Features : 8
I bought my GC-MMV in May of 2006 at Guitar Center in San Diego. Charlielong's review gave accurate specs as far as I'm concerned, so I won't go into it. However someone said that they have an Indian rosewood fretboard, mines ebony. There is nothing extraordinary about the appearance of this guitar, it's just a run of the mill classic Martin dreadnought. But it's a SLEEPER when it comes to playability and tone! It comes sans pickup, so on the initial setup, I put a martin gold thin line under saddle pick up & Fishman POWERJACK preamp in. This was completely non-destructive to the integrity of the appearance and acoustic quality and it sound pretty good plugged in. I've gigged this guitar about 150 times and it starting to open up a little more.
Sound : 10
This guitar has a great big sound that is absolutely perfect for the gigs I use it for. I play in a Johnny Cash tribute band and this guitar is kind'a spooky when you dig into it and find that Martin tone popping out that Johnny Cash was so famous for. Strum a big E chord like on the beginning of "I've Been Everywhere" and there you go...that's "the" sound. I also play in roots country/Americana band and we do originals as well as classic country covers and it has a great tone for that stuff as well. I will say that even though I'm using a pretty good pickup and a Fishman Loudbox Amp, the acoustic tone of this guitar is where it's at. Strumming and finger picking without amplification is really where this guitar sounds best. I put a Sennheiser E835 on it and recorded some tunes to tape, and it worked out better than expected. I can't wait to get into a real studio, and hear it recorded with a great mic.
Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
I played dozens of guitars for about 6 months before making this purchase and since my first instrument in bass I like a little higher action. My Taylor plays a little better if you're finger picking, or playing a solo, but it doesn't have nearly as big of a tone across the spectrum. Upon the initial setup with my luthier, he put in the pickup and pretty much left the action stock. There were a few tiny imperfections in the finish on the top of my guitar. Spots were the top wood grain was slightly showing through the finish. I think this thin top finish allows this model to breathe and project more than other guitars with a more robust top finish. There was also a little bear claw in the top, and other than the little dings I've put in it, it came in excellent condition. One thing, the finish on mine is darker than any other GC-MMV I've seen, so much so, that I thought the top of my guitar was cedar. I like this little anomaly though because it looks a lot like the vintage V series Martins. Anyone else have a dark top finish?
Reliability/Durability : 10
As I said, I've gigged this guitar A LOT. That's what I bought it for. I've taken it over seas and all over the place. That's the great thing about this axe, it's sounds like a wide open vintage D-28 or D-35 at half the cost. If I "God forbid" lost it somehow, it's not the end of the world. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. My guitar fell off of the stand onto a concrete patio...with only one tiny ding 1/8 inch chip at the body binding. Although it's rather light, it's built well.
Customer Support : No Opinion
It has a LIFETIME WARRANTY to the original owner. This was important to me because I could have bought an older, or used Martin, but since I knew I was going to keep it and gig it, I chose to buy new. Registered it and I get the occasional mailer.
Overall Rating : 10
I have been playing bass for 28 years and guitar for about 15 years. I use a Martin HPL guitar as a backup on stage because it sounds great plugged in, and it's easy to carry around. I shopped for quite a while before buying this guitar and I LOVE it. I looked at the Martin D-16RGT as my other prime option in this price and quality range. The GC-MMV has several finer features: ebony fingerboard, gold tuners, and the rosette is different. The deal breaker was that the D16RGT's that I played did not sound as good as the GC-MMV. I highly recommend the GC-MMV for great sound/tone, playability, value, & looks in that order. I hardly play my Taylor 414 now although I'm not about to sell it. If you're looking for a collectible Martin, then this is probably not the guitar for you. As other reviewers have stated, the absence of the "D" designation will probably keep this model from attaining a collectible status, and that is the only possible negative thing I can think of to say about this fine instrument. I feel very grateful to have stumbled upon such a hidden treasure!
I bought my GC-MMV in May of 2006 at Guitar Center in San Diego. Charlielong's review gave accurate specs as far as I'm concerned, so I won't go into it. However someone said that they have an Indian rosewood fretboard, mines ebony. There is nothing extraordinary about the appearance of this guitar, it's just a run of the mill classic Martin dreadnought. But it's a SLEEPER when it comes to playability and tone! It comes sans pickup, so on the initial setup, I put a martin gold thin line under saddle pick up & Fishman POWERJACK preamp in. This was completely non-destructive to the integrity of the appearance and acoustic quality and it sound pretty good plugged in. I've gigged this guitar about 150 times and it starting to open up a little more.
Sound : 10
This guitar has a great big sound that is absolutely perfect for the gigs I use it for. I play in a Johnny Cash tribute band and this guitar is kind'a spooky when you dig into it and find that Martin tone popping out that Johnny Cash was so famous for. Strum a big E chord like on the beginning of "I've Been Everywhere" and there you go...that's "the" sound. I also play in roots country/Americana band and we do originals as well as classic country covers and it has a great tone for that stuff as well. I will say that even though I'm using a pretty good pickup and a Fishman Loudbox Amp, the acoustic tone of this guitar is where it's at. Strumming and finger picking without amplification is really where this guitar sounds best. I put a Sennheiser E835 on it and recorded some tunes to tape, and it worked out better than expected. I can't wait to get into a real studio, and hear it recorded with a great mic.
Action, Fit, & Finish : 9
I played dozens of guitars for about 6 months before making this purchase and since my first instrument in bass I like a little higher action. My Taylor plays a little better if you're finger picking, or playing a solo, but it doesn't have nearly as big of a tone across the spectrum. Upon the initial setup with my luthier, he put in the pickup and pretty much left the action stock. There were a few tiny imperfections in the finish on the top of my guitar. Spots were the top wood grain was slightly showing through the finish. I think this thin top finish allows this model to breathe and project more than other guitars with a more robust top finish. There was also a little bear claw in the top, and other than the little dings I've put in it, it came in excellent condition. One thing, the finish on mine is darker than any other GC-MMV I've seen, so much so, that I thought the top of my guitar was cedar. I like this little anomaly though because it looks a lot like the vintage V series Martins. Anyone else have a dark top finish?
Reliability/Durability : 10
As I said, I've gigged this guitar A LOT. That's what I bought it for. I've taken it over seas and all over the place. That's the great thing about this axe, it's sounds like a wide open vintage D-28 or D-35 at half the cost. If I "God forbid" lost it somehow, it's not the end of the world. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. My guitar fell off of the stand onto a concrete patio...with only one tiny ding 1/8 inch chip at the body binding. Although it's rather light, it's built well.
Customer Support : No Opinion
It has a LIFETIME WARRANTY to the original owner. This was important to me because I could have bought an older, or used Martin, but since I knew I was going to keep it and gig it, I chose to buy new. Registered it and I get the occasional mailer.
Overall Rating : 10
I have been playing bass for 28 years and guitar for about 15 years. I use a Martin HPL guitar as a backup on stage because it sounds great plugged in, and it's easy to carry around. I shopped for quite a while before buying this guitar and I LOVE it. I looked at the Martin D-16RGT as my other prime option in this price and quality range. The GC-MMV has several finer features: ebony fingerboard, gold tuners, and the rosette is different. The deal breaker was that the D16RGT's that I played did not sound as good as the GC-MMV. I highly recommend the GC-MMV for great sound/tone, playability, value, & looks in that order. I hardly play my Taylor 414 now although I'm not about to sell it. If you're looking for a collectible Martin, then this is probably not the guitar for you. As other reviewers have stated, the absence of the "D" designation will probably keep this model from attaining a collectible status, and that is the only possible negative thing I can think of to say about this fine instrument. I feel very grateful to have stumbled upon such a hidden treasure!
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