Martin DX-1

This is definitely a no frills guitar. The thin coating on top allows for a fuller sound but is prone to stains from the hands. There are no fret markers on top, only on the side. This worried me at first but it actually made me a better guitarist in the long run, and the switch was rather painless. The tuners, although tiny looking, are great and stay in tune very well. There are no electonics so you'll have to pick up a woody or something. I just ripped out a fishman prefix from another guitar, drilled some holes and voila! (I don't reccommend this for amateurs) Other than those things, you just have to get used to its looks, and it grows on ya.

Excellent. For this price there is only one other guitar that rivals it, the taylor 110. Otherwise, there is no better sounding guitar for this price range, period. The one thing I have noticed after reading a review is that it has a slightly darker tone than most martins, but to me it just sounds better than the others. This guitar has a unique voice, expect to hear it on albulms in the future.

I cannot believe how well this guitar is setup. I took out the micarta saddle and replaced it with a tusq saddle. I made sure to keep the edge that contacts the strings extremely thin and wow! The action on my guitar is so low you would think its an electric! The intonation is perfect. I used a tuner for nearly every sing note and all were in tune. The fret job is excellent, the nut is extremely clean, and all the edges are smooth and crisp. I play agressive and it stays in tune. This is the setup that an American made guitar should have. Right from the factory is impressive, get it done professionally and you'll get a pro feel.

There are two things that worry me. The composite materials are not time tested, meaning the sides, back and neck. How they will hold over time is questionable. I have had mine for nearly 8 months and have seen no problems. Also, the thin coating on the top may be a problem down the road as well, but for now it makes it sound beautiful. Oh, and try to keep your hands clean, the top picks up stains from greasy hands. It might add character to you, but to me its just dirty.

Great. These guys will take calls, e-mails, whatever, and get right back with you. Send in the warranty card and they will give you a free magazine subscription and a nice regristration/serial number card in return. Good job CF.

There is only one other guitar close to this in the price range of 0-$1000 right now and that is the taylor 110. My suggestion, buy this one or the taylor; stay away from those Tacomas. They sound good to the player, but crap to the listeners (unless the sound hole is in the middle). And, to the guy who says he has only been playing for two years and rates this guitar low overall: get a few more years of experience. I'd give this one a 10 for sound alone.

VERY basic dreadnaught. 20 frets, 14 clear; Solid spruce top, HPL back and sides, stratabond neck; very light on the finish (hardly any, "hand rubed urethane") no inlay on the fingerboard (dots on the side though)
The guitar looks good, however. Its simple and spartan, no frills, but solid and effective.

Here, I can not say enough. When shopping for this guitar I played everything I could find in a 20 mile radius, from $300 Alvarez, to $1500 Taylors, to $2100 Martins, to Breedloves (which I really liked) to customs, and this guitar sounds like it could have cost $1500 instead of the $300 I paid for it. There was nothing in my price range even close. It has that Martin sound, warm, rich, woody, all the strings blend and ring and soar... The bass is so strong, but the balance is good, and trebels ring just fine. I have the recomended Martin 80/20 strings on it, but I think I'll try my old fav. D'adario phosphor bronze next time (to get a little more high end sparkle) At the price I paid, I could even afford to get a bone nut put in to add some volume and sustain. The volume is about the only thing that's not great, its a kind of quiet guitar compared to most full sized dreads, but that probably suits my neighbors just fine anyway. The HPL back and sides are kind of funny - it's basicaly countertop material, but the sound is great so I won't argue, plus it seems like it's darn near indestructable (and environmentaly friendly too!). I play flat picking, crosspicking, folk, rock, newgrass stuff, and for the money there is not a better guitar out there, not even close!

It's a hand made Martin... enough said!

The lack of real finish on the top worries me, but the Martin people I emailed said it will be fine, and to polish it with high quality furinture wax, so I guess we'll see. The HPL back, on the other hand, seems as though you could drop it off the roof and it would be fine. Kind of reminds me of my old ovation, only it looks like a guitar, and sounds like a Martin.

Emailed them one question, got back to me the next day. I'm sure it would be good.

I've been playing guitar for 15 years, and have always LOVED the Martin sound, but could never afford it. Now, when I get home from work, I pick it up, strum a chord and am the happiest picker in the world! I will never get rid of this guitar, and if I lost it, I would buy another in a heartbeat! Best $300 guitar in the world, and would still be a GREAT guitar if it cost $800!

I reviewed all in one topic: "Overall Rating" below.

The Martin DX-1 is one of the least expensive dreadnought guitars from Martin, a highly respected manufacturer of acoustic guitars. The DX-1 is NOT a solid wood guitar; its sides and back are made of what Martin calls a "high pressure laminate with mahogany grain." But its top is made of solid spruce.

I'll be honest right out of the chute: The other Martin laminate guitars I'd played were OK, but they didn't knock my socks off. Both the DM and DR (mahogany and rosewood laminate, respectively) were easy to play, and sounded fairly clean, but they didn't do that much for me.

The DX-1 is something very different!

First of all, the DX-1 is substantially LESS expensive than the DM or DR. The DM retails for $925, and can generally be found for around $600. The DR retails for $1125, and can generally be found for around $800. The DX-1 retails for only $650, and can generally be found for about $450. A decent case is about $100 extra.

But the price is the least interesting difference.

The Basics.

The Martin DX-1 is a dreadnought guitar with 14 frets clear of the body. As mentioned, its (one-piece) back and sides are mahogany laminate, while its top is solid spruce. It has the typical Martin headstock, chrome tuners, and tortoise pick guard. Neck width is 1 11/16" at the nut, and scale length is the typical 25.4".

The Unusual.

The first thing that makes this guitar unusual is the fingerboard. It looks and plays like ebony, but Martin can't be putting ebony fingerboards on its cheapest dreadnoughts, can it?

Checking the Martin website, I found that the fingerboard is made of Black Micarta, whatever that is. A Google search revealed Micarta to be a company that makes composite materials for industrial uses, including some surfaces that are bullet-proof! Is Martin using some new, very strong, synthetic material for the fingerboard of the DX-1? Apparently so.

The next unusual thing I noticed about this guitar was that it has absolutely NO binding, purfling, or other ornamentation. The top appears to be glued directly to the sides, and there are no black or white strips separating anything. Further, this guitar has no body finish! It is not finished with a light film of matte. There is no "aging toner." There is only wood!

I really like the rosette on this guitar. Martin calles it a "Black and White Boltaro? with Red Fiber in Middle." OK. It is really distinctive, and more attractive than the rosettes on Martin's other inexpensive guitars.

There is no inlay and no dots on the fingerboard of the DX-1. This gives the neck a sleek, attractive appearance. There ARE dots on the top side of the neck, so you can see where you are.

Finally, this guitar has what Martin calls "A-frame" bracing, which may contribute to its excellent sound.

Playability and Sound.

I found this guitar to be remarkably easy to play. The Micarta fingerboard low action reminded me Taylor's guitars, which are known for their playability. I believe the DX-1 comes outfitted with Martin "MSPLUS-3100 Light 80/20 Bronze" strings (the strings recommended on Martin's website), and these may also have contributed to the DX-1s sense of ease. There was a bit more squeak than with Elixer strings (Taylors and Larrivees come outfitted with Elixers), but sliding about the neck was a pleasure.

Bluegrass runs could be done with great speed (the limitations provided by yours truly), and hammers and pulls were also a breeze. The neck felt strong and rigid, but not stiff. Overall, the guitar was heavier than I expected it to be, given its humble appearance.

The sound of this guitar was also a pleasant surprise. It was one of the best balanced guitars I've played lately. Chords sounded remarkably well integrated, rather than like a bunch of individual notes. They were also consistently in tune, and they remained so up the neck.

The sound was warm, and I could feel the bass notes in my body as I played. In this way, th

This is a nofrills acoustic guitar. When I was shopping for a new guitar, I was really interested in the D-15, but my son went to Guitar Center and played the DX-1 and raved about its sound. The guitar looks very unimpressive---no binding, no rosettes or fret markers. It looks as if there's no finish applied to the solid spruce top, Has sealed tuners which seem fine to me. The neck is a little wider than my 30 year-old Yamaha, but it plays bar chords much easier than my Yamaha and makes it nice for finger picking.

The sound sold me on this guitar! It sounded better than the D-15. It has a rich, booming, Martin-type of sound. The solid spruce top gives it this projection. Laminate sides and back don't matter to me. My Yamaha was re-worked 20 years ago by a luthier (who replaced the first 7 frets, which were buzzing) and the guy raved about the sound of it. My Martin sounds even better and I don't have to worry so much about humidifiers and bringing it in from the cold.

I've yet to take a guitar to a luthier for set up and don't see any need for it with this model! The action is acceptably low. No fret buzz. The action is also uniform down the neck. The fret board plays well (I think the website says its nato---check the Matin website if it means anything to you). If you want a guitar that SOUNDS like something for a bargain price, go buy this model!

Like I said earlier---I've had a $75 Yamaha for 30 years. I don't play as often as I used to, but knowing Martin and their reputation for quality, I don't see any problem. I've always changed strings one at a time so I don't put any undue change in stress on the neck, treat my guitars with a little respect, keep them on stnads when not in use. I expect I'll be singing the praises of my Martin in another 20 years, just as I'll be singing the praises about my Yamaha. One note----my strap pin pulled out of the guitar. A little carpenters glue will take care of that.

Martin is the best when it comes to customer support. No worries there.

The only thing I wish it would have come with----other than a strap pin that weas more secure----is a hardshell case. I got a Martin case for $60, but a D-15 WITH a case was only $599. I'd advise going to a local shop and trying it out. I'm not one of those who thinks there's a lot of difference between 2 different guitars of the same model, so don't be afraid of ordering over the internet. Guitar Center and Sam Ash normally match prices, so if you want, try them. I just hate Guitar Center because buying something there is like going to a car dealer---they tried to sell me a D-15 for $150 more than Music123.com WITHOUT the case!!

The guitar is light weight which I like. I don't like the looks of the artificial wood but that's more that somebody else will think it's a crappy guitar because it's not made of some exotic wood that resinates for two weeks. The spruce top does not have much of a finish and is thin, but I didn't buy the guitar for it's looks. I sat in the music store and played all the acoustics and the last one I played was the Martin and it brought a smile to my face and I was off to find the salesman. I've loaned out guitars, amps and effect equipment. I would not let anyone play the Martin. It's well made, but it's something deserving of proper care and respect. If you buy the guitar, buy a humidifier as the thin top caves in and the high e string goes dead. That's not a criticism, just something I had to do to get the guitar working properly.

This is a classy guitar. It has a rich tone that should accomidate numerous styles of playing. I play some hard blues and this guitar behaves like a champ. I bought the DX1 and loved it but saw a DXIE out of the corner of my eye in the store and went back and got the electric cut out version. Didn't matter, both guitars sounded great but the electric didn't have that big dreadnaught feel. I'm a big person with long arms and I was uncomfortable with that much wood, but then I was going from a caster to an acoustic. The guitar doesn't have a lot of volume, at least the DX1E is quiet, but maybe that's just me going deaf from all the electrics...

This is a well constructed guitar. The artificial wood finish takes some time to get used to as it looks like cardboard. The body is ok, but Martin should have gone with real wood on the neck. I don't have a real cricism though as I love the guitar and like someone else said, looks aren't much use if the instrument sounds like crap.

It's a quality instrument. Like everyone else I don't like the lack of a finish on the top and I'm smudging it and cleaning all the time, but it's comfortable to play and the sound is very good. I was taking guitar lessons in a group and eveyone was tuning their guitars and I sat there and someone asked me if I wanted to borrow a tuner and I said no thanks, it's not allowed to get out of tune. I was goofing, but I think that's a sign of a really good guitar when you can pick it up and everything is where you left it.

No problems. The Martin representative I spoke to knew what he was doing and knew his Martin guitars.

I've been playing a long time and have played mostly electric with various effects and the Martin was an acoustic and I hadn't played an acoustic since I was a kid. I wanted to take guitar lessons and the teacher specified that the guitar had to acoustic so I went shopping.
The Martin was the best acoustic I could find. I was playing some blues lead in a group and the Martin is quiet, but the fretboard is great and I didn't blow a note. Goofy looking wood or not, this guitar is a great sounding guitar and people look to see what you are playing when they hear it.

Very basic, but I like it's sort of neatness. There are no dot inlays, but after a while you start not needing them, and I think it looks better without anyways. Nice white/red/white rosette. I like the satin finish simply because I can feel the finish and the materials, wood or not. It suits my tastes very nicely. But don't just the guitar by features, judge by sound.

Awesome sound, outplays anything else I've played under a grand. Haven't installed electronics. I say 9, just because as good as it is, it doesn't match high end martins.

Ok, back to the gap at the neck, which I don't think the other reviews have explained sufficently.

-------------------------------fretboard--------------------
neck -----------------------------
------------------------, | ,' guitar top
', |'---------------------------
| |

I dont know if that helps, but use your imagination... thats a side profile view of the guitar. Right under the 'fret' in fretboard, there is a right angled space in the neck for the body to fit in, but the edge of the guitar top is curved, so it doesn't quite fit in the space.

I dont know if this is a problem for any of you, it isn't for me. It doesn't make it look flimsy or anything, its just a small gap. Don't look at the picture for proportions. I recommend you go to the store and see for yourself.

Action is low, but not ultra low, just right. See features about the finish.

I've banged this guitar millions of times, and there not a single dent in it. This guitar will last you a LONG time. But I do recommend you check any guitar you plan to buy for dents. There is a small chip off the neck that I missed when I bought it, but its not big, and I dont wanna go through the trouble of fixing it.

Never had to deal with, cept for a few general questions about the guitar. No hold at all, just a few rings and you're talking to a real live human being.

There is only one thing pestering me about this guitar. There is virtually no finish on the neck, and I can already feel it getting worn and rough. This is my first guitar and I dont know if its supposed to do that. If you can help please email me at the bottom of this review.

VERY BASIC DREADNAUGHT, BUT SOLID TOP, NICELY UNDERSTATED

I BOUGHT IT AS A BACKUP GUITAR, AS I PLAY MAINLY SMALL BODIES, TRYING TO KEEP MY RYAN IN GOOD SHAPE AND NOT PLAY IT OUT SO MUCH. THE SOUND AD TONE OF THIS INEXPENSIVE GUITAR IS WHAT SOLD ME. ITS NO GOODALL,RYAN COLLINGS OLSON, BUT MAYBE BETTER THAN OTHER MARTINS AND SOME OTHER GUITARS COSTING 2 TO 3 TIMES MORE IE. 310 TAYLOR,IMPORTS OF ALL KINDS. I DONT NOW HOW THIS COULD BE WITH FAKE WOOD BODY AND ALL BUT ITS TRUE. MARTIN DREADS ALWAYS SOUND BETTER THAN OTHER DREADS

ACTION IS THE BIGGEST SELLING POINT, COULDNT FIND ANY FLAWS EVEN ON DISPLAY MODEL. WHAT FINISH...

EVERYTHING SEEMS SOLID

MARTIN ALWAYS ANSWERS THE PHONE, AMAZING

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING 8 YEARS AND PLAY OUT REGULARLY. I PLAY OUT WITH THIS. DEFINATELY THE BEST SOUNDING BUT NOT BEST LOOKING OF ANYTHING UP TO 1000.00 IM NOT EASILY IMPRESSED BY HYPE, MY RYAN MISSION IS WELL WORTH WHAT I PAID AND SO IS THIS GUITAR

The DX-1 is a Martin that can withstand cold and drastic humidity changes. The sides and back are all composite. The guitar is as sturdy as an Ovation (aka canoe paddle) but it looks and feels like a real guitar. I purchased my DX-1 so that I would no longer have to take my D-15 with bone nut and saddle work out into Wisconsin winters. This may be Martin's entry level product but I love mine for practical reasons.

The sound is suprisingly warm and rich for a composite guitar, It sounds better than a Sigma Martin by far. The tone is blooming slightly with the solid top. Nice!

There is a strange gap near the top where the neck is set into the body. The neck is a composite material, set true and straight. They all have a slight cosmetic issue near the neck and top - just the way they are made. My D-15 has custom luthiered bone nut & saddle and a K&K Pure Western pickup, plays like a dream. The set-up on the DX-1 was very good straight from the factory. I am very fussy.

The main feature on this guitar is durability. If you own a really nice Martin, buy a DX-1 to gig with. Leave the D-35 at home.

Lifetime warantee. You can call the Martin factory and ask silly questions. Martin customer service is superb.

I have 2 Les Pauls, 2 Strats, a Tele, a Jazz Guitar, a Sigma Mandolin, and 2 Martins. This is an outstanding guitar. You can take it outside the house without fear. I've played for 28 years. Nice Guitar.

Well this is a hard area to rate it on because features is not what this guitar is about. I should probably have given it a lower rating on features because it basicaly has none but it is perfect for what it is. An entry level Martin. I learned how to play on this guitar and have played many accoustics since and none in this price range (and many above) don't sound as good. I guess I'll save that for the sound rating. Back to features: Many have complained about it not having the inlayed fret markers which I guess was annoying for me at first, especially as a beginner. But having learned on this guitar, it has forced me to use the markers on the top of the guitar which I am happy about. All in all, it's basic but good.

Sound is where this baby shines. The sound that comes out of this rather thin wood is surprisingly fat and resonant. I have actually installed a Martin 332+ pickup and it sounds amazing with my Fender Deluxe. Absolutely love the sound of this guitar. I will one day soon be investing in a more expensive robust guitar. But my DX-1 isn't going anywhere. I will hold on to it dearly for the rest of my life and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

The action is a little high for my taste, as it comes from the factory. But don't forget this guitar was my first so, I needed lower action. That said, if I got the guitar new today, I probably would have left it alone.

Well considering this is a rather light weight guitar and I have had no troubles with it, I have to assume it was put together well. I've knocked it around a couple times, including having it fall down (in the case) half a flight stairs and really don't have a single nick on it. Has held up well and still does good for me. I'm taking off a point simply because the guitar is real light weight and I'm sure if you did not take care of it, it would not hold up. But so far so good.

Never had to deal with them.

Overall, I love this guitar and wouldn't trade it for the world. Like I said, even though I will be upgrading to a louder, more robust guitar in the future, I would never part with this one. I think it is a great guitar.

2002, made in USA. Features well covered elsewhere. But a very basic, stripped down guitar. No inlay on the fretboard, no binding, a plain rosette-- everything about this guitar says "basic." So, on a 1 to 10 scale, in terms of features, I have to rate this guitar below my Washburn D-10s. That does not mean it is a worse guitar, just that it is lacking in the features department. And this is Martin's intention--to make a stripped down Martin for the masses. I guess a couple of dot inlays in the fretboard would have kicked them over the edge.

This is a very tight sounding guitar. It plays in tune up and down the neck. It felt like it was scientifically engineered. The action was perfect, low without significant buzz. However, the guitar has little to no projection. Very quiet and restrained.

In this department, the guitar is schizophrenic. It is well set up from the factory. It's pieces fit together seamlessly, like a precision instrument. However, there is a gap where the top meets the neck. I don't know how to help you visualize this, but here goes. The guitar's spruce top has a bevelled outer edge. (That is, the outer edge is not straight and flush with the sides, but rather tilts inward slightly.) This causes a problem where the top meets the neck, because the bevelling means that there is a small space between the neck and the body of the guitar. Check it out in the store and you'll see what I mean. When I saw this, I was disappointed-- I mean, Martin couldn't even take care of small details like that?
The finish on the guitar is minimal. I would almost say it is an unfinished guitar. The sides are made of "mahogany-grained high pressure laminate." This basically means wood chips and glue, with a mahogany grain "photographically" superimposed on the composite. Martin apparently makes an entire guitar (the DXM) out of this travesty. Having a guitar whose back and sides are made of cheap formica is pretty disappointing. The salesman didn't tell me that the mahogany grain was fake-- I found out from the small print on my owner's manual. The neck, likewise, is made of something called "rust stratabond." It is a resin-infused plywood. It looks nice and is pretty strong, but its ugly and fake.
The only nice synthetic part of the guitar was the micarta fingerboard, which I think was pretty awesome. Very fast.
Overall, with this guitar Martin seems to be saying: our products are so superior that for 450 dollars we can only offer you the most basic of basic guitars. There is almost a contempt for the buyer in the way that Martin has left out nice little extra touches. And yet one can find guitars for 100 dollars less with real wood all over, nice satin finishes. When you buy the DX-1, make NO MISTAKE-- you are paying for the Martin name. This is, needless to say, not a wise guitar buying strategy.

Since this guitar has no finish, I expect it to get grimy with time. Also, it is EXTREMELY sensitive to changes in humidity-- the composite back has been known to separate from the body due to dryness. Many people buy Martins hoping they will appreciate in value with age. This one, undoubtedly, will not.

Did not deal with them. I owned the guitar for 32 hours returned it to the Guitar Center at which I bought it (actually really good people), and then bought a seagull from a small shop one town over.

I have been playing for 2 years. I own a Washburn D-10s and now a Seagull S6 Spruce 20th Anniversary. Because of the lack of appointments, the poor projection, and the preponderance of composite materials, I rank this guitar very low. I would advise beginners not to purchase this guitar. Martin is a great company--the only way to get them to stop diluting their esteemed name is to stop buying their low quality mass market products. If no one buys travesties like the DX-1 and DXM, maybe Martin will stop making them and go back to making real wood instruments.