Hey! I respect your opinions in the video! But I must say….. I think a lot of times with these guitars as you mentioned no 2 guitars are the same, and that definitely rings true with this one. I’ve heard of people who have bought and returned this same guitar until they got one back that sounded how they wanted it, I personally got one of those around 8 months ago and MY GOD! It’s an amazing instrument! Mine was perfectly setup, has very very noticeably good intunation, and it’s super comfortable for me to play. I guess it’s all a preference thing though! Also you’re absolutely right about the x-series, I had one before I bought this guitar and I actually gave it to a good friend of mine so he wouldn’t have to buy anything after I got this. Cool video! And thanks!
My old mans a luthier and the best ‘guitar’ advice he ever gave me was “never buy a guitar you haven’t played and you’ll never own a bad guitar” . And it’s turned out to be pretty sound advice. I’ve got this same guitar and it’s a killer. It’s definitely loud but that’s by design. It really sounds like yours needs a proper set up. Shaving down the saddles it’s not the right move unless you’ve already addressed the Neck and nut. Martin have great customer service from my experience and if you take it to them or the AD you got it from they will usually look after you. I wouldn’t write off this guitar until you’ve had it set up properly because they are beautiful instruments once dialled in
Tuning stability - check the nut if lubricated properly and cut properly No strap pin - drill one yourself. Martin leaves it out because of tradition High action - lower it yourself with the saddle. It's easier to lower than to raise the action
*Tuning stability - check the nut if lubricated properly and cut properly* - He shouldn't have to go through that trouble for a $3500 guitar. If he does, that means quality control is trash. *No strap pin - drill one yourself. Martin leaves it out because of tradition* - False, my 000-13e has a strap pin and so do many other Martins.
@@cgamst agree with you on the tuning stability topic. but for the strap pin, most higher end Martins (OMJM, D-18, 000-28 to name a fwe) dont have strap buttons installed from factory. this is mainly to give the new owner flexibility to put the strap button where they personally would want it, if they want one. can be a nuance, but makes sense when youre buying a guitar and want it to really be your own
Sorry to hear your experience didn't go well. You can get basically this exact guitar in OM-21 form for $2k used instead of 3500, then if you wanted to do the mods you mentioned it would still come out to $1000 less. As far as the disappointing setup goes, a set up is as personal as the strings you use, I think the lack of professional, personalized set up in this case may have skewed the review. I understand everyone wants a guitar to be perfect out of the box, shipping can undo a great set up. Because I purchased my OM28 in store mine was setup when I brought it home: it is my favorite guitar by far but needed some time to age and grow into itself (again, buying used would solve this problem).My martin ALWAYS stays in tune. Takeaway: I always recommend playing a guitar in person before buying. Cheers!
I always hear this comment. But there is a general acceptable string height. Super high to avoid damage from shipping is not acceptable. Maybe the factory can get a pass assuming a new owner will have it done, but when 3rd party retailers are charging you to setup the guitar before shipping it or if not sending you a guitar that is horrible to play, that is an industry scam imo.
Ive owned a few martins, both usa and x series. I also keep a close eye on forums and stuff and play them in stores. Im kinda a martin nerd. IMO their x series is a really bad purchase. The synthetic materials withstand temp/humidity changes and warping really well so they basically wont belly or develop cracks or anything but it gives them a really bad tone and makes them really brittle. Ive seen a few that instead of getting dings sorta shattered like stone or glass. Theres no way to fix them once that happens. So really in the sub $1000 acoustic market i dont think martin deserves a place at the table, you can get some really nice sounding laminate guitars from so many other companies that sound alright and last forever. On the usa martin thing, i agree the setups are funky. Ive measured a few recently that had the low e at 6mm at the 12th fret. Depending on the guitar and purpose i prefer between 2. 5mm and 3.5mm, which i also consider fairly standard range of acceptable height. Thats an easy fix though. What isnt an easy fix is that once you adjust the height the break angle almost doesnt exist because the pins are slotted, not the bridge... So on my personal martins the bridge gets slotted too. That shouldnt be necessary to modify a guitar that severe to have it be normal. A note on good guitars though. This is more reality than criticism. i think acoustic guitars can either last forever or sound better. The usa martins sound better. Ive seen two 000 guitars absolutely shit the bed around the 10 year mark from just existing and being lighlty played. They get all kinds of bellying issues, the bracing starts failing, the bridges start coming off, and the intonation gets sharper. On my current favorite martin that ive only owned a year and keep in its case ive worn the frets down and itll need to be leveled, and i can see the top starting to belly. USA martins are way more alive than a plywood guitar but in around 10-15 years they start developing fatal issues that cant always be fixed. Now the good news and some bad news. The good news is for a little over 1k anybody can get a proper instrument. Like, a really legit guitar with mojo that you can cherish and take care of. It wont last forever but to get a legit violin or piano youre getting into the 5 or 6 figure range. Guitarists are lucky a real guitar is only 1k even if it doesnt last forever. Thats all good news. The bad news is after that price point youre basically buying collectables, not better instruments. Guitars are, have always been, and will continue for the foreseeable future to be a poor mans instrument. No acoustic guitar will ever be worth more than 2k on features alone. I dont just mean diminishing returns, i mean complete lack of returns after like 2k. Depending on what youre getting it could even be lower. For a 000 size guitar 2k is probably too high. So i think the biggest flaw with the john mayer model has to be its purpose as a collectible, not as a player grade instrument. Theres just no justification for 4k when you can get guitars of identical quality and nearly the same build from the same company at half the price. I wanna just wrap up again with the x series criticism. There are guitars made by companies like ami and sigma that are martin designs and they feature more conventional materials as well as lower prices. Ive tried a few and they played and sounded better than anything x series. Ive owned plenty of other sub 1k guitars and theres so many good ones out there in all sorts of styles. The x series just isnt a good option when you consider the alternatives.
The lack of strap button goes back to the 1930s when they started building steel string guitars in the 000 and OM body shape and continues to this day. You get a strap button at the bottom center of the lower bout, optionally you can have one placed elsewhere. Players who want one do this during the first setup. It has the Fishman Gold Plus Natural pickup, just a basic under saddle, it's designed to be plugged into an external DI box and EQ. Many professional musicians do not rely on on-board EQ built into the guitar itself, the quality of that EQ and number of bands often limiting, that's more of a mid-range guitar thing... The boom factor making it hard to sing over I get... that's why it's so important to pair the guitar to the voice type. I have always preferred mahogany over rosewood for this reason... Regarding your #1 complaint. You simply don't understand what you've purchased. When you buy a $3000 Italian made suit you would be a fool to think that's going to fit you off the rack. It's expected with a product at that level the buyer is going to get the suit tailored as part of the purchase transaction. I'm sorry no one explained this to you, but high-end acoustic guitars are very much like this. These are instruments built the traditional way out of not only solid woods, but often woods cut as thin as possible while maintaining structural integrity to give you the best tone. That helps them create the rich tone, but it means during transport that action is going to rise and you are going to have to pay a tech a small fee to have the guitar setup as part of the purchase and professional players want this, because there is no one size fits all when it comes to setup. A player doing mostly lead will want something different than someone doing mostly rhythm work to support vocals and often the process takes a few back and forth to get right.... With all due respect, you should have known this. It's like hearing someone buy a Lamborghini then complaining because they have to take it in for maintence every month.. Everything you point out here circles back to why you should never just buy the guitar your hero plays without trying it out first. Based on your specific gripes about this C.F. Martin model, I suggest trying out a Taylor 314ce. I think you'll find that checks a lot of your boxes and with Tayor's bolt-on neck design and using just a tad thicker wood for the top, they maintain their setup in transport quite a bit better, albeit they have "that Taylor sound". Still a well built, well intonated, professional tool.
I have owned 5 Martins. 3 at present. Plus many others. I don't own a OMJM but know someone who does. Nice but not my style ALL higher end Martins I have seen are 'high action' from the factory at the saddle but typically properly cut at the nut. It is to allow you to set it up as desired: high for bluegrass, much lower for fingerstyle. I have had to do a full setup on EVERY new Martin I got. Even a D-35. I am OK with that and see it as a feature, not a bug. I MAKE IT mine. I have the same open tuners on an OMC16e and it is stable. All guitars change with temperature of even a few degrees, some more than others. Make sure tuners are securely mounted and nut slot is open enough and maybe lubricated tuner and nut slot. Maybe better strings. It is a high price for a guitar just for the name on the fretboard. I have never been willing to pay extra for a signature guitar, I am not a fanboy and don't even see real collector value in most of them. The 16 and 17 series Martins are a lot more cost effective in my view while still USA made and pro quality in every aspect.
This is a percussive and brilliant fingerpicking instrument. With a soft singing voice you'd do well with a 00015 series or something more compressed. Spending $100 and getting a good setup also does wonders. Regardless nice review and totally see and respect where you're coming from.
When I had $6k to spend on an acoustic I looked at Martin, Taylor, and Gibson. Ended up with a Japanese pro shop Takamine and never looked back. The only Martin I'd buy would be a D-18 and then only if I could find one I really liked used. You already know what your biggest mistake was... buying an expensive guitar on credit because it looked good on paper :)
I recently bought a 000-10e Road Series Martin. It came with the saddle only half way seated in the bridge, and so tight that the only way to remove it was to break the saddle in half. I ordered another saddle from Martin, sanded the sides down until the saddle had a proper fit and fully seated, only to find that the two E strings were much softer through the pickup that the other strings. My effort to correct it with saddle adjustments failed. Made no difference. Ended up removing the pickup and preamp assembly completely and replacing it with an LR Baggs M1A sound hole pickup. Now it sounds really good. Doesn't matter how much you pay for a guitar, they are all subject to quality control problems. I've had many guitars at all price ranges over the decades, and most all need work to be really playable. Some a lot of work.
I'm not one who usually comment on videos unless i feel rather strongly about it. I work in a Martin distributor shop and sell a very large range of martin guitars. We have been dealing with Martin guitars for almost 40 years. I deal with martin guitars on a daily basis and i am quite shocked to see that you have made a video to express your dissatisfaction on the OMJM. I have to admit that i would be very upset if i were to spend that amount of money to receive a lemon. I hope you will take my comments as constructive criticism as i do feel that some of your comments are incorrect. I am also an owner of a OMJM and i am very happy with my OMJM. It's the perfect guitar for me and i love it ( i am also NOT a massive JM fan) With that said, i also understand that everyone has a preference and the OMJM probably isn't the guitar for you. Your preference as mentioned in your video is the X series line of guitars and that's all good but i really feel that these 2 guitars are probably not a fair comparison in terms or build and price point. Then again, thats all your preference. what plays and feels right to you is the right guitar for you. All good! Here are some things you probably don't know at the point of filming your video. 1. There is a battery in the sound hole. This is not a passive pickup system. Please have a look inside the sound hole near the neck pocket. you will find a 9v battery with a battery pouch in there. 2. There is a reason why there isn't a strap button at the neck heel. Martin needs to consider most users when manufacturing. There are some players who do not use strap buttons. They prefer using the old shoe lace method around the headstock for various reasons. Balance is one of them and some feel it's more comfortable. Some just do not like the idea of drilling holes into an expensive instrument. With that being said, I hope you see the rationale behind it. What's a $1 strap button when you have already purchased a $3500 guitar? 3. If you are having tuning stability and intonation issues, you should have it brought back to the distributor to have it looked at. Tuning stability is probably not caused just by the tuning pegs. ( martin changes the manufacturers for hardware from time to time ) The nut and the way you string your guitar might play a part in it as well. Nut issues are a pretty rare problem to have on martin guitars but for all it's worth, you should bring it back to have your shop look at it. 4. Most of the martins that i pull out of the box for my customers have medium / high action. Martin don't ship their guitars out of the factory with perfect "low action" regardless of price range. Action is very subjective. Everyone plays differently, climate and humidity which affects guitars is different all around the world and martin manufacture their guitars to be shipped worldwide. Many factors are responsible for " mile high" action on the guitar. You should bring it in for a setup. Don't take this the wrong way. I strongly feel that a lot of your comments really make you look like you do not know what you are talking about. Do you really own that OMJM? All the issues you spoke about could be realised while you were purchasing the guitar but yet you still purchased it to rant later. If you bought it online, you should have taken the steps to contact the distributor / shop to have it returned. I hope you will find solutions to your issues and if you did purchase a dud of a guitar, you should bring it back to either get it resolved or your money back. Here's 15 mins of my life i am not getting back but i do hope you get your money back if it's truly a lemon 😌
sounds like you spent a lot of money on the wrong guitar for you. Question is, why didn't you just spend more time researching all these complaints & problems before spending the money? You would have saved yourself over three grand in the end
@@austin33785 no, it's not about age. If you're old enough to have and spend 3k, then you're simply old enough. It's more a question of getting the right information before spending it on something you realize you don't want. It's not an incredibly large amount of money, but significant enough to allow for lots of choice when selecting a quality guitar.
@@yevenstee ...then tell him, not me. This isn't my channel or review, it's his. I personally don't care what he spends his money on, or how he sets up his guitar. You're addressing the wrong person
@@ocdguitarreviews 100% sure. He still plays the om28jm quite a bit, but on a handful of songs he routinely uses the omjm. You can tell from the lack of silver outline on the headstock and the dot inlays without the pilot triangle. th-cam.com/video/zfxRYYNv6dI/w-d-xo.html
Have you taken it to a good guitar tech? They can do incredible things to set up your guitar to suit your playing style. Lowering the action is just the beginning. Your tech could probably address your tuning issues (hopefully). I’m lucky to have an experienced tech I trust. He’s made even my “cheaper” guitars play great. Good luck with your Martin. Hope your tech can help you love it. 😊 A good tech is gold! BTW, I enjoyed your video. 😊
I have to give those a try! My dad has a OM-1 GT that is great as well. I might review that one soon. I think I just got a bad apple with this guitar, because I usually love Martins.
@OCD Guitar Reviews it happens.. I will say this. Every Martin I've ever played comes from the factory w that dobro high action hahaha. Apparently the bluegrass flatpickers like it that way! I always have to shave em down, but it shouldn't have the other issues.. Plus the D16 isn't as boomy bc of the 000 depth, and it comes w a really good Fishman 2 pickup system..
@@jmo1366 I'm just remembering that I had to shave down the saddle for my other Martin, albeit this was seven years ago lol. It makes more sense now why the action is so high. I definitely have to try out a D16. Might need to take a trip to Guitar Center before they go out of business lmfao.
Hey man you present great! But here are a few things to keep in mind; 1. When purchasing a serious (or actually any) guitar take in mind that it is the common practice to have it set up. 2. Agree that the strap button is a bit of a task - but very common that it doesn’t come with the guitar due to the owners location preference and installment is simple and cheap at you nearest guitar shop. 3. One of this guitar’s specific features is its out standing projection - so I am surprised this is an issue for you. 4. Regarding tuning - this depends on where and how you store the guitar - if done properly (this guitar should be properly treated) this isn’t supposed to be an issue. 5. Mostly to the reasons mentioned above it seems that you haven’t researched / played this guitar enough before purchasing - if the price is relatively expensive - you should. Looking forward for the next review 💪👍
for me its the neck shape to be honest the feel for me is 90 percent why i get the guitar and mine never had a tunning issue at all so maybe look into changing tunners? idk i got mine on a deal used had it for about a year and its the best guitar i own. to each their own i hope one day you can either get another guitar or grow to love it. cheers and happy playing friend
@@ocdguitarreviews swap the tuners and maybe get a setup done by a professional its helps a lot. I always get my guitars set up as factory set ups never sit right with me.
Seriously? I’ve owned a lot of martins including the OM-28JM & and OMJM. I can’t see those tuners not holding the string in tune. Even if, just swap them with Waverly’s. The neck is heavy? Mass in the neck translates to more energy and sound being produced so that’s not such a bad thing. Add a strap button yourself. Lastly, the second you said the action was too high, I would have returned that one a gotten another. It could be the way your dealer stored it, unless you got it direct from Martin. If it wasn’t properly humidified then the neck might have moved. I see incidence that it wasn’t stored properly. In certain light I can see the finish has sunken into the wood grain. You mostly see this on vintage guitars after years of the finish shrinking. If you see it on newer guitars, that means that guitar has seen a lot of fluctuation in humidity. Martin setups are pretty darn good and consistent. I did get an OMJM with high action and sent it right back.
You should have contacted Martin to let them know your guitar was not well set up. After all, a 100 $ adjustement would have had your journey well started with your guitar. I understand your disappointment, specially after spending so much money on that beautiful instrument. I never buy an instrument online, but directly in store. The JM Martin is an incredible guitar.
Huge John Mayer fan here thank you for this vid my man my parents are gifting me one guitar of my choice next summer for my college graduation and this was the one I was set on but after this vid I’m not going to do that maybe going to try to get his new signature not sure but thanks !
That’s awesome of your parents! Try your best to go to as many guitar stores as you can and play all of them before you pick one out. Martin d18 sounds amazing and plays great. Also try the taylor 314 ce.
Great presentation Dylan you really are a natural at this. I really am enjoying your content and positive attitude. Your love for guitars and playing shines through each video. Keep going.
I played one of these a couple days back, and I was surprised at how "average" (at best) it sounded. It was being sold for around $6,700 AUD (Australian Dollars) which would be around $4000 USD (roughly). I thoughr front of it looked really beautiful, but the neck seemed quite poor from the back, like it belonged on a cheap guitar. It seemed that it was thousands of dollars more just because of the name (a name that would not make me want to buy a guitar personally)
Dude, you really should have returned this guitar when you got it, if the setup was so terrible from the start, instead of moping about it afterwards, especially for such a price. If it's really as bad as you claim, there obviously went something wrong with the production of this specific piece. I don't believe this would be exemplary for the OMJM in general, it being a quite appreciated instrument, being in production for 20 years already, and still going strong (proven by the anniversary model). As for the tuning: Maybe try a different stringing method. It looks like you wind the strings around the pegs quite a few times, try to decrease them, to leave less room for movement. Also lube the nut with some Big Bends Nut Sauce or D'Addario LubriKit. I do agree with the missing strap button being pretty stupid. You could of course get that placed or DIY, but that should def not be the case at this price point. Also the intonation should have been right, but if you can't fix that yourself, bring it to a professional who can. Or just sell the damn thing 😅Good luck!
Trade it for a D18. The only guitar I have that stays in tune better is my Telecaster, and I’m pretty sure I could use that to hit a softball without knocking it out of tune.
I was in the retail guitar business for about 45 years and have unboxed and dealt with a zillion guitars of every price point. There is little to no correlation between price and what you get for your money. Nor is every guitar the right match for every players needs and wants. Trusted brands can’t really be trusted. The more you know is sometimes better and sometimes worse in finding the right instrument. Custom Shop guitars are just guitars. They built plenty of crappy guitars back in the good old days. Finding a good luthier that works on guitars all day every day is worth his fee in gold in making your guitar right as can be for you……..no matter how many TH-cam videos you watch. Your crappy Martin John Mayer will hold value pretty well so you just move on to the next one. It’s just part of the journey.
That's the good thing. Like you're saying, at least this guitar has pretty good resale value. I should have immediately brought it to a luthier or sent it back to Sweetwater to get it sorted out. Lesson learned, but definitely my mistake.
Ok. Sorry you don’t like it. Tuning stability. Tighten/loosen the screw in the middle of the crown wheel on each tuning machine as necessary till they hold tune. Head dive… can’t really help you there bro. I have 3 000s, never noticed excessive head dive on any of them. I have my guitars quite high up when I play standing. With a quality strap that doesn’t slip, I can release my guitars & they stay in place, so I don’t know what’s going on for you. As for the too loud comment, I had a buddy that felt the same… so I traded one of my 00s for his 000. Job done. Action height. In my experience, Nearly all factory set ups are high. The reason is, it’s relatively simple to lower an action, raising an action usually involves a new nut & saddle. A lot of the time all that is needed is a tiny adjustment in the truss rod. These guitars are made & set up in a 24 to 26c temperature & 45 to 55% relative humidity. If your environment is significantly different, once the guitar has settled, you Will need a set up. Sounds to me like you should have played a bunch of 000s before lashing out much dosh on a guitar that doesn’t meet your needs/you don’t like or get on with. Good luck. I liked your playing. Go try a 00, better volume for you at least.😃
Are there any updates on this review? I read somewhere on here that the more you play this guitar, the more you're liking it. Has your opinion changed since posting this?
I definitely have grown to like the sound more, but the tuning issues still remain :( I'm going to break this one out of storage after I wrap up my move.
Give it time. Martin guitars need breakin time. Strings could also be the tuning problem. Set up should have been correct. Play it for a few decades. Good luck.
Got one myself last year. Quite a love-hate relationship. I sure like a dead-string guitar sound but with the omjm it sometimes just sucks. I want a guitar to surprise me by it’s easy playability, whenever I pick it up. Like it’s working with me. With a 5k pricetag, this guitar sometimes feels lazy and tired instead… Took it to a luthier two months ago, that helped, but not for long. Love the looks and the sound when it’s plugged in though. But still, to sell this guitar would break my heart… did you keep it? From Holland, Cheers!
You must’ve got a lemon dude. The only thing that needs adjusting to is the Engleman spruce top and it’s a thinner neck like a electric guitar. I love mine The only thing I would agree with you is that Martin guitars come with a higher string set up, compared to say Taylor guitars.
I have one of these….its a great guitar - NOT for strumming, especially heavy strumming. I rarely use a pick and have a light touch…the guitar sounds like a recording it’s that good. Never had a problem with the tuners, but I don’t wrap mine like this guy did. I did have to work the nut a bit but that’s common…remember this guitar has more string tension that other OM models which have shorter scale lengths.
They are the entry level made in Mexico Martins. Laminated wood or HPL (plastic composite) bodies. Good value for price, good for campfire and beach or beginner. Not pro grade but good for street busking since relatively inexpensive and durable.
well it seems that when you bought that guitar, you never had someone professional set it up, and you just don't know how to properly setup by your own... the guitar sounds wonderful when you know what you're doing... i have to agree with you though on those tuners, i have upgraded mine with waverly tuners because the stock tuners don't stay in tune for some reason... overall, it's one of the best guitars soundwise, very warm and intonation is on point... from this video, the sound is so sharp so i can guarantee that it was not properly setup in the get go... just have someone pro do the work on your guitar, it's normal for new guitars to have high actions and loose intonations that's why most guitar owners go to their luthiers as soon as they have tested it out of the box
This was Martin's attempt to appease JM fans. His original OM-28JM model (only about 400 made) now sells for upwards of 10 grand. That is the one he plays, NOT this model. This one is obviously a 'cheaper' version, but still not real cheap. I'm surprised that you only paid $3500, which is about the same price as a non-signature model OM28. The 'volute' you seem to be impressed with has been on Martin guitars from the 28 model up for about 100 years! Unless you have luthier experience, you should never have messed with the saddle. If you took that guitar to a luthier who knew his stuff he would set it up exactly the way you wanted the action. I'm sure they could do something about those tuners as well. I've never heard anyone complain about an acoustic guitar being too loud, when you control the volume by how you play.
Sorry to hear but maybe bring it to a competent acoustic guitar tech for a once over. You mentioned having to do a setup already but wondering if you used a tech. Someone who really knows what they’re doing can save otherwise disastrous guitars. Also, a tech can evaluate or even replace the nut and that may help. And to be clear, I’m myself steering away from newer production Martins.
I did, but I couldn't get myself to do it. I was too caught up in the idea that I should like this guitar, just because it's expensive. Definitely learned my lesson lol.
Get a Guild D260. Only 600 bucks (or cheaper used; I got mine for 400!), sounds amazing, great tuning stability and usually set up pretty well. I literally don’t even want another acoustic cuz it’s the best one I’ve ever played, and I’ve played Martins and Taylors before
I really want to try some Guilds! I remember a music store near me selling them, but I never gave them a try. It's a shame this store went out of business before I could get the chance :(
Well, it does have an unplayably humongous neck to at least be similar to the guitar Mayer wraps his ape hands around. John Mayer needs to start taking pictures with a banana so signature buyers know wtf their getting into before buying one of his signature bludgeons.
It's an incredible guitar, and I'm not a brand snob or anything. If you want this sound, it's very difficult to replicate it with other brands even boutique brands. However, if you're willing to vear of a little bit from the john mayer sound, there are a lot of options. But getting a loud guitar that has a good tone is not so easy, in my opinion. Shame about the tuning issues, you 100% sure that's not just in your head??
Dude you got to stop buying special order guitars. Guitar that expensive, you need to go test them out first. I saw your fender video too. Sucks man. GL
Interesting... i played the john mayer guitar also in a local shop. I too wasnt impressed. Now i didnt buy this guitar but went in to buy a high end guitar $4-5k +. I played 4-5 guitars and this was my least favorite. The setup was atrocious, and the sound just wasnt up there like a lot of martins ive had & owned. For this price you at least need it to be somewhere playable at least without straining your fingers. Taylors have it down when it comes to this out of the box. But i prefer Martins low, bassy end and high sparkles. I did tune it several times as well. It is a beautiful guitar, well appointed, but again other cheaper guitars sounded & played better. I believe it may be a control issue during the pandemic when Martin co. ,had to shut its doors for a long period. I do feel for this guy but think he was bold enough to speak what he felt to a lot of Martin owners. By the way, ive purchased nearly 10 guitars during the covid days. Ive purchased Martins, Taylors, Yamahas, Larivees, Maestro by Hozen, Alvarez yairi & Takamines. I must admit i do still prefer Martins & Alvarez Ys. Dude youre going against the grain, but keep it up. People need to know when theres imperfections & duds out there. No company is perfect & sometimes they slip up. Good information here.
These are exactly my thoughts! The setup was awful and the sound was very sterile, especially at first. You’re right in saying that Taylors usually have better setups right out of the box. That’s what I love about Martins too. They just sound “darker” to me. I ditched my 214ce many years ago and never looked back lol. Thank you for the support! I’m trying my best to bring light to company slip ups and also give praise where it is due :)
Long comment alert, but when I see a young player making a mistake I made myself, I feel the obligation to at least try to keep you from getting rid of gear you’ll wish you kept. So, here goes nothing… I think this is a case of not knowing enough about a subject yet to even know what you don’t know. Kind of like when I got rid of multiple vintage Blackface Fenders in my intermediate player days because they sounded “too clean” and I didn’t like it. Looking back, I just sucked and didn’t like the fact that the amp magnified that. These days, I play those amps almost exclusively, and I wish like hell I never got rid of the ones I did. I’m not saying you suck, though, I’m just saying that I’m willing to bet that 10 years from now (if you continue progressing as a guitarist) you will watch this video and laugh. If you sell that guitar you will also regret it, because the “issues” you are complaining about, are actually the pros, not cons. I’ll do my best to explain… Based on the strap button comment (and the incorrect location you pointed to), I’m guessing this was your first Martin purchase in that price range, since that is very common with higher end acoustics. Some want to play them standing, some want to use them in a studio only while sitting down. Very easy to install one. Also, just because tuners are branded “Martin” doesn’t mean they aren’t Gotoh tuners. Companies do it all the time. That said, I’ve never owned a Martin in that price range that wouldn’t stay in tune or intonate. Tone is subjective so I’ll withhold comment on that, but tuning stability is a nut/string issue 99 times out of 100. Intonation is a bridge, saddle and nut issue. You worked on the bridge to adjust action, when the first step should always be a truss rod adjustment to get the relief correct. Dropping the saddle without correcting relief first can lead to intonation problems, and depending on how you “fixed” the saddle height, your repair could be the cause of the poor intonation. I’d be amazed if a full setup by a master luthier (with a new, bone nut slotted at the proper string height) didn’t fix everything. In that price range, it’s almost expected that you spend another $150 to get it perfectly dialed in to your specs once you receive it. OMs are light, bodied guitars (the good ones at least), and the balance is just part of it, but I’ve never heard one described as “loud and boomy” in my life. The reason a lot of cats like Mayer prefer the OMs are because they have a more focused midrange, nicer high end, and minimize the boominess of D-18s and D-28s style dreads. If nothing else, the fact that it is that much louder than the dreadnaught you compared it to should make you realize the difference in quality between a laminated wood guitar and solid wood guitars…not discount it. Projection also has a lot to do with the way you play the guitar. If you are banging away on full chords with a hard pick then it could very well sound awful. Your hands are the first gain stage, after all. Take it to a luthier that knows what they are doing, and figure out how to make it sound like you want by altering your attack, pick velocity, type of pick, pick and fingers, the possibilities are infinite, but learning how to get the sound you want out of a guitar, by changing only the way you play it, is the hardest and most rewarding part of playing guitar. Trust me…I used to think great gear sucked, too, but it wasn’t the gear…it was me. The better you get, the happier you’ll be to have that guitar. Good luck!
@@ocdguitarreviews yeah I've never gotten to play one but I heard they are out of this world. Sad about the JM model bc it looks so pretty. What do you think of ovations?
@@austin33785 I haven't tried one yet, but I really want to! I've been interested in them since seeing Mark Slaughter play one in the "Fly To The Angels" music video.
@@ocdguitarreviews I'm looking they video up now. I just sold my pro series Springsteen Takamine and bought an Ovation after playing a friend's. Wow. The action is a hair higher than an electric and it's very very easily adjustable. The sound is great and you wouldn't think its an acoustic electric. Great guitars. I would highly recommend having a look at one of those.
Spanish ceder neck. Where the strap button is located is a personal preference. Any body that has any sense should know how to use a pre amp di box and how to tweak your own sound at the pa ,or amp. I would not by the thing.
You got a replica.
There is no way you have instable tuning in a omjm.
Hey! I respect your opinions in the video! But I must say….. I think a lot of times with these guitars as you mentioned no 2 guitars are the same, and that definitely rings true with this one. I’ve heard of people who have bought and returned this same guitar until they got one back that sounded how they wanted it, I personally got one of those around 8 months ago and MY GOD! It’s an amazing instrument! Mine was perfectly setup, has very very noticeably good intunation, and it’s super comfortable for me to play. I guess it’s all a preference thing though! Also you’re absolutely right about the x-series, I had one before I bought this guitar and I actually gave it to a good friend of mine so he wouldn’t have to buy anything after I got this. Cool video! And thanks!
My old mans a luthier and the best ‘guitar’ advice he ever gave me was “never buy a guitar you haven’t played and you’ll never own a bad guitar” . And it’s turned out to be pretty sound advice.
I’ve got this same guitar and it’s a killer. It’s definitely loud but that’s by design.
It really sounds like yours needs a proper set up. Shaving down the saddles it’s not the right move unless you’ve already addressed the Neck and nut. Martin have great customer service from my experience and if you take it to them or the AD you got it from they will usually look after you.
I wouldn’t write off this guitar until you’ve had it set up properly because they are beautiful instruments once dialled in
Tuning stability - check the nut if lubricated properly and cut properly
No strap pin - drill one yourself. Martin leaves it out because of tradition
High action - lower it yourself with the saddle. It's easier to lower than to raise the action
*Tuning stability - check the nut if lubricated properly and cut properly* - He shouldn't have to go through that trouble for a $3500 guitar. If he does, that means quality control is trash.
*No strap pin - drill one yourself. Martin leaves it out because of tradition* - False, my 000-13e has a strap pin and so do many other Martins.
@@cgamst agree with you on the tuning stability topic. but for the strap pin, most higher end Martins (OMJM, D-18, 000-28 to name a fwe) dont have strap buttons installed from factory. this is mainly to give the new owner flexibility to put the strap button where they personally would want it, if they want one. can be a nuance, but makes sense when youre buying a guitar and want it to really be your own
Tuning stability must be perfect for a $4000 guitar
If I paid that much for a guitar it would go back until it was satisfactory!
Sorry to hear your experience didn't go well. You can get basically this exact guitar in OM-21 form for $2k used instead of 3500, then if you wanted to do the mods you mentioned it would still come out to $1000 less. As far as the disappointing setup goes, a set up is as personal as the strings you use, I think the lack of professional, personalized set up in this case may have skewed the review. I understand everyone wants a guitar to be perfect out of the box, shipping can undo a great set up. Because I purchased my OM28 in store mine was setup when I brought it home: it is my favorite guitar by far but needed some time to age and grow into itself (again, buying used would solve this problem).My martin ALWAYS stays in tune. Takeaway: I always recommend playing a guitar in person before buying. Cheers!
I always hear this comment. But there is a general acceptable string height. Super high to avoid damage from shipping is not acceptable. Maybe the factory can get a pass assuming a new owner will have it done, but when 3rd party retailers are charging you to setup the guitar before shipping it or if not sending you a guitar that is horrible to play, that is an industry scam imo.
Ive owned a few martins, both usa and x series. I also keep a close eye on forums and stuff and play them in stores. Im kinda a martin nerd. IMO their x series is a really bad purchase. The synthetic materials withstand temp/humidity changes and warping really well so they basically wont belly or develop cracks or anything but it gives them a really bad tone and makes them really brittle. Ive seen a few that instead of getting dings sorta shattered like stone or glass. Theres no way to fix them once that happens. So really in the sub $1000 acoustic market i dont think martin deserves a place at the table, you can get some really nice sounding laminate guitars from so many other companies that sound alright and last forever.
On the usa martin thing, i agree the setups are funky. Ive measured a few recently that had the low e at 6mm at the 12th fret. Depending on the guitar and purpose i prefer between 2. 5mm and 3.5mm, which i also consider fairly standard range of acceptable height. Thats an easy fix though. What isnt an easy fix is that once you adjust the height the break angle almost doesnt exist because the pins are slotted, not the bridge... So on my personal martins the bridge gets slotted too. That shouldnt be necessary to modify a guitar that severe to have it be normal.
A note on good guitars though. This is more reality than criticism. i think acoustic guitars can either last forever or sound better. The usa martins sound better. Ive seen two 000 guitars absolutely shit the bed around the 10 year mark from just existing and being lighlty played. They get all kinds of bellying issues, the bracing starts failing, the bridges start coming off, and the intonation gets sharper. On my current favorite martin that ive only owned a year and keep in its case ive worn the frets down and itll need to be leveled, and i can see the top starting to belly. USA martins are way more alive than a plywood guitar but in around 10-15 years they start developing fatal issues that cant always be fixed.
Now the good news and some bad news. The good news is for a little over 1k anybody can get a proper instrument. Like, a really legit guitar with mojo that you can cherish and take care of. It wont last forever but to get a legit violin or piano youre getting into the 5 or 6 figure range. Guitarists are lucky a real guitar is only 1k even if it doesnt last forever. Thats all good news. The bad news is after that price point youre basically buying collectables, not better instruments. Guitars are, have always been, and will continue for the foreseeable future to be a poor mans instrument. No acoustic guitar will ever be worth more than 2k on features alone. I dont just mean diminishing returns, i mean complete lack of returns after like 2k. Depending on what youre getting it could even be lower. For a 000 size guitar 2k is probably too high. So i think the biggest flaw with the john mayer model has to be its purpose as a collectible, not as a player grade instrument. Theres just no justification for 4k when you can get guitars of identical quality and nearly the same build from the same company at half the price.
I wanna just wrap up again with the x series criticism. There are guitars made by companies like ami and sigma that are martin designs and they feature more conventional materials as well as lower prices. Ive tried a few and they played and sounded better than anything x series. Ive owned plenty of other sub 1k guitars and theres so many good ones out there in all sorts of styles. The x series just isnt a good option when you consider the alternatives.
The lack of strap button goes back to the 1930s when they started building steel string guitars in the 000 and OM body shape and continues to this day. You get a strap button at the bottom center of the lower bout, optionally you can have one placed elsewhere. Players who want one do this during the first setup. It has the Fishman Gold Plus Natural pickup, just a basic under saddle, it's designed to be plugged into an external DI box and EQ. Many professional musicians do not rely on on-board EQ built into the guitar itself, the quality of that EQ and number of bands often limiting, that's more of a mid-range guitar thing... The boom factor making it hard to sing over I get... that's why it's so important to pair the guitar to the voice type. I have always preferred mahogany over rosewood for this reason... Regarding your #1 complaint. You simply don't understand what you've purchased. When you buy a $3000 Italian made suit you would be a fool to think that's going to fit you off the rack. It's expected with a product at that level the buyer is going to get the suit tailored as part of the purchase transaction. I'm sorry no one explained this to you, but high-end acoustic guitars are very much like this. These are instruments built the traditional way out of not only solid woods, but often woods cut as thin as possible while maintaining structural integrity to give you the best tone. That helps them create the rich tone, but it means during transport that action is going to rise and you are going to have to pay a tech a small fee to have the guitar setup as part of the purchase and professional players want this, because there is no one size fits all when it comes to setup. A player doing mostly lead will want something different than someone doing mostly rhythm work to support vocals and often the process takes a few back and forth to get right.... With all due respect, you should have known this. It's like hearing someone buy a Lamborghini then complaining because they have to take it in for maintence every month.. Everything you point out here circles back to why you should never just buy the guitar your hero plays without trying it out first. Based on your specific gripes about this C.F. Martin model, I suggest trying out a Taylor 314ce. I think you'll find that checks a lot of your boxes and with Tayor's bolt-on neck design and using just a tad thicker wood for the top, they maintain their setup in transport quite a bit better, albeit they have "that Taylor sound". Still a well built, well intonated, professional tool.
I have owned 5 Martins. 3 at present. Plus many others. I don't own a OMJM but know someone who does. Nice but not my style
ALL higher end Martins I have seen are 'high action' from the factory at the saddle but typically properly cut at the nut. It is to allow you to set it up as desired: high for bluegrass, much lower for fingerstyle. I have had to do a full setup on EVERY new Martin I got. Even a D-35. I am OK with that and see it as a feature, not a bug. I MAKE IT mine.
I have the same open tuners on an OMC16e and it is stable. All guitars change with temperature of even a few degrees, some more than others. Make sure tuners are securely mounted and nut slot is open enough and maybe lubricated tuner and nut slot. Maybe better strings.
It is a high price for a guitar just for the name on the fretboard. I have never been willing to pay extra for a signature guitar, I am not a fanboy and don't even see real collector value in most of them. The 16 and 17 series Martins are a lot more cost effective in my view while still USA made and pro quality in every aspect.
This is a percussive and brilliant fingerpicking instrument. With a soft singing voice you'd do well with a 00015 series or something more compressed. Spending $100 and getting a good setup also does wonders. Regardless nice review and totally see and respect where you're coming from.
That’s why they make microphones…😎
When I had $6k to spend on an acoustic I looked at Martin, Taylor, and Gibson. Ended up with a Japanese pro shop Takamine and never looked back. The only Martin I'd buy would be a D-18 and then only if I could find one I really liked used. You already know what your biggest mistake was... buying an expensive guitar on credit because it looked good on paper :)
I learned my lesson the hard way lol. Got caught up in my John Mayer fanboyism.
I´ve got a Takamine dreadnought. Sounds somehow like a Collings. But I´d like an OM for songwriting and stage.
I recently bought a 000-10e Road Series Martin. It came with the saddle only half way seated in the bridge, and so tight that the only way to remove it was to break the saddle in half. I ordered another saddle from Martin, sanded the sides down until the saddle had a proper fit and fully seated, only to find that the two E strings were much softer through the pickup that the other strings. My effort to correct it with saddle adjustments failed. Made no difference. Ended up removing the pickup and preamp assembly completely and replacing it with an LR Baggs M1A sound hole pickup. Now it sounds really good.
Doesn't matter how much you pay for a guitar, they are all subject to quality control problems. I've had many guitars at all price ranges over the decades, and most all need work to be really playable. Some a lot of work.
I'm not one who usually comment on videos unless i feel rather strongly about it. I work in a Martin distributor shop and sell a very large range of martin guitars. We have been dealing with Martin guitars for almost 40 years. I deal with martin guitars on a daily basis and i am quite shocked to see that you have made a video to express your dissatisfaction on the OMJM. I have to admit that i would be very upset if i were to spend that amount of money to receive a lemon. I hope you will take my comments as constructive criticism as i do feel that some of your comments are incorrect.
I am also an owner of a OMJM and i am very happy with my OMJM. It's the perfect guitar for me and i love it ( i am also NOT a massive JM fan) With that said, i also understand that everyone has a preference and the OMJM probably isn't the guitar for you. Your preference as mentioned in your video is the X series line of guitars and that's all good but i really feel that these 2 guitars are probably not a fair comparison in terms or build and price point. Then again, thats all your preference. what plays and feels right to you is the right guitar for you. All good!
Here are some things you probably don't know at the point of filming your video.
1. There is a battery in the sound hole. This is not a passive pickup system. Please have a look inside the sound hole near the neck pocket. you will find a 9v battery with a battery pouch in there.
2. There is a reason why there isn't a strap button at the neck heel. Martin needs to consider most users when manufacturing. There are some players who do not use strap buttons. They prefer using the old shoe lace method around the headstock for various reasons. Balance is one of them and some feel it's more comfortable. Some just do not like the idea of drilling holes into an expensive instrument. With that being said, I hope you see the rationale behind it. What's a $1 strap button when you have already purchased a $3500 guitar?
3. If you are having tuning stability and intonation issues, you should have it brought back to the distributor to have it looked at. Tuning stability is probably not caused just by the tuning pegs. ( martin changes the manufacturers for hardware from time to time ) The nut and the way you string your guitar might play a part in it as well. Nut issues are a pretty rare problem to have on martin guitars but for all it's worth, you should bring it back to have your shop look at it.
4. Most of the martins that i pull out of the box for my customers have medium / high action. Martin don't ship their guitars out of the factory with perfect "low action" regardless of price range. Action is very subjective. Everyone plays differently, climate and humidity which affects guitars is different all around the world and martin manufacture their guitars to be shipped worldwide. Many factors are responsible for " mile high" action on the guitar. You should bring it in for a setup.
Don't take this the wrong way. I strongly feel that a lot of your comments really make you look like you do not know what you are talking about.
Do you really own that OMJM? All the issues you spoke about could be realised while you were purchasing the guitar but yet you still purchased it to rant later. If you bought it online, you should have taken the steps to contact the distributor / shop to have it returned. I hope you will find solutions to your issues and if you did purchase a dud of a guitar, you should bring it back to either get it resolved or your money back.
Here's 15 mins of my life i am not getting back but i do hope you get your money back if it's truly a lemon 😌
It IS worth ist. It's a great guitar. I've played many guitars during the last years, Gibsons, Taylors, Guilds etc. but this one is the best.
I'm glad you had a better experience than me :)
sounds like you spent a lot of money on the wrong guitar for you. Question is, why didn't you just spend more time researching all these complaints & problems before spending the money? You would have saved yourself over three grand in the end
Thank you for the comment :) That's a great question!
Cause he's young
@@austin33785 I'm a lot older than you think lol.
@@austin33785 no, it's not about age. If you're old enough to have and spend 3k, then you're simply old enough. It's more a question of getting the right information before spending it on something you realize you don't want. It's not an incredibly large amount of money, but significant enough to allow for lots of choice when selecting a quality guitar.
@@yevenstee ...then tell him, not me. This isn't my channel or review, it's his. I personally don't care what he spends his money on, or how he sets up his guitar. You're addressing the wrong person
He does play that version of his signature guitar a lot actually on his past 2 tours.
A few people have brought that up :) I'm glad to hear it!
Thanks for this! I was thinking of buying the OMJM. I really appreciate your honesty on this!
Thank you for the comment! Save yourself some money and steer clear lol.
The very next John Mayer might have a very different personality. That’s part of the endlessly interesting aspect of guitars.
@@jhwk1970 that's the thing, no two guitars are the same :)
I went ahead and got a d18 cause of this review
I'm a fan of standard and higher-end Martin guitars, but hey - fair enough. Can't argue with what you like and don't like!
John has been using the omjm quite a bit live on both the current Solo tour and on sob rock.
Really? Are you sure it's not the OM-28JM, because that's awesome to hear!
@@ocdguitarreviews
100% sure. He still plays the om28jm quite a bit, but on a handful of songs he routinely uses the omjm. You can tell from the lack of silver outline on the headstock and the dot inlays without the pilot triangle.
th-cam.com/video/zfxRYYNv6dI/w-d-xo.html
@@jamescox6820 this awesome to see! Thank you for sharing :) It sounds fantastic here.
Have to disagree with your opinion on this guitar. This is the best sounding guitar when plugged in that I own. Totally worth it.
Have you taken it to a good guitar tech? They can do incredible things to set up your guitar to suit your playing style. Lowering the action is just the beginning. Your tech could probably address your tuning issues (hopefully). I’m lucky to have an experienced tech I trust. He’s made even my “cheaper” guitars play great. Good luck with your Martin. Hope your tech can help you love it. 😊 A good tech is gold! BTW, I enjoyed your video. 😊
The Mexican D12/13 E, or US D16E is the best bang for the buck when it comes to Martins..
I have to give those a try! My dad has a OM-1 GT that is great as well. I might review that one soon. I think I just got a bad apple with this guitar, because I usually love Martins.
@OCD Guitar Reviews it happens.. I will say this. Every Martin I've ever played comes from the factory w that dobro high action hahaha. Apparently the bluegrass flatpickers like it that way! I always have to shave em down, but it shouldn't have the other issues.. Plus the D16 isn't as boomy bc of the 000 depth, and it comes w a really good Fishman 2 pickup system..
@@jmo1366 I'm just remembering that I had to shave down the saddle for my other Martin, albeit this was seven years ago lol. It makes more sense now why the action is so high. I definitely have to try out a D16. Might need to take a trip to Guitar Center before they go out of business lmfao.
Hey man you present great! But here are a few things to keep in mind;
1. When purchasing a serious (or actually any) guitar take in mind that it is the common practice to have it set up.
2. Agree that the strap button is a bit of a task - but very common that it doesn’t come with the guitar due to the owners location preference and installment is simple and cheap at you nearest guitar shop.
3. One of this guitar’s specific features is its out standing projection - so I am surprised this is an issue for you.
4. Regarding tuning - this depends on where and how you store the guitar - if done properly (this guitar should be properly treated) this isn’t supposed to be an issue.
5. Mostly to the reasons mentioned above it seems that you haven’t researched / played this guitar enough before purchasing - if the price is relatively expensive - you should.
Looking forward for the next review 💪👍
for me its the neck shape to be honest the feel for me is 90 percent why i get the guitar and mine never had a tunning issue at all so maybe look into changing tunners? idk i got mine on a deal used had it for about a year and its the best guitar i own. to each their own i hope one day you can either get another guitar or grow to love it. cheers and happy playing friend
I will say, I do really like the feel of the neck :) I'm definitely considering swapping out the tuners.
@@ocdguitarreviews swap the tuners and maybe get a setup done by a professional its helps a lot. I always get my guitars set up as factory set ups never sit right with me.
@@solarisramirez8039 I think I should bring this guitar to my luthier after I wrap up my move :)
@@ocdguitarreviews please update video afterwards I hope the journey gets better after that!
@@solarisramirez8039 I definitely will if I end up getting it set up :)
Seriously? I’ve owned a lot of martins including the OM-28JM & and OMJM. I can’t see those tuners not holding the string in tune. Even if, just swap them with Waverly’s. The neck is heavy? Mass in the neck translates to more energy and sound being produced so that’s not such a bad thing. Add a strap button yourself. Lastly, the second you said the action was too high, I would have returned that one a gotten another. It could be the way your dealer stored it, unless you got it direct from Martin. If it wasn’t properly humidified then the neck might have moved. I see incidence that it wasn’t stored properly. In certain light I can see the finish has sunken into the wood grain. You mostly see this on vintage guitars after years of the finish shrinking. If you see it on newer guitars, that means that guitar has seen a lot of fluctuation in humidity. Martin setups are pretty darn good and consistent. I did get an OMJM with high action and sent it right back.
You should have contacted Martin to let them know your guitar was not well set up. After all, a 100 $ adjustement would have had your journey well started with your guitar. I understand your disappointment, specially after spending so much money on that beautiful instrument. I never buy an instrument online, but directly in store. The JM Martin is an incredible guitar.
Huge John Mayer fan here thank you for this vid my man my parents are gifting me one guitar of my choice next summer for my college graduation and this was the one I was set on but after this vid I’m not going to do that maybe going to try to get his new signature not sure but thanks !
That’s awesome of your parents! Try your best to go to as many guitar stores as you can and play all of them before you pick one out.
Martin d18 sounds amazing and plays great. Also try the taylor 314 ce.
Great presentation Dylan you really are a natural at this. I really am enjoying your content and positive attitude. Your love for guitars and playing shines through each video. Keep going.
Thank you again Craig! I definitely will. I'm planning on posting at least one video each week. Stay tuned :)
I played one of these a couple days back, and I was surprised at how "average" (at best) it sounded. It was being sold for around $6,700 AUD (Australian Dollars) which would be around $4000 USD (roughly).
I thoughr front of it looked really beautiful, but the neck seemed quite poor from the back, like it belonged on a cheap guitar.
It seemed that it was thousands of dollars more just because of the name (a name that would not make me want to buy a guitar personally)
The good thing is you’re young enough that you will absorb this hit, we’ve all made mistakes, it’s a shame to spend that kind of money on a dud.
This is true! I'm glad I learned my lesson. Fortunately, the resale value on these isn't too bad if I decide to sell it.
Dude, you really should have returned this guitar when you got it, if the setup was so terrible from the start, instead of moping about it afterwards, especially for such a price. If it's really as bad as you claim, there obviously went something wrong with the production of this specific piece. I don't believe this would be exemplary for the OMJM in general, it being a quite appreciated instrument, being in production for 20 years already, and still going strong (proven by the anniversary model). As for the tuning: Maybe try a different stringing method. It looks like you wind the strings around the pegs quite a few times, try to decrease them, to leave less room for movement. Also lube the nut with some Big Bends Nut Sauce or D'Addario LubriKit. I do agree with the missing strap button being pretty stupid. You could of course get that placed or DIY, but that should def not be the case at this price point. Also the intonation should have been right, but if you can't fix that yourself, bring it to a professional who can. Or just sell the damn thing 😅Good luck!
I feel like that whenever someone wants this guitar, you’d have to get it serviced at a luthier like half the time.
That is probably the case!
Trade it for a D18. The only guitar I have that stays in tune better is my Telecaster, and I’m pretty sure I could use that to hit a softball without knocking it out of tune.
Hahaha. I have to give one of the D18s a try! What Telecaster do you have?
I was in the retail guitar business for about 45 years and have unboxed and dealt with a zillion guitars of every price point. There is little to no correlation between price and what you get for your money. Nor is every guitar the right match for every players needs and wants. Trusted brands can’t really be trusted. The more you know is sometimes better and sometimes worse in finding the right instrument. Custom Shop guitars are just guitars. They built plenty of crappy guitars back in the good old days. Finding a good luthier that works on guitars all day every day is worth his fee in gold in making your guitar right as can be for you……..no matter how many TH-cam videos you watch. Your crappy Martin John Mayer will hold value pretty well so you just move on to the next one. It’s just part of the journey.
That's the good thing. Like you're saying, at least this guitar has pretty good resale value. I should have immediately brought it to a luthier or sent it back to Sweetwater to get it sorted out. Lesson learned, but definitely my mistake.
I would never buy a guitar without playing it..never
@@scottschmittmusic I bought a Takamine without playing it. Never regretted it.
Most of your complaints are about your selection. The strings on that X series guitar are old enough to vote.
You're entirely right. I let me John Mayer fanboyism blind me lol.
Ok. Sorry you don’t like it.
Tuning stability. Tighten/loosen the screw in the middle of the crown wheel on each tuning machine as necessary till they hold tune.
Head dive… can’t really help you there bro. I have 3 000s, never noticed excessive head dive on any of them. I have my guitars quite high up when I play standing. With a quality strap that doesn’t slip, I can release my guitars & they stay in place, so I don’t know what’s going on for you.
As for the too loud comment, I had a buddy that felt the same… so I traded one of my 00s for his 000. Job done.
Action height. In my experience, Nearly all factory set ups are high. The reason is, it’s relatively simple to lower an action, raising an action usually involves a new nut & saddle. A lot of the time all that is needed is a tiny adjustment in the truss rod. These guitars are made & set up in a 24 to 26c temperature & 45 to 55% relative humidity. If your environment is significantly different, once the guitar has settled, you Will need a set up.
Sounds to me like you should have played a bunch of 000s before lashing out much dosh on a guitar that doesn’t meet your needs/you don’t like or get on with.
Good luck.
I liked your playing.
Go try a 00, better volume for you at least.😃
Just saw your review. I've played my whole life. Many guitars. To be honest, when I give this some real serious thought, I don't believe you.
Are there any updates on this review? I read somewhere on here that the more you play this guitar, the more you're liking it. Has your opinion changed since posting this?
I definitely have grown to like the sound more, but the tuning issues still remain :( I'm going to break this one out of storage after I wrap up my move.
@@ocdguitarreviews maybe take it to a luthier?
@@yevenstee I definitely think I'm going to do that :)
Give it time. Martin guitars need breakin time. Strings could also be the tuning problem. Set up should have been correct. Play it for a few decades. Good luck.
Ironically, I have been playing this guitar some more since posting this video and I'm starting to like it more lol.
Got one myself last year. Quite a love-hate relationship. I sure like a dead-string guitar sound but with the omjm it sometimes just sucks. I want a guitar to surprise me by it’s easy playability, whenever I pick it up. Like it’s working with me. With a 5k pricetag, this guitar sometimes feels lazy and tired instead… Took it to a luthier two months ago, that helped, but not for long. Love the looks and the sound when it’s plugged in though.
But still, to sell this guitar would break my heart… did you keep it?
From Holland,
Cheers!
Thanks for Sharing. Enjoying your videos.
Thank you for watching! I should be posting another review within the week :)
You must’ve got a lemon dude. The only thing that needs adjusting to is the Engleman spruce top and it’s a thinner neck like a electric guitar. I love mine The only thing I would agree with you is that Martin guitars come with a higher string set up, compared to say Taylor guitars.
Absolutely man! Taylors have always been pretty playable for me out of the box.
Use a strap at the headstock,go old school it will help off set the heavy headstock. That guitar just needs a highly professional set up .
John Original Guitar is an Early 000-28 and They took a sign. Logo in the 14th Fret! The Guitar we can buy is a Replica!
I have one of these….its a great guitar - NOT for strumming, especially heavy strumming. I rarely use a pick and have a light touch…the guitar sounds like a recording it’s that good. Never had a problem with the tuners, but I don’t wrap mine like this guy did. I did have to work the nut a bit but that’s common…remember this guitar has more string tension that other OM models which have shorter scale lengths.
Added….paying the music store to add a strap button was annoying. First the price of that instrument they should have included it.
Hello, what is the X serie that you recommend in the video please?
They are the entry level made in Mexico Martins.
Laminated wood or HPL (plastic composite) bodies.
Good value for price, good for campfire and beach or beginner.
Not pro grade but good for street busking since relatively inexpensive and durable.
well it seems that when you bought that guitar, you never had someone professional set it up, and you just don't know how to properly setup by your own... the guitar sounds wonderful when you know what you're doing... i have to agree with you though on those tuners, i have upgraded mine with waverly tuners because the stock tuners don't stay in tune for some reason... overall, it's one of the best guitars soundwise, very warm and intonation is on point... from this video, the sound is so sharp so i can guarantee that it was not properly setup in the get go... just have someone pro do the work on your guitar, it's normal for new guitars to have high actions and loose intonations that's why most guitar owners go to their luthiers as soon as they have tested it out of the box
This was Martin's attempt to appease JM fans. His original OM-28JM model (only about 400 made) now sells for upwards of 10 grand. That is the one he plays, NOT this model. This one is obviously a 'cheaper' version, but still not real cheap. I'm surprised that you only paid $3500, which is about the same price as a non-signature model OM28. The 'volute' you seem to be impressed with has been on Martin guitars from the 28 model up for about 100 years! Unless you have luthier experience, you should never have messed with the saddle. If you took that guitar to a luthier who knew his stuff he would set it up exactly the way you wanted the action. I'm sure they could do something about those tuners as well. I've never heard anyone complain about an acoustic guitar being too loud, when you control the volume by how you play.
Sorry to hear but maybe bring it to a competent acoustic guitar tech for a once over. You mentioned having to do a setup already but wondering if you used a tech. Someone who really knows what they’re doing can save otherwise disastrous guitars. Also, a tech can evaluate or even replace the nut and that may help. And to be clear, I’m myself steering away from newer production Martins.
the majority of your complaints could have been deduced from any guitar shops website- just by reading/viewing the specs.....
did you not consider returning the guitar to the dealer because it was unplayable ?
I did, but I couldn't get myself to do it. I was too caught up in the idea that I should like this guitar, just because it's expensive. Definitely learned my lesson lol.
Check 00015m, just fantastic.
The mahogany looks incredible on that one! I have to give it a try.
Nice review. Thanks for this.
Signature guitars are meant to be kept in their cases for collection.. lol
Sounds like a good plan to me.
Get a Guild D260. Only 600 bucks (or cheaper used; I got mine for 400!), sounds amazing, great tuning stability and usually set up pretty well. I literally don’t even want another acoustic cuz it’s the best one I’ve ever played, and I’ve played Martins and Taylors before
I really want to try some Guilds! I remember a music store near me selling them, but I never gave them a try. It's a shame this store went out of business before I could get the chance :(
I’ve always thought this was a pretty guitar and its a Martin. I guess not all that glimmers is gold.
I still think it's a great guitar, but it definitely needs some work. I think you're mostly paying for John Mayer's signature lol.
Well, it does have an unplayably humongous neck to at least be similar to the guitar Mayer wraps his ape hands around. John Mayer needs to start taking pictures with a banana so signature buyers know wtf their getting into before buying one of his signature bludgeons.
Hahaha. This is true. It does have a huge neck.
Lol that’s some funny stuff
@@mbrownie22 true, true!
You got a lemon. Did you you take it back? A $3,500 guitar that doesn't stay in tune is a Friday guitar and should go back to the shop.
dy=ude tuning stability is like nothing to do with the tuners. Get the nut sorted ffs
Yet John is no sabicas, Tommy Emmanuel. Go Maton or Ramirez
Tommy Emmanuel is incredible!
It's an incredible guitar, and I'm not a brand snob or anything. If you want this sound, it's very difficult to replicate it with other brands even boutique brands. However, if you're willing to vear of a little bit from the john mayer sound, there are a lot of options. But getting a loud guitar that has a good tone is not so easy, in my opinion. Shame about the tuning issues, you 100% sure that's not just in your head??
Dude you got to stop buying special order guitars. Guitar that expensive, you need to go test them out first. I saw your fender video too. Sucks man. GL
I wish I didn't live in the middle of the woods lol. But for sure, test driving a guitar before buying it is the way to go :)
@@ocdguitarreviews yeah, I hear you,. You would think buying custom guitars, they should arrive perfectly anyway.
I hear you.
“Next thing we’re gonna talk about is weight distribution “ lmao . Who cares !!! It sounds great , music is about audio…
Can send it to me if you dont wanna keep it
Interesting... i played the john mayer guitar also in a local shop. I too wasnt impressed. Now i didnt buy this guitar but went in to buy a high end guitar $4-5k +. I played 4-5 guitars and this was my least favorite. The setup was atrocious, and the sound just wasnt up there like a lot of martins ive had & owned. For this price you at least need it to be somewhere playable at least without straining your fingers. Taylors have it down when it comes to this out of the box. But i prefer Martins low, bassy end and high sparkles. I did tune it several times as well. It is a beautiful guitar, well appointed, but again other cheaper guitars sounded & played better. I believe it may be a control issue during the pandemic when Martin co. ,had to shut its doors for a long period. I do feel for this guy but think he was bold enough to speak what he felt to a lot of Martin owners. By the way, ive purchased nearly 10 guitars during the covid days. Ive purchased Martins, Taylors, Yamahas, Larivees, Maestro by Hozen, Alvarez yairi & Takamines. I must admit i do still prefer Martins & Alvarez Ys. Dude youre going against the grain, but keep it up. People need to know when theres imperfections & duds out there. No company is perfect & sometimes they slip up. Good information here.
These are exactly my thoughts! The setup was awful and the sound was very sterile, especially at first. You’re right in saying that Taylors usually have better setups right out of the box. That’s what I love about Martins too. They just sound “darker” to me. I ditched my 214ce many years ago and never looked back lol. Thank you for the support! I’m trying my best to bring light to company slip ups and also give praise where it is due :)
tuning is most of time nut issue not tuning peg
I agree with this completely! A poorly filed nut slot can be disastrous for tuning.
Why do you get a big guitar and complain about how loud it is?
Don’t buy without playing…😛
Something creepy about the look and vibe of you bro😂😂
Thank you Will! I aim to be as creepy as possible :)
Honest review. Finally.
It's MAR-TIN not MAR -EN
I just bought an 00028 CS Adirondack, best guitar, I ve ever played
Long comment alert, but when I see a young player making a mistake I made myself, I feel the obligation to at least try to keep you from getting rid of gear you’ll wish you kept. So, here goes nothing…
I think this is a case of not knowing enough about a subject yet to even know what you don’t know. Kind of like when I got rid of multiple vintage Blackface Fenders in my intermediate player days because they sounded “too clean” and I didn’t like it. Looking back, I just sucked and didn’t like the fact that the amp magnified that. These days, I play those amps almost exclusively, and I wish like hell I never got rid of the ones I did. I’m not saying you suck, though, I’m just saying that I’m willing to bet that 10 years from now (if you continue progressing as a guitarist) you will watch this video and laugh. If you sell that guitar you will also regret it, because the “issues” you are complaining about, are actually the pros, not cons. I’ll do my best to explain…
Based on the strap button comment (and the incorrect location you pointed to), I’m guessing this was your first Martin purchase in that price range, since that is very common with higher end acoustics. Some want to play them standing, some want to use them in a studio only while sitting down. Very easy to install one. Also, just because tuners are branded “Martin” doesn’t mean they aren’t Gotoh tuners. Companies do it all the time. That said, I’ve never owned a Martin in that price range that wouldn’t stay in tune or intonate. Tone is subjective so I’ll withhold comment on that, but tuning stability is a nut/string issue 99 times out of 100. Intonation is a bridge, saddle and nut issue. You worked on the bridge to adjust action, when the first step should always be a truss rod adjustment to get the relief correct. Dropping the saddle without correcting relief first can lead to intonation problems, and depending on how you “fixed” the saddle height, your repair could be the cause of the poor intonation. I’d be amazed if a full setup by a master luthier (with a new, bone nut slotted at the proper string height) didn’t fix everything. In that price range, it’s almost expected that you spend another $150 to get it perfectly dialed in to your specs once you receive it. OMs are light, bodied guitars (the good ones at least), and the balance is just part of it, but I’ve never heard one described as “loud and boomy” in my life. The reason a lot of cats like Mayer prefer the OMs are because they have a more focused midrange, nicer high end, and minimize the boominess of D-18s and D-28s style dreads. If nothing else, the fact that it is that much louder than the dreadnaught you compared it to should make you realize the difference in quality between a laminated wood guitar and solid wood guitars…not discount it. Projection also has a lot to do with the way you play the guitar. If you are banging away on full chords with a hard pick then it could very well sound awful. Your hands are the first gain stage, after all. Take it to a luthier that knows what they are doing, and figure out how to make it sound like you want by altering your attack, pick velocity, type of pick, pick and fingers, the possibilities are infinite, but learning how to get the sound you want out of a guitar, by changing only the way you play it, is the hardest and most rewarding part of playing guitar. Trust me…I used to think great gear sucked, too, but it wasn’t the gear…it was me. The better you get, the happier you’ll be to have that guitar. Good luck!
Collings
I really want one! Matt Nathanson plays a few that I love.
@@ocdguitarreviews yeah I've never gotten to play one but I heard they are out of this world. Sad about the JM model bc it looks so pretty. What do you think of ovations?
@@austin33785 I haven't tried one yet, but I really want to! I've been interested in them since seeing Mark Slaughter play one in the "Fly To The Angels" music video.
@@ocdguitarreviews I'm looking they video up now. I just sold my pro series Springsteen Takamine and bought an Ovation after playing a friend's. Wow. The action is a hair higher than an electric and it's very very easily adjustable. The sound is great and you wouldn't think its an acoustic electric. Great guitars. I would highly recommend having a look at one of those.
@@austin33785 I had no idea Bruce had a signature model with Takamine! I definitely have to try out an Ovation :)
Sounds terrible. Ive heard better
My Takamine sounds better, not so hard
Spanish ceder neck. Where the strap button is located is a personal preference. Any body that has any sense should know how to use a pre amp di box and how to tweak your own sound at the pa ,or amp. I would not by the thing.
You dont know a thing about guitars