Opinions on Martin J-40 & HD-35
Michael
classicals and electrics through the years I've been playing. I'm
looking for a Martin and am saving the money for a half decent one. I
would mainly use the guitar for rythm but would like to learn some
fingerpicking. The general opinion here seems to be that smaller
guitars are better then dreadnoughts or jumbos for fingerpicking. Is
there anything wrong with fingerpicking a jumbo? As long as I feel
physically comfortable fingerpicking on one will I be right, or can I
get a better tone with a smaller guitar?
The two main models I am considering are the Martin HD-35 and J-40. I
was originally looking for a D-28 or D-35, but I was told this be the
salesman in a shop. He said that the 3 piece back of the D-35 gave it
a bassier sound at the expense of a bit of treble. The scalloped
bracing of the HD-35 brought back the treble and was a well balanced
guitar. Is this correct?
The reason I considered the J-40 was because it didn't cost much more
than the HD-35, and I liked the appearance of it. The Martin website
has this to say about the J-40:
Essentially, the Jumbo combines the Grand Auditorium body profile with
the Dreadnought body depth. The result is a unique
instrument that, tonally, combines the best of both models --
excellent balance of treble, midrange and bass coupled with a
dramatic increase in volume.
Would this make it a good all round guitar for fingerpicking and
strumming? Also, what are the opinions on the D-28, a HD-28 would be
better wouldn't it? Also any other guitars from other companies can
be suggested. I'm not interested in any cutaways or electronics
though.
Thanks for any responses. And before you all say 'go to different
shops and play heaps of guitars, than buy whats best for you', I live
in a small city with quality guitars being a rarity. Most shops
wouldn't have what I am after, which may mean ordering one unseen.
Any tips about doing this? Or should I avoid it at all costs?
Michael Glisenti
mich...@vianet.net.au
Stuffinder
an excellent guitar for finger style and flat picking. Same size as J model but
shallower. Less boomy (bassy) than J in my experience. You can sometimes find
an M-38 on the used market and everyone I've played was a very good to
excellent guitar. I have a M-18sb, one of 4 M-18's made in their last year of
production. I tend to prefer mahogany guitars and this one works well for most
everything.
Tom Heitzman
Maschoff1
>I'm looking for my first steel string acoustic, having only played
>classicals and electrics through the years I've been playing. I'm
>looking for a Martin and am saving the money for a half decent one. I
>would mainly use the guitar for rythm but would like to learn some
>fingerpicking. The general opinion here seems to be that smaller
>guitars are better then dreadnoughts or jumbos for fingerpicking. Is
>there anything wrong with fingerpicking a jumbo? As long as I feel
>physically comfortable fingerpicking on one will I be right, or can I
>get a better tone with a smaller guitar?
>
>The two main models I am considering are the Martin HD-35 and J-40. I
>was originally looking for a D-28 or D-35, but I was told this be the
>salesman in a shop. He said that the 3 piece back of the D-35 gave it a
bassier sound at the expense of a bit of treble. The scalloped
>bracing of the HD-35 brought back the treble and was a well balanced
>guitar. Is this correct?
Mike, you are on a grand and joyous expedition! I was just there and along
with the frustration and disappointment was a tremendous amount of education
and discovery.
I had a very specific preconception of which guitar I wanted when I started but
eventually tried many different brands and models before buying an HD-35 last
week. I think the dealers take on the HD-35 is pretty accurate although a
reiteration of the Martin brochure. For some reason that has not been made
clear to me, the 35s are not a real popular model. Maybe they haven't been
around long enough to have achieved the respect they deserve. I can't speak
for its suitability for finger style but it has a fairly conventional neck by
todays standards and I love it. As the brochure says the bass is strong and
loud. But you really have to hear it to appreciate it. It isn't at all
overbearing. It is such a beautiful sound it just commands attention. In
spite of the wonderful bottom end it is the highs that sold me. I could get
the high end out with less work on the 35s than any other Martin I played with
the possible exception of an SPOOO-16TR. I honestly didn't hear alot of
difference between the scalloped bracing on the HD and the standard bracing on
the D but really wanted that heringbone trim so I went with the HD.
Don't limit yourself to Martin. There are a ton of great guitars out there.
The first thing you need to do is decide what you want in your next axe. Is
appearance important? Tone? Playability? Which will you give up for the
other? I think you need to play a ton of guitars before you can answer these
questions. ROAD TRIP! Unless you really live in the boonies a big city with
several guitar stores has to be within a days drive. Make a weekend out of it.
Don't buy one the first trip unless you have a cosmic expierience with one. (
It can happen). Go home and let it sink in for a while. Then you can start
defining what it is you are looking for. Your image of your next guitar will
come into focus slowly. Just when you think you have it nailed down it will
blur again. Let it happen. Don't rush it.
When I started looking for my guitar I decided I would pay a little more if I
could buy in person rather than mail order. None of the stores within a days
drive of me would match the mail order prices but I was able to get them close
enough to sway me. I just didn't want the hassle and expense of shipping
guitars back and forth on trial. If you are willing to deal with the hassle
you can save yourself a little money.
Have a ball. And don't forget to include smell in your list of criteria. It
wasn't a consideration that occured to me until after I bought mine. Now I
can't keep my nose out of the sound hole. It is somewhere between the Amana
Furniture Factory, and an old barn.
Mike A.
Neil Harpe
Except in the minds of a few "guitar snobs", there are no rules about what
is the "correct" guitar to play for fingerpicking, flatpicking, strumming,
banging, etc. Go for what YOU like.
But IMO the appearance of the guitar you choose is an important factor. So
if you like the way it looks and sounds, it is probably the right guitar for
you. I have never played a Martin 6-string guitar that was anything but a
very good (and many times a superb) instrument.
I owned a J-65M (maple model very similar to your J-40) for a couple of
years and it was a super fingerpicker and a killer flatpicking guitar as
well! I ordered it special from the factory ("sight un-seen") with a
sunburst, because appearance is important to me. The J-40's I have played
(not many, because this model seems to have always been a "sleeper" on the
market) have all been balanced, loud and responsive guitars. I would
describe this model as a very good choice for the player who performs in a
number of different styles.
Go for it! You'll not be sorry.
Neil (gimme a sunburst every time) Harpe
Peter MacDonald
>Michael Glisenti wrote:
---------- snip ---------
> For some reason that has not been made
>clear to me, the 35s are not a real popular model. Maybe they haven't been
>around long enough to have achieved the respect they deserve.
D-35s were first produced in 1965, and are still being made. Not a
bad degree of longevity.
> I can't speak
>for its suitability for finger style but it has a fairly conventional neck by
>todays standards and I love it. As the brochure says the bass is strong and
>loud. But you really have to hear it to appreciate it. It isn't at all
>overbearing. It is such a beautiful sound it just commands attention.
I agree. I have used a '66 D-35 for fingerstyle for 30 years. While
I now prefer a slightly wider neck than the D-35's 1 11/16" for
fingerstyle, there is nothing wrong with it for this style of playing
guitar. The relative balance of bass and treble is as much a function
of playing technique as of guitar construction, IMHO.
Peter
G5832
far as a jumbo goes, it's going to feel different than a standard dreadnought
when you hold it. I suggest finding a guitar that matches the D-40's
demensions & see how it feels when you play it as compared to a dreadnought.
Regarding the D-35's, I have one & love it. It's great for fingerstyle or
strumming. I've had a little over a year now & it's really starting to open
up. I played several D-35's & HD-35's, & it was hard to make a choice. All of
the guitars you mentioned are great. If (when) I buy another rosewood
dreadnought, it will be a D-41.
Randy