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Post by GuitarZ on Sept 30, 2022 12:11:28 GMT -7
When I played my HD-28V at the shop, I loved it. We were almost set and I started to inspect. The wood grain on the top was not matched. When I pointed it out, the young sales guy said it makes it unique and actually looks like a bear clawed it. Sold! I named my guitar “Bear”.
Man, looking back, what a great salesman! 😎
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Post by John on Oct 1, 2022 5:39:25 GMT -7
Does your 'good' acoustic have to be a dreadnaught?
With my jump into acoustics, I have discovered I like the tone/feel of smaller bodied guitars. 000 and 00 bodies are more to my liking. Perhaps this is because my playing style has transitioned a bit to using a thumb pick. Very little campfire strumming anymore.
I have a nice Martin dread, but I'll never buy another dread again. One is enough for me.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 2, 2022 18:45:11 GMT -7
hung out with a buddy who owns a J45. his was set up with a lower action. I'll do the same and she'll be a player. I like this guitar.
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Post by John on Oct 3, 2022 4:20:47 GMT -7
So is it settled? Are you going with the J-45?
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 3, 2022 8:23:37 GMT -7
So is it settled? Are you going with the J-45? nothing is settled just yet but... if you're a betting man. probably a good bet that i'm going to end up with the Gibson.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Oct 3, 2022 17:52:58 GMT -7
If you have the opportunity to check out a Collings it might be worth your time. Went through a few nice Martins, a couple Gibsons that never did it. My Collings D1 will be with me forever.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 9, 2022 11:13:39 GMT -7
Now i have the gibson and the martin at home. oh, boy! The Martin is a 2013 HD-28v. its a hd28 with vintage style tuners and a slim V neck. it has no fret wear above the 2nd fret but some dings, scratches and the binding around the back has been repaired in two spots. it also has a fishman pickup system installed. i can't identify the model. it has piezo transducers on both the top and back with vol/tone controls inside the sound hole. nice guitar.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Oct 9, 2022 17:34:26 GMT -7
They both sound good...hard to say which one's better on a laptop...Which one do you dig the most?
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 9, 2022 18:43:11 GMT -7
been playing the Gibson for two weeks but now the Martin is stealing the show.
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Post by lowbudget on Oct 9, 2022 19:50:42 GMT -7
been playing the Gibson for two weeks but now the Martin is stealing the show. My golden ears turned to tin many years ago but yeah I’m with you on this.
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Post by adam on Oct 10, 2022 5:38:31 GMT -7
My hd35 sounds pretty much exactly like your hd28. They sort of have that old Pink Floyd acoustic sound.
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Post by GuitarZ on Oct 10, 2022 6:56:34 GMT -7
Both sound good. I hear the bigger bottom on the HD-28V.
I'm partial. I love my HD-28V. Do you know what strings are on there? I had recently experimented with different brands and lighter strings vs the Martin Phosphor Bronze 13s that were on my HD-28V from the factory. Even though the other strings were easier to play, they couldn't beat the Martin 13s for sound. If I had to guess, it sounds like you might have 13s on there.
It has to be a lot of fun trying to figure this out. I'm sure there's some stress too. My gut says that you really don't have a bad answer given that you're dealing with two great guitars. Go with the Gut!
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Post by John on Oct 10, 2022 11:40:06 GMT -7
My two cents:
With my computer speakers (decent, with a separate sub woofer)
The Gibson has more of a central midrange tone...with a bit less bass.
The Martin has a noticeable upper midrange focus and more bass.
One is not better than the other, and I will not cast my vote until you decide which one you like best.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 10, 2022 12:15:49 GMT -7
so, i've been doing all sorts of google searches to figure out what Fishman pickup i have in the Martin and why it looks like piezo transducers mounted to the inside back of the guitar. i just figured it out. It's a crossbrace for mounting a Tonewood amp. I won't be buying a Tonewood amp so best remove it and see if it has any affect on the sound of the guitar.
I'm leaning heavily to wanting to buy the Martin.
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Post by John on Oct 10, 2022 12:31:18 GMT -7
How do you get along with the modified V neck?
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 10, 2022 12:45:43 GMT -7
How do you get along with the modified V neck? I don't seem to mind it. It actually feels very similar to my old Ovation 1111.
Neck shape is not a big deal to me. Give me a neck with a different shape than i'm used to and i'll get accustomed to the feel quickly.
I think the Martin has a more focused sound, more punch, bigger/tighter bass and better balance of tone across the neck. it's much closer to the sound i hear in my head when i think about good acoustic tone.
but.. give it five minutes and i may change my mind. lol
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Post by ME on Oct 10, 2022 13:18:32 GMT -7
The guitars both sound good. T Not to be trite, But the Gibson has what I think of as a Gibson tone and the Martin sounds like a martin. The Martin seems a bit brighter/zingier, but that could be the strings. Both have good bass and treble with the Gibson being a little lighter in the mids. I'd say, if you were going to buy one of the two, get the one you like the feel of. ME
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Post by adam on Oct 10, 2022 14:46:06 GMT -7
I'd say, if you were going to buy one of the two, get the one you like the feel of. ME Agreed. Not only that, but the one which you seem to have more fun when playing. My 35, love the way it sounds with 13's, but it's pretty painful to play. When I try 12's, it's a little easier, but it loses so much in timbre and dynamics. BUT, it's so hard to play that I don't play it much so at that point, what's the point?
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Post by GuitarZ on Oct 10, 2022 19:34:17 GMT -7
Wait. Didn’t you say was your birthday? Why not keep both? 😎
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 11, 2022 10:12:30 GMT -7
How do you get along with the modified V neck? How do you get along with these necks?
I will say that the shape lends itself to having my thumb either above or below the center line of the neck but that's pretty much how i play anyway. depending on what i'm playing my hand position will shift. It's not like classical playing where you need to keep your thumb opposite your middle finger the whole time. so, i don't mind it and it doesn't make my hand hurt or impeded playing in any discernible way.
the most interesting part of this guitar choosing journey is reading the acoustic guitar forum posts by people with, i can only assume, serious OCD. I've never really considered neck shape, nut width, string spacing when shopping for guitars. i try what is available and see whether i like playing it and that 's about it. i can't believe the bitching and moaning that goes on about "why can't i get this neck on this guitar?" or guys who are willing to pay custom shop prices just to have a certain guitar body with a certain neck style.
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Post by premiumplus (Dave) on Oct 11, 2022 10:17:49 GMT -7
Wait. Didn’t you say was your birthday? Why not keep both? 😎 I would! This year I went nuts on my birthday, two amps and one guitar!
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 11, 2022 10:22:12 GMT -7
Wait. Didn’t you say was your birthday? Why not keep both? 😎 I would! This year I went nuts on my birthday, two amps and one guitar! Funny. My wife said this last week... then, the next day, she changed her mind and had a reason for not buying both.
I like the sentiment but don't really see the point. Some days, i'm full of hope and enthusiasm but other days i really struggle with my hearing and it can feel like my picking days are numbered.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 11, 2022 10:36:02 GMT -7
so, whichever guitar i choose, the price is very negotiable. Wondering what you all think about the value on the Martin. I see them on Reverb from $2,400 - $3,600, though the higher priced ones have been listed anywhere from 6 months to 3 years ago, so they seem to be high if no one is buying them. Few of the listings i've seen have pickups installed where the one i have has a fishman system. then there's the issue of the repaired binding on both sides of the rear waist. I've read that binding repairs are not unusual for Martins. is this really more than a cosmetic issue in terms of discounting the price? I feel like somewhere between $2,500-$2,800 is right.
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Oct 12, 2022 3:39:56 GMT -7
If you’re still on that proverbial fence post, I would say make a few more videos as you did above and spend time listening to them yourself. Play different styles and tunes, then listen to them as a means to help in your decision. I’m thinking closer to the $2500 range for the Martin. It’s been 9-12 months since I’ve gandered at prices, so I’m not we’ll informed. If you like the electronics in the guitar, then they have value to you. Have fun with the decision process. As for an opinion,I’m abstaining.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 12, 2022 9:00:27 GMT -7
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Post by lowbudget on Oct 12, 2022 11:30:39 GMT -7
It’s a lifelong affliction but I truly hate compromise of any kind. Hate.
And sadly, it’s all around.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 12, 2022 14:25:44 GMT -7
It’s a lifelong affliction but I truly hate compromise of any kind. Hate. And sadly, it’s all around. so, you're not married, i take it? Or, sadly, you are.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Oct 12, 2022 18:49:46 GMT -7
I'm going with the Hd-28v for $2,500 cash. I think i can find another Gibson J-45 at some point easier than i'd find one of these Martins as this price. Thanks for playing along.
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Post by lowbudget on Oct 12, 2022 19:38:16 GMT -7
It’s a lifelong affliction but I truly hate compromise of any kind. Hate. And sadly, it’s all around. so, you're not married, i take it? Or, sadly, you are. No I’m married but careful about which issues I care about!
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Oct 12, 2022 20:13:21 GMT -7
I'm going with the Hd-28v for $2,500 cash. I think i can find another Gibson J-45 at some point easier than i'd find one of these Martins as this price. Thanks for playing along. Congratulations on your decision. You chose wisely grasshopper. (Though I don’t think you would have suffered either way)
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