The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum-Help Me Decide (2024)

My company was bought by another company, and they laid off 20% of all employees (including me, and most of my team). I will be 66.5 in February, and will be fully eligible for SS, in which I will get about half of what I was making working. I think I can squeak by with that if I work part time, and downsize a little. I have been with the company for going on 14 years, and between the severance package, SS, and 26 weeks of unemployment, i will have enough to get by for all of 2024, and also have enough to buy a nice guitar (up to 5k).

This will be my last chance to buy a nice guitar, probably in my life, so I want to find something that "even I" can be happy with (hahahahahahahahaha!!!)

I currently have a Guild D-20 (all mahogany) that I am actually happy with, so would like a different wood combo than that.

Ones I am considering so far...

Guild D-55
Yamaha FG9 R
Martin D-41

Feel free to recommend others as well.

Thank you in advance,

~Bob~

Martin D-28 Satin
Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Beard Radio R Squareneck | Collings OM1 JL | Martin 000-28 CA 1937 | Collings I-30 LC | Anderson Raven
Rob Allen, Fodera, Fender basses
albums: 2022 - 2023 - 2024 | nostatic site

“Sometimes science is more art than science…” - Rick Sanchez

nostatic13 wrote: ↑

Dec 19, 2023

D-28 if you want to stay dread, OM-28 (or 21) or 000-28 if you want a bit smaller. How sensitive are you to necks? Iirc you had some Fender Ultras which I found to be too svelte for my taste (as is the MLO).

I want to stay with dreads. I can adjust to necks pretty easily.

Thanks,

~Bob~

Martin D-28 Satin
Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Beard Radio R Squareneck | Collings OM1 JL | Martin 000-28 CA 1937 | Collings I-30 LC | Anderson Raven
Rob Allen, Fodera, Fender basses
albums: 2022 - 2023 - 2024 | nostatic site

“Sometimes science is more art than science…” - Rick Sanchez

I'd personally hold onto the money for now...there will always be lots of nice used guitars coming up for sale... especially with more of us baby boomers downsizing our herds as we get older (I'm right behind you; I'll turn 66 in January).

If you have $5K cash on hand, when the right deal comes along, you'll be ready.

RevMikeyMac's Martins:
(all left-handed)

2004 000-15
2008 D-28 (marked "175th Anniversary")
2018 Custom Shop J-18
2019 1931 00-17 Authentic
2020 Custom Shop J-28
2020 M-36

rforman wrote: ↑

Dec 19, 2023

what type of work were you doing? sorry to hear you got laid-off, and congratulations on making it to semi-retirement, you're still alive, we all are.

Software development.

~Bob~

Martin D-28 Satin
Fender American Ultra Telecaster

well congratulations.

as far as guitars go, the few you listed up there all seem heavy on the ornamentation. personally, I have always felt you get more guitar when less bling is involved. if it were me looking at a rosewood Martin guitar, it would be an Authentic series guitar, an 18 or 28. these are the best instruments Martin currently builds, at least to my knowledge. you might also look at an OM, 000, or even 00.

I have to say, turning a layoff and early retirement into a new expensive guitar is pretty impressive.

FaheyRolls

A D 55 is a great guitar if you don't do the bluegrass thing. Any vintage.

This is so common, the older guys make more money, cost more for healthcare, etc. But you have a great work from home skill. A friend did contract work for the last few years before he retired. Five o'clock would come around, he'd go home. He'd worked through the weekend far too many times. Not in my contract , he said.

You will come around that time is more valuable than money.

rforman wrote: ↑

Dec 19, 2023

well congratulations.

as far as guitars go, the few you listed up there all seem heavy on the ornamentation. personally, I have always felt you get more guitar when less bling is involved. if it were me looking at a rosewood Martin guitar, it would be an Authentic series guitar, an 18 or 28. these are the best instruments Martin currently builds, at least to my knowledge.

This^^^

BUT ... if you're not primarily a Bluegrass player, you might also consider looking around for a really good 70's D-28 or D-35 that's had it's issues addressed, or is priced so that you can get them addressed. For playing a lot of the music we grew up on, a '70's Martin with a nice neck might be just the ticket.

RevMikeyMac's Martins:
(all left-handed)

2004 000-15
2008 D-28 (marked "175th Anniversary")
2018 Custom Shop J-18
2019 1931 00-17 Authentic
2020 Custom Shop J-28
2020 M-36

bcalvanese wrote: ↑

Dec 19, 2023

My company was bought by another company, and they laid off 20% of all employees (including me, and most of my team). I will be 66.5 in February, and will be fully eligible for SS, in which I will get about half of what I was making working. I think I can squeak by with that if I work part time, and downsize a little. I have been with the company for going on 14 years, and between the severance package, SS, and 26 weeks of unemployment, i will have enough to get by for all of 2024, and also have enough to buy a nice guitar (up to 5k).

This will be my last chance to buy a nice guitar, probably in my life, so I want to find something that "even I" can be happy with (hahahahahahahahaha!!!)

I currently have a Guild D-20 (all mahogany) that I am actually happy with, so would like a different wood combo than that.

Ones I am considering so far...

Guild D-55
Yamaha FG9 R
Martin D-41

Feel free to recommend others as well.

Thank you in advance,

You couldn't pay me to take that bet....

The Guild D55 really rings my bells, Bob. I’d seriously consider that one.

I have a feeling you’ll do just fine as a retired guy…maybe pick up some freelance work along the way.. Most of all, have fun!

Roger

www.rogerblairart.com

Does that mean the new company is a "dud" in your eyes?

Seriously, that is too bad...one caution. I do not know what state you live in but in my experience, severance and unemployment compensation do not mix.

D41 all day long BTW

rbpicker wrote: ↑

Dec 20, 2023

The Guild D55 really rings my bells, Bob. I’d seriously consider that one.

I have a feeling you’ll do just fine as a retired guy…maybe pick up some freelance work along the way.. Most of all, have fun!

Roger

The D-55 rings my bells too Roger, but that FG9R seems equally awesome as well. Those are the main two on my list right now. The D-41 seems like an HD-28 with a little more bling, and maybe a little better woods, so I was also thinking D-28 or HD-28, but I have already had so many Martins, and they don't seem to end well for me... lol

I would also seriously consider aD-28 Authentic 1937 if I can get 15% off from Sweetwater.

~Bob~

Martin D-28 Satin
Fender American Ultra Telecaster

Jeff
Current: 1949 0-15 | 1959 D-28E2A Conversion | 1992 J12-40| 1994 000C-16| CS-21-11 Past: 1976 D-28| 1988 D12-18| 1993 D-16 H 93| 2002 HD-28

bcalvanese wrote: ↑

Dec 20, 2023

rbpicker wrote: ↑

Dec 20, 2023

The Guild D55 really rings my bells, Bob. I’d seriously consider that one.

I have a feeling you’ll do just fine as a retired guy…maybe pick up some freelance work along the way.. Most of all, have fun!

Roger

The D-55 rings my bells too Roger, but that FG9R seems equally awesome as well. Those are the main two on my list right now. The D-41 seems like an HD-28 with a little more bling, and maybe a little better woods, so I was also thinking D-28 or HD-28, but I have already had so many Martins, and they don't seem to end well for me... lol

I would also seriously consider aD-28 Authentic 1937 if I can get 15% off from Sweetwater.

The FG9R is a very, very loud bluegrass cannon. That's what it was meant for, and you pretty much have to put at least medium lights on it to make it sound great (that's how it was designed). The D-55 would be a more traditional dreadnought, very versatile. The D-41 is also great, very fancy features for a Martin. There are no bad choices here. Since you already really like your D-20, I would seriously look at the D-55. Good luck on semi-retirement and on guitar shopping.

DaveO111 wrote: ↑

Dec 20, 2023

I would go short scale, smaller guitar, like a 00028. I'm your age and I've been forced to downsize to those specs. Fingers, hands, elbows, shoulders aren't what they used to be.

I've tried this and it hasn't worked for me; I haven't found a 000/OM that hasn't left me disappointed with the low E strings anemic performance. (The CEO-7 and 00-17 Authentic have come the closest...and I haven't ponied up for an Authentic 000/OM, so there's that...)

I have an M-36 which satisfies my "non-dread/small guitar" itch. Every time I start thinking about a 000/OM, I just pick up my M-36...

RevMikeyMac's Martins:
(all left-handed)

2004 000-15
2008 D-28 (marked "175th Anniversary")
2018 Custom Shop J-18
2019 1931 00-17 Authentic
2020 Custom Shop J-28
2020 M-36