Martin D-45 - Rate and Review

Name: Don Marcopulos
Date: 4 July 2012
Review: Martin D-45
Rating you give the Martin D45: 5 - Best thing I ever played

Likes: Rich middles, soaring highs and solid, deep lows

Dislikes: Not a thing.

Additional Comments: I have a D-18, D-28 and D-35and while I like them all, the D-45 is my first pick.

Name: Martin
Date: April 25/12
Product you are reviewing: Martin D-45
Rating you give the Martin D45: 4 - Highly recommend it

Likes: The D-45 is probably one of the best. I have a D-45KOA and D-28GE with perfect straight-grain Brazilian. Hard to tell which I like most. Both in new condition.

Dislikes: Nothing

Additional Comments: I've been told my Canadian hand-made McLeod cutaway sounds better than my D-45. Olsen guitars also sound better - listen to James Taylor.

Name: william
Date: 6 10 -111
Review: Martain D-45
Rating you give the Martin D45: 5 - Best thing I ever played

Likes: sound

Dislikes: none

Additional Comments: mine is a real d-45 martin i purchased this guitar when i was 16, for $1000, now i am in my 60s last offer i had was for $75000 us$

Forum username: Windwalker
Date: July 12 2009
Review: Martin D-45
Rating you give the Martin D45: 5 - Best thing I ever played

Likes: Every thing about it,Looks,Sound,Feel,Volume,substain.  It shouts Martin from it's Looks to it's Tone.

Dislikes: None at all!!

Additional Comments: I own a HD-28 and it sounds really good but it does not sound as good as my D-45 I don't see where others get they do, and my HD-28 is one of the best sounding I've heard.  I also owned (2) D-35, (1) D-16, and a P-series Taylor their Top of the Line not even close in Sound to the Martin D-45.

Name:  MARC FROM BELGIUM
Date:  JUNE 7th 2008
Review:  MARTIN D-45
Rating you give the Martin D45:  5 - Best guitar I ever played

Likes:  FINISH, LOOKS BUT MOST OF ALL : SOUND
YOU NEVER WANT TO PLAY OTHER GUITARS ! SORRY !

Dislikes:  FRAGILE INSTRUMENT WHICH YOU WANT TO STORE IN ORDER NOT TO HARM IT !

Name:  Barry L
Date:  Aug. 13, 2007
Review:  Martin D-45
Rating you give the Martin D45:  3 - Good guitar, give it a try

Like about the Martin D-45:  Everything cited by the other owners pertaining to tone and appearance(s) are pretty much true in my experience as well.

Dislike about the Martin D45:  refer to below

Additional Comments:  Though I thoroughly enjoy this particular guitar, I screwed-up when it came time to buying it.  I later discovered Maury's website from the Martin discussion forum (UMGF) and the price he lists for the same instrument is significantly less than what I ended up paying.  Maury's price is below $6,999 where I paid over $8000.00 plus about $650 in sales tax plus $125 for something called a "new guitar' set-up.  I suspect that I got hosed on this one.

Name:  Clayton Dreese
Date:  8-10-07
Review:  Martin D-45
Rating you give the Martin D45:  4 - Highly recommend it

Like about the Martin D-45:  A great looking guitar!  Makes you feel like a mega-star strumming away in your own private universe.  The abalone inlays and gold plating really stand out compared to regular Martins.  One of the most
beautiful instruments ever created.  It also sounds good.  Rich bass, vibrant mid-range and crisp trebles.  Excellent worksmanship and attention to detail.

Dislike about the Martin D45:  The only dislikes (if any) tends to come from others who might be either jealous or envious.

Additional Comments:  This guitar is so awe-inspiring that I have decided to form a CSNY tribute band.  Since my ex-wife says that I look like Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider, I am going to be David Crosby.  The Nash role has also been filled but the Neil Young character has been very competitive to date.  Three acquaintances want to be him but the eventual winner will also have to buy a D-45 and some additional plaid flannel shirts.  The only area where it gets a little peculiar is that we have an African-American fellow playing Stephen Stills because he can sing that style pretty good.  The drawback is that he cannot play guitar and will also need to invest in a D-45.  So far, he is unwilling to do so and prefers to play his saxophone at which he is really good.  The D-45 really lends itself to this kind of presentation because the first thing you are reminded of when you see one is CSNY and they are the greatest folk-rock band of all time.  We haven't come up with a name yet.  Deja Vu and/or 4 Way Street sound kind of cliche-ish.  Maybe something along the lines of The Sea of Madness would be kinda cool.

Name:  Roger
Date:  28 July 2007
Review:  Martin D45
Rating you give the Martin D-45:  5 - Best thing I ever played

Like about the Martin D45:  This is a great D 45.  It is clear in the upper registers, mellow in the middle, and the base is, not surprisingly, authoritative.  All in all it's a perfectly balanced instrument with that extra life and precise clarity that Martins seem to have at their best.  I haven't modified it so it's a little harder to play than others I have tried, but it's easier to get more out of it when you need to punch and you can modulate the volume more successfully.

Dislike about the Martin D-45:  It's a little bigger than I like, and I think the older snowflake inlays are more modest and beautiful than those damn hexagons.  The sound on this guitar is perfect, but the looks are vulgar, and I'd rather not have my audience, such as they are, distracted by the LOOK AT ME aspect.

Additional Comments:  I think this is an exception D45.  I've play three others.  One was an older 1930's one but it was too fragile.  The newer ones weren't quite as vibrant, but perhaps they just needed some age and waking up.  You got to pound the guitar for a few years before it starts to respond correctly.

Name:  Jason Windsor
Date:  June 22, 2007
Review:  Martin D-45
Rating you give the Martin D45:  3 - Good product give it a try

Like about the Martin D-45:  An elegant and flashy-looking Martin dreadnaught.  If it were a car, it would be kind of like ordering a stock model with extra chrome.

Dislike about the Martin D45:  Tends to attract attention and frequent comparisons to Neil Young music as well as requests for his sometimes tiresome and old material.

Additional Comments:  Good overall tone, similar to a well-selected D-28 (which it essentially is except for the abalone and gold trim).  Wish mine were made of the older Brazilian but the East Indian passes (especially to those who cannot tell the  difference).  I added a FWI saddle which seemed to give the guitar a bit more punch.  I also changed the bridge pins to FWI a month or two later and noticed minimal improvement.  It seemed clearer but that might just be my imagination as the strings were new and of an entirely different brand that came on the guitar.  The only problem with this guitar's appearance is that people sometimes expect you to play better than you actually are.  I am a low intermediate level player so reluctantly playing stuff by Stills and Young (when asked to) is elementary & poses few problems..  On the other hand, when I attempt a note by note acoustic rendition of something by Bromberg, Satriani, Hendrix or Rheinhardt, I often falter and sometimes wish I had a plainer looking guitar like a D-18.  This guitar is good for an onstage performer but a bit much for a hobbyist such as myself.  It was an anniversary present and I had no input in regards to its selection.  A nice D-28 would have sufficed.  Unfortunately, my wife is a big Neil Young fan and she bought this D-45 on impulse.  I'm not complaining but if I have to play Heart of Gold or Cowgirl in the Sand one more time just to pacify her, I think I will
be ill.  My interest in music and guitar goes beyond that pedestrain style of seventies era soft rock.

Name or UMGF username:  daveh
Date:  03/29/06
Review:  Martin D45
Rating you give the Martin D-45:  5 - Best guitar I ever bought

Like about the Martin D-45:  Tone, Playability, Punchy Bass.

Dislike about the Martin D-45:  Nothing

Additional Comments:  Bought this Guitar approx 1 year ago.  When it was new I thought the tone was something special, but a little tight sounding, however after a year of playing the crap out of it, it is...wow.  The guitar has opened up hugely even after this time. When you strum a chord it just resonates forever. Great strummer and hybrid picking guitar.  Nice to finger pick too.  It tends to blend notes together very well.  I play a lot of Neil young/Bob Dylan type stuff and the guitar is perfect to replicate these artists acoustic sound. D45..The ultimate acoustic weapon, bar none.  Play one and all other guitars sound like cheap stuff.