Although, the Martin Custom D is made for Guitar Center, the Walmart of guitar stores, (also available online through Musician's Friend), players should not dismiss this mid-level all solid wood Martin available new for under $1000. It has a solid Sitka Spruce top with book-matched halves, solid East Indian Rosewood one-piece back and sides, and a solid Mahogany neck. There is also a Spruce top and Mahogany back and sides version. Its unadorned features include simple white binding around the body and a satin finish, which I actually prefer to more expensive high gloss finishes. It is a very comfortably-light dreadnaught-sized guitar. What you get, without paying for more bling and a classic pedigreed Martin model like the D-28, is that wonderful Martin tone and easy playability.
When a pristine 2006 Custom D was listed this week locally at an attractive price, I arranged to check it out in the North End the next day during lunch. It was a beautiful sunny day and as I navigated the narrow streets, presumably-retired Italian-American gentlemen were out on their chairs on several local sidewalks shooting the breeze just as one might imagine they have been doing in this historic Boston neighborhood for a couple of centuries. It was thus not incongruous when I left my car double parked on the seller's one-way street, he brought down his guitar, and I gave it a go right on his building's front steps. I was immediately struck with how warm and mellow this guitar sounded. Strung with relatively new Elixir medium-gauge strings, it was plenty bright but with a full deep bass register. Sweet! With nary a blemish, as advertised, I ended up paying the asking price. The guitar safely in the back seat, I drove off, leaving behind one of Boston's authentic neighborhoods and a wistful former Martin owner.
When a pristine 2006 Custom D was listed this week locally at an attractive price, I arranged to check it out in the North End the next day during lunch. It was a beautiful sunny day and as I navigated the narrow streets, presumably-retired Italian-American gentlemen were out on their chairs on several local sidewalks shooting the breeze just as one might imagine they have been doing in this historic Boston neighborhood for a couple of centuries. It was thus not incongruous when I left my car double parked on the seller's one-way street, he brought down his guitar, and I gave it a go right on his building's front steps. I was immediately struck with how warm and mellow this guitar sounded. Strung with relatively new Elixir medium-gauge strings, it was plenty bright but with a full deep bass register. Sweet! With nary a blemish, as advertised, I ended up paying the asking price. The guitar safely in the back seat, I drove off, leaving behind one of Boston's authentic neighborhoods and a wistful former Martin owner.
Check out more pictures here from my recent listing: http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/msg/3257479937.html
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