Finally got a Martin

[Wallo Tweed]

I haven't played acoustic guitars in a long time. Last week I traded a Tele that needed some work for a used Martin and some cash. The tag said it was a Custom D Rosewood. Spruce top and Rosewood sides and back. It is a pretty bare bones model, but a nice player. The wood block inside at the heel says only Martin made in U.S.A., with a patent, and serial #, and the word Custom. But no other model I.D. I found a web site to date Martins and it indicates that my guitar was made in 2005. I did find them on Musicians Friend, and I'm wondering if this was some kind of special run for M.F. If so is this like buying a John Deere at Wallmart or other box stores were they have certain items "built to there specs"? I do like the guitar, and it is nice to play, but now people with Martins are asking me what model it is. And when I say Custom D they look at me like I'm from outer space. I tried doing a search on this forum with no results.
Thanks,
W.T.

[braderrick]

Nice welcome to the club!

[Jethro]

Hmm, got any pictures you can show us???

Oh...and welcome

[jwsamuel]

The Custom D was a special guitar made for Musician's Friend. It was available in two versions. There was one version with solid mahogany back and sides and another version with solid rosewood back and sides. Both had solid spruce tops. The rosewood version sold for $100 more than the mahogany version.

Both the mahogany and rosewood guitars were based on Martin's D-15 and used the same bracing patterns. They had rosewood bridges and rosewood fretboards. The neck was made from either mahogany or Spanish Cedar. The Custom Ds had a real rosette instead of the decal that the D-15 had at that time. The Custom D had no body binding, just like the D-15. When Musician's Friend first listed the guitar, they called it a Spruce Top D-15.

Musician's Friend still lists the mahogany version:

Martin Custom D

The one you have is the same guitar with rosewood back and sides. They are really nice guitars with great tone and a lot of volume. I had a rosewood Custom D and wish I had not sold it.

Jim

[JBennett]

I've got the most bare-bones Martin of all, the 000-X1 with the kitchen counter sides and back and it still sounds great! Enjoy.

[Stubee]

You got a great guitar there. Just tell your friends it's a rosewood model they made for a few years & enjoy it. Most of my playing friends can't tell a Martin from a Schmartin.

[Wallo Tweed]

Thanks for the replies. Lots of good info. I'm not sure what a rosette is, but when I run my finger over the name on the headstock I can feel that the letters are raised a bit. It has front and back bindings, and what I would call a compensated bridge. I am very happy with the feel of the neck, the action, and the tone. So whatever it is its mine, and it got me back to playing after more than a year off. I also thought that since I have been playing for 45 years and live less than 2 1/2 hours from Nazareth it was time for me to be Martinized.
WT

[TeleToTheRain]

great guitar! Congrats! I couldn't get along with my mahogany Custom D because the neck was too thin for me but it sounded killer. Ive also owned a 000-X1 which was great too but sold both to fund my grail Martin. The D would have been that if it wasn't for the neck.... They also have a D Mahogany I believe which is not to be confused as its much more expensive. For all intents and purposes your guit is a D-15, the Musicians Friend part just makes it affordable! Nice score!

[e23589]

When I bought my mahogany model it was around $499.99 The price went up probably double after that. I sold mine for a profit but I wish I would have kept it. It was a decent guitar.

[reflected]

Wonderful guitar! Nothing sounds like a Martin, IMO. That balanced, but still pure, unharnassed growl is unique.

I also have one of those counter-top Martins, the DXC1E. The top is solid sitka, the sides and back are HPL (high pressure laminate)

Many acoustic guitar snobs say it's a piece of junk, but believe me, I tried EVERYTHING at that price range, and this one sounded best! OK, not like a D-35, but close, surprisingly close, with that distinct MArtin tone.

After all, HPL is made of wood, and it's solid too (AFAIK, they make a liquid out of wood, and under high pressure they make a solid material out of it, kinda like a thick cardboard) I ain't a snob, so it might as well be made of cotton candy as long as it sounds as it does

[Jethro]

Originally Posted by Stubee

You got a great guitar there. Just tell your friends it's a rosewood model they made for a few years & enjoy it. Most of my playing friends can't tell a Martin from a Schmartin.

Schmartin

[motwang]

Originally Posted by Wallo Tweed

Thanks for the replies. Lots of good info. I'm not sure what a rosette is, but when I run my finger over the name on the headstock I can feel that the letters are raised a bit. It has front and back bindings, and what I would call a compensated bridge. I am very happy with the feel of the neck, the action, and the tone. So whatever it is its mine, and it got me back to playing after more than a year off. I also thought that since I have been playing for 45 years and live less than 2 1/2 hours from Nazareth it was time for me to be Martinized.
WT

I've got one of these, great tone!!

[Chiogtr4x]

Congrats! You got a friend for life- maybe 'cosmetically sparse', but a wonderful player with good tone

I have a 1993 Martin D-1 and I noticed (last year) that it lines up very closely in materials/construction/specs to the mahogany body(spruce top) version of the Custom D- more so than Martin's current D-1- So I've never played a Custom D, bet it's sweet!

[otterhound]

All custom Martin guitars carry the designation custom on the neck block with nothing else aside of the serial number .
I have a custom ordered J1215L in mahogany and the neck block shows custom with nothing else except the serial number .

[jwsamuel]

Originally Posted by otterhound

All custom Martin guitars carry the designation custom on the neck block with nothing else aside of the serial number .
I have a custom ordered J1215L in mahogany and the neck block shows custom with nothing else except the serial number .

Correct. I have a Martin OM-35 that I bought from My Favorite Guitars a few months ago. Even though it is an OM-35, it has Custom on the neckblock because Martin discontinued the OM-35 and MFG ordered them as a special run.

Jim

[jwsamuel]

Originally Posted by Wallo Tweed

Thanks for the replies. Lots of good info. I'm not sure what a rosette is,
WT

The rosette is the ring around the sound hole. On your, and most Martins, it is plastic or wood strips that are laid into a channel that has been routed into the wood. 2010 and earlier 15 series guitars had a decal that was applied to the guitar top.

Jim

[Warm Gums]

"If so is this like buying a John Deere at Wallmart or other box stores were they have certain items "built to there specs"? I do like the guitar, and it is nice to play, but now people with Martins are asking me what model it is. And when I say Custom D they look at me like I'm from outer space. I tried doing a search on this forum with no results.
Thanks,
W.T."

Don't worry about those folks, people who have a lot of $$$ invested in items that serve more as status symbols, than working tools can get their nose out of joint pretty quick, when they perceive that their "investment " is being devalued by the maker not toeing the party line.
Most high end makers put as much if not more thought into their budget products, as the high end stuff, they simply utilize different materials or processes, or less decoration. I have had a number of low end Martins, and they were all superb guitars that punched way above their weight.

Enjoy..

[SolidSnakeBoss]

Cool, it looks really nice!

[Wallo Tweed]

Wow, thanks to everyone for the replies and info. I really am getting to love this thing. I never thought I would ever be able to afford a Martin. One more question, when you say solid top does that mean one piece? This is a great forum.
W.T.

[Stubee]

Solid top = plain old 'real' pieces of wood, cut from a log, often two piece & book-matched. Generally a very desirable feature for a flattop vs. laminated or plywood.