ bluegrassers if need be. only reason i give is a 9 instaed of a 10 as nothing (brand new to me at least) rates as a 10 - i really imagine it as a poor mans 000-28vs w/ mahogany rather than rosewood at 1/3 the price - may not have the overtones of rosewood, but is that a bad thing-i think not for a fingerpicker

Very Nice, espically for the $$$

Hey martin life time warranty -right

havven't had to deal w/ them - so who knows but imagine it'd be fine!

I've played for 25+ years and own a 50's J-185, numerous 30-40 clasic archtops, a 2000 00-17, a 62 guild M-20 etc.. so i know my guitars. The only thing i don't like is the tuners, wish they were open gear a more "vintage look" and may reduce the weight a bit that is a little more toeards the neck than my likeing - but thats minor. If it were stolen i would be bummed and would probaly get another one-

It is Martin 000 depth but the body is slightly different shape to account for the relocated bridge. The scale length is the standard Martin spec of 25.4 in.Nut width is 1-3/4. Bridge spacing is whatever width the wider one martin makes is. I don't mind the gloss top/satin body finish although the satin finish always makes that shshshshshsing noise when touched. The gloss top is quiet. (I had a 000-15s but couldn't ever get rid of that noise through a mic when recording or playing on stage.) Plain bindings, plain rosette. All solid woods though I believe I got one of the last of the models with an ebony fingerboard. I guess they are Micarta now though I think those sound ok too. The tuners are Waverley's though I guess this has changed also by now. For those not familiar with 12 fret models just think of it as a classical guitar designed for steel strings. A very cool look! the balance is great because there is less neck sticking out there. this counts because the instrument is very light weight. In summary it is a plain looking guitar built very well from very nice woods. More frills than the 15 series martins but still a base model sort of look. I actually like that because it looks very traditional and there is nothing in the guitar world more trad thatn 12-frets. A form fitted case is included in the price. The case is heavy! The guitar is light.

I wanted a smaller body guitar that I could play while sitting on the couch in the living room. I like to noodle around with alternate tunings and fingerstyles as well as straightforward ragtime/country blues stuff. This guitar is very balanced though not particularly loud. It has great sustain as all 12-fret guitars do. It is a very bright sounding guitar. Small body, mahogany back and sides, spruce top add up to bright clear sound. That said I have to stress the balance. Everything rings out with equal clarity and it does not get boomy or muddy. I would describe it as a ringing brightness rather than a tinny sounding brightness. It records like a dream through when micced. I stick a soundhole mic in for live and run straight through a Fender acoustic amp. It's all good. The guitar is alive. Very responsive to even a light touch with bare fingers. Very clear when flat picking. Sometimes when it is sitting by the open window and the wind hits it at the right angle it plays itself! No kidding! It's a very responsive instrument.

"Factory set-up" basically means, "high enough so no fret will ever buzz in the store." I actually like the Martin Factory specs because I play with bare fingers and can get "under" the strings a little more than with very low action set-ups. It is by no means too high. Hey, it's the Martin factory set-up! If you want it different change it. Nicest top wood (cosmetically) I've seen on a guitar in this price range. I assume it's a AA top but mine is certainly near the top of that grade range. Nice back and sides with even grain, stained very nicely. Rosewood heel plate and headstock plate are very lovely wood. The construction is typical of Martins in that they have a great quality control dept. The "modified oval" neck shape is very versatile and my hands fit fine on it. The frets were fininshed better than I've seen on any other Martin I've purchased (three).

It is a light instrument. I wouldn't want to take it on a world tour without a back up but I play fairly firmly and don't baby it too much at home. Martin isn't the oldest family owned business in the country for no reason. It's a good product. I trust it will last me and then probably my daughter through any reasonable use. The tuners are the best on the market.

Martin warranty is for the lifetime of the original purchaser. the company has been around four times longer than I have so I'm pretty comfortable that they'll do what they say if need be. I had a glitch in the registration because Musician's Friend doesn't send out a regular salees reciept with the serial number on it but the cust. service rep at martin was very promptly attentive, kept me informed of the proccess, and they got things together in good order for the registration. it's hard to be kind and helpful via e-mail but I will say they were very professional and helpful which might be all one could want.

I've played stringed instruments for forty years. Electric, acoustic, foreign and domestic, nylon and steel. I have a martin SPD-16W, a coupl;e of ukeleles, a violin, a larrivee parlor guitar, a fender strat, and and a baby taylor. I love this guitar. 12 fret guitars are incredibly comfortable to play. the balance is more towards the body, and the fretting hand is closer to my body when playing open chords. The slotted headstock puts more pressure downwards over the nut and that increases the sustain. The bridge is more in the center of the largest area of the top and that means the top gets "driven" more efficiently which increases volume and sustain. If you are tired of dreadnoughts that put your arm to sleep or if you are a smaller person this is a great size instrument. My twelve year old daughter loves this guitar. There is something indefinable about the feel and sound of 12 fret models. They give you more back for your efforts than 14 frets do. I would replace it with another in an instant!!! Plus that slotted headstock is way cool looking!

The features of this guitar greatly exceed the price. I can't imagine more guitar for the money, especially with the Martin name on it. Solid Sitka spruce top... nice gloss finish. Solid mahogany sides and what appears to be a single piece of solid mahogany on the back, although the official specs say two-piece back. (?) The low oval neck and 1-3/4" nut are perfect for finger picking. The action came from the factory set up the way I like it. Apparently this nut was fitted well by someone at Martin and the strings stay in tune. The single unit butterbean tuners are nice, very precise and preferable over a 3-in-a-line set. If you ever bend/break one, (aaarrggh! be careful.) you can replace a single tuner.

The 000-16sgt has a strong blues sound, and good bass response but can ring sweetly in the higher registers. Flatpicking or fingerpicking, it's a great guitar for the money. We have played everything from Django to Garcia to Muddy Waters on her, and she sings! It likes a pick, but you'll put it down and use your fingers.

This guitar is a very handsome and classically beautiful model with the slotted head, striped tortoise pickguard, ebony fretboard & bridge, Sitka Spruce (some claw marks) top and overall just "plain pretty." Black purfling binding is the right idea up against the mahogany and spruce. The setup from the factory was better than I expected, and almost perfect for fingerpicking. The 000 small body sits in the lap very nicely and you don't have to crawl over the waist like a dreadnought or cut off the blood in your arm. Pleasantly, it feels good.

Satin finish on the back and sides make it a durable piece. It will travel with us to many festivals and I'm sure it will get lots of oohs and aaahs. It is X-braced and built to endure. The neck is strong and solid. The wooden Martin case that comes with it is really nice with the same dark green plush interior and strong brass latches.

Top quality support. Gibson, are you listening? Registering your warranty actually gets registered in the system. This company represents American quality the way it should be. You get to talk to real people.

I have been playing for 40+ years since I was a kid growing up in Memphis. This guitar made me smile more than any other I have ever owned! No negative comments from me, but one warning: The current factory specs say the fingerboard and bridge will be MICARTA on upcoming 000-16 models. Plastic? I lucked out and found one with striped ebony. If you want plastic, buy a Korean knock off. But, look around and you can still find the ebony 16s in stock as of now, Feb. '02.

i've had this guitar for on 6 months now, and like most other 12 fret owners, like both the sound and vibe. in terms of features.. well.. it's a 12 fret neck, rosewood fretboard with a traditional dreadnaught neck (more or less) with a 1 3/4 inch spacing. it's a 000..

in terms of sound- it's a great fingerstyle guitar AND it works well with a pick. i play mostly old timey music- whether that be country, country blues, or string band music... it fits in well with banjos and fiddles where a dreadnaught is too loud and boomy.. on it's own it hums like a marshall amp- but in 30 years... oh my.. i can't wait til then.
originally, i'd purchased the 00015s- the mahogany version of this guitar with less polished finish.. i LOVED it.. but the low E was just too dead. it thunked. this guitar SNAPS in the bottom, which is great for travis picking. like i said- it's got 'new guitar nasality' which i reckon will open up as it ages, but in the grander scheme of things.. i can wait a while.
besidedly- it's louder than most would think, and i think riley puckett would play one..

i had problems much like the first reviewer.. just kinda sloppily set up. it WORKED, and was adequate to give you the right idea, but to really get it right it's best to have it set up to your specs. but so are most guitars lest they're built by a really really expensive luthier. not that martin isn't- but for 900 bucks? it's still a production guitar, and why would you expect it NOT to be.. jeez.. it's practically free at that price.. especially next to the 5000 bucks you'd have to shell out to get a vintage 12 fret 000..
likewise.. i'm not sure about the SGT thing either.. if i built it, i'd just've lacquered the whole thing.. but i didn't. obviously.. i still bought it though! it's still clean as a whistle, and i think that martin mixed a lot of tasteful finishes together- the herringbone soundhole, black purfling, plain old dots.. very much the working guitar and thankfully, not too flash.

it will and has stood up to lots of live playing at silly volumes. it stays in tune (now that i've had the nut filed.. it DID NOT at first..), and god if it isn't the most comfortable guitar for 12 hour old time stints.. the finish is bulletproof. nary a problem yet, and i don't really expect any!

well.. i've been playing for over 10 years, and i have a 74 martin d18s, an early teens b&j parlor guitar, and a '36 gibson 00 12 fret. it sits right in there as a quick chord changer, a good fingerstyler with just enough sustain, and lotsa volume. i wish it had a wider string spacing and maybe a v neck.. but i really like the FATTY necks (my others have nigh on 2" nuts). by and large though- it's such a good mix of 'modern' guitar and old styling that there's not much room for complaint.
like i said- i actually bought a 000-15s first for its really open sound- but the bass definition made me bring it back for this one. it does just about everything right- but DON'T expect a dreadnaught for volume or for sheer bass.. you'll be disappointed, but it'll be your own fault. but if you're looking for a solid small bodied guitar that records beautifully, is comfortable, has a really sweet bell like tone, and has major 30's mojo, this is your instrument.

Here are the specs on this brand new model from Martin:
-000 12 fret auditorium (elongated old-style body, slot head (rosewood
overlay with old-style small Martin decal)
-top wood is sitka spruce (narrow grain with a few "bear scratches")
-rosette is bold herringbone with black fiber rings
-dark tortoise pickguard (not the pepperoni pizza style)
-hybrid X style with A-frame supporting fretboard extension
-back and sides are mahogany with satin light red mahogany toner
-bridge and fretboard are striped ebony (more chocolate brown than
black in color)
-Pearl dots and 19 frets on fretboard
-single ply black binding on body
-nut is 1&3/4" and scale length is 25.4 inches
-tuners are open Waverly slot head design (very classy and precise)
-Finish is satin with gloss top
-new mortise and tenon neck attachment technology
-Martin SP+ coated strings
-hard shell case with flat lid

This guitar is a modern recreation of the old Martin slot head design in an affordable price range. While from the outside it looks authentically old, it is crafted with the new neck technology and bracing pattern which are computer machined and shaped and require much less hand work than the old dove-tail joint and hand shaped bracing. Nevertheless, Martin seems to have their act together and the whole instrument is well done.

I have always been partial to Martin 12 fret slotheads. The best sounding guitar I ever had was an old 1969 D-18S in this design which I let a pretty girl buy off me. When I saw Martin was offering this model I ordered one through a dealer sign unseen. Although the guitar wasn't set up well (the D and G string lots at the nut needed chasing with a file to clear up annoying raspyness), this guitar lived up to my tonal expectations once it was set up. Despite it's relative inexpensiveness, it's a very responsive and expressive instrument, especially for fingerstyle. Since it's spruce topped and solid mahogany back and sided, it tends to be on the bright side with somewhat thin and "airy" trebles. The balance is awesome, with no discernable difference in volume between any of the strings. As typical of most quality mahogany guitars, there is a distinct separation from string to string. Volume is comparable to a dreadnought although the bass notes are less powerful (they don't rumble through you in the same way).
I play old time and Celtic music in both flatpick and fingerstyles, and this guitar offers exceptional versatility, unlike my dreadnought which prefers to be flatpicked. This Martin is a great all-purpose
guitar for a variety of styles, although a person would be better served by a dreadnought if he were playing bluegrass rhythm. This guitar really shines in alternate tunings, and is probably the best I have ever played in DADGAD.

As I mentioned, the nut was not set up well and the strings creaked and groaned during tuning and the D and G were raspy. I refiled all the slots because Martin sets them up too high for my tastes and that took care of that.
Otherwise, the fit and finish are excellent, especially the tightness and cleanliness of the inside work, which is remarkable.
I am still undecided on the satin/gloss combination. I think everything should be one way or the other.
The top wood is fairly narrow grained, but has several "bear scratches" in the grain (I really can't call it bear clawed). What was once considered undesirable in wood is now all the rage.
I should mention that the Waverly tuners are way classy and are usually only seen on "boutique" guitars. But they're on this guitar and much nicer than the sealed gotahs found on the 000-15S.
After setting up the nut, I found the action to be extremely smooth and fast. It almost feels like it plays itself. The light gauge strings feel like extra lights.
on the other hand, I was not so impressed with the rather cheap looking plastic bridge pins and endpin and will replace them with ebony as soon as feasible.

This is a Martin and the history of this company speaks for itself in this regard. I actually think the machined mortise neck design and hybrid X design are improvements over the traditional and more expenseive dovetail and should stand up to the test of time without need for a neck set. I think I'll keep this guitar for awhile and I see no reason why it won't hold up.

I've never had a problem with Martin and I've owned several.

I love this guitar because it's good execution of my favorite design at a reasonable price. Martin 12 fret models simply offer a sound and vibe you can't get anywhere else. Collings and Santa Cruz both offer similar guitars but at much higher prices.
I've been playing old time country music and Celtic fingerstyle for more years than I care to remember and I've owned many acoustics over the years, but I keep coming back to the 12 fret.
I have currently been playing Tacoma guitars (a DG21E2 maple/sitka)
and an ER22C (rosewood/cedar) which are excellent guitars in their own right. But this Martin gives me something special for my old-time playing and contest performances. It simply has an old-time vibe the others don't have (they sound and look like "modern" guitars)
The only improvement I can think of is that I wish the whole body was finished in gloss. But then they would have to charge more.