Before putting a new Martin guitar on the test bench, we went back and forth between testing the DXE at €848, the DCX1E at €1,019, the 00016GT at €1,499 or the JC16GTE at €2,147. In the end we chose to test something in the middle of the price range so you'd have a reference for a balanced option. Still, as you can see, there are more affordable alternatives and (as you'd expect) pricier ones.
We've already reviewed some of these well-known acoustic guitars in the past. The debate around them usually swings between "they're the best" and "they're famous but expensive." Let's say that sums up the bare bones of the usual controversy among guitarists who talk about Martin.
My personal opinion aside, let the tests speak for themselves. The truth is that when I opened the case I was flooded with a glorious scent of fine woods, and after being surprised by certain details I'll describe below, I quickly tuned the guitar and played a few chords, arpeggios and phrases. My initial impression after playing the DX1E was: "the debate can say what it likes, but a Martin is a Martin." Sonority, sweetness, perfect blend, intonation, body, brightness... in short, a marvel of a guitar.
It's clear that when a company is on everyone's lips and becomes a legendary brand, there's a reason. When you play a Martin, whether or not you particularly like its sound, you realize why everyone speaks so highly of them.
Unboxing, finishes and appearance
This is one of the things that surprised me most. The finish is natural, and I mean really natural. Obviously the instrument is protected by the appropriate lacquers, but its look is that of natural wood; it almost seems freshly sanded. You can see the grain of the different woods used (top, sides, back, neck), and it looks completely "raw." Matte finishes, and therefore low gloss.
As for the design, it has its own personal touch, since it's somewhat "flatter in its curves" than other competing guitars. A lightweight guitar, very pleasant to the touch (in its woods) and with well-designed curves, including the comfortable cutaway you can see in the photos.
Construction materials and feel
That scent I described at the beginning was already telling, since it spoke of rich materials. A solid spruce top and sides and back finished in a mahogany pattern. Tied to its materials and assembly come its perfect intonation, its great tuning stability, the tonal balance across its strings, the full-bodied (thick, rich) sound and the sweetness of its highs, which are clear and defined but not at all harsh.
Another thing that really caught my attention is how smooth it feels. Extremely flexible strings (for an acoustic). A comfortable guitar to play that doesn't require you to press with all your might to get clean sounds.
The unplugged sound
I couldn't hold back in the previous paragraphs and have already been revealing some of its secrets. To be honest, lately I've been playing renowned acoustics from Martin's competitors. The sound struck me as quite different. At first it seemed to have less body, but no. Playing a bit more, I discovered there was a noticeable shift in frequencies between other brands' guitars and this one. What I gradually became convinced of was that its balance between highs, lows and mids was much more natural and blended than what I knew from other models. Perhaps this makes the sound "worse" for very specific passages, but it undoubtedly makes the Martin DX1E much more versatile, or rather, an instrument that delivers more ideal results in a wide variety of styles.
In line with my experience playing other guitars from this company, I found the characteristic Martin sweetness. I really like this sound. I experienced the feeling (which I rarely get) of enjoying what I was playing with tonal extras the Martin was giving me; every time I played something I thought, "this sounds so good."
To sum up: a very long sustain, abundant yet sweet body, defined and not at all muddy. Add to that a very "relaxing" definition in the highs (allow me this wording in an attempt to describe the sound). Highs with presence, definition and, above all, sweetness. Together, all these elements make for especially attractive strumming, in my view. The result is similar with arpeggios: sweetness, lots of definition, perfect tuning and blend. As for solos or single-string phrases, the softness of fretting along the fingerboard is pleasant. Perhaps in this last area (solos) I've found more punch in other guitars, but when you combine the sound of a wound string with a plain one on a Martin, a kind of magic happens that's hard for other instruments to beat. All in all, I enjoyed every note I played on this model from the company.
The preamp and plugged-in sound
At first glance I had the impression of a very simple, basic preamp. Its controls are: volume, presence, treble, mid and bass. Before passing judgment, I plugged in the cables and put on a backing track I'm working on. The idea was to see how the guitar fit into a working environment.
My opinion of the preamp changed. It is indeed simple; the thing is that the Martin's flat sound is so right that the controls available on the Fishman (preamp) are more than enough to do whatever we darn well please.
I really liked how the guitar adapted to the various songs I "suggested" to it. On other occasions (and with other instruments), I've had to resort to mics to reduce the thickness or harshness of acoustics, because if I recorded directly through the preamp (especially strumming), I'd later have to spend hours working on EQ and compression so the acoustic wouldn't "eat up" all the tracks (that is, so it wouldn't bury everything with its fat, shrill sound). With this guitar, I noticed a better blend and less need for touch-ups afterward in the recording environment.
Conclusion
This test reinforces the idea I had already formed about the excellence of Martin & Co. This model gave me that special charm some guitars convey through the beauty of their sound and how good everything sounds when you play. For the detractors who complain about price, it's clearly not a cheap instrument, but I strongly disagree with the idea that Martins live off their fame, because they have a lot to offer. This guitar lives off its great quality, and the euros you pay will bring you notable rewards; at least that's my opinion. After trying a good guitar, I'm always left with the idea that it's better to have one good instrument than three mediocre ones, and so sometimes it's worth waiting and saving up. Finally, my conclusion is that the ideal thing is to try the guitar and see for yourself whether the sound suits you, since it will work better for some and worse for others; in any case it's a matter of taste, because either way the guitar is a little gem.