Martin DX-1

great tuners, i love a guitar that you can just pick up and play anytime without worrying about tuning. Simple but very well made.

perfect sound, i played a few other martins, this one sounded better than all except one that was worth like $5000au. well balanced sound between the strings, good amount of bass, not too much, high strings very nice, clear and bell like, very beautiful especially for broken chords. low strings nice and bluesy with a bit of crunch when strummed hard.

Intonation is absolutely perfect all the way up the neck. action is a bit high for me but then again im used to playing an ibanez electric neck :/

the "fake wood" is bloody sturdy, i gave it a pretty good bang n didnt do any damage! but yeah cant say the same for the top :P

dunno

i was actually considering the taylor 110 as some have but they only sell the more expensive cutaway version of it. the cutaway version did sound very good so if you do manage do get the natural id consider it.

just make sure you try a dx1 with new strings, i tried a some others n i think the strings were old because it sounded quite dull.

i probably tried every acoustic guitar in sydney, seriously went to over 10 music shops! im very picky, this was actually the first guitar i favoured, i was in love with it immediately but i wanted to make sure there was nothing else better for the price out there. i came back to this one with a clear conscience knowing i had made one of the best purchases of my life!

New 2009 model. Composite neck feels perfect, no sticking as I have found with slick finishes. Moving up and down the neck is easy and precise. Some bemoan the lack of fingerboard markers. There are markers on the side of the neck where I can see them when playing. I don't look at the front of the fingerboard when playing and could care less whether there are markers for others to see where I am playing or not. Tuners are quite nice and hold tune quite well. Wish they were 16:1 to make them a little less sensitive, but they work just fine. The "plain jane" look really ends up making this an attractive instrument. I'm giving it a 10, because the features it has are "just right" for this category of guitar. Yes, fancy inlaying, binding and such improve looks. But not sound. On this end of the price scale, this is nicely done.

Sound is what attracted me to this guitar. I tried the usual group of suspects (Seagull, Epiphone, Yamaha, Alvarez, etc). None sounded as nicely as this thing. Every string rings clearly, loudly, and evenly. Some of the others are weak somewhere in one or more of the above. They might seem muffled, or perhaps dead on the low end, bright on the high end, etc. This guitar rings clearly everywhere. It has that classic "Martin" sound (not as bright as some, more dark/mellow like Martins in general.) It is also nice to play several chords, note by note, and have the chromatic tuner show green (in tune) for each note played. While hardly any guitar has perfect intonation up and down the fingerboard across all strings, this thing is really well set-up and will surprise you if you fiddle around with it and a chromatic tuner to see where it is out and by how much (or actually how little). Some of the others I tried (mentioned above) were "mostly red" (planet wave headstock tuner) on non-open strings. Best one-word description is "Wow". Under $500 bucks ($450 in my case) but sounds like much, much more.

Action is good. Probably a tad high on the nut end, but not by much. Ditto for Bridge end. Very playable as is, will probably lower it just a touch to make it even easier to play. The neck finish / material is quite interesting to look at, but more interesting to play since it feels so right when moving up and down the neck. The lack of binding means that there must be some exposed end-grain. But with the careful radiusing, it is not apparent and looks nice. The lack of sharp corners also makes it a touch more comfortable to hold and play. I'm not hung up on the HPL side and back. Looks nice. Is obviously quite strong / durable. The natural-finished top also looks nice. And sounds wonderful. It could look like the bottom of a 30 year old ocean-liner, but if it sounded like this thing sounds, I'd be happy. And this guitar is hardly "ugly". It isn't an HD-28 in terms of eye-appeal. But in terms of sound, it is very close. No cracks, no gaps. Just clean and simple.

This is a harder question to answer. I see nothing that would make me worry about failures of any kind. In fact, the sides and back are probably much more rugged/durable than a more traditional solid-wood guitar. Ditto for the neck/fingerboard. Laminated materials tend to be MUCH more stable than solid pieces of wood. That leads me to believe that warping/bowing/twisting is not going to be an issue. But it will take a few years to prove. Except for the natural finish on the top, everything looks bullet-proof. The natural finish is probably a bit sensitive to some sort of disfigurement, either from scratching, or getting something messy on it, etc. Gloss finishes wipe clean easily. But I like the look of this finish and accepted that since I tend to take care of things anyway.

Lifetime warranty for the original owner is quite a deal. No need to worry about neck angle resets, fingerboard warps, neck warpage, braces coming unglued, bridge pulling off, etc. So long as it is taken care of, particularly with respect to humidification (which some reviewers here seem to have no clue about from comments about sharp fret ends, top warping, etc) it would appear that this is truly a lifetime instrument. Takes a lot of confidence for a company to offer that kind of promise.

I have been playing off and on for almost 50 years (I started at about age 12 or so). I have not owned an expensive acoustic (I do own a Gretsch Country Gentleman bought in the 60's), but I have played quite a few over the years. This guitar seems to fit right in that class, even though it costs 1/4 (or less) of the professional guitar prices. If it were stolen, I would buy another without a moment's thought. I spent more than enough time before buying this guitar to convince myself that this was what I wanted. Nothing has changed that. The primary things that attracted me to it were (a) sound; (b) simplicity (I am not real big on gaudy things, I like things to be functionally excellent, and worry less about the frills.)

I love the finish on this martin. The washed spruce top is nice. The laminate back and sides kind of look like the top of a desk at school..but its not bad. It dents easy though so be careful.
Cant beat a martin full body dreadnaught!! Sound is amazing.
I love the neck.. very nice looking and makes the feel on this guitar AMAZING!! The tuners are very nice also... they stay in tune, except for the low E ( i jam reall hard on the low E though)
Mine was one of guitar centers last Made in America ones. There all made in mexico now.
I hate buying acoustic electrics.... I have a LR baggs m1 active that I use and is amazing!

This guitar is great for strumming and fingerpicking.. I am mainly a open chord strummer. Its not as loud and bright as the taylor 110( its competition on this price range) but the dx1 has a warmer cleaner crisper sound in my opinion. Overall better tone. I had a chance to get a taylor 110 for 299(used but barely played) and could of saved 200 bucks but I chose the martin! I use elixir lights 80/20 bronze.. Ive been messin around with millions of guitars lately... and the dx1 sounds as good if not better than any guitar out there. Theres some taylor and older martins here and there that ive really liked but for the money you just cant beat a dx1.

The action was low out of the box .. just how i like it. Very easy to play.
Guitar had no flawsss..Put elixir strings on it right away and was perfect!!

This guitar is very reliable durability wise...
I dont gig with it but im sure would work great. you gotta be carefull with the spruce top as it seems to get knicks and dents pretty easy.. but adds to the character right..
Seems very durable....

Never had to mess with martin.
Theyve been around since late 1800's soo dont think they are going anywhere soon and im sure would be more than helpful...

Have been playing on and off for 8 years. Just got back into playing seriously a couple months ago. If someone this guitar was lost or stolen I would be at guitar center at 11am when they open ready to buy a new one.
The only others guitars that compare in this price range is the taylor 110....the epiphone masterbuilts and the martin 000x1..
I played the crapp out of all of those before I chose and everytime i strummed a G on the dx1 right away my brain was like WOW. this is the one. SOunds better than guitars 4 times as much.
I wish it came with a nice case but I already got one... I love the sound soo much on this guitar, but dont like the fake laminate wish they make it look a little more real but you get what you pay for.

Like everyone else says, this is a very basic guitar -- solid spruce top, but the rest is laminate and/or high tech bonded material. Depending on whether or not you like fake wood wallpaper, you may not like the back and sides of the box. But the tuners really are fantastic, and the guitar stays in tune forever. I think the DX 1 responds a little too enthusiastically to high humidity, but that may just be my lazy fingers.

FABULOUS. After a year, it's revealed a lot more bass than when I first played it -- walking bass lines under a melody are really, really funky on this guitar. Perhaps a touch too round and full on the higher strings if you want a really jangly sound, but if you wanted that, you probably weren't going to by a dreadnought.

Great. Mine is set up low, so the action is fast and close all the way up the neck.

Already got some dings in it, but that's not the guitar's fault. It's doing just fine considering the abuse I deal out.

This is a really, really good guitar for the price. It blew everything away at its price point, and a few more expensive guitars, too. There's no reason to buy anything else at the lower ends, and all the other guitar makers should be ashamed of themselves.

quite basic and 'no frills' but it looks great this way, all of the important things are there - some people may not like the lack of fret markers but I personally prefer this.

I compared many guitars before buying this. The main choices I was left with in my budget were the DX1 and Taylor 210. Both of these guitars sounded and plated better than some more expensive solid wood models and I would have to say that the Taylor sounded very slightly better (richer tones, clearer and more volume) but I acquired the DX1 for around ??250 less than the Taylor and for the price it is QUALITY.

The action was far better than any guitar I played including other More expensive models such as the Taylor 210. It is easy to play all across the neck and it is also much easier to slide your fingers up the fretboard than many models I tried.

A few guitars I have owned required alot of effort to hold a pure bar chord on frets 7+, but this is effortless.

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for the price I paid for the DX1, the alternatives were models such as the Epiphone EJ200 OR FARIDA models. All of which were OK, but the Martin was far better and I doubt that there are many better guitars for the price.

Great tuners ,it stays in tune forever. My DX 1 has an ebony neck ,and after 5 years still has that new martin smell .Ahhhh

This guitar will fit any music style .Once you play it you will know what we are all talking about .

Great action no flaws at all. still looks like the day I bought it.Except for the pick guard.

I wouldn't be surprised if it lasts 100 years.

have not needed them

for the money you cant beat it . I have been playing 35 years and wish I could have found a acoustic guitar that sounds and plays this back then.

Incredibly basic guitar. No binding, matte finish spruce soundboard, back and ribs HPL (High Pressure Laminate) I bought the 'R' model that stands for Rosewood, it does look a bit like rosewood, but is fairly obviously not a wood guitar. Very basic purfuling around soundhole. Tuners look good quality, but are quite small. No case. Mine was a Nazereth made model, I think they are now made in Mexico. Mine has an ebony fretboard, later ones apparantly have a micarta fretboard.The neck looks very interesting.
I absoloutly love the simplicity of this guitar, the only thing I really miss are the fretmarkers on the fingerboard, they do place them on the edge, but its just not the same.
Overall - brilliant looking guitar.

The sound just blew me away. Wether it is the laminate or what, when you hold the guitar and strum a chord, you can feel it resonate through your own body, the bass is lovley. Intonation is spot on. Nicest sounding guitar I have ever played (and I have played more than a few.)

Action spot on, can't fault the guitar at all.

Seems to be well made and solid. I do use it for gigs without back - up and have every confidence in it.

Never tried customer support

I have been playing for over 40 years. I would have liked fret markers but otherwise cannot fault this guitar. I would replace it wth another like a shot if I lost it.

My Martin DX1 has a satin finish. Normal sized dreadnaught. It6 has Martin tuners. Has a stratabond neck of the right size for my hands, which are a bit small.No accessories came with it. It was made in the USA in 2008. Has 14 frets above body. No electronics. Sitka spruce top. laminated back and sides.

I mainly play country and bluegrass. It has a rich fill sound that fits in well with the music I play. It is plenty loud enough for stage play and just flat sounds great. While this is a no frills, blue collar guitar, it has an upper crust sound. My friends really liked the way it sounds. I am very happy with it and I'm a picky dude. For the money, you just can't do better.

My guitar was set up about as perfect as you can get when I bought it. I checked it over with a fine tooth comb and did not detect any flaws in it.

I believe it will handle live playing without any problem. The top has a hand rubbed satin finish, that I suspect might stain, even though it hasn't yet. I personally believe I could depend on it aqnd I would definitely use it on a gig without a back-up.

Haven't needed any customer support yet. Knowing Martin, I don't worry about it. It has a limited lifetime warranty. The experience I've had with Martin has been very satisfactory.

I've been playing for 59 years out of 72. If it were lost or stolen and I could find another DX1 that sounds as great as this one, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. The looks are rwally good, but the sound that comes out of this guitar is just flat out great. I did compare it with 4 other Martins and 3 Gibsons and 3 other brands. This one far and above better sounding than all of them. I'm really happy with this "blue collar" model, as I'm blue collar myself. Sure wouldn't trade or sell it for twice the money.

There's not much to be said about frills for the DX-1 guitar; it's about as basic a design as they come. No binding, no fret inlays, no electronics, onboard tuner, even binding, but the lack of features, weirdly, is why I love the guitar so much. Form following function at its best.

The clean, pure tone of the Martin is as good as it gets for this sort of money, clean highs, rich bass, the lot. This guitar simply sings. The sheer volume of the sound is astounding; you just can't beat that sort of tone with a stick. The bass can get somewhat heavy if you're not watching it though.

The finish of the guitar is very good, though I don't know exactly how it is straight from the factory as I bought mine used. The smooth, beveled edges of the sides, though a small touch, really improve the comfort factor of the guitar and give it a nice, clean look. The one problem I've experienced was just a hint of sharpness to the sides of the frets, though that could be fixed easily.

I've only had the guitar for about two months now, so I really can't predict long-term durability. Everything seems to be holding up nicely, though, and withstanding my somewhat abusive playing style.

I haven't had any experience with customer service, and probably won't ever need to.

This guitar, my third, was a fairly major step that I'm overjoyed to have taken. The DX-1 is a joy to play, beautiful and sounds just as good or better than guitars costing four times as much. I could well be using this guitar for as long as I play; I don't see any reason to do otherwise.
If this were lost or stolen, I'd definitely buy another. I just couldn't live without that sound in my life. My only major gripe, really, is the laminate, it just sort of feels like you're playing a desk. An astonishingly good desk, though.

Mine is the US model with morado bridge and fretboard. Martin was very efficient in scaling back the features of this model in order to put its resources into the tone-sensitive parts of the guitar. Some fine luthiery there! It has no fretboard inlays, no body binding, and I think the rosette is painted on. Not much to look at. My particular model had some after market work done to it: a Fishman Sound Matrix II and a heel strap button. Very nice touches.

I play a folkish country bluegrass breed of music and this guitar had the ideal sound for me. Very heavy on the low end while retaining a good sense of balance and clarity on the high end. Even with the mortise-and-tenon neck joint, this guitar makes some great sustain. I tried a number of Martins and Taylors while guitar shopping, many of which were definitely out of my price range, and this one instantly popped out as "the guitar with that sound."

Standard Martin quality in this department (despite the cutbacks on the finish mentioned earlier). I can't speak for the new ones that are made in Mexico, but this particular one is as good as any other Martin when it comes to the setup, as far as I can tell.

I feel fairly confident in the durability of the instrument, though I'm a bit cautious about the HPL wood. Not sure how well it will hold up on the road. It did ship from Canada to Kentucky, however, without a scratch on it. That's a good sign.

I'm very satisfied with this guitar thus far. I'm willing to make sacrifices in the features and cosmetics in order to get the sound this guitar produces. I've been playing for 17 years and have been playing to pay the bills off and on during that period (mostly off :) If I could find a guitar that sounds exactly like this one but has solid back and side woods and some fret inlays, I'd probably trade it. Otherwise, I'll stick with this guy until my fingers fall off.

I started playing th guitar at age 12 - my first guitar was a Fender Mustang with a Ampege AMP - after 6 years I traded the electric for a Gibson Sunburst - not sure of the model number. after playing for until age 23 - I sold the guitar and my playing days were over for 42 years. I recently won a Electric guitar - "Bass Ale" with a Union jack body, Strat pickups and reckonbeck neck - well the rekindled the fire to play again and the this being a "Novelty" guitar and needed something better. I set off to look for the "Guitar" and after four stores and playing many guitars I finely purchased my first Martin... the DX-1 made from "Sitka" spruce top and MAHOGANY sides I was sold... I then went back thru the stores and played every DX-1 available, along with Takamina, Taylors, Guilds and variuos others.... and after narrowing the least done to three DX-1 I played each one and check the looks and straigtness of the parts.

The Martin DX-1 was purchased and I am now added to the long list of Martin owners. Great Action, beatiful sound and a great mid-level beginner guitar. Not sure I will ever purchase another Guitar, but I will cherish this one forever.....

The sounds is the sweetest I have heard live in a long time.....

Nice action, ease of neck play, just the right dimensions to fit my hands.

The Martin Warantee should help keep me in the playing mode for years to come. You always want to keep a good sound coming....

Customer support at the Music center - Sam As has been great, Jason the saleman was very helpful and did not pressure me to make a decision until I was ready and than he was very accommodating to make sure I understod my Martin....

Triple A PLUS

Solid spruce top, Morado fret board, can play 14 clear frets, 20 in total. No money was spent on the look of the guitar, which isnt really a bad thing, ie theres no inlays or markers or details here. I feel that all of the manufacturing cost was spent on getting the best sound, feel and warmth out of this guitar and thus keeping the price down. Didnt even include a case to keep costs down, would have liked cheep free gig bag but i have spare and only intend to leave this in my studio to record.

I love the sound of the dx1, its the nicest acoustic ive played, i love the warm sound and the top isnt too much, nice and rounded. Also has good volume and projection, ive been using a simon and patrick 12 string in my studio cause i love the extra harmonics and chorusy sound you get naturally from 12's but this dx1 is just as full and warm without having too mush high sounds which the 12's can do. This sounds nice on all types of music. I like the feel of the neck and the action is good, very easy to play chords from 0-10 frets. This feels like a quality guitar or rather sounds like one, so much so that when i use in the studio i feel i can get pro sounds and i dont intend to upgrade soon to any really expensive acoustics.

Good set up, no real problems with it, infact when i compare the dx1 to every other acoustic ive played its flawless. As i said, not much was spent on the looks, plain but i really like it, has enough character.

Not had long, good stuff though.

Not used. Dont envisage doing so.

Been playing 7 years, this is probably the most expensive acoustic 6 string ive played and it feels and sounds like it. Tried 15 acoustics in the shop, ranging from #200 - #600 a few Yamaha's, guilds etc. Must say that the dx1 sounded much brighter than the dx1R which has a rosewood fret board and just sounded too mellow, theres a big difference in the sound of the dx1 and dx1R so make sure you play both before you buy.

Immediately upon getting this thing home I went into a playing funk which lasted about four days. During this time I put the guitar down only to eat and go to work and sleep. Sounds and textures evolved from this instrument that I didn't know I was capable of making. Sounds like a top line acoustic to my ears. Scored a 9 only because I would like a tad more volume (projection).

It's beautiful to my eyes. I even like the fake wood on the neck and sides. I can see no flaws.

I don't know. It's probably not gonna survive if you play 'el kabong; with it. Sems solid.

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Been playing pro/semi pro for over 30 years. I own mostly elctric guitars and basses (Gibson, Fender, etc). I needed something with a good tone for recording and occasional live performance. I don't spend much money on gear anymore because it no longer pays for itself the way it once did. $500 was what I wanted to spend and that's what I spent. I wish it had a pick-up but not if the acoustic tone suffers and not if I gotta spend another hundred bucks, so I'm happy just the way it is. Make sure you shop around. Found this at American Music Supply $50 cheaper than anywhere else.

Everything but the sides and back and the finish are fine.

I played guitars from virtually every maker I could find in a price range of $500 and $1,000, and the only thing that even came close to the same sound quality was a Taylor 110 that was selling for $150 more than this one. The sound booms like any other Martin I've ever played and blows away any almost any other guitar in the same price range.

The setup and action are great. The tuners are precise and hold their tune well. The finish leaves a lot to be desired. It couldn't be more plain, and the HPL sides and back don't add to the aesthetics. This guitar, however, is all about sound and not looks. If you want a quality sound at a low price and are willing to sacrifice looks, this guitar is for you.

The fact that the sides and back are HPL material instead of wood will keep it intact for years to come.

The sound is unsurpassed for the price. The looks could use some help though, and I didn't realize until I got home that Martin had started making these in Mexico this year. Oh well, still sounds great.

Made in 05 in the USA. Others have described features well enough. I won't.

Sounds INCREDIBLE!!! A bargain instrument that sounds like much more expensive guitars. One thing that struck me the most about this guitar, is the response it has. Even with the lightest possible bare fingered playing, this guitar sings. I mainly fingerpick with picks, but a also play with bare fingers and every now and then with a pick. Sounds great with everything I throw at it. Great with a glass slide too. Playing over the neck sounds totally differnt than by the bridge, then there are all the places inbetween!!! I also use many different tunings. I have yet to find anything that sounds bad.

WOW

The neck feels great in my hands. I hate the look of all the plys that make it, however. I almost didn't buy it because of that. The simulated wood on the sides and back don't bother me too much. However, I think something like solid black would have been better than fake wood grain.

Guitar was set up great. Holds tune very well, despite my changing tunings every day!!!

I think this will last forever, since most of it is made of high pressure "stuff." I don't see anything really going wrong with it. A bonus is that you really can't scratch the body.

For what it is, certainly a 10!!!! I wanted another Martin Dread and this is one that I could afford and not worry about beating the tar out of. Despite it's materials, this guitar sounds AMAZING!!! Nothing in it's price range comes close. Close your eyes, and you think you're on a D-28. I've owned too many guitars to list and know good tone and good quality. This has both.

Not sure if I'd want a Mexican built one however. If you can find a US made one, get it!

2006-Made in Mexico,very plain yet not ugly. decent tuners, Im not interested in anything any fancier. Nice neck, medium size. NO case or bag, which is ok, as I was on a very tight budget. Can always get one later. Laminated back and sides, and multi-layer neck, but I dont care. Very nice construction. The only features you need are a pickguard and a set of tuning machines, anything else is costly.

Well,like most other reviewers, I was stunned by how good it plays and sounds. I also looked at the high-value Martin D-15, and this is better sounding I think and it is $300 cheaper. If you arent bothered by the lack of cosmetics, the sound is comparable to guitars much more expensive! Very well balanced, a good guitar for strumming. I use it for country and blues.

Set-up was fine as is usually the case with Martin, and assembly was very good. Materials are cheap, but Martin shows that the way in which a guitar is built and assembled is what matters the most. Gibson, for one, could learn a lot from Martins assembly quality. I think the lack of a heavy finish allows this guitar to ring and sustain.

Time is the only answer.

Had very good service in the past.

For what you pay, its a 10. Even comparing it to high end models, it is still competetive. Its not a HD-28V, of course, but if you want a cheap instrument that wont embarrass you, this is it. I have owned many high-end acoustics in the past, and I am very satisfied with this guitar. Head and shoulders above the many other $400- $500 imported guitars I tried. I am very sad to see that they are now made in Mexico, and if I had known this at the time of purchase, I may have passed on it and bought a US made one on ebay. I KNOW that the profits made on their higher priced models could have allowed Martin to continue to make these in the US. There may not be as much profit in these models, but from my experience working for a major US guitar maker, I can tell you there is VERY little money tied up in the raw materials, most likely under $50. I doubt that Martin takes more than 4-5 hours to make this model from start to finish, and now is probably paying a wage of about a dollar or a dollar and a half per hour to their Mexican work force. That complaint aside, this is a great bargain on a fine instrument, you cant go wrong.

This is very much a No-Frills guitar. Martin spent their money wisely on using the best materials in the critcal areas. I've owned this guitar for almost a year now and am still amazed at how well it holds a tune. The machine heads are top notch. The nut is smooth and silky allowing the strings to stay balanced on both sides. The lack of flashy adornments keeps the price down so as to give the owner room to customize.

The day I purchased this guitar I went out the door with $1000 in my pocket. I toured the city hitting every music store in town...sometimes twice. I was determined to find the my magic sound. After playing Martins, Taylors, Takamines, Gibsons, Ovations, ranging from $500 to $5000 the DX-1 was my pick. From the first strum I knew this was the guitar for me. Anybody with any kind of passion for music knows this feeling. I don't care about all the miles of Abalone inlays and exotic woods...ultimately it's the sound and this guitar has it. LOADS of it. The bass is strong and present due to the solid spruce top. This makes finger picking a true joy to behold when you are doing an alternating bass riff. The mids and highs are crisp but smooth due to the Formica type laminate back and sides. I use Elixir extra light nanoweb strings and it almost sounds like two guitars playing in chorus. I also own a D-28 with the same strings and much prefer the DX-1's sound.

The action was a bit high for my tastes(possibly due to severe carpal tunnel) so I had a luthier install a pre-amp piezo pickup and lower the action. With Martin keeping the price down I had the freedom to install exactly the pre-amp I wanted. When shopping for an Electric Acoustic I was going to have to pay through the nose to get the features I wanted. So now I can get the features I wanted and still have money left over for good cables.

Although the finish is flat and can be prone to staining...the back and sides are almost bullet proof. The laminate is strong, durable, and scratch resistant. This makes this guitar PERFECT for going on the road. It's not as sensitive to humidity and temperature changes as the higher dollar exotic woods models.

I've had no issues to take to Martin yet. But if I did, Martin has the reputation for top notch customer support that leaves me with a sense of satisfaction and pride in owning a Martin.

If you're looking for glitz...keep looking. If you're looking for that magical Martin sound...pull up a chair. This is a guitar I hope to make a family heirloom out of. I'm sure the purists of you are gagging right now but this guitar represents the craftsmanship, quaility, and excellence Martin has become synonymous with over the years. No, I don't work for Martin I'm just a consumer caught up in this world of corporate greed and boosting the bottom line at the cost of quality. I am a VERY satisfied customer and appreciate what Martin puts in their guitars.

My DX1 was made in 2006 in Mexico. Martin uses high pressure laminates with solid spruce top. The finish is very thin, and the guitar feels very, very light. The tuners are chrome. Visually, this guitar looks as plain as plain can get, but hey, that didn't stop me from buying it. The only thing I'd probably change is the pick guard. I like the Taylor style pickguards better. I won't score this category because for this particular guitar, Martin was not visually trying to impress us anyway, nor was that the point of this model. The DX1 is a very plain, quality instrument, and I'll leave it at that.

The sound is unbelievable. It definitely has that fabled Martin sound. The bass is VERY thunderous and the mids and trebles are clear and strong. I loved this guitar the first time I played it (at Guitar Center, of course). Fingerpicking is wonderful on this guitar. All the notes are just so... clear, and the projection is very impressive. Strumming or playing rythm is just a sweet because the sound balance across all six strings is super. Eventhough the bass response certainly impressed me, this is not a "strong bass - tinny trebbles" guitar. All notes are very woody and strong. I played this guitar against the Martin D-28, and I found myself prefering the DX1 a whole lot more.

Fit and finish is fine. Action was perfect when I bought it.

This guitar is just as reliable as any other acoustic guitar. The finish is thin, but doesn't look like it's gonna come off anytime soon. The DX1 comes with the endpin at the lower bout. I had to drill and screw in another endpin towards the top of the upper bout to use my strap.

No need for company contact so far, so no rating for this category.

I've been playing guitar for about 15 years. I also own a Crafter D45/N acoustic guitar (just as awesome and powerful as the DX1, but with its own characteristic sound), a Zager ZAD-50CE (not in the same league as the Martin DX1 or the Crafter D45/N, but still a good and very balanced sounding guitar with unbelievablly low action), a Yamaha AEX500 semihollow body acoustic electric guitar (very mellow, jazzy sound), an Esteve 1GR3E classical guitar (solid classical sounding instrument) and a David Macias flamenco guitar (unbelievably off the top of the lung sound). Lately, I've been playing more acoustic steel string and leaving the nylon stringed equipment to collect dust.

Already in love with the sound of the Crafter guitar, I also needed another powerful (and affordable) acoustic guitar to be used for certain parts for live playing and recording. Once I heard the sound of the DX1, no other guitar will do. The day I went to Guitar Center to purchase this guitar, the store had at least six DX1's on display. I had the good fortune to try all of them and purchased the one that I thought was the best, thought I must say all them sounded impressively consistent. If this guitar was lost or stolen, I would definitely replace it. No other guitar will do. I do love some of those louder, expensive Taylors, but I had to also remind myself that compared to a fine instrument such as the DX1, they're only a bit louder, and in live performance and recording, louder is just a matter of turning up the volume knob. It's really that characteristic deep, woody, resonant acoustic guitar sound that I'm after because that is what simply turning up the volume knob can't give me. The DX1 is truly what an acoustic guitar should be. Thumbs up for Martin on this one.

I have the usa made. Tuners are pretty solid. These guitars don't have the shinny finish. That's a reflection of the cost. I dropped mine and chipped the top edge. I had my guitar shop guy cut it and patch it. It Gave it some character. It plays and sounds and stays intune like it did before I dropped it.

My DX-1 Sounds flawless against some of the high end Gibson's, Taylor's,etc... that I have played in music stores. Not saying you couldn't find a Gibson or Taylor that sounded amazing. I would describe the tone as low mid magic. I do home recordings, and I rarely eq my acoustic gutar tracks because the tone itself is so close to perfect. Wether it be a condenser or dynamic @the hole. The only thing i have to cut is the low Freq 200hz range because of the DX-1's boomy bass. By far the best bang for the buck in a straight up non-electric acoustic. I would definatley have any guitar setup by a skilled guitar shop. That's the bad thing about buying one new in a store. You can't really set it up until you buy it. I would get to discuraged if a new guitar didn't play the best in the world, but first concentrat on tone.

As i said before get it setup by a pro and it will play like butter.

Like I said before I dropped mine and chipped the top on the edge. I had a square cut out where the chip was and filled the square with a new spruce peice. It looks awesome.

Made in the USA (They are now being made in Mexico.) - Solid Sitka Top - Satin Finish - HPL Laminate Back and Sides - Morado Bridge/Fingerboard - Compensated White TUSQ Saddle - Standard Chrome Tuners - No frills design

I have to say that I was amazed by this guitar. I had sold my CA Legacy AE Aura and my Taylor 314ce. Both guitars sounded great but their bright tone began to wear on me. They lacked fullness & warmth. Needless to say I was on the hunt for another acoustic. I went to my local Guitar Center & Sam Ash. I was in the market for another mid-high end acoustic. I played a few Larrivee's in the $1200-$1400 range very nice guitars, Taylor?s in this price range to bright, & I played some lower end Martins in the $1300-$1700 range. The Martins definitely excelled in the fullness dept. I saw this Martin DX1 hanging there for $499.00. Reluctantly I grabbed it. How could it sound decent for $499? When I began playing it I was blown away. It produced a very full, rich tone with just the right amount of sparkle on the high end. Very balanced sound. After a few more comparisons I realized that this guitar was a steal at $499.00. I didn't care what it was made of. I was prepared to spend alot more money to get the sound I was looking for and I ended up with a DX1 and a $1000+ bucks in my pocket

The guitar played and felt just as nice as the $1200 and up models. Of course it lacks all of the nice fancy inlays, binding, and extras that come on the high end models and its not made of solid wood, but thats ok because I was interested in sound alone. This guitar delivered. The craftsmenship was top notch no complaints there. The action was a little high but that is easily remedied.

I would not hesitate to play live with this guitar. The fact that it is not solid wood does not bother me. I have a 15 year old Eterna acoustic that someone gave me, it has a laminated back and sides. It has held up fine through the years and sounds amazingly good (for what it is) now that the Spruce top has aged. The DX1 will only get better with age. The satin finish is thin but that just improves the resonate quality of the wood. With reasonable care this guitar should last a lifetime.

Haven't had to use.

I have been playing for 25+ years. As I mentioned earlier I owned a CA Legacy AE Aura Drednaught ($2000 retail), a Taylor 314ce ($1600 retail). I know that there are guitars out there that are nicer and sound better than the DX1 but in the $1200 - $1600 range I didn't find one. Somehow Martin was able to create a very balanced sounding acoustic guitar without the used of solid wood construction. It's great to have a guitar that sounds this good at such a low price. The DX1's are now being made in Mexico so if you can find one of the USA made models jump on it I?m sure they will hold there value.

2006 DX-1
Satin Finish
VERY simple design.. no inlays in the fretboard.
Standard tuners.
Paid somewhere around 450 for this.

For me being an ex-bassist I love low end sounds.
This has the rich tone that I love without sounding 'bottomed-out' or muddy.
For me the highs seem a little bright - but I'm still experimenting with different strings and get either a brighter or 'lower' sound.

I tend to stick with Martin Bronze strings (.13)

Also - for me? This guitar is LOUD. Sure it's not the loudest out there but you can def get some noise out of it. Heh.. just ask my wife - she definitely thinks it's loud enough. But I could foresee needing a mic at a bar or small gig.

Factory setup from the local Guitar (screw you good) Center was decent. And it looked like it was recently taken out of the box as it didnt have too many hands touching it.

Action was just a 'tad' higher then I would've liked but easily fixed. The feel is perfect - not too 'lose' nor too 'tight' (Taylors feel too tight for my liking)

Frets were nice and 'polished' I've played a few guitars where I thought the frets were razors - def not the case here.

Finish of the wood on neck and body was perfect. I couldn't of asked for a cleaner acoustic for under $500 bucks.

Well... it's done the ol' dive bomb onto a carpeted floor once - and it survived without losing it's tuning - so needless to say I'm happy.

I tend to be pretty rough with any stringed instrument (comes from playing bass I guess) This guitar handles my punishment with a pick nicely.

My only gripe is I will probably replace the tuners as the G is already starting to get 'wiggly' after a few string changes. And it can't be fixed - has to be replaced. Overall though very solid guitar.

N/A

I've been playing on and off for about 15 years. Mainly a bassist I switched to guitars for my own personal enjoyment for the last 5 years. I don't play any gigs.. but if I did this is the acoustic of choice.

My only advice before buying this (or any guitar for that matter) is PLAY the damn thing. You can usually tell if it's going to be a problem child if you take the time in the shop to ditz with it.

I played everything from begginer Takamine's to high-end Taylors, and everything in between. I'd have to say that this is a very nice guitar. And it is all business without the trappings of silly inlays.

Spuce top (no finish), kitchen counter sides and back.

I graduated from my wife's laying-around-the-house-so-I-might-as-well-learn-to-play-it Yamaha classical guitar to this. Bought it at Sam Ash and tried every other $500-and-under guitar and this was the best sounding, hands down. It had much richer bass and fuller, more distinct mid- and high tones. But then again, it was nearly twice as expensive as its nearest competitor (I knew when I had wandered off the floor and into the expensive-guitar room I was in trouble.) I don't know squat about other famed guitar makes, but to a novice's ear, this is the finest, cheapest guitar in existence.

The lack of finish on the spruce top means it will get and hold dirt quite easily. And, damn it, it chips easily (nicked it when it barely touched a WOODEN chair.) So give it an assured safe distance from any and all obstacles.

I hope the particle-board back and sides hold up, but won't know that for a while. However, the formica-like covering is impervious to dings and nicks. Each tuner has a personality of its own, but humidity and temperature changes aside, it holds its tuning pretty well.

I only wish I'd asked the salesguy about the longevity of the back and sides. Then again, the cheaper guitars are made entirely of laminate, and more expensive ones are made entirely of whole wood, so there probably wouldn't have been anything to compare the DX-1 to, anyway.

This guitar looks simple, which appeals to me so I give it a fairly high rating.

Low end on this guitar is great, but, it is a little too bright on the high end. I do a lot of fingerpicking and this guitar is really too quiet for that style.

My biggest complaint, the neck. I think with the composites the neck doesn't like to stay in one bend. I have had to have it adjusted approximately every two months. Humidity in my house stays between 48-50 as I have a whole house humidifier and temperature is constant. The nut has been replaced, the bridge tweaked but I get fret buzz while playing an E on the A string and playing an E or F on the D string.

Because of the neck problems, I live with fret buzz until it become unbearable and it is back to the shop.

Due to this, the sound is the lowest rating.

Action was a bit too low when I first purchased it, other than that the guitar was in perfect condition.

Well, reliability doesn't exist with this guitar because the neck seems to have a memory that comes back after a month and is unplayable at about two months.

It has been repaired four times and the local repair center is baffled. Emailing Martin about the problem didn't produce any results.

If it was stolen, I would thank god so I would have a reason with the wife to buy a different guitar. Sad about loosing the 500 bucks, not at all, I have spent more 10 times that on frustration. On the bright side, when I do get another guitar, I'll hang it on the wall as decoration, my conscience will not allow me to sell this thing when I know it is a lemon.

this guitar is the best acoustic ive ever played,for the money you absolutely can not beat it,its the only guitar ive owned that i wouldnt change a thing on,and ive owned some pretty high falutin guitars in my time,the lack of ornamentation,binding and fret markers are what attracted me to it in the first place,imho if it doesnt make it sound better why put it on....

very well balanced sound with huge projection when you need it,nice bottom end thats clear,the highs dont overwhelm as they do in a lot of other guitars

great action!!dont have to mess with the bridge to make the guitar playable,no buzz anywhere on the fretboard and the neck shape is just right,almost like a good les paul neck!!

im sure its gonna keep its end of the bargain if i use it to play out,the finish is almost irrelevent to me as long as the sound is still there,but i NEVER play in public without a plan B,cause ya just never know...

never needed it

ive been playing for thirty years,in that time ive owned a store full of les pauls,strats,teles,etc..plus a respectable number of really decent acoustics,this is hands down the best acoustic ive owned.it is versatile,rugged,and easy on the eyes but the most important thing is the SOUND,and it has that in spades,sorta like finding a new ferrari for the price of a beat up pickup=)

Solid sitka top. Made in the USA. I have heard rumors that Martin is moving its lower end production to Mexico, but I don't know if this is true. No fancy inlays or binding. No features at all to speak of. So, compared to other guitars (imports can beat it for looks, but NOT tone).

I own several guitars and most of them cost FAR more than this one did. It is becoming my favorite guitar for its down. Very good articualtion, tone, projection. It is AMAZING that Martin can get this much out of a guitar with such a low price point. I have a D-15 Rosewood special edition, and this guitar is just as nice as it is in the tone department. It is a bit more direct and louder, in fact! I can't say enough about the tone, particularly when flatpicked.

Action was actually a bit low, which is unusual for a Martin. They tend to come from the factory a bit high. Perhaps becasue this is considered a beginner's Martin, they set it up a little lower than normal to make playing easier. Not bad and I may not replace the saddle, but it could be done easily enough.

I use this as my maini "take around" guitar and I trust it.

Martin customer service is one of the best in the industry. I have contacted them via phone and have always talked to a friendly rep without much wait.

Best "bang for the buck" without a doubt. I own Taylor, Martin, and Tacoma and I am more impressed than I expected to be. I had some coupons and rebates with Musicians Friend (and I sold the Gig bag it came with) which brought my total cost, with FREE SHIPPING down to $389! I am amazed.

If you buy the Musicians Friend pack, you get a DX-1, Martin Logo Gig bag, and strap. for the same price as the DX-1. It would be silly not to buy the bundle.