Martin SC-13E has really caught my attention

I played one of these yesterday and it made my head explode. Terrific little guitar that does exactly what I need!

I love the new dovetail, shimmable and adjustable neck joint allowing great access to the whole neck, and eliminating the negative attributes of traditional acoustic guitars.

It does not have a powerful acoustic voice. It's made to be played live through a sound system or amp.

Awesome features. I just might buy one.

Anybody have experience with these?

Martin SC-13E Special Burst Acoustic-Electric Guitar | Martin Guitar

I've not had the opportunity to play one, but they get great, glowing reviews among Martin aficionados. This is the first I've seen of a burst version.

That's a lot of money for a Mexican built acoustic! But it's a nice guitar. I say if it floats you boat go for it.

Cool to see Martin is featuring Billy Strings in their advertising.

Chuck

That's a lot of money for a Mexican built acoustic with a bolt-on neck! But it's a nice guitar. I say if it floats you boat go for it.

Chuck

It is a bit pricey, but it plays sooooooo sweet.
The Alvarez I recently bought is garbage. It played great at first but the longer I own it, the less I like it.
Wouldn't even consider playing a gig with it now. It was $500 but feels more like $200. I don't want to spend more than i have to, but I do want a high quality guitar. This Martin feels terrific!

Cool. I know, I need to recalibrate my acoustic guitar pricing. A new Gibson goes from basically $5000 to over $10,000 for something like a Birds in Flight so $1500 for a good guitar is completely reasonable.

Lucky for me my Ovation Balladeers have proven over the decades to be what I hoped. Rock-steady stage workhorses that sound great night after night, albeit LOUD. It did take a little time to adjust to the round back but after so many years it's natural to me now.

Prices are all relative, and you can't go by that. If you dig it and it fits your playing that's priceless.

The issue I struggle with when it comes to acoustic is I cannot play one in a store setting and have any inkling of how it sounds out front in a mix. I always chuckle at acoustic guitar stores/rooms. They always have hard wood walls and a good natural reverb. I've told my local guys what they need is a dull room with a monitor in the player's mug to help them get a "real world" representation of what the guitar sounds like in live performance. Headphones through a board is important too.

For me it's always that eternal battle with an acoustic. I want it to be clear, articulate, bright and lively but those goals are always at odds with the feedback.

Chuck

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Originally Posted by Offshore Angler

Cool. I know, I need to recalibrate my acoustic guitar pricing. A new Gibson goes from basically $5000 to over $10,000 for something like a Birds in Flight so $1500 for a good guitar is completely reasonable.

Lucky for me my Ovation Balladeers have proven over the decades to be what I hoped. Rock-steady stage workhorses that sound great night after night, albeit LOUD. It did take a little time to adjust to the round back but after so many years it's natural to me now.

Prices are all relative, and you can't go by that. If you dig it and it fits your playing that's priceless.

The issue I struggle with when it comes to acoustic is I cannot play one in a store setting and have any inkling of how it sounds out front in a mix. I always chuckle at acoustic guitar stores/rooms. They always have hard wood walls and a good natural reverb. I've told my local guys what they need is a dull room with a monitor in the player's mug to help them get a "real world" representation of what the guitar sounds like in live performance. Headphones through a board is important too.

For me it's always that eternal battle with an acoustic. I want it to be clear, articulate, bright and lively but those goals are always at odds with the feedback.

Chuck

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I hear you on all counts.
What I'm doing is replacing a lot of my old gear with fewer, high-quality pieces. My gear is worth more to a store on trade-in than outright sale so I'm taking that approach.

My Heritage sale is in progress, and my Suhr Classic T may follow shortly. If I thought I had any chance of playing it regularly I'd keep it. But it doesn't seem likely and I have already held on to a small fortune in gear needlessly for 12 years now. Time to move the quantity and go for fewer, high-quality pieces.

I'm enjoying the process.

As far as shopping goes, I will not but and expensive guitar without playing it first. As far as "hearing it in the mix goes," it's a frickin' Martin. Thousands of people ply them professionally every day successfully. I have no worries. Taylor on the other hand, bletch! I don't like the "modern sound."

I don't play acoustically much so the sound of the guitar in the parlor is of no concern to me. But has to sound great when it's plugged in. My Marting Siris sounds terrific everywhere and gets quite loud without feedback when I stick a diaphragm in the sound hole.

It's fun and exciting to be swapping around gear again and reducing inventory of guitars I just don't play. Not sure what to do with my Rickenrockers. Can't sell them legally.