Seeking advice on purchasing my first Martin (D-16RGT)

kev_guitar15 · December 2015

Hi,

I’m looking for a little advice. I’ve been playing the guitar for about 20 years (but I’m self taught and my technical knowledge of the instrument is weak).

I own a basic Ibanez electric and a Fender DG3 acoustic which is fine but basic. I recently decided to make the move to a more serious instrument. I’ve always associated Martin guitars with being a very high quality manufacturer and so I’ve been sizing a few up.

I recently went into a shop in Dublin (Ireland) which is where I live and I tried a whole slew of Martin guitars. The one that really impressed me was the Martin D-16RGT dreadnought. It was priced €1799 but I’ve tracked it down for €1299 in another store I spotted online.

My question is this - for a first step into the world of Martin guitars is this my best choice? Or would you Martin aficionados suggest I look at a different model? I did try the D-16GT by the way - and I also loved that, but I found the rosewood brought out a softer and richer sound.

It might help to describe what I’m hoping to use the guitar for - it’s mainly rhythm stuff - beatles, stones, nirvana, stuff like that. I am thinking of actually looking for some proper tuition in the new year and advancing towards some blues and some folky stuff. But for now it’s mainly a guitar for basic stuff. The great thing about having a Martin though - is I think it future proofs me as I develop in my playing.

So hopefully that helps give people an idea of what I might most benefit from. My budget is an absolute max of €1799 - but the lower I can go and still achieve a beautiful sound - the better.

I’m not averse to trying out other brands - but I’m not super pushed on Fender or Yamaha (although they are both excellent and more affordable generally). A friend has suggested that before I commit to a Martin, I should try out some Takamine - which I’m going to do later in the week.

Anyway I would really appreciate any thoughts or comments that people might have. I’d really love to hear from someone with the D-16RGT or similar or anyone with a good knowledge of the Martin guitars close to my budget.

Many thanks for taking the time to read the post.

Kev

richardhomer · December 2015

Personally I'd buy used. Doing that would allow you to go for a more 'classic' model, such as a D18 or a D28.

Acoustics tend to be more variable that solid body electrics, so I'd say it's vital to try before you buy.

At the risk of sounding patronising - if it comes across as that, it isn't my intention - you need to play a fair number of more expensive acoustics to get used to what is out there. Pretty much any guitar at the price level you're looking in will be significantly better than your Fender, so there is a risk of being too easily impressed - don't feel the need to buy the first one you like.

I hope this helps.

kev_guitar15 · December 2015

Thanks Richard. I will definitely consider your advice - and no you're not coming across as patronising. I understand what you mean about it being easy for a guitar in the upper price range to seem more impressive than my basic Fender. That said I did try a bunch of expensive guitars and the D-16RGT did stand out.

I would not be very eager to purchase second hand online, but I'll do a bit of research this week into which shops in Dublin I can try out second hand D18's or D28's in. I'm not against second hand at all so long as I can physically play the guitar before purchase - and I guess your suggestion could allow me to end up with more guitar for my money.

It's definitely worth considering.

I think your advice about not buying the first one you like is absolutely true and worth pointing out. I need to get a good frame of reference and the more guitars in this price range that I play now, the better.

Thanks for your thoughts.

ICBM · December 2015

With all acoustics the individual example can be as important as the model, even with a top brand like Martin (and even more so with Gibson!) so if you found one that really stood out, buy *that one*, not one of the same model from somewhere else.

That said, yes the D-16RGT is a good entry point to the Martin range because 16 is the cheapest all-solid-wood series (apart from the all-mahogany 15s, which are a more specialist thing really), and solid wood matters for an acoustic.

I will also go into stuck record mode and say don't buy anything with electrics unless you're looking for a stage guitar. You always get a better guitar for your money if you get a pure acoustic, and you can always fit a pickup later if you need to amplify it.

I would also strongly agree with richard that if you can find a used D-18 or D-28 in your area and price range, buy that. They are the classic models and always will be. Although the 18 isn't *that* much of a step above the 16… it still is.

BigLicks67 · December 2015

richardhomer said:

Personally I'd buy used. Doing that would allow you to go for a more 'classic' model, such as a D18 or a D28.

+1 to this advice. I'm currently looking for a used D28 myself and for your budget you could definitely afford it. Having said that I've been impressed with most Martin's I've tried in recent years, particularly the all mahogany 15 series.

crunchman · December 2015

Personally I prefer the D-16RGT to the D28. It's braced differently and I think it sounds better. If you can get up to something like an HD28V then they can be amazing but I'd take the 16 series over the standard D28.

The D18 is good if you can find a post 2012 example as that has the pre-war style bracing (that the D28 still does not have).

I don't know how easy they are to track down in Ireland, but Furch do a lot of Martin style guitars and are very high quality.

I'd also echo what @ICBM said about the individual example. They do vary. You are unlikely to find a bad Martin, but some are better than others.

kev_guitar15 · December 2015

@ICBM -

Thanks for the advice. It had not really occurred to me that there might be a bit of variance between models and that from store to store the D-16RGT might change. But I guess that makes sense now that I think about it. I’ll bear that in mind once I move towards a purchase.

Glad to hear also that the D-16 is a decent entry level - but I completely agree with yourself and Richard that if I can find a D-18 or D-28 within my budget, second hand - I should definitely test it out.

On that point - are there any things that I should really look out for in buying a second hand guitar - apart from the obvious physical condition of the guitar. I guess a few scratches are to be expected, but any structural bumps or bangs I should avoid. But if there is anything in particular that I should avoid, please do let me know!

Again thanks for taking the time to advise me.

@BigLicks67

Thanks for your thoughts - I’m definitely far more open to second hand since hearing all these comments. the question now is can I find a decent D-18 or D-28 for the price of a new D-16. Time shall tell. It being New Years I might have to wait a few days to get an answer to this. I’ve mailed a bunch of guitar shops though - so hopefully they will get back to me. Other than that I guess I’ll have a hunt through the classified ads.

@crunchman

Cheers for comments. It amazes me how specific years can impact the sound so much. I’ll keep your points with me if I get a chance to play any second hand D-18’s or D-28’s. Martin’s are easy enough to come by in Ireland - but I’m not sure about how many are being offered second hand. Once I know I’ll be reporting back to you guys anyway!

Good to know about Furch too. I’ll do my best to try out a few in the coming days.

...................................................................

The main things I’m taking from the comments so far are as follows:

Every guitar sounds different and the model/brand is not going to tell you all you need to know. You’ve gotta play it.
A first hand D-16RGT is a very good entry level Martin and assuming it plays well, would be a nice guitar to get my hands on.
If I can get my hands on a D-18 or D-28 second hand, in good nick - that would be preferable to a D-16RGT in the long run - assuming it sounds good.
I should before purchasing a Martin eliminate some other brands such as Takamine and Furch.
If I do look at second hand D-18’s or D-28’s it would be no harm to let you guys know the year in case I’m missing a trick as one year can be better than another.
For this money, I’m going to get a good guitar that will last me either way. It’s really just going to be degrees of excellence between models in this price range.

If anyone can add to this, please do. All the comments have been really helpful. Thanks a lot.

kev_guitar15 · January 2016

Hey guys.

Just an update. I bought the D-16RGT today. I looked high and low but could not find a D-18 or D-28 in my price range second hand.

I tried out a few other makes aswell but I just fell in love with the sound of the D-16. I have it sitting here beside me now.

Thanks for the help and advice. I might post a short review here in a week after playing it for a bit.

richardhomer · January 2016

Happy you've got sorted.

Martin know how to make great guitars - I've owned mine for over 20 years. If you keep it long enough - and there's no reason why you won't - the cost of ownership works out at pence per day. That's lasting value!

tone1 · January 2016

I had a Martin J 16RGTE which was lovely

kev_guitar15 · January 2016

Thanks guys. I'm very happy with it now. Nice to hear everything sound so bright and rich through it. Cheers.

ICBM · January 2016

kev_guitar15 said:

I tried out a few other makes aswell but I just fell in love with the sound of the D-16. I have it sitting here beside me now.

That's the way to buy an acoustic guitar. Well done

.

Acoustics are so personal, and unlike an electric you can't make it better (or think you can

) by changing pickups and stuff, so if you fall in love you just have to follow it through.

kev_guitar15 · January 2016

Cheers @ICBM

Looking forward to getting home from work now and playing some Stones on it.

fretfinder · January 2016

kev_guitar15 said:

Hey guys.

Just an update. I bought the D-16RGT today. I looked high and low but could not find a D-18 or D-28 in my price range second hand.

I tried out a few other makes aswell but I just fell in love with the sound of the D-16. I have it sitting here beside me now.

Thanks for the help and advice. I might post a short review here in a week after playing it for a bit.

Excellent, hope you enjoy it. Out of interest did you buy the one you tried locally or the cheaper one online?

kev_guitar15 · January 2016

@fretfinder

Hey - I'm loving the guitar yes. Absolutely nothing but postitive things to say about it.

In the end I bought it locally - this worked out cheaper than online as I was lucky.

Basically I found a supplier who was moving away from stocking Martin and one of their last items of Martin stock was a D-16 RGT. I went out and played it and that was that. It sounded incredible. In the end I got it for €1,299 which was €500 cheaper than my local shop. The shop threw in case, guitar stand, couple of sets of strings and a capo as part of the deal too - so not too shabby at all.

It just goes to show that doing a bit of research and making a few calls can save you a packet.

So a very happy ending to the Martin D-16 RGT hunt!

Thanks again to anyone who took the time to offer some advice.

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Seeking advice on purchasing my first Martin (D-16RGT)

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