Martin 000C-16GTE

Just the standard - Fishman Prefix Pro, Cutaway Body Style, Narrow Auditorium Body. Standard Tuners, but they are smooth and able to make very minor adjustments in pitch very easily. Gloss top with mahogany sides. Minimal cosmetic stuff like inlays/bindings. (I wanted a guitar not a piece of furniture).

I give it an eight just because I didn't get any cool accessories like a care kit or strap or anything. Also there wasn't a user's manual for the Fishman Prefix Pro, I had to go the website and download a manual.

I think the sound is excellent and balanced. I play acoustic rock and contemporary Christian music. Unamplified, its not super loud, I get drowned out by the other guitar player who has a D-28, but then you would expect that given the dreadnaught vs. auditorium body style.

Amplified it sounds really good through the keyboard amp (a Roland KC-500), and not so good through the clean channel of my rock amp (a Carvin SX-200). It does sound unbelievable through the Roland AC-100 with a little chorus and reverb.

I love it for fingerpicking or strumming it has excellent mellow tone. I've used both the Martin and Elixer strings and each gives the guitar an excellent tone.

I tried out some Taylor, Larravie and Ovation guitars also, but chose the Martin because I thought the sound was much better. Also the action and neck were excellent for my playing style. The Taylor I tried was really bright and if I were a country or bluegrass player I would definately give the Taylor a listen. The larravie sounded OK but I didn't like the feel of the neck. Ovation had great neck and action, but only sounded good amplified and I didn't like the unamplified tones as much as the Martin.

I bought this off the rack at Guitar Center. Was great. No cosmetic flaws. Plastic protector was still on pickguard. Everything nice and tight.

It seems a delicate guitar when you hold it. The wood is thin which means it resonates great, but seems a little fragile. I've lugged it around to performances and practice and it has held up so far, but I've only had it six months.

The finish does tend to get little spots from sweat drops that won't polish out. I know the other guy in our group with a D-28 has the same problem. Keep a good coat of wax on it. Keep it wiped down as often as possible.

Never had to call so far so can't rate

Been playing 30 years off and on. I love this guitar. Everyone at church and the places I play claim they can really tell the difference between a Martin and other guitars. It's my favorite acoustic guitar I've ever played.

If lost I would definately get another one if it played as well as the one I've got. ( there's always variation even in stock guitars, I might have gotten the pick of the litter)

The only reason I don't give it a 10 is because hey there might a better guitar out there that I just didn't try.

Brand new 2001, made in Nazareth, PA. As above reviews, spruce top, mahog. back and sides. Gloss top, satin back, sides and neck. Venetian cutaway, medium-shallow body, smaller "auditorium" size. Fishman Prefix Pro preamp. Lots of control: volume, notch, 4 band EQ. Got it with the Martin tolex case. Pretty much what I was looking for in a cutaway elec/acoustic. Characteristically unadorned Martin.

I Play folk, bluegrass, blues etc. and contemporary praise and worship. Looking for a brighter, acoustic suitable for playing thru a PA, tho I use a Fender 112 Deluxe and J station at home. Guitar produces sparkly bright highs to muted acoustics, tho it can't beat my dreadnought acoustic for that nice woody resonance.

Bught the guitar off the wall at GC. Setup was fine and played smooth as glass. Looked it over really well, because I didn't really want to spend that much, but couldn't find a flaw.

I've only had the guitar a short while so I can't attest to its durability. Lightly built, which scares me. But I rely on the Martin reputation for quality and craftsmanship. I will use it on stage, but treat it gently.

I've played all styles of music for 34 years. Garage bands, club stuff, GB. Turned mostly acoustic 20 years ago, but I play whatever is called for. I've owned a Martin D18 and Gibson J45 (in the '70s), but now own an old Fender F3 acoustic, old Telecaster, P-Bass, Lace Helix LG-1, and an old Mandolin. I started looking for a cutaway A/E in the $600 range, a "working" guitar. Tried a Fender JG26SCE (cedar top, similar to Martin). Almost bought an Ovation Balladeer, but tried the Martin at my wife's urging. Side-by-side comparison revealed that the Martin was a far more playable instrument (surprisingly). I upped the ante and bought the Martin, tho I'm still squeaking. Guitar is definitely less adorned than a comparable Taylor, but I'm a no-frills guy. This is a lifetime purchase, but I'd try something else if I lost this one.

This is a recent (2000) purchase I waited two months for. I don't normally buy an unauditioned instrument but.....I'm certainly not unhappy with this instrument!

The 000C-GTE is an 'auditorium' size guitar (000) with the Venitian Cutaway (C) and is from Martin's 16 series of instruments. The 'GT' denotes it as a Gloss Top and the 'E' stands for the electronic Fishman 'Prefix Plus' pickup/preamp system. It is a gloss two piece spuce top with the satin finish mahogany sides/back and neck. Rosewood is used for the bridge and fingerboard. It is 14 frets to the body with the Venitian cutaway allowing easy access to the 17th/18th frets.

Electronics provide control for Vol/Treble/Mid/Bass and a Brilliance, Notch and Phase! All very useful when tayloring your sound with a new or different PA or amp. Another feature is the control board flips over for easy access to the battery! Neat trick!

I was looking for a 'belly guitar' or 'tummy axe' for sittin' around at home. The 'auditorium' size and features more than satisfy those requirements.

I've been playing on and off for over thirty-five years. Mostly blues, rock and bluegrass. As a consequence, I finger pick, flat pick, and in general 'hack' around. Pure personal amusement anymore.

This is a new instrument and the more I play it the more she warms up. She was a bit sterile when I first brought her home but with a new set of strings and a number of hours under the pick is beginning to warm up beautifully. Volume is very constant and predictable across all strings although the bass 'E' doesn't ring like a dreadnought it is still very solid. The sound and tone is full without the bass, mid or treble being accentuated. Noting the warming with only a few hours of play time I'm sure she will become a very well balanced rich sounding axe once broken in.

It reacts well to finger picking and flat picking. Individual notes ring clear and with definition. More time will be needed to fully realize her potential.

Factory setup was excellent! Fully what I would expect from a Martin that lists for $1600! Workmanship was fantastic with the spruce top and mahogany back and sides well matched. I have not found a blemish or ill fitting joint one! Neck was perfect from the factory and the fit and finish were to be compared with any of the high end guitars and I have played many! Only aggrevation I found was the top point of the pickguard was a bit sharp on my finger (poo baby) so a quick touch with a jewelers file took care of that! I also took the edge off each side on the fretboard side of the nut. Just more comfortable for me. I sure can't call that a fit and finish fault, just me being 'picky'!

Also, I might add, that I purchased the 'deluxe' carrying case and have gotten as many comments on the beauty of the case as the guitar itself! aaaargh! The case is built like a tank and weighs 3-4 times what the guitar does! Hmmmm, maybe Tonka designed it ;^)

If this guitar lives up to the C. F. Martin reputation of being built like a tank, I certainly don't have any quams about it's reliability.

Although the guitar is light in weight it is very solid.

I haven't been on the road since the sixties so can't really rate it as a potential road warrior. I certainly do think that with proper care it would do very well though. Of course some people could trash a brick!

I haven't had reason to contact Martin with a problem, but understand from many other players I know, that they are one of the best about standing behind their product.

I did call them about delivery date and found them to be very courteous and informative. What a pleasant surprise!

Needless to say, I'm very pleased with this instrument. Definately lives up to my expectations and with time and playing will warm up and gain the richness I expect from a quaility instrument.

I've been playing on and off for thirty-five years plus. I presently own a thirty-five year old Hagstrom classical, an Ovation '92 Collector Series acoustic/electric and a Fender Am Std Strat and three Fender amps. Hmmmm, guess I'll be buying an acoustic amp soon!

I've played many other acoustics including Taylor, Takamine, Gibson and Larrivee and settled on the Martin. And, yes, if it was stolen I would replace it! It fits the requirements I had for a comfortable performance grade 'tummy' guitar for sitting around the house. It's a 'keeper'! Definately a good bang for the buck! IMHO

new model martin. grand concert, cutaway, gloss top, with a fishman prefix pro pickup. solid spruce top with solid mahogany sides and back. martin closed tuners and a 25.4 inch scale that joins the body at the 14th fret. comes with a martin hsc.

i'm a guitar hack. mostly strum chords and play some feeble lead licks. should practice more than obscess about guitars. out of the box the D and the G strings were nearly dead. martin reffered me to my local authorized dealer who told me that since i had bought the unit by mail that i should not darken their doorstep. martin gave me a second choice some miles away but worth the trip.

sound at this point is much improved. however the B string is much stronger under amplification than the rest. the small body yields a small sound that is neither balanced, rich or sweet. it's brand new but seems to lack any depth or resonance. i think the pickup beneath the bridge is sapping some of the energy from the top of the guitar. will it open up in time? maybe not enough to really make a difference.

out of the box the guitar was terrible. truss rod completely loose in the neck. nut poorly set up, which caused the B and the G strings to sound like rubber bands. very difficult to play any open chords due to high nut. bracing was clean, frets were in my opinion high and rough, but were actually only 40/1000sth high (normal).

obviously i'm not a pro, but this is a solid instrument. though i'm not in love with it, this is a very well made though poorly set up instrument.

martin was great. they reffered me to a terrific luthier who fixed all the problems beautifully. martin paid for the set up in full. great service.

i've played badly for thirty years and have had lots of instruments. this is the first time i've risked $835 bucks. i feel the neck is too narrow for my hands, fingerpicking seems harder than it should. the pickup thrugh my peavy 50 sounds poor.