 |
| JohnnyO and his Martin JC16 RGTE |
I love to buy older instruments that have been broken in a little. I enjoy reviewing new as well as old instruments that I own or have owned in the past. All guitars are magical, but pre-owned beauties sometimes come with something extra special.
Martin JC-16 RGTE (2002)
Review By: JohnnyO on 9/7/13
Reviewer Background:
Semi –Professional Singer Songwriter
Purchased From: Ebay
Price: $1495.00 (used) USD
Features:
This guitar is Martin's version of a Jumbo Guitar. It is the shape of a cutaway 000 style, but
the size and depth of a traditional dreadnought guitar. My guitar came to me pre-owned and was definitely
used by either a working musician or at least a very active player. The guitar was perfectly setup with great action,
no buzzes and a great sound. Nine years
old, the solid Rosewood back and sides and Spruce top have opened up
nicely. The sound is a deep woody sound
well balanced with tight, clear highs and just the right amount of bass. The low end is deep and crisp without being
boomy.
Action, Fit, &
Finish:
Action was perfect
and easy to play even with medium D’Addario Phosphor Bronze strings. The guitar
was put together by true craftsmen. There was not a single blemish that could
be blamed on poor workmanship.
Sound Quality:
This is where this
guitar really shines. There are a thousand brands of guitar, but in my opinion
only six that matter for acoustic instruments.
The makers are listed in chronological order are Martin, Gibson, Guild, Larrivee,
Taylor and Breedlove. Guild is only a
mere shell of its once greatness and I only refer to the pre-Fender Guilds as
worthy of interest. Each of these
guitars has a distinctive sound, but Martin is probably best known. This JC-16 is immediately note for its
wonderful woody and deep sound. The
raspy bass is balanced with the strong and clear highs. A pleasure to play and listen to, this guitar
with evokes memories of many famous sings of the past five decades.
Reliability/Durability:
Frankly, this guitar
is build like a battleship. It is made
of wood so I guess it could break, but I think it can and will stand up to the
test of time.
Ease of Use:
This is probably one
of the easiest guitars to play. The nut
width is a smidge wider than I prefer at 1 ¾ inches, but still, I had no
problem playing.
Customer Support:
Martin is renowned
for its commitment to its customers. I
would anticipate no problem whatsoever with Martin Customer Service
Overall Rating:
This guitar warrants
an 8.5. Since 10 is reserved for a magic guitar which transports it’s player to
new heights never before experienced, an 8.5 is only a half point under perfection. Wow, what an instrument.
