Last Saturday I played a set for the MS Walk in Tempe, Arizona. They raised just under $250,000 for a great cause. They had a great turn out of walkers and volunteers and everyone seemed be enjoying the brisk morning and the sun that started shining around 10am.
MS is horrible disease that affects many people: Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).
Anyways, it got me thinking that volunteering isn't something that I do enough of and it always feels great. Talk about motivation to get off the couch and do something productive with your days. When you see people that can no longer run, jump, lift etc...it really makes you realize what you are lucky enough to be able to do. Speaking of that...I'm going to go do something!
kris
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
My Newest Friend--Martin DSR1
A couple of days ago I went out with some advance money and the intention of making a serious upgrade in my guitar. I tried many guitars priced from $700 to $4000 and I ended up with a Martin DRS1. This guitar is (solid Sapele top, back and sides) and for the tone/feel that it provides, it is priced much lower than you would think.
I went around the room trying guitars from Martin, Gibson, Guild, Taylor, Breedlove, Talkamine, and sprinkled in a few Yamahas, Epiphone Masterbuilts and Seagull's for comparisons sake. I did not look at pricing before playing if I could avoid it. An hour passed by and I kept being drawn back to the interesting, dark colored, Martin with the understated style and the beautiful tone. It was "the one".
I didn't need to spend such a modest amount on my newest addition, but after playing it against many others that cost the same and up to triple what this cost, it wasn't a hard decision to make. It is being sold for much less than what you would expect to pay for a Martin that sounds like this (MSRP $995.00 I didn't pay that). If I'm not mistaken, I believe I read that it is the only solid wood bodied guitar that they offer for under $1,000. Sapele sounds fantastic, looks fantastic and it smells fantastic. Many professionals agree that there is almost no variation in sound between solid Mahogany and solid Sapele tone woods.
I think what kept drawing me back to this guitar amongst so many other flashy options was exactly that. It isn't flashy. It looks simple and understated, even with the beautiful Sapele striping to the wood grain. To me it looks and feels just like the old Martins I've had numerous experiences playing and performing with. It has no cut away, and no twinkling bedazzlers in the fret board like most of the others in the price range I was shopping had and I like that. I believe that if they took out the synthetic materials from the fretboard completely and made this in their American factory that the same guitar would cost at least twice as much... And sound exactly the same.
My Dad has an old Martin (D28) from the 70's that sounds terrific and I may ruffle some feathers by saying this, but mine sounds nearly identical and it hasn't even had a chance to "open up" over 30-40 yrs. The only reason the DSR1 is so affordable is because they did use a few synthetic materials on the neck and it is manufactured exclusively at their plant in Mexico (to the same exacting Martin standards we've all grown to expect). If it sounds great, I don't care where it was made!!!
I plugged it into my PA yesterday for the first time and the hidden electronics sound crisp and clear with the same characteristics you hear from the guitar when unplugged. I also really love that the electronics are not cut into the body.
Get one if you are looking for a road guitar that wont break the bank...you will be happy that you did. Here she is:
I went around the room trying guitars from Martin, Gibson, Guild, Taylor, Breedlove, Talkamine, and sprinkled in a few Yamahas, Epiphone Masterbuilts and Seagull's for comparisons sake. I did not look at pricing before playing if I could avoid it. An hour passed by and I kept being drawn back to the interesting, dark colored, Martin with the understated style and the beautiful tone. It was "the one".
I didn't need to spend such a modest amount on my newest addition, but after playing it against many others that cost the same and up to triple what this cost, it wasn't a hard decision to make. It is being sold for much less than what you would expect to pay for a Martin that sounds like this (MSRP $995.00 I didn't pay that). If I'm not mistaken, I believe I read that it is the only solid wood bodied guitar that they offer for under $1,000. Sapele sounds fantastic, looks fantastic and it smells fantastic. Many professionals agree that there is almost no variation in sound between solid Mahogany and solid Sapele tone woods.
I think what kept drawing me back to this guitar amongst so many other flashy options was exactly that. It isn't flashy. It looks simple and understated, even with the beautiful Sapele striping to the wood grain. To me it looks and feels just like the old Martins I've had numerous experiences playing and performing with. It has no cut away, and no twinkling bedazzlers in the fret board like most of the others in the price range I was shopping had and I like that. I believe that if they took out the synthetic materials from the fretboard completely and made this in their American factory that the same guitar would cost at least twice as much... And sound exactly the same.
My Dad has an old Martin (D28) from the 70's that sounds terrific and I may ruffle some feathers by saying this, but mine sounds nearly identical and it hasn't even had a chance to "open up" over 30-40 yrs. The only reason the DSR1 is so affordable is because they did use a few synthetic materials on the neck and it is manufactured exclusively at their plant in Mexico (to the same exacting Martin standards we've all grown to expect). If it sounds great, I don't care where it was made!!!
I plugged it into my PA yesterday for the first time and the hidden electronics sound crisp and clear with the same characteristics you hear from the guitar when unplugged. I also really love that the electronics are not cut into the body.
Get one if you are looking for a road guitar that wont break the bank...you will be happy that you did. Here she is:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)