Martin DC-16GTE

All solid woods, spruce top w/gloss finish, mahogany w/flat finish everywhere else, rosewood fretboard, dual-source electronics (Martin PREFIX). Came with Martin plywood hard case. Made in USA 2003(?)

I play mostly strummed chords embellished with little pull-offs and hammers on mainly the high strings and bass runs for transitions on the low strings. I play pretty hard, and I need a guitar with good, strong, solid bass -- and that's the reason I bought this one. I spent a good long time at the music store going back and forth between this and a Taylor 310 and this one clearly had stronger bottom end and responded better to harder playing. The low notes have that resonance like somebody thumping you in the chest, and across all the strings it seems like the harder you dig in with the pick the more it just gives up the tone. It growls, it twangs, it barks -- and each string has a little bit of a voice of its own. The Taylor maybe had more tone when played quietly and delicately, but it came to a definite plateau under heavier playing. You will probably run out of energy long before the Martin comes to any such plateau.
It came strung with the Martin SP+ strings in Medium guage; I use Elixir Nanoweb 80/20s in Light-Medium guage (light top, medium bottom)

Action was perfect for how I play; perfect fretwork, straight neck, not a flaw that I could find. I did break a couple of D strings at the bridge at first, indicating probably a burr in the string slot; I "filed" it down by running the broken string back and forth through the slot a few times, and I haven't broken another one in quite awhile. I'll mark it down one point here for the string-breaking burr

My only reservations are:
(1) The above-mentioned string-breaking burr in the bridge saddle, which would make me uneasy gigging without a backup (even thought it seems to be solved)
(2) This is an all-solid-wood guitar, so it is definitely not indestructible and must be properly cared for (e.g., use a humidifier, don't leave it in the car in winter, etc.)

I've been playing 25 years; I own too much other gear to list here, but this is definitely my main axe. I can't say I'd definitely buy another one of these if it was lost or stolen, because I would never buy an acoustic guitar without first playing it and comparing it to every other guitar available with the features I want in the price range I've decided upon. That's what I did when I bought this, and I decided I liked it better than the Taylor 310 (with essentially the same electronics) for my particular playing style.
This is the first higher-end acoustic guitar I've owned, and I really love the complexity and richness of the tone, the solid bottom end, and the tremendous sustain and volume. But I have to say the #1 thing for me is the strong, punchy bottom end.
I have to admit I'm beginning to develop a "thing" against Taylors, because every time I talk to the people who bought them I get this attitude like I must have bought my Martin under some kind of slavish, thoughtless adherence to brand reputation, because Tayler is clearly the superior guitar and anyone who bought anything else, well, they just made an unfortunate mistake. Frankly it reminds me of the attitude of people who bought Honda automobiles, and I think it's narrow-minded, ignorant, and annoying. OK, end of rant. If you're looking to buy a guitar, don't come in with *any* pre-conceived ideas other than how you like to play and how much money you want to spend.
Bottom line: this guitar was a significant investment, but worth every penny

The spec's on this guitar are well described by others here already. The features that sold me on the guitar are the premium blend electronics, cut away, gloss top...and, oh yeah, the fact that it is an American made C. F. Martin guitar. I'll go into the specifics in each section below. But it is the overall package of pros versus cons that sold me on this guitar over the Taylor that I was also considering.

S-W-E-E-T! That's the best way to describe it! I finger pick mostly. So I didn't want a guitar with a really dark nature about it. At the same time, I didn't want one so bright and heavy at the treble end that it would sound glassy using a pick. The spruce top and mahogany back / sides tend to be a warm combination on any guitar. The cut away takes a little of that bottom out making the finger picking a nice clean sound. At the same time, there's enough dreadnought body left to keep the pick tones in a clean pleasant range without being too bright.
Oh, and then, you can plug it in. WOW!!! The Fishman premium blend will blow you away. Without question the best amplified acoustic tone I've ever heard.

The action right out of the case is great. There's nothing here that I need to adjust.
It is a bookmatched spruce top, and I'm not sure that anyone will ever convince me that a bookmatched top qualifies as a "solid" top. You do have to look really close to see the joint, and you probably wouldn't see it if you weren't looking for it. So I give the guys in Nazareth thumbs up on that part of it. There are a couple of "character" flaws in the wood that maybe should have gotten some attention at the plant...but they're no big deal.
And the case, by the way, while being touted as a deluxe Martin hardshell case, is in fact a TKL with a C. F. Martin logo riveted to it.

It's a Martin...what can we say? Treat it nice and it will be nice to you for a long time. Treat it like dirt and you deserve to get your butt kicked.

I got a Christmas card from the good folks at Martin. Haven't needed their support yet...but they are obviously there for you.
A "Care and Feeding of Your Guitar" booklet was included with the guitar. There are a lot of disclaimers concerning the lifetime warranty, but they are common sense items that I can't object to.

I've been playing for 36 years now. Some bunch named "The Beatles" was really popular when I got started. I've bought, and kept most of it, a lot of gear thru the years. This is guitar number 22 (I think) to reside here with me at the house just outside of Nashville.
While it is the premium acoustic guitar that I own, I must admit that the sound is not a great deal better than my Ovation. It is "better"...just not by a huge leap. What makes the Martin no comparison to the Ovation, though, is the feel. The Ovation just isn't the most comfortable guitar to play. Between the bowl, my belly and the vee shaped neck...It's hard to play it for a long period of time. The Martin, on the other hand, is hard to put down.
I was also looking at the 300 series Taylor. At first, the Taylor had my attention. It is a really smooth, easy playing guitar. But there were several identical models hanging next to each other and I was amazed at how much difference there was in the quality of the finishes between them. That concerned me. Then I read some complaints about the necks being too thin and easy to break at the headstock. Meanwhile, there's no question about the consistant quality of the guitars leaving the plant in Nazareth.
I'm thrilled with the Martin guitar. I wish I had bought one a long time ago.
P.S. Take a close look at what Bob Seger is playing when he performs "Night Moves" on tour this year.

This model is starting to become a popular seller in Australia - probably because some of the features listed here are slightly ahead of rival products in this price range. Most of the good resellers stock them, and they seem to move pretty quickly.
The Fishman blender is a great pickup - with good tonal variation and onstage control not found in too many others, although you have to be pretty careful with the amount of mic pickup blend as it feeds back pretty easily when the volume is up. The onboard tuner is really handy as well. In contrast to the Maton AP5 and the Taylor pickup it stacks up very well.
This model is the one with satin-finished Mahogany back and sides and gloss finish on the top - I've found you need to be careful with the satin finish as it is easy to mark.

Accoustically, this is a really smooth and sweet sounding guitar, with a mellow and delicate sound through the mid and upper mids. It doesnt cut like a Maton ECW80, and isnt as bright as perhaps a Taylor 4 or 7 series, but it is very expressive and warm. When plugged in, it generally retains these characteristics, and I have found it's simple and straight forward live sound really handy to layer effects on without losing the personality of a Martin. Again, the blender pickup can be used to customise the feel of the amplified sound quite well.
The Martin strings shipped with the guitar seem to accentuate the subtleness and delicacy of the raw sound, however I would love to try a set of Elixir's to brighten up its top end and see what that would sound like.
With its Mahogany construction, the bottom end is nice and full without being too strong, but I do find myself EQ-ing a bit more bottom end in when playing it in a band context, to add a little more body to the sound.

Action was a little high out of the box, and the neck needed a slight adjustment. No big deal, although finding the right tool to adjust the neck was hard. I will say however that it played much better than most imported (to Australia) guitars off the shelf.
I played a lot of these before purchase, and all were pretty good in terms of finish quality and consistency of sound and build. With the bashing they get in shops it was a good sign that i saw very little damage to any of these guitars.
Be careful with the satin finish however - it soaks up sweat and beer and anything else you find yourself on stage with.

I've only had this guitar a few months, but it is standing up pretty well to plenty of use. I look after my guitars, but dont baby them, so this one seems very solid. Its has been hard to damage the gloss top - that seems pretty hardy, but the strap knobs could certainly be made stronger. They are small, unscrew around the input jack consistently and may not be mounted in the strongest position.
Overall however a good solid perfomer that hasnt let me down.

In Australia we dont get the extended Martin Warranty on offer in the states and canada, and the company doesnt seem accessible to us down under. So we rely on the local seller to help us out.
Unfortunately, the large store I bought this one from (Allans) isnt very helpful with service and support after the sale - the guitar came with no tools, no manual, no info of any kind. The sales guy told me to go down to the hardware shop to find the neck adjustment tool!!!! and wasnt interested anything much after the sale. Pity, he was good before the deal was done.
So, this score is for them, not for Martin....

This is a great guitar. It was hard not to pick one of the local brands (Cole Clark, Maton, Churchill) who all make great guitars, but the thing that swayed it was that sweet/delicate Martin tone and the ability to make this guitar sound great through an amp on stage. Also, the many DC16GTE's I played all seemed faily consistent quality and sound, which cant be said for the others. I also love the Taylors, but the comparable (or better) sound was a fair bit more expensive.

Not sure when mine was made but it was brand new from Guitar Center in late 2005. Paid $1200 including the hard shell case. With the new electronics this instrument has everything you would need, including the on board tuner. I had an ovation Legend, medium depth and liked the action but missed the richness of a high quality all wood acoustic when unplugged, but even plugged in this guitar is quality all the way. This was the answer to my prayers.

Beautiful is all I can say, I have owned and played many acoustic guitars from when I was 16 to now at 45. I have tested the higher end brazilian wood guitars, and for the money you can't beat this instrument. I use this guitar straight without any effects or volume pedal help and it does just fine. I still most likely will need to have it set up, but it doesn't feel like it really needs it,(at least yet)I am still adjusting to playing the wider fret board compared to the ovation, so it might help having the action lowered a tad, but I don't feel it is necessary, I just need to adjust to the different style of guitar. Sound wise, I have not found any dislikes at all.

As I said in the last section, it seem to have been set up well at the factory, the on board microphone is adjustable and the bridge pickups are good. The only thing with this guitar that I scratch my head about is the moisture requirement. I guess with all high quality wood you need good humidity to protect the finish from cracking, but I would think the music stores would stress this especially in California where we rarely have humidity. This guitar needs to stay in an atmosphere of 35% humidity or more. I keep a small sponge damp in a baggie with holes in my case to acheive this as best I can. This is kind of a pain but a small price to pay for quality.

I play this instrument live at least once a week, so far everything seems tight and solid. I baby it, so I don't know if it will ever have a true durabilty test with me, but so far so good.

Yes I dealt with Martin and they were very helpful. I had a problem with the on board tuner. I told them the symptoms and they said to return it, they also mentioned to keep this guitar in 35% humidity. I took it to Guitar Center and they ordered me a brand new one from the factory and let me keep the old one until the new one came. The new one came in one week, never been played, new case. Wow, I was impressed.

I have been playing for 29 years, I have an Ibanez 12 string, and also play the bass and drums. If this guitar were stolen or lost I would replace it with the same one. As I said above I have owned and played many brands of guitars, and I put this right at the top for quality.

I had originally been playing on my "first-ever guitar" ... a super shallow body Ovation. I began to realized, as all musicians do, that the sound was too bright when plugged in and lacked the richness of a dreadnought guitar. Slowly, I began mulling things over in my head. Eventually went to "conglomerate guitar store" and dodged the 13 year-olds playing blink-182. I was trading in the Ovation and going to go home with something new.

She came home with me for like $500 ... after the trade-in. Stupid "guitar store" bumped the price down bc of the truss rod and a loose jack for plugging it in. After $35 to repair said problems ... good as new!

The preamp for plugging in has just enough features without feeling like you're running the Death Star or something. You can contour your sound quickly and easily.

I have to agree with everyone else here. WOW. This is the reason it came home with me. I love that rich, warm, deep sound. And this guitar had it ... to the hilt. When compared to other acoustics, it just put them to shame. I love it.

It makes me wanna play bc of the way this guitar makes the chords and picking sound.

Since i got mine used, there were quite a few finish scratches going up the neck where the fretboard met the neck's wood. But that has nothing to do with Martin's care for making their instruements. Once I fixed everything, it played like a showroom guitar.

I HAVE had to set it up twice (intonation) in the past 12 months ... but maybe that is to be expected. It's OK. I don't mind dropping money here and there to keep the kids (my equipment) happy and playing like gold.

It's not flimsy, but it isn't built like a tank.

The finish will last for sure. Due to the amount of playing before me and now that I play it, the neck has really got a nice gloss and its easy to move up and down the neck.

Never had an issue. No need to get Martin involved

I've been playing for about 5 years. This guitar catapulted me into a more song-writer's focus on my music. I had been focusing on "solos" and "leads" so much ... but then came the Martin. It really grounds me with chords and melodies. Compared to other guitars, I'd say it's in the top 10%. There's few other guitars I'd rather play. Maybe a Gibby Hummingbird. But Im not about to drop 2.5K on a guitar.

Mine's a 2001 model.
The highlights: solid spruce top (gloss), solid mahogany back and sides (satin). The 2001 model has a mahogany neck, the newer ones (in 2005, anyway) are using Spanish Cedar. The headstock has a Rosewood overlay. The fingerboard is black Micarta. This stuff isn't really wood, but you wouldn't know it, it's very similar to Ebony, but has no grain. It's very tough too, and doesn't adversely affect tone, etc.
The '01s have the Fishman Blender, the newer models are called "Premiums" and have the Premium Blender which includes a chromatic tuner.
Everything else is pretty much standard for Martins in this price range.

This is why we're here, isn't it? Considering this instrument runs about $1,250 new in 2005, I think the sound is comparable to every penny. Booming bass, rich tones all around. Absolutely no comparison to anything lower end. The dreadnought size is definitely more rich than the smaller 000C models (I know, I had an 000C-16GTE). Honestly, I can't find anything to complain about when it comes to the sound. The higher end Martins have Rosewood back & sides. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but I'm delighted with the solid mahogany sound.

Now, I don't know if this is intentional or not, but I swear the mahogany gives off that incredible wood smell everytime I play it. Anyone else in the room notices it too. Wow.

Although 4 years old, the action is superb. The strings are 3/16" at the last fret, where they should be. I suppose the action could be set even lower, but it's great as is. Perfect neck. Aside from one scratch the previous owner put on it, it's still perfect. Everything about this screams quality.

The satin finish will become smooth and take a glossier look as it's used, such as on the back of the neck, or where the back rubs one's body. Aside from this normal where, I see no signs of anything wearing in an adverse way. Which is what I expect, frankly, for a 4 year old Martin.

I've never had to deal with Martin.

This is my 3rd, and probably final Martin, unless I wake up wealthy one morning. I honestly love this guitar. I've been playing 7 years, it's my 5th acoustic. I bought it because of the solid woods, the cutaway, and the electronics. It's everything I want, and it's so rewarding to play. I would have to replace it if it were gone.

If money were no object, sure, I'd get one of the new Premiums, 'cause I'm one of those "gotta have the newest thing" kind of people. If I did get something else, it wouldn't be because the DC-16GTE is lacking in any way.

It's simple - you plunk down the bread, you keep it for life. Martin gives you a lifetime warranty. It's hard to outgrow instruments of this quality.

I bought this guitar in 2002 and it's a 2001 model. I'm listing all the tech specs directly from the martin website.

MODEL DC-16GTE
CONSTRUCTION: Mortoise/Tenon Neck Joint
BODY SIZE: D-14 Fret CUTAWAY
TOP: Solid Sitka Spruce
ROSETTE: Bold Herringbone
TOP BRACING PATTERN: D1 Hybrid
TOP BRACES: 1 Style/Scalloped
BACK MATERIAL: Solid Genuine Mahogany
BACK PURFLING: none
SIDE MATERIAL: Solid Genuine Mahogany
ENDPIECE: Black Boltaron?
ENDPIECE INLAY: none
BINDING: Black Boltaron?
TOP INLAY STYLE: none
SIDE INLAY: none
BACK INLAY: none
NECK MATERIAL: Solid Spanish Cedar
NECK SHAPE: Modified Low Oval
NUT MATERIAL: White Corian?
HEADSTOCK: Solid/6 String No Diamond/Standard Taper
HEADPLATE: Solid East Indian Rosewood/ Raised Gold Foil Logo
HEELCAP: Solid East Indian Rosewood
FINGERBOARD MATERIAL: Black Micarta?
SCALE LENGTH: 25.4''
# OF FRETS CLEAR: 14
# OF FRETS TOTAL: 20
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT NUT: 1 11/16''
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT 12TH FRET: 2 1/8''
FINGERBOARD POSITION INLAYS: Style 28
FINGERBOARD BINDING: none
FINISH BACK & SIDES: Semi Gloss/ Light Red Mahogany Stain/ Dark Filler
FINISH TOP: Polished Gloss
FINISH NECK: Semi Gloss/ Light Red Mahogany Stain/ Dark Filler
BRIDGE MATERIAL: Black Micarta?
BRIDGE STYLE: 1 Style Belly
BRIDGE STRING SPACING: 2 1/8''
SADDLE: 16'' Radius/Compensated/White Micarta?
TUNING MACHINES: Chrome w/ Small Knobs
RECOMMENDED STRINGS: Martin SP 4100 Light Phosphor Bronze
BRIDGE & END PINS: White w/ Black Dots
PICKGUARD: I-02 Tortoise Color
CASE: 345 Hard Shell
INTERIOR LABEL: Paper Label
ELECTRONICS: Fishman? Prefix Stereo Onboard Blender

2 years ago I decided I was finally playing seriously enough to warrant the purchase of a nice guitar and had a price tag of around $500 in mind. At my second guitar store the salesman recommended that I try the DC16-GTE. I balked at first because it was twice what I had intended on spending but ended up playing it. Well, the heavens parted, God looked down rained gifts of forgiveness onto my being healing me on every level, psychically, physically and emotionally. Basically I thought it sounded pretty damn nice.

Not being one to buy on the spot, I spent the next 2 weeks going to other guitar stores and playing dozens of guitars. I didn't find another one that winked at me like the martin.

The sound is deep without the super bright tone that the D28 and D35 are famous for. I just happen to prefer the bassiness to the brightness. I play a variety of styles from blues to rock to country and it translates all of them well.

I thought the guitar sounded great straight from the store but on a friends recommendation I took it into a professional luthier and had him intonate it. Slight improvement but not overwhelming.

The only flaw that I've noticed is that the onboard electronic interface became a little loose and started to vibrate when playing. No big deal, very easy to remedy with a small shim. (pick)

This guitar, like my other martin, seems very solidly constructed and should respond well to travel and gigging. I've been very cautious so far and haven't subjected it to any real stresses. The finish is thick enough to ward off minor bumps and dings.

As with all martins the warrany is lifetime though I've had no need to use it as of yet.

I've been playing for 12 years and own the following other guitars:
2004 Martin J-15
1974 Gibson J-40
1974 Fender F-95
1974 Ovation Balladeer
1974 Yamaha FG-160
2003 Ibanez Artcore Semi Hollowbody
2001 Fender Acoustic Electric (can't remember model#)

If my DC16-GTE was stolen I would certainly replace it. It is the finest sounding guitar that I've ever played. I'm rating it a "9" because I haven't played every guitar out there.

Its got brillance, the bass-mid-treble, so I guess its better than other acoustics that dont. Also, the fishman pickups rule...put it through an amp, add a reverb or delay pedal, and your ready to perform.(I pefer both with a volume pedals for some nice swells.)

No doubt about it...Martin knows how to make an incredible guitar without asking you to get a second job to pay for it. Mine ran around $1100, and it was the best money I have spent on guitar items so far. I have been playing for 5 years, and trust me, this guitar is a gem. Seriously, the bass is rich and deep, while the treb REALLY shines...if you like playing high speeds leads, this is for you. Of course, if you like playing blistering fast fingerstyle, well, this is for you too. Would actaully buy it over the taylor even if they were the same price. No joke.

Had to lower the action a tiny bit, but hey, thats the fun part, right? Action is such a personal thing as a player I dont think you can rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. THATS WHY YOU CAN ADJUST IT THROUGH SOME SIMPLE STEPS. No flaws...just dank sound. Looks amazing. Plays smoothly...would really recommend throwing some elixir's on their...thats how i got the best sound out of it.

I cant really comment because in a drug induced stuper 2 years ago I dropped it off my college room bunk bed, and craked it down the front. I think some minor problems since then like a loose pickup and such are due to that. Actually, it only cost me around $200 to fix it, (it was a HUGE crack in the dead center of the body...i mean 9-10 inches.) Since I got it fixed it has sounded just as good as before my stupid ass broke it, so i guess thats a plus.

Never used them

While most guitar items get at least some mixed reviews, I have heard nothing but "incredible, stellar, a winner, the best in its class" used with this. Martin simply has developed their company in such a way that they provide high quality guitars. Plain and simple. If you have the extra cash, defiently look at a couple Taylors, but id put my vote with this one.

I own the Martin 2000 model DC 16-GTE. It is a nice high-end guitar at a reasonable price. The appearance is fairly plain yet very practical and functionally sound. The gloss top with the rosewood head piece and end are nice, along with the circle inlaid design around the sound hole. Not as ornamental and exotic in appearance as a Taylor, but then again who needs all that? This is a good instrument for the everyday musician- suitable for anything from practice and casual use to major gigs. I also really like the Fishman stereo blender- I have found it very easy to adjust on the fly without bending down to adjust the levels on the sound system mixer. I suppose it could have a few more features- but it definitely has everything I need for lots of practice play with occasional gigs.

The sound is bright and crisp in the treble range- great for finger-picking and solos; but also has a real rich tone in the mid-range and bass for rhythm guitar and accompanying vocals. My only gripe is that the factory-issued strings from Martin corroded more quickly than I expected. No problem- just removed them and replaced them with better strings. I play my Martin basically as is, and only add in a reverb pedal to add a little depth to the sound and give it a concert hall feel.

The guitar was set up well at the factory, except the strings felt too high off the fretboard at first- they made a minor adjustment at the store that seemed to correct this. The tuning pegs were also a bit loose. Everything else seemed to be set up fine. The bridge is set up well. I like the scalloped bracing.

I will not play any other brand of acoustic guitar from now on. Martin strives for functionality and durability and they succeed marvelously. Sure Taylor might use rarer types of wood and more decorations on it, but I cannot tell a major difference in the sound for my purposes, or even with most professionals I have heard. Ideally the guitar should be an instrument that allows the musician to better express their music, not call attention to itself as a display or museum piece.

I have not had any encounters with Martin customer service personally, but I have several friends who have and had excellent experiences. I also like the lifetime guarantee and the fact that they handcraft their guitars.

I have been playing for a little over five years, but been singing, playing and studying music most of my life. I was very satisfied with the instrument from the moment I picked it up in the store. If it was stolen or lost I would be very sad, pull my hair out then go right over to the music store and buy or order another Martin. I compared it to Taylors, which seemed to be the only other acoustic model in its league and general price range. The Martin seemed to have a great sound, all the features I needed, and great practicality and durability without all the fancy inlays that I don't need or particularly want to pay an extra $300-400 for.

the guitar was made in 2001,probably august,but i'm not sure.it was made in Penn. usa,like all martins.it has a solid top,has a fishman pick up system,or whatever,has a notch control,volume,treb.,mid,and bass slider controls ,love the sound,I played a taylor with a mic under the bridge,sweet,rich tone ,I'm thinking of adding that to mine.spruce top,mahogany body,striped eboney bridge and fingerboard,mahogany neck.The body has black binding around the top,and herringbone around the sound hole with the D-18 rings on either side,looks nice an ultimate 10

I play every thing,I've been playing for 9 years if played hundreds of guitars the best would have been the 59 strat,perfect tone!this dosen't compare to that but was 8,000 dollars cheaper,far comparison would'nt you say?it has any sound you wan't,hi treble sounding guitar (neil young),a dark bluesy sounding acoustic robert johnson,man this thing sounds wonderful .10

the action was low when i got it,I'm very used to the high action 1974 gibson working man.but I've played alot of these modern top of the line low actions so i cant complain.perfect top.no flaws at all.9

I've owned it a day now,but judgeing on how well a D-28 would last i give it an 8.

well the life time warrenty is nice.i have dealt with the company on a few occasions.it takes a year to get your guitar back if you get a messed up one.but they are all hand made in one factory with like 30 employees,so damed good. 10

i love this guitar.words can't be better said than that.i've play alot of taylors but CF martin wins this round.