Martin OMC Aura

Other reviewers have listed the features. I might add that the pearl and abalone inlays are equal to Martins costing thousands more. This guitar was made in 2008, and I have had it for about a year now. The Fisher Aura electronics are the best of any guitar I have owned.

This guitar has a rich full, but well defined sound with great bass so lacking in most guitars this size. I lead worship at church, and play fingerstyle at times. Hard strumming doesn't push the head room which is amazing. Every note is well defined with good balance and intonation up the entire neck. I believe this guitar would also work well for Blue Grass, as it is very loud which belies its size. It has perfect balance so lacking in other instruments. I found that Clear Tone Strings sound better than Martin Strings and last much longer.

The construction is flawless in every detail. I prefer the neck finish on the Taylors however since they aren't glossy. The Gotah tuners are beautiful and work like butter and never slip. The action is perfect out of the box. The hard case I replaced with the optional Martin 330 case .

I don't ever use a backup on a gig. This guitar should hold up very well with careful attention befitting such a beautiful instrument. The strap buttons are solid and in good position. The finish is flawless.

Martin's reputation for service is top rate. I have had no warranty problems at this time.

I lead worship, and play fingerstyle or strum all types of music. I would characterize the sound as very clear and balanced with bass superior to any of the guitars I have now or have had. I also have a Taylor GS5 which I also love. I have owned a Taylor 914ce, 814ce, GC8, 414ce, several Washburns, 2 Larivee's, and various other brands. It is loud, can cut through a mix and sounds like a much larger guitar. It sounds superior to every other guitar I have owned or played. I have played other high end Martins and it sounds better than any I have played. I prefer the sound to all the Taylors I have owned or played except the GS series. These GS guitars have a unique and rich sound which makes a comparison difficult. The two guitars are both great sounding and slightly different in harmonic content. This Martin is the perfect size and sits on your lap or on a strap very comfortably.

I have been playing for about 10 years. If the guitar was lost or stolen I would find another one just like it.

There is no other quality guitar on the market that has all of the deluxe features of this instrument near this price.

This guitar is great. I have been playing for 15 years, gigging and playing in the house. I have had a number of guitars over the years and this one is ROCK SOLID. Quality is good, but the sound is the seller. It's got everything you would want as a fingerstyle player, or a flatpicker, or a hybrid picker, etc. Onboard electronics, while not something like a trinity blend with mike, is pretty decent. Built in tuner, feedback filter, phase, the Aura system, not bad, not bad.

I do feel that the tuners are slightly imprecise. I have a want to be slightly more granular.

The Rosewood is gorgeous, the spruce top is good, mine has a lot of bearclaw, not my thing, but hey, it's not all that bad. My salesman said that Martin say Bearclaw marks are good luck. If that's the case, I sure have a lucky guitar!

The sound if amazing. Full, rich bass, tight, articulate mids, decent highs. I was a Taylor guy, in fact, a bit of a Taylor snob. I would have never considered this or any Martin but a smart salesman when I was looking for a Larivee put this one in my hand. I had a 912CE that I thought was amazing. When I brought the OMC Aura home, I demoed the two together, A Section on OMC, then played immediately again on the 912, same with B and C. I and my wife were stunned. The Taylor went in the case and never got played again. A few months later, I sold the Taylor. Yes, it is THAT good!

Sustain is so strong and good that it borders on sounding like an electric guitar just about ready to feedback. For example, I can play 12th fret harmonic on all strings, walk across the room (20ft long) with the guitar in hand, put it in the case and the closing lid actually MUTES the strings.. Such a cool trick I must do it every time I put the guitar away.

Plugged in, honestly, I think the Taylor is superior. I do a good amount of percussive technique and it's kind of lost on the OMC Aura. The system just isn't as good for that. I would have preferred something with a microphone incorporated.

I have since replaced the Tusq saddle with a bone one from Bob Colosi and it has made the guitar sound even better. Harmonics are just insane now!

The guitar was setup with excellent action. I adjusted the truss rod a bit to bring the neck more straight (I don't need much of a bow for my type of playing or attack). I can fingerpick, strum, slap and the strings rarely buzz if ever.

Finish... Well, this one is NOT perfect. Hate to say it, but the finish is okay. Gloss is good, but on the back side it looks like they forgot to buff it all the way out. Also the finish has sunk into the grain a little bit and there's one drip that was sanded and sprayed over again. That being said, it just doesn't bother me. My Taylor 912 CE was perfect, and I feel that the finish was better on the Taylor, but the Martin sounds so good and is a "workin' guitar" that I just don't care. I put a scratch on the back of it from my humidifier, and you know what... I didn't care. Not one bit.

I'm not a fan of gold hardware, and I feel that the diamond inlays and bridge MOP is a little gaudy, not my cup of tea, but again... it's all about the sound. If it were painted black and had giant wings hanging off it with fuzzy dice, it's still play the heck out of it.

I have heard stories about Martin building their guitars like tanks. I hope not to find out!

It's been great so far, and even has had a couple of bumps... even so, no dents or dings.

I have removed my pickguard (why a pickguard on an ostensibly a fingerpicking guitar). A call to Martin provided a wealth of info. All pleasently delivered. I had a couple of the clips which hold the wires inside in place come loose. An e-mail was responded to within a day and 2 clips arrived no charge a day later. Lifetime warranty which seems to really mean something with Martin. Well-known, quality company made up of great people stand behind your investment.

The only thing that would pull this guitar out of it's role as a primary guitar is a boutique hand-made one made custom for me (in the works currently)... As that stands, I would be destroyed if it were stolen. I would replace it and I plan on keeping it and giving it to my kids when they are old enough to appreciate it.

The company has been great on my other Martin's.

I've been playing for 42 years and I own too many guitars to list them all (my wall is full +). I absloutely would replace this guitar with another OMC Aura. I love to look at it, play it, and clean it. I actually went to buy the 814ce but as I was playing it, I noticed that the finish had a lot of orange peel. This is the exact same thing that I got in my Taylor T5 and I find it unacceptable (Taylor seems to have a quality control issue). I did accept it in the T5 as it was one of the very first off of the line and I REALLY wanted it. And, Taylor was kind enough to buff most it out when I sent it in for some work last year. All of my Martin's, including the OMC Aura, my Custom Shop OM 42, and D18 have been flawless. I play through a Bose L1 and I have found the OMC to be a perfect match. All-in-all, even though I felt the Taylor had a better 'look' to it, the Taylor guitars can't match the sound, feel and quality of the Martin line.

It's all already been said but this is a great guitar with a great on board electronics system. The Aura is loaded with features, usable ones like the tuner and anti-feedback and phase switch aside from the great Aura system and programmable EQ. The blendability between the images and UST is a terrific idea allowing countless tone possibilities. Easy battery access is also a plus.

One dislike, the tuners are too large to fit properly inside any brand of string winder I have found.

I play originals and all styles from light fingerpicking to heavy strumming, the Aura takes it all in stride and sounds like an OM maybe 28 level should sound unplugged. The sound is warm with the Sitka/RW combination and decent sustain for a small body.

With 6 images and UST blending the variety of sounds is almost limitless, great electronics.

Add a shameless plug for Genz Benz Shenandoah amps and you have a magical sound.

The action was high from the factory but I do my own setups and replaced the TUSC saddle with FWI and pins with Buffalo horn, very warm and even more sustain!

The wood quality is excellent both the Sitka top which is nicely matched and very silky, and the Rosewood back which has a nice straight grain.

This is one pretty guitar.

I play this guitar every day, it will be gigging soon and I have no fears it will not shine on stage. Battery life is excellent too.

No problems so far..........

I have been playing since '64, owned dozens of guitars and amps, and currently also have a Martin D-18 GE, a TONE MONSTER!!

I had a Taylor 814ce that sounded anemic compared to my Martins and the electronics should be banned from usage. The OMC is everything the Taylor wasn't and plays just as nicely after a setup. Matched to a Genz Benz Shenandoah Pro and I have the dream combo I've been chasing for decades, wonderful, natural, amplified acoustic sound.

I would absolutley replace it with another one without a second thought.

All the features have been described already, so I'll just say this: What feature doesn't it have?!?! Everything you need. Onboard tuner, two types of phase adjustment, full EQ amazing fit and finish and very tasteful yet noticeable bling. If it could have just one more feature, I would want a sweepable frequency mid adjustment instead of the fixed frequency mid adjustment. Parmetric mid control is always best.

I play a mix of contemporary praise and worship (lots of open chord voicings strummed quite aggressively), to fingerstyle ballads, to hard driving country to classic rock, to a little flatpicking bluegrass here and there. I have yet to find a style that I would call its "weakness". It seems well suited to all of them. For an OM size, the sound is loud and strong. More so than the Taylor 814CE I replaced with it. The 814CE although having a slightly larger auditorium body size was definitely weaker in a side by side. This guitar has nice shimmering articulated highs, soothing in the pocket mids, and tight yet very present bass responsiveness. The onboard Aura system is the best system I've heard yet plugged in and makes the Taylor ES system I used to have sound like an electric guitar in comparison. The Aura system get a positive in every area I gave ES a negative. Noise, tone, natural sound, flexibility, adjustability, the Aura just seems to have it all covered. The only issue you may have to deal with on the Aura is it does have a tendency to feedback if you come on too strong with the bass while skewed more towards the Aura image. It copes with this in many ways however. There are two types of phase reversal, pickup to output and pickup to Aura. In addition there is an automatic onboard feedback cancellation feature that does work well. Just push a button, the system finds the offending frequency and notches it out completely. The only drawback to this system is that to get it to kick in, the guitar first has to feedback. This will get some attention, especially from your soundboard person. Best to get all your counterfeedback meaures in place BEFORE the performance starts!

Beautiful to look at. It's actually considered a 16 series Martin, but has the 41/42 appointments. Gloss Rosewood back and sides, very nice inlays, gold/ebony tuners and glossy black/natural headstock. It is beautiful to look at and I have gotten more compliments on it than I ever got on my 814CE, which itself is one nice looking guitar. I removed the pickguard the first week and that improved the look even more in my opinion. Very elegant and classical looking without that black plastic. Why guitar makers put a 5 dollar plastic pickguard on 2K plus guitars has always mystified me. If I don't stay with the nekkid look, I will definitely go with a nice Grevin pickguard.

I have had no issues whatsoever with this guitar. It seems solid and durable, and Fishman is a tried and true industry leader in the onboard electronics area. I do not use a backup as this guitar has never let me down. Everything is tight and solid. No rattles, no buzzes, no vibrations, no loose screws. The onboard tuner is a nice touch and very accurate. It also mutes the output so you can tune up in stage at anytime you're not playing with the touch of a button.

Lifetime limited warranty for original owner, which is me. Martin even sends you an "Owners Card" to keep in your wallet with the S/N, date of purchase, and their contact information. Nice touch. I have not had to use their customer service yet, and based on the looks and sound of this guitar so far, I may never have need of their services.

I think this model and the DC Aura (Dreadnaught version) are the best values in the entire Martin line. I've been playing a little over 30 years and this is by far the best guitar I've had yet. I simply love the OM size for playing while standing up and singing. The strings are right there under your chin, not out in the audience. I chose this model over the DC simply based on size. The DC does have more kick in the bass department, but the OMC has more than enough too. My previous guitar was a Taylor 814CE, which I originally thought was the be all end all in acoustic guitars. The Taylor ES system is just too problematic and metallic sounding. I tried for a year to love the ES system and all its quirks, but one listen to an Aura demo in Guitar Center one Saturday afternoon and I never looked back. The ES system simply cannot compare to the natural sound of the Aura. Some people insist that the Aura is still "modeling" and not "imaging" as Fishman calls it. They associate a negative perception with modeling. Call it whatever you want, but in the case of the Aura, IT WORKS! There is no doubt at all that what I hear in the mains and monitors is MY guitar, not a modeled image of some other guitar trying to sound good. That is definitely my guitar I hear and it sounds incredible. If this guitar were lost or stolen, I would replace it with the exact same model. People rave about Taylor necks and at first this slightly different Martin neck with a just a tad wider string spacing did feel "thicker". After a few days however, it just felt good under my hands and now when I pick up a Taylor, the neck feels thin and anemic with barely enough room to make a chord without my fingers being scrunched together. It's amazing how our motor memory adapts and gets used to something. Overall, this is one excellent stage guitar that sounds incredible plugged in, yet also makes for a great sounding front porch picker. My neighbors can attest to that as many nights my wife has to tell me to come in before they complain about me disturbing the peace with it.

I tried to be a Taylor guy for a long time, but thanks to this baby, I am definitely a Martin man now.

After i viewed the cd that came with this guitar i have to give the guitar a 10. From the built in tuner to the phase shifter from the save button and feedback switch to the sleep mode that saves the battery the aura mic simulater and martin gold thin line under saddle pick up the blend control and eq. Its still plug and play but watch the cd.

I play lots of neil young, bob dylan, van morrison, stills, stones, tom petty. The nice thing about this guitar is you cant overdrive the top. The sound is very rich very smooth lots of depth and articulation. The highs are not brittle with a nice rounded sound. The bass is large and accurate. I've had three Taylor 814's and a fall limited 414. They are nice guitars i wanted great. This martin is a great guitar. I use a very heavy rino pick and this guitar just loves it. Im not a heavy strummer i like to come down on notes and tickle the strings around them. The guitar does handle a heavy hand and with what i consider lots of string tension the guitar never gets muddy. I use martin light strings 12/52.
I play threw a Fender Acoustasonic Jr. a good bit of the time. The Fishman Aura is in my mind better than the Taylor expression system with a lot more features to help you find the perfect sound. I blend a little more under saddle pickup and bring in some of the aura mic sound to give it body and fullness.

The action is a little high from the factory. But i like it. My fingers are in shape and ill leave it where it is. The wood in this guitar is bookmatched perfectly. The bridge and nut are to me perfect. The neck is a thing of beauty. The frets are top notch. The fit and finish is as good as any Taylor and ive had some nice ones. If you want to see a good picture of one of these guitars go to Buffalobrosguitars.com

Well made with a nice case. Id take it anywhere and play.

The guitar did come with a cd to explain the features and set up tips.

Ive played 31 years. I own a gibson es135 with bigsby and love it. My Fender 50watt proreverb 112 tube amp, get one and dont look anymore. A wonderful martin d28. I have a travel guitar made by Go_Guitars in California with undersaddle active pick up its a blast to play best travel guitar you can buy. I have owned a Martin Tom Petty a Martin j41 Special a Taylor 814 Cocobola two Rose Wood Taylor 814's a Taylor 414 ltd. and a ton of others along the way. My ebay account has been red hot the last two or three years. Ive shipped at least 7 amps which sucks and im very happy to say ive meet my match. And like someone else said before me the Martin OMC Aura is the Taylor i always wanted...........

The pickup system (Aura) is probably the best thing out there right now for acoustic amplification. At least James Taylor thinks so.

The OMC Aura sounds awesome plugged in and unplugged. I bought it primarily as a stage guitar. I had tried a Taylor 914ce but fell out of love with their ES pickup system. Too much interference.

I am really happy with how the OMC Aura sounds unplugged. I was just playing it a little while ago. Frankly, I am a little amazed at the big sound of this, realatively speaking, small guitar. It sounds as good as the 914ce, IMO YMMV.

I am not one of those guys who will just rave on and on on the product I settled on. I realize that there are pros and cons to most things. I liked the neck on the Taylor better. The Taylor feels a bit more luxurious. I like the bass response on the Martin and it sounds a lot better plugged in than the 914ce. Both are incredible guitars, but the ES was the dealbreaker for me.

I also like the wider neck on the Martin for fingerstyle but don't like it as much for lead work (like when I am looping). For leads, I love the Taylor.

The action on the Martin is very similar to the Taylor. I think this Martin OMC Aura is the most Taylor-like guitar Martin has ever built. Very, very fine craftsmanship (just like the 914). Beautiful guitar. Really fun to play and it sounds fantastic unplugged. The sustain goes on and on. Great separation between the notes.

Others have commented that the OMC Aura and DC Aura are the best value in the Martin line. The appointments and quality really are impressive at the price point. I purchased mine from Elderly for $2180. I did upgrade the case to the 533 Geib. The regular case for the Aura is cheap.

Action was good. The guitar is flawless. Martin really kept their eye on the ball on this one. Very fine craftsmanship (and I looked closely).

It seems quite reliable although I don't know about the electronics. I won't rate this category. I do know that my 1984 Martin D-25 is still happy and sounding great.

No problems.

I really like this guitar and am glad I purchased it. This is a tremendous value.

This has got to be one of the best kept secrets in the Martin line. We are talking 42 level appointments for not much over $2K. Abalone trim around the rosette and purfling. Completely bound front and back, as well as the neck. Nice abalone hex inlays on the fretboard and bridge.

solid EIR back n sides, solid sitka sprice top. ebony fretboard, tuners, and bridge. Onboard Aura system, tuned specifically for this model of guitar - read up on www.martinguitar.com or www.fishmanaura.com. 1-3/4 nut width. Gold hardware.

This guitar suits my playing style perfectly -mostly fingerstyle with some occasional strumming. It has the most unbelievable sustain I have had the priviledge to experience, and the strings ring out crystal clear with a fair amount of separation. No muddiness here. One price of this clarity however is it makes it very telling when you make a mistake. This guitar helps make you a better player by showing you exactly where you messed up. On the other had, it sounds so beautiful, it makes you sound like a better player anyway.

Have not had the opportunity to run it live or thru an amp or PA, however i have run it through a fostex MR-8 and AKG headphones, and the Aura settings are just amazing. It would be easier to go to www.fishmanaura.com and read up on the technology - this is leaps beyond modeling.

Wtih the standard martin strings, i find it a little bright and twangy at first, so bit of the UST blended in helps mellow that out. It seems to be calming down a bit after a week or so, and I am sure it will just keep getting better.
Have to give this one a 10.

The fit and finish is absolutely flawless. The action might be just a hair higher than some might like, but that should be easy enough to get adjusted if desired. The modified low-oval neck plays nice and fast. The ebony fingerboard is of course flawless. Intonation is the nicest I have ever experienced. The 1 3/4 nut makes it comfortable for fingerstyle, but the higher up the neck you go it takes a bit of getting used to, can be quite a stretch.

I see n reason why it would not withstand live playing, although since this is a very expensive guitar for me, i would almost be afraid to take it somewhere unless I was already very comfortable with that place.

Everything appears solid. i am going to give this an 8 because when I first bought it, the headstock was cracked, so my dealer had that taken care of and I got a new one without having to deal with it. But, I am concerned about why a new guitar would have had a crack in the headstock.

All my dealings with CFM have been pretty good. They refer most questions to my dealer, but they do answer general questions quickly, and they did not give my dealer any problems with replacing the guitar before I had even taken delivery.

Once or twice they have even sent me bumper stickers, etc.

I have been playing for about 23 years. At the moment, I only play acoustic. I have a Yamaha FG335 from the 80's, an Alvarez AJ60SC12, and a Regal Dobro. i am glad I got this guitar when I did, because the prices went up a few months after.

If it were stolen or lost, i would be highly upset, and would have to save up for another one. I love the cutaway, and the ringing overtones. Never muddy like I had come to expect from past Martins I have heard. The electronics package is nothing less than a revolution, and I really look forward to exploring this much more. I would like suggestions as to a good acoustic amp, suitable for playing small coffeeshop style things or outdoor church freebies.

2006 purchase. OM body with cutaway; built-in Fishman Aura module. Solid tonewoods - Sitka spruce top; rosewood sides and back. Distinctive and very attractive ebony tuner buttons on gold tuners. Tasteful, high-end Martin ornamentation, classy and upscale without crossing over into the realm of the vulgar, excessively ornate, or overdone (admittedly, a matter of personal taste!). I bought mine with an upgrade to a Geib-style case, with which I am very pleased. It's a bit heavy, but is plush and protective, and seems to maintain humidity levels well.

I play classic rock in a part-time bar band, but use the OMC-Aura mostly for playing acoustic rock and folk on my own at home. I wanted the option to easily play amplified from time to time. Sound is balanced, clear, and with substantial sustain. Bass is accurate; not emphasized relative to the rest of the tonal spectrum. Sound seems to be getting somewhat more complex over the 5 months I've owned it. Works well for both fingerstyle, and for medium to light strumming. The Aura system is very versatile, although the tuner function only works when a plug is inserted into the endpin jack to close the circuit. Fishman advised in a e-mail that they have no plans to change the design, as the Aura module would drain the battery in short order if the module were accidentally left on while the guitar was in the case. The design requirement for the plug is a deliberate effort to ensure that the module only draws power when truly plugged in. Sometimes, I'd like a little more bass, but that's what dreadnaughts are for, and really isn't a reflection on the OMC-Aura.

The dealer did a set-up for my style and preferences before shipping it to me, but others have reported that these guitars typically ship from the factory with a somewhat lower, easier-playing action than is typical of other Martin guitars. It plays easily, and the workmanship is flawless. With the Aura system being built-in, there are no sonic issues of the kind that could be associated with aftermarket PUPs, such as variations in the sound which could be incidental to different mounting locations.

Seems well made; no concerns. Tuners are excellent quality. Finish seems to be holding up well, using nothing but a dry Googalies cloth after playing, and an infrequent application of Virtuoso polish where my right elbow rests while playing.

No repairs needed yet; lifetime warranty. Martin is sometimes a little slow to reply to e-mail inquiries. On the other hand, there is an active and supportive Martin guitar forum at www.UMGF.com, which signficantly enhances the Martin ownership experience, both through a shared sense of comraderie, and as a great information resource. By lurking there, for example, I learned that the standard OMC-Aura thermoplastic case is widely disliked. That info prompted me to upgrade inexpensively to a Geib-style when I bought my guitar, something that otherwise would never have occurred to me.

I've been playing for about 38 years. My only previous steel-string acoustics are a Gibson B-25N I purchased new in 1973 and still own, and an Ovation Legend 12-string. I have two classical guitars, a few Fender electrics, a Gibson ES-335, and a few others. If this one were lost, I'd buy another. To me, compared to other instruments in that general price range, it represented the best available combination of playability, tone, flexibility for gigging amplified or playing home alone, and tasteful ornamentation. Many guitars by other manufacturers sound very good too, but none were as aesthetically pleasing, or as upscale-looking, to me as the OMC-Aura. And, as a Martin, resale value is likely to be superior to many other brands, and as compared to hand-built instruments from individual luthiers. The more I play it, the more I like it!

Well since this is the first review I had better describe the guitar?
The OMC-Aura is an Orchestra Model cutaway with the Fishman/Martin Aura Onboard System. It features solid East Indian rosewood back and sides with a gloss finish, Style 41 top inlay, hexagon outline fingerboard and bridge inlays, an ebony head plate with the Martin script logo inlaid in mother of pearl, and Gotoh gold enclosed tuners with large ebony buttons.
Features of this guitar are the MOP inlays and binding, that is stunning in real life. Add the Ebony bridge and fret-board, stunning workmanship and electronics that are everything the Taylor ES system tried to be. With the Aura system Fishman takes a OMC Aura and puts it in front of a high-end mic like a Neumann M147 or the Schoeps CMT 156. Then they take that sound and shape the electronics in the built-in Aura preamp until the guitar with Fishman under-the-saddle pickup sounds just like the acoustic guitar is coming through the high end mic when you plug the pickup/preamp into your amp or PA.
Whilst the guitar itself is a refined instrument I have to be honest about the case that is supplied. The 630 series moulded cases are cheap looking and fitting, the aluminium edges can easily damage the guitar and the lid wants to slam shut at the slightest vibration. I only wish I had paid the extra $40 for the upgraded 533 series case. If you can upgrade do so.
Whilst the guitar is worth a 9 or 10 it is held back by the case but you are getting a OM 45 quality Martin for less than the cost of a OM 28! Grab one before Martin realises they have made a pricing mistake.

I use the guitar for finger-style blues, Christian rock and even a little bluegrass. Honestly, it works well in all these styles, it responds well to picking and strumming with a flat-pick and it is hard to overdrive the top. But it really shines on soft picking and finger-style. The dynamic range of this guitar is what really blows you away far superior to my Martin Dred or my Taylor 814ce.
Compared to the more traditional OM?s the sound is brighter with improved string separation. The spruce top on these guitars added to the rosewood back and sides balance the tendency towards over brightness and some say the guitar is really a Taylor with a better bass and smoother mids. I believe that this has a lot to do with the M&T neck joint rather than the more traditional dovetail joint present on standard series OM?s.
Plugged in and the guitar really shines, I found that you need to cut the bass in the EQ to really get the best tone and setting 4 on the Aura is magnificent. Played in a live setting it is easy to set the tone to not only add to the overall mix but to actually stand out from the electrics and the rhythm section. I fitted a good quality bone saddle and whilst the guitar?s sustain was good with the Tusq saddle, with the bone is literally freakish, you can go make a cup of coffee and when you return the highs are still shimmering.

I looked at 3 examples before choosing this one and I only chose it because the neck was almost straight were the other 2 required a fair bit of truss rod adjustment. What this means is that on all 3 guitars the Rosewood and the Sitka Spruce tops were stunning and the finish on all three was flawless. The tops were magnificent. There was no bear-claw, no cross grain and no runout in the grain so both sides are perfectly identical in colour and pattern. I would personally buy this guitar sight unseen and that is a rare compliment for any maker.
The action straight from the box was readily playable on all three guitars but on mine, with the straight neck (minimal relief), it rivalled if not beat my Taylor 814ce which by the way has a professional set-up! The frets were perfect and the binding unobtrusive to playing.
The supplied Martin strings were a problem in a word horrible, and I immediately changed them to Elixir Phosphor Bronze lights. This improved the playability and the tone considerably.
The one problem as mentioned earlier is the supplied 630 case, it is not only cheap, but is a real danger to the guitar due to its inability to stay open and the knife-like edge.
One issue to note is that the finish on higher end Martins is still a little fragile so be careful not to place the finish in contact with guitar stands or use polishes etc when new. I just use a damp clothe to wipe it down and then dry it with a micro-fibre clothe. I learnt my lesson after marking the finish on my Dreadnought!

Only one thing to say it?s a Martin with a lifetime warranty.

Upon receiving mine I phoned martin to enquire about the case issue, (mine was ill fitting and closed itself) I got through on the first few rings and they assisted me with the issue. Not resolved to my satisfaction but they were nevertheless courteous and helpful and directed me back to the dealer with the appropriate information to resolve the issue. Guess at this stage I couldn?t expect more.

Played 20 years+ play out live 3-4 times a month and own a Martin Custom Dred and Taylor 814ce. The Taylor is going soon as this guitar is able to replace it.
I have owned more guitars that I care to remember, including 4 Taylor and 3 Martins and generally preferred the playability and tone of the Taylor. However, this guitar is truly the ?Taylor? I was always looking for, only it?s a Martin!
This guitar may not suit a one-eyed Martin freak but its Taylor like playability and its incredible shimmery highs over a full on classic Martin belly grunt make it a superb guitar in it?s own right. Add the best onboard electronics out there and you have the best value martin in their range. Try one and you will buy one?..... I did!