Martin DC-16GTE

This is an all solid wood Martin (solid mahogany back and sides and Sitka spruce top). I purchased mine in March of 2001 (it was made in 2000 based on info I obtained from the Martin web site).It is a Dreadnaught with a Venitian cut-away. The sides and back are a satin finish and the top is a high polished gloss. Electronics: It came wtih Fishman Prefix-Plus with preamp and on board EQ. FYI: If you are thinking of buying this (or anyother solid wood Martin in the 16 series) you can special order the guiters in the GT (Gloss Top) spec with GLOSS BACK AND SIDES!The cost is about $230.00 list so depending on the discount of the dealer it should translate to about $130.00 upcharge for gloss backs and sides . . .this is something that many other high end American guitar manufacturers will not do! Electronics: This model now comes with the Fishman Prefix Blender system which has a transducer pickup and an under-saddle mic-very nice electronics! All body edges are bound in black and the tuners are chrome enclesed Martin tuners. the bridge and fretboard are striped Ebony and the neck is one piece mahogany. This guitar came with a Martin Hard Shell case.There is not a lot of eye candy on this guitar other than the herring-bone rosette with D-28 rings on either side, and the gloss top. The fret markers are pearl dots . .standard Martin stuff. However this is a nice looking guitar. This is my "working" guitar. I play it at home and I gig with it.

I play in a variety of styles Bluegrass, finger-style, rhythm strumming et. This is a good all around guitar. Great bass response and the mahogany gives it a nice warm tone for finger style. I have several instruments ( a baby Taylor on which I teach my children or I take it on camping trips) and I have a Tak. accoustic/electric bass but other than that this is my one and only 6-string acoustic. If I were more selfish I would have a rosewood dreadnaught for bluegrass Probably an HD-28), a Taylor 514Ce for finger stlye, a Fernandez classical and a gibson J-200 for rhythm/strumming but I am working on alimited budget so I looked long and hard (and owned several other guitars) before I decided on this model. It has the legendary Martin tone. it sounds great plugged in (i play directly into a Peavy sound system and use a Crate acoustic amp from time to time) and it sounds fantastic unplugged. 90% of my playing is in my music room at home or in the living room.This guitar sounds wonderful. I give it a 10 plugged in and a 9 unplugged.

Perfection. That in a nutshell is how the action, fit and finish are. The action is not too high (like the vintage bluegrass D style guitars) or too low. the feel is great (the neck fits my smallish hands perfectly).The wood is beautiful! The spruce has nice tight (and I mean really tight) grains. The gloss finish on the top is buffed to a high sheen finish and the bookmatching on the top and back is perfect, Martin really knows what they are doing.The Mahogany on my guitar has a very attractive ribboned pattern to it (looks very similar to Sapele). The stripped ebony bridge and fretboard are a nice dark contrast to the redish brown finish on the neck and the rosewood headstock. I prefer the chrome hardware to the gold (I have seen gold tarnish over time) and I also prefer the unbound fretboard because bound fretboards can shrink during cold weather and make the edges rough (where the frets meet the edges of the fretboard). I know that this can be managed with sound-hole humidifiers and room humidifiers but I use niether of these and the fretboard on my DC-16GTE stay perfect year round.

I gig with my guitar about 20 times per year and I have bumped music stands and the headstocks of our bass player more than a few times and there are no dings or dents in the guitar. I do not let snaps, buttons or belt buckles contact the back of my guitar and the gloss top protects it from sweat and oil from my hands and arms. This model looks almost brand new (the only exception is the back of the neck at the lower frets where the oils from my hands has tuned the satin finish into sort of an attractive gloss-like finish). This guitar stays is tune and the only complaint that I have is that the case really shows every bump and scratch.

The Fishman electronics were not working on my guitar when I bought it but the dealer has a repair guy down the street from him and it was fixed by noon the next day (one wire needed to be reworked). The dealer (Hess Music in Manchester Maryland) told me that Martin would fix it or pay to have it fixed and this repair cost me nothing and I was only without my guitar for about 24 hours . .pretty good service).

Over all I rate this guitar a 9. If it were stolen or lost I would buy this model again (especially since it now comes with the Fishman Blender system). I would definitely pay the extra $150 for the gloss backs and sides on my new model. In fact I may upgrade my model for a new one with the gloss back and sides! The only thing that I wish that this guitar had was a neck width of 1 3/4 inch at the nut. The extra 16th of an inch may not sound like a lot but one can tell the diference when playing finger-style guitar.The best apples to apples comparison with this model would be a Taylor 510Ce (IF the MArtin were odered with the gloss back and sides) They would both would be American made solid wood Dreadnaught cutaways with Fishman blenders, Mahogany back and sides, spruce top, gloss finish, OHSC, but you would pay about $1,200.00 for the Martin and about $2,000.00 for the Taylor. You decide!

My Martin was made in 2000. It came with a nice lined hard case. Its a drednaught, cutaway, mahogony sides with 2-piece back, rosewood bridge/fingerboard, satin finish, with Fishman electronics. If plain can be beautiful, this is a plain beautiful guitar. You can find mother-of-pearl inlay on any piece of junk - this is a player's guitar, not a museum piece.

I like to finger-pick and play a fairly eclectic collection of music. The combination of cutaway, thin neck (but not too thin - just right)and the superb fretting let me play higher on the fretboard with clear intonation - better than the Taylor selling for $350 more. I can not stress this difference in fretting enough! Although I like the traditional look and sound of rosewood, I was looking for the bass provided by mahogony and when I compared it to other woods, mahogony won - and yet still allowed for the seemingly progressive brighter sound I like through mid and high. The Fishman electronics are great but having not really compared Fishman to anyone else I rated the acoustic sound. This specific sound is what I was truly looking for and spent months searching for.

When I first bought it, It was as playable as any other high quality guitar I compared it with, but I could not play it as long as I could my Ovation I had specially set-up and adjusted. I took it back, told them I wanted it as low as it would go without buzzing and to put a strap button at the bottom of the neck, and now I can literally play all day. I also have to make sure the internal battery is installed tight to keep from slightly buzzing during play (I use a single piece of tape). Again, the careful fretting on this guitar was outstanding all the way up and allows me to play a clear full bar chord until my hand hits the body. I have chubby fingers and the neck width and string spacing was critical. This guitar literally improved my playing ability from the first time I picked it up. It fits me like a fine leather glove.

I've owned this guitar for only 5 months. I don't play professionally, but I've played it at least every other day for at least 2 hours. There is nothing fragile about this guitar and I bought it to play. Martin's reputation is rock-solid, so thats what I rate it.

Martin registers your specific guitar by number, sends you a card, gives you a lifetime warranty, and expects the salesman to kiss you.

I don't want this to be so glowing they won't print it, but I know a good guitar from a bad one. I've been playing for 30 years (not professionally). I've owned A Sears Silvertone (a classic), Gibson Heritage, Yamaha, Ovation, Peavy, and numerous other lesser brands I may still have but don't play anymore. I should have bought a Martin when I first started. The satin finish is growing on me, and in fact, now I could not imagine the mahogony with any other finish. I seriously looked at Taylor, Larivee, Gibson, and a few cheaper ones like Seagull, Ovation, and Yamaha. There was a Taylor I seriously considered that sounded great and was fancier looking, but was nearly $1000 more. Taylor does make a great guitar and like Martin, also has a huge line that allows you to find the perfect fit. But I would have been afraid to take it out of the case at just under $2300.

This is a 2000 Martin DC-16GTE I bought for $1000 at Guitar Center in Danvers, MA last winter. It has 20 frets, venetian cutaway and a Fishman Classic 4 pickup, (Three band, with brilliance control, and volume). Dreadnaught style, with satin natural finish, and rosewood fretboard and bridge. Martins own tuners work excellent. Thin neck for acoustic (but its no Taylor). Dot inlays. Plain, but its a Martin, and thats their style, so I gave features an 8.

Sounds great through my Fender Acoustasonic SFX amp, with a bit of reverb and maybe a light chorus. Straight through my bands PA system is sounds almost as good, but I use a boss GT-5 processor with an acoustic guitar simulator and it sound awesome. I was considering installiing a mic pickup to compliment the under the saddle pickup it has, but my processor did the job. I took off the Martin strings and put on Elixir light strings, which make this this guitar sound like a $2000 Martin. Sounds bright and wonderful unplugged. I play in a modern alternative rock band, and this guitar gets a lot of use.

Action was good out of the store, I tinker with the truss rod alot in an effort to get the action as low as possible with minimal fret buzz. Playability is better than average. Finish a nice natural satin with a tortoise pickguard. Bridge neck and saddle designed correctly.

This guitar has stood up to live performances well. I use a
rubber Backbuster soundhole cover to reduce feedback, and I never get any at all. Will last me for a while. I use a damp-it humidifier strip in the winter and get it set up professionally twice a year. Finish has lasted so far. The neck has shined up nicely from endless hours of play. I installed a strap button on the bootom of the neck(professionally) because I hate attaching my strap to the headstock. It is dependable, and I have no choice but to play live without a backup because its my only acoustic. If I did have another I would take it to use as backup only because of fear of breaking a string. Haven't owned it too long so I cant give it a ten yet, but I have played it at least two or three hours a day for the last 9 months and I haven't had a problem yet.

Lifetime warranty. but no dealings with service yet. From what I've heard Martin has great customer support. I give it a ten just for covering me for life.

I have been plating not quite two years, but I play almost until my fingers bleed every day, so you can trust my word. I have no regrets about buying this guitar. Its solid wood construction separte it from the lower level Martins and is comparable to guitars 500 to 1000 dollars more. If it were stolen, I would find the guy who did it, smash the guitar over his head, and then threaten to administer a beating during which he would die, unless he bought me a new Taylor or Gibson. (Maybe not) but I would, but a Taylor, (400 series or better) despite the price increase, because their fretwork is to die for and the playability is amazing. For the price range, you really can't beat it. Only comparable guitar I've seen similar is a Larrivee, or an Alvarez-Yairi. If you are going to buy this Martin or any guitar for that matter, go to the store and hear it yourself, even if it is more Expensive in the store than a Magazine like Musicians Friend. Besides most big chain stores will match any price anyway. Thanks for reading my input and good luck in your quest for your perfect guitar.