Martin 000C-16RGTE

Mine was made in 2005, in Pennsylvania. Auditorium cutaway body (000), 20 frets... Solid Sitka Spruce top (light gloss finish), with Solid East Indian Rosewood back and sides (satin finish). Spanish Cedar neck, and micarta fingerboard. Chrome tuners.

Has the Fishman Prefix Premium blend, with undersaddle tranducer pickup, as well as a gooseneck mic. Premium blend allows you to blend these two devices together to get the sound you're looking for. It has the ability to give you the best of both worlds of a mic and tranducer, but with the great ability to mix the two, which I've found to be the best. It's also got a nice flip-up feature for the pre-amp, which allows for easy access to the 9V battery.

This guitar is the most versatile guitar around, in my opinion. While it is thinner than a dreadnought, it's Rosewood back and sides attribute to it's "Martin" bass presence. It sounds great plugged in, and just as great unplugged. It's not going to be as loud as a dreadnought, but then again, it's not a dreadnought. I currently have lighter strings on it, but have played it with medium's, and they both sound great. Just depends on what you want. Yeah, there's some feedback that I've been trying to fool with, but I'm sure if I find the right settings, I'll be able to contain it.

I bought this used. The guy before me apparently had it for 5 months, and must've played it with white gloves on, as it didn't have the slightest blemish. The set-up was good, and it's impossible for me to decipher whether or not this was the result of a local set-up, or the set-up from the factory. However, there is a slight buzz on the lower strings. However, I'm sure a little set-up from my local luthier should fix that. The bookmatching is perfect. The wood is high quality, and looks great. Tight and even-grained spruce top, and the rosewood is beautiful and aromatic. I love smelling it when it comes out of the case. There is no bearclaw present on mine, but I've seen them with bearclaw before. Everything is perfect on this baby...

I've only had it for a week, so it's hard to say how it withstands the test of time. It's well-made and should last me a lifetime, with the absence of any major trauma.

The problem with buying it used is that the warranty doesn't transfer. And, haven't had to go to Martin yet.

I've been playing for about 15 years. I play all sorts of stuff, which makes the ultimate versatility of this guitar perfect for me. It's nice and light and small, and doesn't put a strain on me when I play it for too long. If it were lost or stolen, I'd be hard pressed to find another one like it in this condition for this price.

I'm sorry, I am just writing this to follow up the last review. I've played both the new Aura system and the original Prefix Blend and I must say the mic/transducer combo is where it's at. Sure, the Aura may reduce feedback in loud situations, but from my experience true tone has never been achieved from digital modeling. Despite what Fishman may call it, it is indeed modeling. I know they have some sort of euphemism for it I cannot recall. Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Mi has hands down the best Martin prices available, but sadly only stock this model with the Aura. I'm tempted to buy the mahogany model with the "older" Prefix Premium because it sounds so much better in a side by side test. Don't be so quick to jump on the hype. The Aura is still far ahead of much of the competition, but try A/B'ing the two Fishman options. You may be suprised.

This is a new model Martin with the new Aura system. I had a chance to buy a previous model with the old blend system (with the built-in mic) for cheaper, but am glad I didn't. All I can say to those who have the old system and complain about feedback, you should have waited! This thing emulates six different microphones (which are tweakable, with the EQ system, and you can save your settings), plus you can blend it with the piezo (which is also tweakable). It also has a phase button for additional sounds (haven't used that much, though, so can't say how useful that is). Has a built-in tuner, which cuts the sound to the jack, so you can tune onstage without everyone having to endure that. The BEST part, though, is the anti-feedback system, which cuts the offending frequency at the beginning of feedback. MUCH better onstage, and much more useful than the old system.

I'm running this through a Crate CA-125D Telluride amp. Not sure it's possible to make a bad sound with this combination. Every mic model on the Aura system sounds great, and I have a hard time deciding which one to use. Even the piezo sounds good, and I never thought I'd EVER say those words about a piezo. I was looking at the Taylor 700 series guitars because you have to get that high up to get the rosewood back/sides and spruce top combination that I wanted. This guitar was about half the price. I was considering the 710 specifically because of the full size, but liked the 714 style. This Martin is about the size of the 714. I thought I'd lose something in the bass. True, it's not as boomy as a dreadnaught, but you can dial in as much bass as you want (when amplified), and still sounds great acoustically. I was surprised how strong this smaller guitar sounds unplugged. Nicely balanced when fingerpicking acoustically.

What is it with Martin that they think they have to raise the strings a quarter of an inch off the fretboard? I played several other Martins in the store that suffer from this same affliction. I suppose if you are looking for a bottleneck guitar, you wouldn't have to change it, but it was painful, if not impossible, to play anything above the seventh fret. Since I do my own repairs, and have rebuilt several guitars on my own, I knew this wouldn't be a problem. And since Guitar Center threw in a new set of strings, I was able to file down the bottom of the saddle and throw on a new set of strings the first day I had the guitar. Otherwise, I would have required a setup before taking it home.

Other than that, the fit and finish is amazing, and I love the glossy top/matte sides and back. Frets are nice and smooth. Nothing to get snagged on here.

Great guitar, but I've got to drop their rating for the inhumanly high action.

This thing is as light as a feather, which my back and shoulder are grateful. Will it stand up to the road? Can't imagine why not. But I also can't imagine beating up a good guitar for no good reason. I would think if you are going to spend this much money on an instrument, you are going to make sure it's where it belongs (in its case) unless you are on stage. True, things are bound to happen. A bad fall from a guitar stand is going to hurt ANY guitar. But I wouldn't use it without a backup, because that's just stupid.

Haven't had to deal with Martin yet, but I hear they are great. Incidentally, I HAVE dealt with Fishman (who builds the Aura system) and they are GREAT!!!

I've been playing since the (very) early 70s, and have gone through several acoustics and lots of electrics, including Yamaha, Ibanez, Washburn, and (many) Fenders, and currently own about a dozen guitars. This is certainly the best guitar I've ever owned and would hunt down the dog who thought they wanted to steal mine. If I lost it, I'd cry, and then beg my wife to let me get a new one.

This review is of a brand-new 2004 Martin 000C-16RGTE premium, made in the USA, single-cutaway auditorium acoustic guitar. This guitar is Martin's answer to Taylor's line of single-cutaways and compares very favorably with the Taylor 3, 4 and 5 series guitars.

The top is solid spruce and the back and sides are rosewood. The body is fully bound, as is the mahogany neck. It has a Fishman pickup and a gooseneck microphone, which can be blended together for either an amplifier or PA system. The bridge and neck are made of a material called Micarta, which is a combination of wood fiber and resin. The nut width is 1-11/16" and it has a thin neck. The guitar comes with a plush TKL case, which fits the guitar perfectly and is relatively lightweight.

The guitar has a couple of really neat features. The pickup has a built-in tuner that bypasses the signal while engaged and there is a strap-button already installed in the proper position behind the neck.

The only drawback is the notch control on the pickup system, which is loose and easily moved around while playing. The other controls hold their positions much better.

This guitar has a beautiful tone both plugged and unplugged. It really cuts through a mix, even when playing single note runs, and is exceptionally good for fingerpicking. I play in an acoustic band, with a drummer, bass player and another guitarist. I have a Martin DM and it sounds fine but the dreadnought tends to get lost in the mix. Before getting this new Martin, I had a Gibson L4A jumbo guitar, which was far too boomy sounding and could not compete sonically with the other guitarists' Taylor auditorium. This new Martin is the best sounding, most responsive acoustic guitar I've ever played.

I was very skeptical of the Micarta at first. Considering the price tag of this instrument, I expected all wood construction. While I do notice a difference in the feel of the fingerboard, I do not notice a difference in tone. The Micarta is a negligible feature in my opinion.

The factory set-up was perfect for my playing style. The action is as low as an electric guitar.

So far, so good. Martin has a well-deserved reputation for producing guitars that will last a lifetime.

Never needed them.

I'm a Les Paul guy and this is the closest thing to an LP I've ever found in an acoustic. The nut width is the same as an LP and the action is nice and low as well. My band plays four hours a night and my hand does not get fatigued playing this instrument. It is well balanced and cuts through a mix like you won't believe. I've tried Taylors, Gibsons and Ovations, but nothing beats a Martin. This guitar in particular is an exceptional instrument.

I bought this guitar new in early 2003.....I've been playing it a year. The features of this guitar fit my style of finger-pick play perfectly. It is a solid-spruce top Auditorium cut-away with very nice Fishman electronics (includes tuner). It also has a dual pickup/mic system that works very well...provided you use the piezio for amp work and the mic for PA work. Using the mic with an amp invites feedback. I really like the feel of the bridge and fretboard....very smooth. This guitar was my choice out of many offered at Guitar Center...including Gibsons, Takimines, Taylors, etc. No question, this guitar has made me a much better player, primarily because of the neck. This neck style (thin) allows my beat-up, carpel tunnel infested hands to play an acoustic once again! For me, this guitar comes exactly the way I would set it up...perfectly featured, but not gaudy.

I play mainly Contemporary Christian Rock/Worship music. Also love to play Union Station-Type bluegrass. I use a bass amp...sounds ok but it really comes to life with the church PA system..wow! Very clean, pleasant-to-the-ears sound. And another bonus; for such a small package, this instrument has incredible sound when unplugged.

This guitar was set up at Guitar Center and used as a demo...I'd say the action was superb.....I haven't changed anything on the guitar except strings in the year I have had it.

The top seems to be the only question-mark of the whole guitar....the Sitka Spruce top has growth rings that are variable.....not evenly spaced. I am not sure if that affects the sound at all, but from what I have read, the best tops are even....although I want to emphasize it still sounds incredible.

Otherwise.....no flaws at all except a very small pick scratch on the soundboard...probably from some nut that played with a little too much exuberance while at GC.

This guitar only sounds better with time.....and that is saying alot considering it was outperforming many high-dollar instruments in a side-by-side comparison when new. I play it twice a week in performance-type situations....practice and worship, plus some practice thrown in for good measure. It is a somewhat fragile looking instrument that belies it's solid construction.

I have 2 cheapie stand-ins that only sound marginal...and are much harder to play. I'd rather play this 'til it quits.

Other than registering my guitar, I have had no other dealings with them.

I have been playing since I was a 12 year old.....I'm 46 now, but took a 10 year hiatus due to carpel tunnel problems and surgery. I wouldn't change a thing on this guitar.....honest. I would buy another just like it if it was stolen tomorrow. As mentioned, I compared it with some of the better name brand accoustics that are set up very similar.....Gibsons, Takamines, Taylors, and others and this one rose to the top of the heap.....no question.

You can contact me on email....please only serious inquiries. Thanks.

"Built just the way I like guitars - very simple, lightweight and resonant. The Martin closed tuners are accurate and don't slip and the Fishman stereo mix gets a great sound through a PA or amplifier. The top is solid spruce with a very nice tight grain so it rings like a bell. The back and sides are solid Mahogany and very light. Frets are smooth...no complaints with the way she's built."

"Some people think that the auditorium cutaway body doesn't get the full tonal response of a big dread, but this guitar sounds really nice unplugged. The longer I've owned mine and the more I play it live the better the sound gets - like it's opening up a bit. Anyway, the guitar really shines when you plug it in and has a very broad response range. I use the guitar in a D tuning, and the tone is very clear and organic."

"Set up like a Martin should be. The frets were very clean and smooth and all the joints are spot-on. Martin has been making guitars so long now it's obvious that they know what they're doing."

"Everything on the guitar is pretty solid, but it isn't an armored vehicle or anything. It's a lightweight Martin, so you don't want to use it as a foot stool. That said, it's put up with my abuse quite well."

"The 000C is a great instrument. I use it. I've played just about every type of guitar out there and this is the one I use most regularly on stage. I didn't use it on any of the Mystic Carousel recordings, because I didn't own it back then. I have used it a lot recently though at folk shows in and around Boston and New York. If I somehow destroy this one, I would get another tomorrow."

Hey a word on Black Micarta for those of you wondering... I got an e-mail from martin with these characteristics.

Color permanent-does not bleed

Greater dimensional stability than solid wood

Stronger and more durable than solid wood

Equally expensive compared to black ebony

Doesn't wear as easily as ebony

Denser than ebony therefore more resonant

66% wood fiber/34 % resin

Renewable resource

Refrets as easily as ebony

the person replying to me was courteous and nice, I think the above review was a little harsh on the micarta.

This guitar had the same features as taylor's that I tried out for $500-$600 more and the sound was better in my opinion through the Fender acoustic amps. Solid wood all around.. great electronics on board, very handy little booklet from Fishman on how to set up the electronics and how to use the phase switch and notch dial and the blender system. Not a whole lot more one can ask for at around $1000.

This guitar suits my style perfect. I'm a praise and worship leader and my old ovation just wasn't cutting it. I play unamplified a lot, and believe me, this thing can get quite loud without anything helping it. The low ends do tend to be a little quiet, but the mellow sound of the mids and highs are amazing. Amplified it is amazing. I run through Fender acoustic amps or large church PA systems and the techs can certainly tell this guitar is far superior to my ovation when plugged in. Finger picking qorks quite well, again, a little more punch from the bass notes would be prefered, but nothing's perfect. I liked the mellower sound of this Martin than the brightness of the Taylor 514 I think it was I played along with this one when buying it. Plugged in, this guitar just blew away the Taylor for some reason, which was my selling point. That and the $500 price difference.

The action on this guitar is very playable. I've played for hours straight some nights and never get tired fingertips like I used to with the ovation. Looks quite good, haven't found any flaws in any of the adjustments or the electronics.

I haven't had this guitar long enough to really say how well it will hold up. The strap buttons are very nice.. haven't had a strap slip yet, again a problem that I used to have with the Ovation. I can certainly depend on this thing with good care. I travel a ton, and hae taken this thing on my last couple gigs, it's held up very nice and the best part to me is that I rarely need to tune it. I can go a whole session at times without having to tune. The harsh Minnesota winters are sure to get to it with the traveling and being in the back seat, but nothing noticeable yet. I can certainly use this guitar without a backup. It produces so much sound that a second guitar is just added noise it seems. Soloing is much easier as well.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing for 5 years, and 3 of those very often. I lead praise and worship a couple times a week, with other times of when people just ask me to do random concerts, which I can never refuse people songs for God. The guy at guitar center was excellent, very helpful, asked him tons of questions. I would surely buy this guitar again if it were stolen. This guitar is an amazing sound and features for the relatively low cost to that of a Taylor. But, to every man his own.. some people want the brightness and punch of the Taylors. It's like Ferrari and a Porsche.. both are excellent guitars. But like I said, how this guitar sounded plugged in is what sold me. God Bless you all, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do (Play guitar), do all for the glory of God.

Good feel. Nice for fingerpicking. Clean Martin sound. This instrument sound is not real big on the low end. This is a small bodied guitar. The Fishman Blender system is quick and easy to adjust and take care of this.

The guitar is well put together. This is a left handed guitarIt has a Micarta fret board. I thought when purchased it was ebony and found out differently. I wasn't thrilled with this discovery. -BUT- after talking with my luthier, the guys at Martin and giving it a chance I really love it. Micarta is said to be harder than Ebony and cost as much. I'm sure there is a cost reason for doing this but it's not and issue for me any more. Martin's Lifetime warranty helps. A good thing that I've been pleased with the Micarta is that strings seem to last longer. The guitar needed (for me) better bridge pins, the nut trimmed down and saddle adjusted. Set-up things that could have been done at the factory except the saddle. The instrument was real green but after having the above things done to it, the thing just came alive and will only get better. They could have done a better set-up at the factory.

This guitar was purchased for stage work. I spent a little money on a better case. Everything feel solid and comfortable. Electronics are real easy to use. It will be a dependable instrument for a long time.

Warranty is for the life of the original owner. Martin has done several nice things by mail after the sale that make you know they appreciate your business. The person I talked with about the Micarta was very helpful.

Been playing for 20 years. I have two Gibson acoustics, a J-45 and an Brazilian Advanced Jumbo. I practice acoustic every morning and it's hard to pick which one to pull out of the case. If you are looking for an instrument that has the Martin sound but need upper fret access and and easy playing guitar this is a good one to check out.

This is a 000 style guitar with a cutaway and some good quality fishman electronics. It has an internal mike and an under-bridge pickup, with controls to mix the two, plus volume, treble, bass, countour and frequency, notch and phase. It's nicely finished with binding, herringbone rosette, and so forth. Some people complain about the micarta(synthetic) bridge and fretboard, but I think they feel and sound fantastic, so I have no complaints there. The folks at Martin were also nice enough to factory-install a strap button in a great spot on the side of the heel, saving me a trip to the shop. Plenty of features, without overdoing it. It came with a hard-shell case, which is good but could be better (lousy handle and wicked heavy, and not as strong as it might be).

I picked this guitar out from among about 30 guitars that I played at Mandolin Brothers. I found that with all the solid wood instruments, different examples of the same make and model can sound quite different from each other. I played quite a few makes and models, and genrally the 000s I played there sounded decent, but if you're at all serious as a musician, and not just collecting instruments, go to a good dealership and play everything they've got with an open mind, rather than just ordering online somewhere. You will get a better guitar, well worth the extra cash you might spend.
Back to reviewing my particular guitar, though, the sound is sweet and complex, loud, solid bass, complex mids, singing treble. The nice suprise came when I plugged it in to a PA and it sounded the same, only louder. I like the sound to be mostly mic with a little bit of the pickup. If you want to avoid feedback, learn to use the notch and phase controls. The little fishman book that comes with the guitar helps. There are guitars in the world that sound better, but I would expect to pay a lot more for them.

Very nice setup. The top on this instrument is beautiful solid spruce which is almost white, with beautiful medullary rays that give it a kind of mini-flame look. I generally prefer matte to gloss tops, and this one is gloss, but it is really immaculate gloss. Looks like glass. I looked the guitar over for any finish imperfections and it didn't have any. I was amazed that a factory guitar had such obvious attention to detail.

Definitely giggable, seems very well put together, but like any real wood instrument, it is delicate. Not nearly as tough as my $400 plywood Takamine, but that's the price you pay for the excellent sound. With a a guitar like this, if you treat it reasonably well, it should last forever. If you don't take care of it, it will get wrecked. I keep mine in the case and pay attention to temperature and humididty, and don't expect to have any trouble.

This guitar looks great, has a beautiful voice, is lightweight and fairly small without compromising sound, has good electronics, and is comfortable to wear. I am extremely happy with it. It is an excellent instrument, but like with any instrument, don't just run out and buy one. Better to visit a good store, play everything they've got, and pick out the one that suits you best. That's how I ended up with this instrument, and if it was lost or stolen, I'd do the same thing again, possibly ending up with a different make and model.
A side note.. If I'd had more money to spend, say 3000 or more, I likely would have ended up with something from a smaller shop. On the high end it seem like the stuff coming out of little shops has a lot more character than the big-factory guitars.