The Martin company has been building guitars for close to an astonishing two centuries. Founded by Christian Frederick Martin in New York, the company still remains a family-run business. Martin has been designing a wide range of acoustic guitars with both the player and environmental sustainability in mind.
Martin is responsible for some massive milestones during the evolution of the acoustic guitar. They’re, of course, renowned for inventing the ever-popular dreadnought body size.
The dreadnought shape has been the go-to choice for most guitarists from a multitude of backgrounds because of its deep, well-pronounced tones. It’s no wonder why the dreadnought has been adapted by nigh on every mainstream acoustic brand – but if you want the best, you still have to go to Martin. You will have heard a Martin guitar used in pop, rock and country music, as well as in film and seen on the big screen.
With that, let’s take a quick look at two models from Martin, the M-36 and the 000-28.
| Features: | Martin M-36 | Martin 000-28 |
|---|---|---|
| Price: | £3650 | £3,199 |
| Bracing: | Standard ‘’X’’ Scalloped | X Brace |
| Top: | Sitka spruce | Sitka spruce |
| Neck: | Select Hardwood | Select Hardwood |
| Inlay Design: | Mother-of-Pearl | Diamonds and Squares Long Pattern |
| Frets: | 20 | 20 |
Martin M-36
Martin’s M-sized guitar models (also known as “0000”) are perhaps the company’s most significant design that isn’t descended from its iconic 1920s and ‘30s instruments. The M model was Martin’s reaction to luthiers Marc Silber and Matt Umanov, converting old Martin F-7 and F-9 archtops to flattops, of the 60s. The M-sized guitars had a body width of 16 inches at the lower bout, still slightly wider than a dreadnought, but with an outline similar to the 15-inch 000 body. Martin introduced the M body style in 1977 with the M-38 model. Like other models in Martin’s Standard series, the M-36 was eventually receiving a few tweaks, making this contemporary classic even better.
Design
Like Martin’s earlier M-36, the current guitar has a Sitka spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides. It has a three-piece back, with a lighter-colored center wedge that offsets the dark pieces used for the side pieces. Another unusual design feature is that the M-36 has an ebony fretboard with a rosewood bridge. This design feature is common to classical guitars, but rare on steel strings, and takes advantage of the rosewood bridge’s lower weight. Martin’s updates to the M-36 include forward-shifted scalloped braces, and a neck that is wider than earlier versions, with Martin’s relatively new high-performance taper and modified low oval shape.
Martin’s M-size guitars have always been known for their versatility, and the current M-36 is no exception. Playing this guitar with fingerstyle, you’ll find the M-36 to be spectacularly responsive with a complex sound. Combined with the wider neck, the guitar makes an excellent choice for playing using fingerstyle. Although the M-36 can defiantly hold its own when strummed, delivering a punchy, loud, and rich voice. Unlike some larger guitars which lose definition when playing single-notes, the M-36 sounds great for melodic playing, making it a true jack of all trades.
With a few relatively subtle tweaks, Martin has updated this classic model, making it an even better guitar. At a time when many brands offer “small jumbo” guitars, it’s definitely worthwhile to check out the guitar that was at the very beginning of this popular trend.
Sound
Not only is the M-36 a delight to gaze upon, but it’s also a joy to play. As the guitar has a light yet balanced feel that seems to mold into your body, making strumming feel effortless and the flawless action makes playing painless from the first fret to the fourteenth. Martin’s M-36 has a greater bass response than most other Martins and subsequently fills the performance space with a broader spectrum of sound.
Martin 000-28
The old adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” has always been a guiding principle for many people. However, if you were to say this before playing Martin’s 000-28, you’ll be quickly proven wrong.
How could you improve Martin’s timeless acoustics? Well, Martin, far from being in retrograde, surprised many with the 000-28.
By injecting ultramodern features, adding elegant appointments, and without compromising the look and vibe of these legendary acoustics, has resulted in a stunning modern classic, with instantly noticeable improvements in sound and feel.
Design
Martin’s Modern Deluxe series strikes a fine balance between traditional in appearance and cutting edge for build and materials, enough so players and purists alike should agree the current iterations of these tried-and-true models are a significant advancement from the vintage versions.
Martin’s Modern Deluxe 000-28 build quality is outstanding throughout, with construction features like natural protein glue, a dovetail neck joint, East Indian rosewood back and sides, and an eye-catching flamed maple binding. Martin’s proprietary Vintage Tone System, Sitka spruce top and Adirondack spruce braces which are torrefied – a precise ageing process that removes moisture, bestowing the guitar with the kind of “aged” tone found only in Martin’s pre-war era acoustics.
Martin has introduced a titanium truss rod, which is not only stronger but is more than half the weight of a steel one.
Possibly the most prominent aspect of the modern 000-28 is the slightly asymmetrical neck shape which had been replicated from a 1930 OM-45. Other premium features include gold open-gear Waverly tuners, gold-colored frets on its ebony fingerboard, and abalone inlaid 1930s script logo on the headstock.
Sound
Once you get the 000-28 in your hands, two of the most striking facets are how extraordinarily lightweight it is, and its very slim neck profile.
Compared to Martin’s OM-28, it has a shorter scale length of 24.9” compared to the OM-28, which is at 25.4”. For many, this would make the 000-28 considerably more enjoyable to play sitting down, and offer a wonderfully supple string tension. But what will surprise many people is the life-sized loud volume it produces that belies its small-bodied 000-size.
Strumming Martin’s 000-28 exposes a crisp chime that’s detailed and brightly warm. It also mellifluously sings with a dimensional mid and low end that resonates deep within the guitar’s body. You can actually feel the guitar vibrate when it’s pressed against your body. Even when flat-picking, it’s relentless in keeping all your notes even and balanced.
Conclusion
The more aggressively you play, the more of a pronounced difference you’ll find between these two models, however, it’s important to bear in mind that all acoustic guitars are individual creatures.
The body configuration of the M-36 will give you more, because of its larger size and capacity to move more air.