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Posts: 841
Location: CA | Recently had the opportunity to hear and play a Martin DCXE. It may be stretching to say this is Martin's answer to Ovation, but it does have a synthetic body and corium fretboard. The black satin finish and laminated wood neck make it a bit 1778T-ish in appearance.
Have to say it sounded very very good picking and strumming. Nice neck and action too. And they're going for only $700 new, which puts it in the realm of ownability, something I never thought would happen for me and Martin.
Anyone else out there have experience with one of these guitars? |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Tried some in the music store in a reasonable quiet atmosphere , not bad , if ye`re into plastic box gits. ...
A plastic box that looks like wood .. odd.. |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | A guy I know owns one and brought it in one day. I was not at all impressed. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | My son blew a wad of his battle pay on a Martin made out of that genuine artificial synthetic wood. It was made in Mexico. He thought it sounded great and he liked it a lot. At first glance it sure seems nice, with that photoflame finish, gold Martin headstock logo, and familiar body shape. Then reality set in. He now jacks my Martin or my Cole Clark or the Tak Bluegrass or even an Ovation, and his formica guitar gathers dust. I'd put the sound quality in about the same space as an Applause. For what it's worth, my advice would be to save an extra $300 and buy an all wood Martin. |
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Posts: 1555
Location: Indiana |  |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Jonmark said it so Eloquently...
But if you just do a quick search of the reviews there are quite a few stories of this guitar self-destructing.
Now it is often easier to find bad reviews than good reviews...
But if I was gonna spend $700 on a guitar, it wouldn't be HPL cuz it sez Martin on it.
I have some Really Nice Ovations that I paid less than that for... Y'know? :rolleyes:
If you Must have a wood-box, you can get a Really Nice Takamine with proven electronics.
Don't buy this just cuz it has a "Martin" nameplate....
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Let's see if I've got this straight...... Ovation are capable of building great-sounding guitars using synthetic materials but have become the red-haired stepchild of the industry. Martin uses a synthetic (HPL? everyone else calls it Formica! or if you like, sawdust and epoxy resin) to make their shittiest-sounding nastiest guitars ever, and yet they still manage to get market acceptance. What does that tell you about the average consumer? |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | It tells you that it all comes down to marketing. |
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October 2008
Posts: 39
| Originally posted by Oddball:
Recently had the opportunity to hear and play a Martin DCXE. ...
Anyone else out there have experience with one of these guitars? I have looked over several "HPL" Martins in the store and liked them. (with HPL, laminated neck, electronics, and solid spruce top) I think they sound pretty good.
I looked around for negative reports about HPL and I didn't hear of any failures or find any pictures.
Maybe I am not searching thoroughly enough, but I assumed that since HPL has been around for a while, if it were happening alot they would be easily found. |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Originally posted by Resonant Woody:
I looked around for negative reports about HPL and I didn't hear of any failures or find any pictures.
Maybe I am not searching thoroughly enough, but I assumed that since HPL has been around for a while, if it were happening alot they would be easily found. ..have it your way .. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by Resonant Woody:
Maybe I am not searching thoroughly enough, but I assumed that since HPL has been around for a while, if it were happening alot they would be easily found. I didn\'t have to look very far...
And here...
And the Top ain't Solid: "Top Wood - Jett Black HPL textured finish"
So... Why is a Cardboard Martin better than a Fiberglas and Wood or Carbon Fiber Ovation/Adamas? |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | I DO think the neck is a good idea for stability and conservation of trees. These guitars are available with solid spruce tops. In that version, wouldn't it be at least a similar comparison to an Ovation as far as materials go? |
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June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Arthur, see below.
Originally posted by Gallerinski:
It tells you that it all comes down to marketing. |
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June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | I believe Capo guy has one of this series with a solid top, and it sounds pretty darn good. It doesn't sound like an Ovation, it sounds like a Martin. It all depends on what your ear is attuned to or what you like.
The 1537 was always touted as "the Ovation that sounds like an all wood guitar". Now why on earth would you want to buy an Ovation that sounds like a wood guitar? Isn't that kind of like eating frog legs because they "taste like chicken"? If you want chicken, buy a chicken. If you want an Ovation sound, buy an Ovation. |
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June 2007
Posts: 3084
Location: Brisbane Australia | Or if you want frogs legs buy a Taylor!!
AJ :D |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Remember TJ... The whole Tuna industry was started cuz it Tastes Like Chicken (of the Sea)
and you don't have to raise them!
I asked my local Apple Music acoustic shop dude about these Martins when I saw a piece about them on the National News, and he said that they wouldn't be selling them. There was just something ethically/spiritually wrong about a Formica Martin.
And yes, he does sell Ovation and Celebrity, and he is STILL trying to sell an old Adamas for $1400. |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | I've spent a little time with one and in the world of $300. guitars it's "ok". I wouldn't say an Applause or Celeb is any better or worse. I've probably posted this 100 times, but in this category the Taylor Big Baby is so far head and shoulders above the rest.
For those of you that have not visited the Martin factory (a wonderful tour, but the way), in the factory there is a portion separated off by a wide yellow stripe on the floor. The tour guide was VERY clear that "on that side of the line we build the HPL guitars and on this side of the line we build MARTIN guitars." You could tell by the tone and body language that the old time real luthiers were not keen on the idea of formica. |
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June 2006
Posts: 7307
Location: South of most, North of few | Kind of like when they were marketing those "Shenandoah" models in 1983. (made in Japan and assembled in Nazareth) The factory workers were just about to mutiny. |
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March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | You'd really need to do a survey of 40-year-old ones to assess how good they are.
By the way, do all the Martins with an 'X' in the name have some of this synthetic material in them? |
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December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | I do have a 000-X1. Solid top and HPL sides and back. For under $500 a nice guitar. I also have a Shenandoah model of a D 28. That is also a good sounding guitar.
I have played a Martin DCXE and did not like it at all. I tried one of the new 1 series and they a pretty good for around $800. I also played a D 18 Authentic at the Martin factory. I could live with it but at $ 8850 suggested retail I'd rather have a couple of 1680's and change. |
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November 2007
Posts: 1486
Location: Cincinnati | If you want an inexpensive Martin that sounds good, find a used DM. Sides and back are laminated sapelle or mahogany with a solid sitka spruce top. You'll save a few hundred and blow the DCXE out of the water. |
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Martin DCXE opinion