Johnson JD-26

Classic dreadnought style Martin. Hand made in China. Okay the Chinese make plastic junk and great food...this is in the great food category.
Best ingredients available nicely presented and great value for money.
Whatever you are looking for in a Martin you will find here for less than the price of a Martin case.I give it 9 because it deserves 11+ but as it has no extra features than one would normally expect from a great guitar I can not give it more.

It suits my folky style of playing perfectly...not hot for Jazz so my Antoria Jazzstar and Ovation Glen Campbell still have their jobs.
Soundwise I have to say this is the best sounding acoustic guitar I have ever played not just including my own (over 40 years of playing) Ovations,Martin, Gibson, Epiphones I've had them all, but also all the guitars I've ever played in shops worldwide. It had the loudest,sweetest,tenderest,clearest tone possible... I paid 167 quid for it... I feel like I cheated them (Coda Music, UK) they were doing a less than half price sale...probably because Johnson have now changed their name to Recording King (something to do with willies) I prefer my Johnson. I ordered the guitar because I had played a recording King version for 370 euros in a shop in Carcassonne, France (SOS music) and loved it. So blindly I ordered this on the net and was delighted to find that it was even better.Better sound, better finish.

The action is slightly higher than my Glen Campbell so it took a while to get used to it.. then I played the Glen Campbell and decided that I prefered the slightly higher action on the Johnson.
No flaws that matter on the finish..it's wood and wood isn't perfect like plastic.It's an attractive guitar in a non flashy way.

Tuning bits work fine and it stays in tune...I didn't like the strings..I hate phospher bronze but they sound great on this and brasswound will sound even better?

It's light and that's probably why it sounds so good... you play an old Eko built like a tank (sounds like one, too) and you have a guitar that can withstand a nuclear attack. This is a delicate guitar to be treasured and put away safely. great finish though better than most but there are some guitars that are great for chucking around and this one isn't one of them. Treat it like you would a women (oh ! forget it there are too many thugs out there to pursue this tack)

I would use it on a gig but I always have at least one back up... I wouldn't use it as a back up it's too good to leave lying around doing nothing.

Don't know ...don't care.

I've been playing 40 years ...I own my afore mentioned Ovation Glen Campbell custon stereo which is sulking in a corner at the moment but I love it to bits. An Antoria Jazzstar guitar, it's a great jazzbox and a shine 909... another 'how can they do it for this price guitar'. I've had every great and notso great guitar over the years.. now I don't give a fig for what's written on the headstock... it's the sound and playability that counts.

The Johnson JD-26 Carolina Series II is a solid-top engelmann spruce, solid mahogany sides and back Dreadnaught.

Other characteristics:

Fully Scalloped Forward-X Bracing, Classic Butterbean Tuners, Hand-cut Abalone/M.O.P. Detailing, Dovetail Neck Joint, Grained Ivoroid Binding, Mahogany Neck, Rosewood Fretboard, Vintage-Style Beveled Pickguard, Bone Nut & Compensated Bone Saddle, Snowflake Position Markers and Beutiful Rose inlay on the peghead.

The Carolina series II is a brand new line of guitars designed by Greg Rich, the man who designed the entire line of Blueridge guitars for Saga instruments. Quality and production is done under the watchful eye of Scott Zimmerman, who was with Fender for 15 years, and is a master luthier in his own right.

This guitar is absolutely stunning. Saying you get a lot for the money is just not enough, you just can not touch a guitar of this quality for list price alone, let alone after discount.

I have to give it a ten here, because one would ordinarily pay a thousand or more for a guitar like this.

This guitar has a very warm clear tone, much like my buddies old Martin. Full, and balanced. It sure seems like, with a light touch it is just beautiful sounding, and when you dig in, it's ready to rumble! I realy enjoy the responsive top, and the nice sustain. It is the best guitar I have or will probably ever own.

this guitar is obviously built and set up pretty well from the factory. No fret buzz, and a nice straight neck. The finish is flawless, and I could not find a flaw. The only thing I might add for a high end guitar is neck binding. All the bindings that are on the guitar look incredible, and it is obvious that care was taken to build a quality product.

Well, I am not in that league, but I can say that the hardware sure seems to be quality. The finish job is pretty darn good on this quitar. The guitar comes with on strap button at the tail, and it is a quality job.

As far as gigging, I will leave that opinion to others. I'm giving it a nine, just because this is one solidly built guitar, and my buddy is in a band and has already asked to record with it to try it out. We will see.

I have dealt from a banjo standpoint with Greg Rich and Scott Zimmerman, and, they are both honest people who take great pride in workmanship. Two master craftsmen, who do not want instruments to go out the door unless they are right. If one does (we are all human right?) I am confident, that they will make it right.....and THAT is a rarity now a days.

Now, I have only been playing guitar for a few years, banjo much longer. But, at this price, for the quality, this has to be a 10. This guitar is built like the old Martins, and it sounds and plays like it.

I would have liked to have neck binding on this guitar, but that is a trivial non meaning thing as far as playability and sound, which this guitar is all about.

If you want value for the buck this is an absurdly good deal. I just can not see these guitars selling for this price much longer, demand will have to push the prices up.