Martin Guitars Custom Shop D-45

Sonic Evaluation

The D-45 is the emperor of acoustics, and long may this serial reign! As far as rich-sounding strummers go, it's tough to beat. Strumming a big E chord will make your ribs rattle and your liver quiver, while single-note lines strike out with enough force to send banjos and mandolins heading for the hills! The attack has just the right amount of sag and compression, and it has a delightful snap to it when you dig in at higher volumes.

It also has plenty of headroom, which means that it sounds open and spacious even when you're playing hard, which is a good thing, because it is SO FUN to hammer away at this guitar (G, C, E minor, and D never sounded so good!). However, this D-45's impressive dynamic range allows you to get all sorts of nuance and subtlety out of it at lower volumes, too. The bass response is cannon-like, the midrange woody and focused, and the highs resplendent with sparkling crystalline overtones. Though it has plenty of muscle on tap, it's more of a wooden piano than a wooden cannon, but for those that prize richness and sweetness above punching power, this serial will astound and delight you.

If you're looking for a bold-sounding dreadnought with a big voice, it won't be long before you're genuflecting at the sight of this particular acoustic emperor!