Martin DC-X2E Rosewood Dreadnought Review

Checked All My Boxes

I was looking for something that can stand up to outdoor environments and wanted to experiment with Martin HPL series instruments. I was skeptical about applying the 'Martin' name to a guitar built in Mexico with back and sides formed with the high pressure laminate material. First, the quality of the build is outstanding in this price range. Second, I have never played a finer… read more acoustic neck like this Performing Artist profile and High Performance Taper. I am spoiled for life with this neck configuration. I won't buy another guitar without it. Having owned four previous Martins, they would still be in my collection today if they'd had this neck. Then comes the most critical factor: tone. The solid spruce top is a very important factor on the HPL guitars. The back and sides give this instrument a somewhat more mellow tonality than a solid wood counterpart. I played four guitars before settling on this one with the cutaway. The sound was slightly brighter than the other three, which I prefer. Once home I switched out the strings with Elixir light nanowebs and it really came to life acoustically. Of course when it's plugged in you can tailor the sound to your personal liking. I've narrowed down my acoustic collection to four guitars now and this is the one that I pick up daily for practice and jamming. This is truly a unique instrument. The full range of tone is not quite comparable to a solid body dreadnought, but fits beautifully in a brand new category for acoustic guitars. No disappointments for me, and again, the neck comfort level is exceptional. In my opinion, a great beginner and/or stout travel guitar.

---

Cancel Comment