After playing for 12 years I had finally found an acoustic that was worthy of being purchased by myself.
The acoustic market has an elite trio which consists in my opinion of: Taylor, Gibson and Martin. All offer fantastic tones, comfortable playability, exceptional intonation and superb craftsmanship. They are the bench mark of acoustics that offer outstanding quality which other brands cannot match.
To put it quite simply, If you purchase a Martin you will never have to buy another acoustic again, they are the perfect tool for all professional players. In my experience I have never seen one loose any value or sound bad.
My advice would be to certainly shop around to find the best deals and Do not just settle on the first that you pick up unless you are instantly happy with its feel and sound. No two acoustics are identical in sound or feel so do not stop until you find one that plays and sound right for you!
I was very fortunate to purchase my Martin for £800 second hand price, the guitar had a few marks on it but the fact is I buy my guitars to play and gig not to lock in a cabinet all it's life so this did not bother me, I actually kind of think it added to it's character.
Whether you spend £1500 or £5000 on your martin you will have a guitar for life as Martins are built for the professional player looking for the ultimate tool.
Ultimately there are other brands that offer the same kind of build quality and tone which in my opinion are Gibson and Taylor as mentioned earlier. I would strongly advise you to try these brands also as they could equally offer you the perfect tool that you are looking for. I would also advise against buying one from the internet as you have no idea what the guitar actually plays like so how are you going to know it's the right one for you?
One of my heroes Hank Marvin uses a black Martin which is available in his signature series which offers a fantastic sound. Unfortunately it did not work for me as it is a full bodied guitar which means it is quite large so me being quite short found it very difficult to play.
Alternatively if you do not have enough to purchase something like a martin, then there are some great brands out there set at £500 - £1000 mark that will work extremely well in the professional environment. Guild is one brand that I can recommend having owned one for the last 5 years.
So to summarize, In my opinion Martin is one of 3 equally fantastic acoustic guitar brands that I strongly recommend. They are the industry standard tools that will provide a life long pleasure of playability and tone. They can be very expensive to purchase but should only gain in value as they increase in age.
Trust me when i say you will not be disappointed, good luck finding your dream guitar and happy playing
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