Martin D Jr-10E Review

Great all around guitar, worth every penny!

This is a really good guitar, when you consider the design elements that make this a DJR, it's an amazing guitar. I've been a player for over 25 years and wanted to share my opinions. Because the body is 1/16th smaller than a traditional Martin dred, it's got a comfort to it that you just can't seem to explain, until you put it side by side with another full size. It feels very… read more normal and comfortable while playing but side by side with a full size, you see things are a little different. The body overall is 1/16 smaller than a normal Martin dred, so your strumming elbow is more relaxed. The nut is 1-3/4, in other words, a normal nut on a smaller guitar, this helps pull of the convincing Jedi mind trick that you're actually playing a full sized guitar. The guitar seems normal, in both size and sound, until you are playing it right next to a full size acoustic. I have a Fender with a 000 body, a Yamaha full size dred, and a Taylor baby T for comparison and all are in the same price range so I feel this is a fair fight. The djr-10e is ridiculously comfortable to play, there are two of us in this house that play and the djr-10e has become our ABSOLUTE favorite. When compared to the baby T, this guitar has more volume and fills the room with a richer sound. It's not until you start playing another full size acoustic in the same room that you realize it's not quite a full sized sound. I would say it has a better sound than either of the other 3, but only my full size dred has more low end. As a true Martin, this thing just puts out more volume, more clarity. It's a better guitar than the other two and you can hear it. I've tried 3 different styles of strings on it and I feel it responds well to the type of sounds different strings offer. Phos / Bronze strings had quite a bit more ring and volume to them, nickel strings were warmer but my favorites are the Martin retro's with one step down in thickness from what came on the guitar. It's easier to play than the others because it has a full size nut so string spacing feels natural but due to the shorter scale it requires a little less pressure from the finger tips. However, in a weird way there was a little bit of an adjustment period for us with the djr-10e when playing cowboy chords. Sometimes we would miss a note here and there and normally I don't think it would have been heard but the projection is just so clear that it was a " thing " for us at first. But getting use to where your fretting hand is, after a couple days this didn't seem to happen anymore. Operator error I know but just realize it takes a few sessions to get fully onboard with it, and it's completely worth it. We both love this guitar. Plugged in, it's pretty good. It is very clear with no cracks or pops in the electronics. I use a chorus and a reverb when plugging in and wow this guitar comes alive when powered up. The sound stays true, doesn't change tone at all and that's a great thing. The volume and tone control in the sound hole work as they should with no problems, and the tone knob does a good job of taming the higher end depending on song selection, without a need to change pedal settings. I was surprised at how much difference string type had on sound when plugged in. The 80/20's really put a lot more spank in the midrange volume, but in a good way. I prefer a more mellow, flatter eq curve so the retro strings are just perfect. The guitar itself as delivered, the fret ends are not rough, but they aren't as smooth as they can be either. They are not sharp in any way but pronounced might be a more fitting description. The richlite fingerboard feels great and doesn't make much noise when using vibrato. There is no string buzz, anywhere. The neck feels good while playing but I did get a full setup done to address the fret ends and bring the strings down just a little. I wouldn't say they were high at all, I just prefer a little closer to the feel of an electric guitar, and I still have no fret buzz. Great neck for sure. The back of the neck feels very natural, non gloss neck, sweat doesn't cause sticking. And as mentioned the body feels quite comfy, wether I'm playing on a guitar stool, on the couch or strumming on the porch swing. I tried to keep this review on point but this guitar is in a class all by itself. It's bigger than a small guitar and smaller than a full size guitar. It feels easier to play than the full size due to reduced string tension but it puts out quite a bit more sound than the " other " smaller guitars. We not only like it, we like it enough that we are buying another one so we don't have to wait to take turns with this one. It's honestly that good. As far as Sweetwater, you CANNOT find a better music store to buy from. I've bought several instruments here, not all guitars and I've never been anything but thrilled with the service, selection and the team as a whole.

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Perfect for the couch!

This guitar sounds like a Martin should and is about the size of a les paul. It's perfect for sitting on the couch or for traveling. Absolutely recommend it over the little martins or the X series

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Great Acoustic Guitar

I am 66 years old and just got back into playing guitar after far too many years away from it. I recently purchased a Taylor Mini-e koa and constantly had finger pain despite trying numerous strings and adjustments. After trying this guitar out at a local store, I felt I had solved my problem. Ordered from Sweetwater due to the outstanding service I have received from Mason Boisvert… read more over the years and with him knowing my issue with the Taylor, had it professionally set up by Sweetwater. Not only is the sound far superior to the Taylor, but the setup and strings that were used have made such a world of difference. Easy to play and no more finger pain. This is my first Martin and am looking forward to many years of enjoyment with this instrument. Again, a great guitar and outstanding service from Sweetwater as always. I would highly recommend this guitar.

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New guitar

fine guitar easy to play for these old fingers and sounds good

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Great guitar!

I was going to say great guitar for the money but it's just a great guitar. It's the perfect size for travel or sitting on the couch but it still has a great tone. I brought this guitar and my Gibson J45 when I went to visit my brother. After he played both of them he kept gravitating toward the Martin which was fine because I love both of them but the Martin is definitely a little… read more more comfortable to play. It definitely plays and sounds above it's price tag. I really want to thank my sales engineer Jake Barker. He has always been so helpful and patient with me whether I'm buying a $5000 guitar or a couple of picks, he treats me and the sale like it's the most important thing going on in his life! The rest of the business world needs to take notes on how to not only grow your business but also keep your existing customers coming back! Great job Sweetwater and as always Great job Jake!

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