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Post by newey on Oct 20, 2009 20:45:02 GMT -5
After a hundred and seventy some years, Martin has issued an acoustic-electric guitar that appears to have little or no actual wood in it. Martin Alternative-X guitarThe top is aluminum, the back and sides are described as being made from a "high-pressure laminate", while the bridge and fingerboard are made from Micarta. No word on what the neck is made from, that may actually be a piece of wood.  Somehow, I don't see the folkie market falling in love with this. At least, it's a wildly different piece from the usual Martin conservative designs. |
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Post by ijustwannastrat on Oct 20, 2009 21:17:05 GMT -5
Wow. This may have been a poor approach to expanding. Start with baby steps, like adding electric output. Then maybe micarta fingerboard. Aluminum front? That could take a while....
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Post by gitpiddler on Oct 20, 2009 22:23:37 GMT -5
How many faces do you see in this top?
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Post by sumgai on Oct 21, 2009 0:36:02 GMT -5
gitty,
Obvioulsy you must have lived through the '60's, cause you just know you should be able to see those faces, right? ;D
Actually, the only change between this and their previous edition of "alternative materials" is the top. They've done the Micarta thing before.... doesn't sound too bad at all, IMO.
Aluminum might introudce a quite bright tone, but then again, some coffee house performers need that extra oomph to ring out over the inconsiderate clods who think they're there to talk to one another rather than to pay attention to the poor shmuck on the stage who's just trying to make a buck.
HTH
sumgai
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Post by newey on Oct 21, 2009 5:28:52 GMT -5
On the plus side, no worries about warping or splitting. Just the thing for your next outdoor gig in a tropical rain forest! ;D
If you want a "relic'd" version, a ball peen should do the trick!
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Post by sydsbluesky on Oct 21, 2009 12:47:12 GMT -5
The neck is some sort of composite, as well. Eliminates the need for a truss rod, and will never warp, or so they say. I've been looking at these for a while; it's not entirely new. I can't speak for the aluminum top, but the other x series guitar I played - one with full composite body - sounded just fine. It had wonderful action, and a very nice feel. If I didn't already know what it was, then I may or may not have noticed something awry with the tone. ...I'd put a hefty bet on me NOT noticing. It was a very nice guitar, and with a 650ish dollar price tag, a very viable option for one shopping on a budget. ...They do LOOK kinda funny. But so does Keith Richards.  And as far as their electric output, Martin has several wonderful acoustic-electric systems in place. Not sure to what exactly you refer, but some Martin guitars (in the 1500ish range) have amazing amped sound. Oh, that body style is quite comfortable, by the way. |
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Post by the_uprising on Feb 5, 2010 1:45:17 GMT -5
Touché
I haven't exactly ever been a fan of Martin, but their other "wooden" guitars at that price point seem to feel just as much like "real wood" as i imagine that one feeling like. But i suppose i should wait to pass any real judgment until i've held this cold looking string box.
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rocker56
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Post by rocker56 on Jan 18, 2016 17:27:54 GMT -5
There was an article in the Guitarist "Acoustic 2014 special" featuring two Martin head honchos who talked about the difficulties in getting wood these days. Even common woods like Sitka Spruce. The forecast was that guitars would be much more expensive in 20 years time. In the meantime, Martin, and presumably other manufacturers, would be using other materials for certain models.
If your guitar is made of real wood, hang on to it. Play it and enjoy it.
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Post by JFrankParnell on Jan 18, 2016 17:55:50 GMT -5
Those formica-backed Martins sound like someone dropped them off the kitchen counter :/
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Post by newey on Jan 18, 2016 22:54:22 GMT -5
JFP- Is that a review by one who has played one? Do tell! Rocker 56-
Hello and welcome to G-Nutz2!You've resurrected a 6-year old thread, but you're right, wood sourcing is a problem. I've heard one of those Rainsong carbon-fiber acoustics that sounded, to my aged ears, pretty doggone good. So, the future worries me not at all. But, by all means, play (and love) your wood guitar. I do mine.  |
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Post by JFrankParnell on Jan 22, 2016 0:19:02 GMT -5
Yep, my buddy had one and was all kindsa proud of his "Martin"... I played that thing, it sounded like plastic.
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Post by cynical1 on Jan 23, 2016 16:58:07 GMT -5
In 2008, the Laney Act was amended...in a very special interest sort of way. If you remember the business with Gibson then this is old news. It did, however, put a certain Fear of God shiver through the industry. Martin, in particular, reacted in a very quick and concessionary way. Hence the "everything but real wood" guitar.
Yeah, this is an old thread, but the repercussions of the Laney Act amendments still shadow the industry 8 years later. Only when the cost of non-compliance exceeds the expense of compliance do paradigms change. While the guitar in question is the knee jerk reaction, it does foreshadow the direction things will probably move towards in the future.
The industry is really only doing what its always done. Build products from the cheapest and most easily sourced materials it can. The feldergarb about "tone" seems to creep in much after the fact. In the 50's, alder, mahogany, maple and ash were available at a good price in whatever quantities you wanted. Gibson and Fender used these woods for those reasons. "Tone" became what came out of using these materials. Over time they become a Holy Grail. Same with nitrocellulose lacquer...but you get the point...
50 years from now I'll bet dollars to donuts that the market for aluminum and micarta guitars from the early part of this century gain their own Holy Grail status.
We are an easy animal to manipulate...
HTC1
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2016 4:48:00 GMT -5
I think Cyn1 is on the same wavelength as I. IMHO the one-way path of the evolution as constitutional element of the dominant philosophy of the dominant culture (AKA post-modernism ) dictates the switch from natural materials to artificial materials. This is a very strong and basic trend among others (no need to elaborate any further), all of them pointing to the same direction.
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Post by strat80hm on Sept 12, 2016 21:14:35 GMT -5
I m looking forward sustainable material as maybe a step away from that crooky planned obsolence trend haha
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Post by cynical1 on Sept 14, 2016 1:11:27 GMT -5
I m looking forward sustainable material as maybe a step away from that crooky planned obsolence trend haha Actually, it's a step towards engineered obsolescence without the bothersome issue of organics taking so damn long to become harvestable... HTC1 |
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Post by strat80hm on Sept 14, 2016 23:25:02 GMT -5
Actually, it's a step towards engineered obsolescence without the bothersome issue of organics taking so damn long to become harvestable... HTC1 We re doomed |
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Post by newey on Sept 15, 2016 5:19:40 GMT -5
Don't knock planned obsolescence. It keeps millions employed . . . |
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Post by cynical1 on Sept 15, 2016 11:59:35 GMT -5
Don't knock planned obsolescence. It keeps millions employed . . .  ...yes, yes it does... |
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Post by strat80hm on Sept 16, 2016 18:41:26 GMT -5
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