Martin Martin DC-16RGTE AURA

This Martin features a solid Sitka Spruce top, East Indian Rosewood sides and back, and Black Micarta fingerboard. It has the hybrid "X" scalloped Top Bracing, and Herringbone Rosette. The electronics are the Fishman Aura system, but custom-made for Martin. It came with a hardshell Martin case.

This guitar is great for fingerpicking, but also sounds great with a flat pick. Shimmering highs, and great resonance. Acoustically, it is rather loud, even louder than guitars twice it's price. When played through an amplifier, however, is where it's variety of tones comes into play. The Aura system can get you where you want to be, sound-wise, regardless of what type of music you play.

This guitar has a great factory set-up. The action was key in my decision to purchase, and the Martin Studio Performance Light Phosphor Bronze strings sound fantastic. It plays great all the way up the fingerboard. The finish is flawless, and overall appearance is enhanced by the White Boltaron binding. Gorgeous.

I've not played live with this guitar, yet, but would have no reservations about doing so. It's well-built, and I can find no flaws in it's reliability. The jack for the cord is built in to the rear strap button, and it also has a strap button by the neck joint, so you don't have to attach the strap to the headstock. That's cool. I would use this guitar without a back-up, though I would probably bring one, just for alternative tunings.

Martin offers a lifetime limited warranty, so I don't worry about it. I've contacted Martin about this guitar, and they've been very helpful. That's odd in this day and age.

I've been playing since the mid '70's. My first guitar was a Telleno, and it would slice your hand in two, it played so poorly. I also own a Yamaha FG-401, which set the bar very high for the action I would accept out of an acoustic guitar. A great player. I also own an Ibanez AEL20E, another great playing guitar. I shopped for an Acoustic-Electric for about 5 months, prior to purchasing this Martin. I tried virtually everything at Guitar Center, from Taylors, Breedloves and Gibsons, as well as other Martins, and kept going back to this one. There's not a feature I would add, or take away from this particular model.

MODEL: DC-16RGTE AURA
CONSTRUCTION: Mortise/Tenon Neck Joint
BODY SIZE: D-14 Fret Cutaway
TOP: Solid Sitka Spruce
ROSETTE: Bold Herringbone
TOP BRACING PATTERN: Hybrid ''X'' Scalloped
TOP BRACES: Solid Sitka Spruce 5/16"
BACK MATERIAL: Solid East Indian Rosewood
BACK PURFLING: none
SIDE MATERIAL: Solid East Indian Rosewood
ENDPIECE: White Boltaron
ENDPIECE INLAY: Black/White Boltaron
BINDING: White Boltaron
TOP INLAY STYLE: Multiple Black/White Boltaron
SIDE INLAY: none
BACK INLAY: none
NECK MATERIAL: Select Hardwood
NECK SHAPE: Modified Low Oval
NUT MATERIAL: White Corian
HEADSTOCK: Solid/Square Taper
HEADPLATE: Solid East Indian Rosewood /Raised Gold Foil
HEELCAP: Solid 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: White Boltaron
FINISH BACK & SIDES: Satin
FINISH TOP: Polished Gloss ; Sunburst available at additional cost.
FINISH NECK: Satin
BRIDGE MATERIAL: Black Micarta
BRIDGE STYLE: Belly
BRIDGE STRING SPACING: 2-1/8''
SADDLE: 16'' Radius/Compensated/White Tusq
TUNING MACHINES: Chrome w/ Small Buttons
BRIDGE & END PINS: White w/ Black Dots
PICKGUARD: Tortoise Color
CASE: 345
INTERIOR LABEL: Paper Label
ELECTRONICS: Fishman Onboard Aura

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Overview:
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I play a wide variety of music and use different playing styles. I do fingerstyle without picks and strumming (both open chords and bar chords) with picks. I play both unplugged and plugged. The sound of this gutiar is incredible whether plugged and unplugged. I've played many high-end acoustic guitars, and I would rank this a 10 out of 10. The only guitars I've played that sounded better than a new DC-16RGTE were worn-in/broken-in Martins that had been played enough to open up; even the worn-in Martins sounded only slightly better than a new DC-16RGTE, so I expect this model will sound just as good (if not better than) than a HD-28.
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Unplugged:
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Unplugged, this guitar has a lot of volume and puts out that classic Martin tone: deep, bassy, rich, full, and punchy. I've A/B'd this against the higher ends Martins (HD-28 and DC Aura) unplugged and I was only barely able to discern a difference in tone; the difference was not significant. I liked the sound of the particular HD-28 and DC Aura guitars I played only slightly better than the DC-16RGTE, but those others I liked better had been played more and so had opened up. Most casual listeners wouldn't be able to tell a difference between this guitar and a HD-28 or DC Aura.
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Plugged In:
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Plugged in, it sounds great, and I did not detect any feedback while playing at loud volumes directly in front of the amp. I can't decide whether I like the sound of the Aura electronics in this guitar better than the Taylor Expression system; it's an apples-and-oranges comparison to me. However, the Aura system definitely gives the player a much wider variety of tones than the Taylor Expression system. Because of this, I would rank the Aura system higher than the Taylor Expression System.
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Likes:
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I love the unplugged volume and Martin tone coming out of this baby: deep, rich, full, boomy, punchy. I'm also a big fan of the Aura electronics.
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Dislikes:
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I cannot think of anything I dislike about the sound.

There were no flaws at all I could find. The set-up is difficult to rate because it's such a subjective thing. Those who strum open chords heavily generally prefer a higher setup (to avoid string buzzing) whereas others might prefer to have a lower action. For me, the setup was superb out of the box. I had no problem at all playing anything on this guitar whether fingerstyle, open chords, bar chords, or flat picking. Martins are very popular in the Country/Bluegrass genre where people have agressive strum and pick attacks; that's why Martins are generally set up with the action a bit higher than Taylors. Agressive strummers and pickers will generally dislike the way Taylors are set up.

The woods in this model are solid (not laminate) -- including the back and sides. Also, the wood is relatively thin (and that's one of the reasons this guitar sounds superior). Martins with solid, thin wood (like this one) should be babied when not in use. It's recommended that a Martin be kept at about 50% humidity (plus or minus a few percent) and a temperature somewhere in the low-to-mid 70-degree-fareinheit range. Since a guitar with a thick, laminate top, back and sides can withstand about anything, I'm knocking a point off of this model for reliability and durability.

N/A. I haven't had to deal with Martin Cusomer Support, so I'm not rating this category.

I've been playing off-and-on for 27 years. I've owned several different acoustic-electric guitars (including two Taylors). Before buying this guitar, I knew exactly what I wanted out of a guitar and did a lot of research (both online and offline) and tried out dozens upon dozens of midrange and high-end acoustic-electric guitars in Nashville, TN and Huntsville, AL. I love this guitar so much, I bought another one just like it so I wouldn't have to buy another one if it were lost, stolen, or damaged. Despite that, I would replace it anyway with the exact same model so that I could always have two (one player and one backup). I love the sound of this guitar (both plugged and unplugged), and I like the fact that it looks down-to-earth without all the flashy, in-your-face ornamentation. I prefer gloss finishes over satin finishes, so -- if there were one thing I would change about the gutiar -- I would replace the satin finish on the back and sides with a glossy finish.

2007 Dreadnought. Cutaway body. Solid Sitka Spruce Top:Gloss, Solid East Indian sides and back:Satin.
Micarta fretboard and bridge.
Ovankol neck (?)
Fishman AURA electronics w/tuner & EQ & Notch filter.
Intellegent anti-feedback control.
Martin/Schaller tuners.
20 thin frets. 25.5" scale neck.

This is why you buy a Martin! Amazing sound.
The AURA + the tonewoods and Micarta fretboard & bridge is
what makes this a very versatile acoustic-electric.
Martin + Fishman got AE right!
I tried the rest, this is the best.
The guitar sounds great acoustically but once you put it through
an acoustic processor with various reverb patches through some digital quality headphones you won't want to listen to any other way.
VERY recordable!! It even sound good with semi-dead strings.
The harmonics are phenominal & perfectly match the AURA's various mikes and positions.

The action needed to be brought down which was no problem for the Guitar Center salesman. Kudos to the Virginia Beach Guitar Center salesmen, Marcus & John. I didn't even need to leave it for the guitar tech.
No probs with construction.

Not sure I want to gig with it. Definitely not at the beach or in the hot sun, ever! I have a Tacoma & a Parkwood for gigging.
Very dependable feeling.

Already said it above.

I've been playing since 1966.
For AE I have a Tacoma DM-9 w/Fishman Eclipse blender and a Parkwood w/Fishman blender. Also have a very nice Yahama classical solid Cedar and rosewood b/s with blender + B Band.
Very good sounding guitars. I will probably sell the Parkwood for obvious reasons (obsolete!).
Having the Micarta fretboard & bridge saved $500 over the higher model. Ebony is a bit better, but, hey I have too many guitars... (3 with Ebony fretboards: Godin LGX-Sa & Multiac Nylon Synth & Yahama classical)
For me the versatility of the addition of the AURA make this guitar valuable for the price. I'm not a purist looking for one particular sound. This guitar does get the generic great sound of a Martin, don't get me wrong.