Martin 000-CXE Auditorium

All black, composite wood/plastic body with plastic bridge and plywood (?) neck. USA made. Looks great. Electronics very good. Neck almost electric like - fast and comfortable.

It should sound awful but it doesn't - it sounds great, both acoustic and plugged into an amp. I have the action very low and use it for fingerpicking - no flat picks for this baby. For what is essentially few bits of cheap near wood it sounds good and it very definately a Martin. It's my workhorse , like a faithful dog.

I got this second hand unseen and the previous owner was a heavy smoker. It had been used as ashtray and it stunk big style as well as being full of strange gritty bits and dead flies. The strings had been on from like day one and a sweaty greasy green bandanna was wrapped around the headstock. Wearing my trusty HazMat suit I thoroughly cleaned this abused puppy and hung it out to dry. It must have been left in the sun as the bridge was lifting clear. Strangely the electrics still worked, despite a leaking battery. Once the bridge had been fixed (see below), a good clean up, new strings and some air freshener, the guitar looks, sounds and plays surprisingly well.

One major flaw - the plastic bridge glue bond with the plastic top. Ordinary Titebond won't hold it. 2 part Epoxy won't hold it. Cyanoacrylate for plastics won't hold it. I contacted Martin support and they said to bolt the bridge to the top. Bolt it!?

So four M4 Allen screws later and a home made bridge plate and Hello Frankenstein. It looks industrial yet cool, like Arnie the Terminator's guitar. The neck is rock solid and ain't going nowhere. The melamine finish is like the kitchen units - tough.

Martin customer email person Ms Primrose was very helpful.. Not many luthiers where I live so I was in DIY.

Been playing for 40 years now. This is one of the nicest acoustics I ever owned. It's tough and takes knocks well. It stays in tune. It sounds good and it looks good, especially with the bolt through the neck. If it were lost I'd not buy another because my ex wife ensures I'm always broke. Wish I'd married my guitar.

One tip - if you buy one - keep it out of the sun.

Features are great. I've had a few problems where the plug/strap nut has come undone and I've had to struggle with a wrench inside to get it back together. Now that it's tight, all is well.

Sound is great and is the same as the wood Martins.

Here's where my problems are. The action when I bought it was right on. Now the top has developed that little S curve. Putting a straight edge on it, I say it was about 1/16" out of dead flat. This has translated to a 1/16" higher action. For instance when I use a capo up a couple frets, it feels just right. Open, it's high. On my next string change, I'm gonna adjust the neck. The neck as a very slight bow to it, (straight edge, but that is normal with guitars so that strings don't buzz as one moves around the neck. As for the warp in the top, I have an old handmade spruce top and it is very warped. If I get the action down with a neck adjustment, then I'll be happy.

Great. No damage at all and my high school son takes to school and they pass it around in various classes to jam on. What they do with their little acid hands on my strings is another thing! God bless Fast Fret!

The Graphics on the guitar seem to be holding up fine. Could be that it spends so much time out in the open. Maybe the moisture in a closed case contributes to the peeling away of the decorative paint. Could be that the bond of the paint is affected by slightly moist air.

one phone call and the guy said send it in...

I was satisfied with the materials durability and features including a Fishman pickup when purchased. After a few months the graphite nut wore so badly that strings where rubbing the frets so I had to have a Luthier fill the nut with superglue. Also the composite body does not expand and contract with slight climate changes causing the guitars neck to pitch and other numerous very hard to see changes.

It had a great sound for a finger stylist when it was purchased. But after the guitar settled and was exposed to sitting in its case properly humidify as all guitars should be it was horrible.

The factory setup was very good, and was in great condition when i purchased this guitar but soon the decorative rosette wore off. After 3months of owning and playing the guitar while properly humidified the wood bracing began to shrink but the composite body did not casing the top to sink to a slightly concave shape and destroying the sound of the guitar

This guitar will do nothing it was intended to do and was inproperly represented. The roset has worn off, the top has sunk because of woods tendency to change size and composite materials to stay the same. It is solidly constructed if you need a guitar to throw around or posibly go swimming with.

Terrible, when I sent the guitar in because of design flaws they sent it back claming nothing was wrong even though you could clearly see the large dip below the bridge. It is still under both a Guitar Center warranty and the Martin warranty but both refuse do anything about the poor workmanship and design of the guitar.

I would never buy one of these guitars or a composite Martin guitar again, and probably not a solid wood guitar from Martin now that they failed to do anything about a guitar that was terrible. I would have traded it in for a guitar of lesser value but they were unwilling to do anything about there product. If a Martin Rep wants to contact me and resolve this I would be more than satisfied.

Made in good ol' USA, auditorium HPL body in sexy jet black, Fishman Prefix Pro preamp, I also got it with the martin 330 hardcase which fits like a glove.

When I first got it I wasn't very impressed by it's volume and tone, probably because the last "nice" guitar I played was a friend's Taylor 314ce. When I got to compare it side by side with a Yamaha apx-9 ($800 w/ great elec.) and Big Baby ($400 w/ no elec.), it BLEW them out of the water! Big Baby sounded like a box and Yamaha sounded like a tin can. It just sounded so rich and balanced, feels and looks great too.

Setup was just the way I like it, low yet buzzless no matter how hard you go at it. Comes w/ Medium gauge SP strings which is a bit hard on my fingers, so I'll put on some DR black beauties light later ... black strings on black guitar =)

I would gig without a backup for sure. I think this is one of the most reliable quality guitar you can get. Other have said the headstock logo wears off, so I'm praying hard mine won't!

Haven't dealt with them yet and I hope I don't have to!

I'm a singer/songwriter so guitar is more of a writing tool for me. You might think this is a lot of money for a "man-made" guitar but the sound and quality more than justify it. I played for 3 hours straight and wrote 3 tunes the night after I got it, it just felt THAT great. My Baby Taylor just sits in the corner now ... poor baby!

Not sure of the year. It's one of what I call the "HPL" Martins, using a high-pressure laminate top, back, and sides, instead of a true tonewood. Has on board Fishman Active Matrix with Bass, Mid, Treble, and Presence, and Notch. The body is slightly thinner than a Dreadnaught, triple-O size with cutaway, and is extremely comfortable to play standing OR sitting. The neck is Stratabond, but the fingerboard plays and feels EXACTLY like a Martin. I've owned a D-18 since 1972, and it feels almost identical.

I bought this guitar to replace my D-18, which has seen more than it's share of gigs and needs to be retired. Unless I'm playing solo, I run a hybrid electric/acoustic rig, into the PA, but also through a volume pedal into a tube amp. I use the tube amp for distortion (you'd be surprised how much a Martin sounds like a Paul or SG through a tube amp). The 000-CXE replaced the D-18 PERFECTLY for this setup. I plugged in, cranked it, and instant Townshend or Angus.

The direct sound through the PA sounds just a tad "plastic". Still very usable, mostly like a good Martin but with a single distant ancestor Ovation (maybe 1/32) somewhere in it's bloodline. But it still has the Martin "thump" and hey...it's laminate, not spruce, what do you expect? It's got a TON of body, to be a thinline type guitar. It puts other thinlines, Godins, Fenders, even the T5 imo (sorry Taylor) ...to shame. I would probably not use this guitar for a solo acoustic gig in an intimate setting. It's not quite got the shimmer for that, but in a live band setting, no one notices the difference.

Unplugged it's interesting. Very different from a spruce top, but nice and unique in it's own way. Once again, it STILL has the characteristic Martin "thump". A little "soft", both in volume and tone, not too bright, maybe 75% of the sound level of a big D-18 or D-28.

I play everything from Bluegrass to Blues, Soul, Southern and Classic Rock. I wouldn't use this guitar in all situations, but for what it does and the price, it is FANTASTIC.

I bought it from eBay, which was risky. But I'd tried several in the music stores and they all seemed to be pretty consistent. I'd also read alot of good reviews online. And with the HPL being more "stable" than a true tonewood, I figured I could trust it. The guitar has a flat black "stealth" finish. Very basic, but solid.

When I got the guitar it had very light guage strings (probably to reduce neck stress during shipping). It also had a slight forward bow in the neck. I about freaked. It played terrible and I couldn't keep it in tune. I was convinced I'd be re-selling it and didn't even want to waste a set of fresh strings on it!

How wrong could I be. I put a new set of 12-53s on it, adjusted the neck with an allen wrench, and it seemed better. So I took it to a gig to try, but with my Seagull as a backup. I was tempted to play the Seagull first set, but said what the heck, I'll try the Martin. (this was an acoustic duo gig with another guitarist) I'm glad I tried it. The guitar performed brilliantly and played and felt near IDENTICAL to my D-18. This guitar may be a "plastic Martin", but it it Martin, through and through. NO WAY I'm selling it. It's a steal at the price I paid.

This was the primary reason I bought this guitar. My D-18 has suffered tremendous "gig damage" over the years. I do alot of outside gigs, in the sun, etc...The second gig I used the new HPL for was on a large houseboat, with a misty rain. Even though we were under a canopy, we still got a little wet. I wasn't the least bit concerned about my little "stealth bomber" Martin. Just wiped off the dampness, not a trace showed. This guitar can go places you'd never take a nice acoustic guitar. And still gives you all the playability and about 80% of the sound.

Well, Martin has the lifetime warranty, but it really doesn't apply in this case, cause I'm not the original owner. But the company's been around 100 years, so they're gonna back their products. I also own the aforementioned D-18, and a D-35. I've tried Taylors, but they just don't compare to the big M, in my opinion. I've got a Taylor baby which has given me a ton of trouble and cost me alot of money. (even wrote Bob about it, but that's another story)

I've been playing 35 years. This is my 3rd Martin. I also own the mentioned Taylor Baby (arrrgh...) and a single-0 size Seagull Grand that is SPECTACULAR. Also several electrics, the best being a hot rodded '65 Silvertone.

If the HPL Martin were lost or stolen, I'd probably replace it. It really does EXACTLY what I bought it for. There's nothing I really hate about it.

I bought this guitar because it plays well, sounds great for recording and live applications and it is almost completely made from man made materials.

The top, back and sides are HPL (high presure laminant) and the neck is Stratabond. Statabond is layers of real wood laminated and fuses with polymers, then put a through CNC machining for shaping. You could pry a car door open with a stratabond plank. High quality gun replacement stocks have been routed out of this material for years. It looks and vibrates like wood but it is indestructable.

The biggest feature in this guitar is that it can ride in a freezing cold car trunk and go right into a studio or club without the owner freaking out about the guitar getting damaged. This is a great working guitar. I own 5 wooden Martins that I could never take out in the elements like I can with this guitar. Nice.

Like the other Martin X guitars, this one does not project like the wooden guiats. It still sounds very nice. The X guitars feel loud to the player because they vibrate well but they project about 80% as much as a wooden guitar. They still sound very nice.

Plugged in the guitar is fantastic. The Prefix Pro has 4 band EQ, a notch filter, phase switch and volume. It sounds like an acoustic guitar but loud when plugged in. I can go direct into my digital 8 track and make nice demos. I'm very happy with the sound overall.

I'm rating a 9 here only because of the acoustic projection limitations.

I did not need to tweak the set up and there is no buzz when playing fingerstyle, strumming, flatpicking or whomping. Very Nice.

Read my first two paragraphs.

I have called CF Martin on sevearl occasions. They take calls, answer questions, and have one of the best free factory tours you could ever take. CF Martin is very customer orientated.

Built like a tank - responds like my OM 16 GT - records like a dream.
Neat indestructable guitar. Very nice concept. Good Electronics.
I dig the black body and grey neck.

I am basing this on the rest of the reviews. I am only a 2 year guitar player, so I don't know as much, relatively speaking, as others on this posting. Suffice to say that the features are described in detail in other reviews.

I play mostly rock (classic and modern), blues, fingerpicking classical and this guitar suits all of these styles perfectly. Unplugged, it sounds phenomenally deep and rich sound for a thin-body guitar. I have a Marshall 15CDR amp and, when plugged into it, the sound is clear and bright. Also, the guitar does really well distorted.

Amazing how smooth the action on the neck is. Very nice. The cutout is nice for reaching the higher notes which ring very clear. Played sitting down, it sits very well. But interestingly enough, the guitar, in my opinion, is more comfortable to play standing up. It is very well balanced, and as noted earlier, the strap buttons are in the correct locations, so the neck doesn't start to droop.

I haven't had the guitar long enough (only about a week) to make a real call on this. But I have strummed the hell out of it and no marks yet, nor has the rosette started to peel as others have noted.

Lifetime Limited, good warranty, but haven't had to deal with the company yet.

Like I said, I am a relative beginner guitar player, but even so, I felt obligated to write about this guitar. The sound and tone off of it is amazing, unplugged or amp'ed. I tested out other guitars (Ovation Chet Atkins, Ibanez) and, on a whim, decided to chech out the Martin/Taylor/Gibson Room at the shop and was immediatly struck by the guitar. It is really a beautiful instrument, though not made of wood (about the only thing I don't really like about it). However, the sound is what is really important, and Martin has done it in this case, laminate or not. I think I played for less than 30 seconds before deciding this was the guitar for me. I highly recommend it.

I won't bore you with the details again as they have already beed given a thousand times before.

For the style music I play I couldn't find a better guitar. It is the perfect guitar for my needs. I usually gig once a week, (rock, classic rock, some folk), and this little monster has never let me down. The sound that comes out of this guitar amazes me. Sometimes I still look at it and wonder how they could make a small bodied guitar sound like this. I've played Fender, Gibson, Takamine, Dean, Ovation guitars just to name a few and none of them have ever given me the sound satisfaction that i was looking for until now. Usually, I play this guitar through a PA. system. It has a very rich sound (deep lows and bright highs) and with no feedback (probably due in part to the narrow body). I have not yet found any dislikes with this guitar although I have heard that the rosette does wear off after a while. So far, mine is still in tact. It won't really worry me though. The sound makes up for any cosmetic flaws that this guitar will ever have.

This guitar came directly from Martin & Co. And when I got it, I found the action to be set a bit high. Not so much that you couldn't deal with it but a bit more than I would have liked. So I had it taken down a bit and now it is perfect. No complaints!

This guitar will withstand anything you put against her. The laminate finish made this guitar a work horse as far as gigging is concerned. Very durable, scratch resistant (which is great b/c. no pic guard). It's been banged around a couple of times, but to my suprise, there was not a mark on it. Perfect for playing live....I have been using it with no backup since I bought it 6 mos. ago and it has not let me down even once.
Not only are the strap buttons solid but they are actually in the right place. Don't see than too often...

Not sure, haven't need it yet but I'm sure there will be no problems in this category. Martin & Co. have a reputation to keep.

I have been playing guitar now for more that 20 years and I have never played a guitar that was so versitile and so comfortable to play. If it were stolen or lost, I would buy another one hands down. As I said earlier, I would have liked the rosette to be embedded in the guitar or not be there at all for that matter. But it was probably impossible because of the laminate material finish. Reguardless, the sound makes up for any small flaws in appearance.

I won't go into all the features because everyone else has described the guitar in detail. Mine came with a Fishman Preflex Pro pickup, which I'm not sure all of the others described did. I like the graphic equalizer on board there and I especially lke the phase/notch feature.

Absolutely one of the best sounding acoustic/electric guitars I've played in this price range. It's is rich and full, yet not bass heavy on the low end. I play in a duo with my partner playing an Ovation. The blend of these two guitars is phenomenal and many people (mainly other musicians) have commented on the excellent sound.

The action was great for me right "out of the box" and I had little to no adjustments I had to make. I play mainly lead in the duo I work with and this was a great relief to not have to adjust the action too much to keep the strings low yet have no fret noise. Many people notice this guitar because of the flat, matte finish and are suprised to find out it's a Martin.

Here's where I ran into trouble. The decals on the headstock and the rosette around the sound hole are wearing away and/or completely coming off. It's as if they were just super-glued on in a very lame manner and I returned the first one I bought because of this problem. It was replaced no problem but soon started happening again. This really bugs me, especially for a guitar with Martin's reputation. I think they should correct this problem since everyone seems to have it and do a recall. If it weren't for the look, sound, feel and playability of this instrument, I would have exchanged it for an all-wood model.
Everything else in this catagory is great. The hardware is nice,
tight and solid.

I have never had trouble with Martin. They are excellent at what they do. The kids in Guitar Center are another issue.

With the exception of the decals wearing off, I absolutely love this guitar. I own several acoustics including Tacoma, Taylor and Fender. For the price, this guitar in my opinion can't be beat. It is one of the best to come out of the chute in a long time.

these have been covered elsewhere, plus on the Martin website.
Bought mine at Guitar Center. Their prices aren't the lowest, so it should have come with a case.

Acoustic sound is nice and balanced, base is full but not boomy, highs aren't tinny or thin. Sustains nicely without getting muddy. Here's the thing, though: have the guitar shop restring this one with John Pearse 80/20s or some similarly lush, vibrant string. The Martin strings the guitar comes with don't do the guitar justice in either acoustic or amped setting. Especially if you want the guitar for a lot of acoustic practicing and less gigging, you want to hear it with more vibrant strings, because the difference is amazing. Not sure if a guitar store can do this contractually (since the guitar is billed as having Martin strings), but you're not doing the guitar justice until you do this.

Action's great -- low but with no buzzing anywhere. Body's perfect -- it's a high-pressure laminate, so there are fewer seams and no binding, so less places for flaws. Fretboard is flawless, and where it meets the neck is amazingly smooth, frets are nicely filed. Back of neck could be just a bit smoother, but a bit of 0000 steel wool and some neck oil would fix that, I bet. My neck has some dark grain in it that's unusual for this type of laminated neck -- not sure if it's just dirty fingers from the store or something in the wood. Neck is a laminate -- suits my style but maybe not someone else's. Guitar is extremely playable, fretboard is a super-hard, smooth black plastic material -- silky. People notice this guitar- very distinctive flat black everywhere.

Eight months old -- no problems so far. No pickguard, because the "high pressure laminate" material the guitar is made out of doesn't scratch. Strings were blah when I bought it. I never have understood how you can judge guitars in a store. What if the strings have been on the instrument for a whole year?

Phone answers immediately with Martin customer service -- nice folks who like guitars.

This is a 2003 000-CXE Martin made in the USA. It has 20 frets that are reachable through the cutout. The whole thing is made of composite materials except for the braces and neck, which is some sort of ply. The finish is a slightly textured matt finish that gives it a stern presence. It's got a Fishman-Pro accoustic pickup that is quite solid, whereas many accoustic-electrics have cheap-feeling electric components (hard to describe, other than they lack "solidity"). The fretboard is made of a composite material that is quite easy to play on. It's very silky. Overall it's a very plain guitar that is quite attractive nonetheless. It's pitch black....my type of guitar!

The sound is very unique when compared to the myriad of other guitars I have played over the years. It has a very deep, yet smooth tone that brings out a fullness many other guitars in the pric range of $500-1000 lack. When you pick a note or strum a chord its got a crisp, bright sound along with the deepness that gives it the full, warming tones I find so attractive. Basically the sound this guitar makes is powerful. Not harsh, tinny, or muffled at all. When plugged into an amp, though, the sound changes dramatically. The Fishman electronics make the sound VERY bright and crisp. Plugging it in is like turning on a magnificant chandelier. When the chandelier is off it looks great and sparkles, but when you turn it on the thing absolutely shines with brilliance. This sort of sound was created through a fender accoustic tube amp. Recently I've been playing it on a cheap crate 15-watt practice amp and it still sounds brilliant.

The action was just right for me. The strings were of average height from the neck (about 2-3mm) and didnt buzz one bit at standard tuning. When I tuned it down a half to one step there was some slight buzzing in the bass strings, however this could easily be taken care of with some small adjustment. I just tuned it back up to normal pitch.

The composite material is VERY durable. I've had several sharp objects swipe the guitar and not leave a single scratch. There are no pick-marks on it from my heavy playing, which I absolutely love, since I dont particularly find marred and scratched guitars all that attractive. However, one minor problem is the fishtail decal around the sound hole. The decal is quite rugged and doesnt come off with intense scratching. However, at some point I must have played with some oil or solvent on my hands which dissolved part of the decal and eroded it away. It's minor but irritating seeing that I like to keep things intact. Oh well....I kind of wish the design was an inlay of some sort.

I havent dealt with the company at all, but the warranty is a limited lifetime warranty. I, however, forgot to send in the warranty info within 30 days of purchasing the guitar and didnt get the benefits...oh well, my fault. I guess I'll just have to not be careless with it....heck, nobody should be careless with their instruments. :)

Overall it's a solid auditorium guitar that is a real pleasure to own and play. It creates a variety of sound based on whether or not it's plugged in, and for $680 it was a good deal. The other guitars that were of similar quality were selling for $1000-$1300. At first I was skeptical of the composite material, thinking that I was spending money on the new technology rather than the quality of the instrument, but after playing it for a while I could see that this notion was clearly wrong. It's a killer deal and must-have for those looking for the best acoustic-electric guitar they can get for under a grand. :)

I won't repeat the features, but mine is a 000-xe. It's the same guitar w/o the cutaway, and it seemed silly not to just include it here. Especially since I think it's been discounted. The only real feature here is the Fishman Prefix Pro electronics. I love the thinline body, and the black 'formica-like' top is actually nice visually.

I play different styles, but mostly rock, and for a thin body-non wood guitar it sounds great. It does not give you the long, resonating ring of a dreadnaught or solid wood top, but it's deep and rich, and plugged in sounds fantastic. I replaced a 15 year Fender dreadnaught that had great tone and sustain, and while different, I like this as much.

Guitar action is the best of any acoustic I've played. It's low and fast, and the laminated neck is heavy and feels great. I've only had it a short time, but the factory setup wa perfect for me.

As I said, I've only had this guitar a week, and would normally wait longer to rate it, but being I believe it's discontinued, and the fact I got a great 'clearence' price on it at Guitar Trader, I wanted encourage others to grab one if possible.

I've never dealt with Martin, but I believe this has a limited lifetime warranty.

For what it is, I can't say a negative thing about this guitar. I almost bought the 000cxe they had for $630, I like it that much. But when they ran this out at a clearence price of $300, I think it's beyond a steal. It's certainly not a 'traditional' acoustic, but if you're willing to think outside the box it's a great buy.

Composite body which sounds remarkably good, way better than cheaper wood bodies from Takamine and the like. Mine is the flat black finish which shows no pick marks. Appears to be very durable. Good luck finding one. I think they are out of production. It is worth the search.

This is where I was blown away. Forget that solid top crap everybody says. This is my third acoustic (Peavey, Takamine, Washburn) all with solid tops and the Washburn was a Jumbo and this thing sounds way better than all of them unplugged. Plugged in it sounds equally great.

Fit and finish are flawless. Bui it is a Martin. Action was medium low and the easiest acoustic I have ever played. Stays in tune forever, even with hard playing.

Built very solid with the composite materials. Should not warp and I have found out the hard way it can take a pretty good ding with no side effects.

Don't know. Don't plan on knowing.

Best value in a Martin A/E you will find. If you can find one jump on it. You will not lose money reselling it. But you won't sell it.

Guitar is a 03 martin 000-CXE or Auditorium size Cutaways X series Electric/Acoustic. It is made of composite materials and is Martin's experement towards less environmentally detrimental guitar making. It is all composite with a Corian nut saddle and fingerboard, which are virtually indestructable. The neck is a composite of resin impregnated strips of wood. It has a Fishman Prefix Pro pickup. The finish is the standard Black texture finish on this perticular HPL series. In all the features themselves are impressive and the electronics are far and away the most impressive feature

The guitar is as versatile as my playing styles, from hard playing rock, to a variety of fingerstyle. As compared to my Martin DM and other guitars I have made I feel that it has the characteristic martin bass overtones but impressive treble output. The excessive bass however when the guitar is amped needs to be toned down because it has very strong cut.

The action on this guitar is great, it was a little high at first but it settled in to a very playable height. The finish of the guitar is durable and has a very Johnny Cash feel to it.

The guitar itself should be very durable however I am experiancing some bellying on the top, and I have already had to have the bridge re-glued for a lifting wing. The rosette decal is already wearing away from contact with a pick and my fingers as well. Reliability and Durability are questionable.

Martin repair centers have been great with all of my problems, prompt and very courteous. I am extremely happy with the level of professionality and courtesy I have experianced so far.

Love the guitars sound and playability an awesome axe to sling around anywhere. While it is simple looking and clean cut it gets the job done and does a spectacular job at it.

I bought this guitar for 572.00 the stratbond neck feel and plays like silk. micarta fingerboard is slick. factory set up a bit high. HPL body durable and cleans well. fishman pro elect. sound great. plays quicker than my D15. I perform with the CXE and believe that is is the best value per dollar that I have ever perchaced or played. VERY different than the CXAE. much wider and fuller sounding. tubbier than rosewood, of course, but sounds like a martin and certianly plays like one.

I strum and fingerpic. Elixer lights. not as loud as my D15 but plays better. sound is a bit bright. I use it in the super hi z input of a powered mixer thru corus and phase shifter. It plays wonderful and is "all weather" due to HPL instead of tonewoods. I play lots of outside gigs and less than ideal enviromentally safe bars as well as morning cafe solo shows. great all around axe.

action was a bit high, like most martins. fishman pro is fantastic.
nothing else wrong. play the hell out of it ,4-5 hour shows on weekend. VERY durable. HPL finish polishes up with formica countertop polish. that what HPL really is. not too wide for my round belly for seeing what I'm playing.

flat out the most durable guitar ever made

it's a martin. what else to say

I have owned countless guitars lost to pawn shops thieves and abuse.
played for35 years. if this one was stolen I'd buy another tomorrow.
my D15 sounds better and my guild I have always been dissappionted with. this guitar is a perfect fit for me. It's much different than the cxae.