Model and Description:
Martin D-41
Dreadnought
41 Style 14 Fret

General comments
This is a beautiful guitar that has all the features and quality that would drive you to buy a Martin in the first place. What also makes the D-41 very special is its appearance. The extensive use of abalone, inlaid headstock logo, rosette, gold tuners and bindings make this guitar a pure joy to look at. Martin intended the D-41 to fill the gap between a D-35 and D-45. Yet, it is not too fancy where you would never want to play it and keep it in a glass case. This guitar begs, pleads, seduces you to pick it up and play. When I bought it at Guitar Center, the sales guy asked me if he could just try it before I left. He looked sad to see it leave the store as it was gingerly placed in its case. Considering the trim quality and detail along with its quality construction the D-41 is really a great guitar for the money. If you can find the money to buy the D-41 you will not be disappointed. If you want the same guitar with an even fancier look get a D-45.

Construction and quality
A key element in a quality guitar is the selection of woods. The D-41 has a Sitka Spruce top, East Indian rosewood sides, a two-piece East Indian rosewood back, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard. The type of woods is important but Martin also takes care to select the best possible pieces. In addition to the first 35 made there are a few special D-41’s made with Brazilian rosewood that can be special ordered.
Most Martins now come with an adjustable truss rod. Older Martins did not have adjustable truss rods. I have seen a few web sites that indicate Martin began with adjustable truss rods around 1985. This is obviously important when deciding to but an older D-41.
The glossy finish is beautiful. I had a satin finish guitar before this and really missed the look and feel of a quality gloss finish that wipes clean easily and can be polished. The grains of the wood is beautiful to look at and the fit and finish is first class all the way. Pick it up and examine it closely and you can tell D-41's are built by skilled craftsmen. The personality of Martin guitars becomes more unique with age. Since Music is art, this adds to the appeal. Please note that I have played quite a few D-41 and none had a bad sound or personality. Compare it to a Taylor's precision and you will immediately notice the Martin has a personality compared to just being a precisely built machine. Taylor fans do not take these comments to heart. I love Taylor guitars as well but it is harder to find the same comfort with a Taylor.

A word about Martin Cases
The Martin 600 series plastic hard shell case(standard with a D-41) is sturdy and can take abuse. Mine however developed a crack from where the hinge is rivited to the case. I am sure this would not be a big deal but since I bought it new I decided to return it to Guitar Center and upgraded to the 5 ply wood based 500 series case. The 500 series has more room for accessories with a bigger compartment and room under the headstock. On the 600 series I had to very carefully fold the strap so it would fit in the space under the headstock where the 500 had plenty of room for strap, tuner, cloth, capo, strings etc. The 500 series case also looks better with its traditional style. I somehow feel that a plastic case somehow does not do this guitar justice. The D-41 did fit perfectly(snug) in both cases. The 500 series case is much heavier which for me is fine but if weight is important stay with the plastic 600 series case. It sounds silly but I really wish guitar cases had a better latch system with no sharp edges. The latch alignment tabs are sharp enough to gouge our guitar if not careful. This is not a Martin issue however since all guitar cases have similar latches.

Sound
The D41 has a deep and rich sound and will also surprise you with its highs. Play it hard and it roars, play it light and it sings. The volume is quite incredible. It continues to surprise me at times with its deep lows and brilliant highs. I play a wide variety of styles and find the D-41 suitable for almost everything. Of course, I strongly suggest playing a D-41 before actually buying it or any guitar for that matter.
When compared to Taylor guitars in the same class I found the Martin had a fuller tone while the Taylor guitars had a brighter tone. I also have tried some different strings that of course change the tone slightly. Martin suggests Medium strings for this guitar and I agree. I finally settled on Elixer strings which are coated so they last longer and play faster. Some say the coating dampens the sound but I disagree. Choice of strings really depends on your style of play. Martin does not recommend heavy strings at all for this D-41 as it will put too much stress on the neck.

It seems very easy to play which is next to tone quality is the reason I decided to buy it. The neck has a low profile making it easy for me to reach on those really tough chords. I found the setup to be perfect for me despite this being one of the shelf guitars at Guitar Center. Lets face it some really nice guitars take a beating at GC. All the Martins on display seemed to hold up well which is a testament to their durability in itself. Now that I have had it for a while my technique has improved and I am used to this guitar.

The Saddle and Nut are made of Corian but I cannot help but wonder if a bone saddle would make a subtle difference in the tone. For now I will leave it alone. Considering this is really a high end standard production Martin I would have been more impressed if natural materials were used.

True fanatics will pick up a few different types of Bridge Pins to experiment with tone. To get into the effects on tone with various materials is beyond the scope of this review but suffice to say that it is worth experimenting with to get the tone perfect for your style. I will stick with the supplied pins as they are great looking and have an abalone inlay. Nice touch on this guitar.

Built in Electronics
My guitar has the optional pickup. It hides under the bridge and the plug is in the strap button. When I was looking at the guitar I really was not interested in having a pickup. In fact I did not even plug it in until I got home. I have a Crate 30D acoustic amp (bought that for my Ovation) and decided to give it a try… WOW! When I finally plugged in, the sound from this nearly invisible system blew me away. The system reproduced the sound of the guitar better than any on-board mixing system I have used in the past. Of course for serious recording or large audiences I would expect that any mixing would be done externally anyway. Please note that it does use a 9 volt battery mounted to the neck block. This is also a good idea as the neck block is probably one of the least likely surfaces to vibrate or impact in the creation of sound. To replace you will have to loosen or remove strings to get at it through the sound hole. This inconvenience is a very small price to pay when sound is the primary goal. Additionally, I think it is a sin to clutter a fine acoustic guitar with those on-board mixer/tuner combos. In the case of the D-41 Martin must have very carefully designed this system to amplify the sound so true. Keep in mind that this is an option. It just happened to be in my guitar when I bought it and I guess you can go for other systems if you wanted to or have none and mike the guitar for recording of stage play.
I also think too much electronic junk in the body has to hinder the sound somewhat. I love technology and gadgets but when buying a fine guitar I feel the guitar itself is the first thing to consider.

Maintenance
Why should I even discuss maintenance on a high end guitar when most buyers should already be aware of how to care for a fine instrument? In my research for buying my guitar I came across many stories of how beautiful guitars were heavily damaged or ruined due to neglect or abuse. So, in the interest of enjoyment for any guitar... here are the basics...
Martins are warranted for life to the original owner so it is important to take care of your Martin and register the guitar with Martin. Martin also includes a small booklet for care an feeding of your guitar. The most important thing is to control the humidity and temperature of your Martin. Heat and dryness can easily do harm to a high quality guitar. To control humidity I use a planet waves humidity meter and a film canister with holes drilled it so I can keep a piece of damp sponge in the case. Works like a champ. Martin is quite clear that heat damage is not covered. Most experience guitar players know these things already and I am sure the dealer will tell you as well how important these things are. But a D-41 might be an upgrade for an aspiring guitarist who may not have been concerned with these issues before and this is why I mention it. Check a few Guitar Repair sites on the web and you will see some great examples of heat and dryness damage. Keep in mind that you can over do it and watch out for those sound hole humidifiers as it is easy to forget to wring out the tube and stain the inside of your guitar or worse yet get it moldy. About 45-50% humidity is what most makers suggest.

One of the primary reasons to buy a quality Martin is that you will own it for a long time even generations in some cases. Even the finest guitars may need and adjustment or repair eventually. I did quite a bit of research on acoustic guitar repair and found that complex jobs such as Neck Resets require expert skills. The common thread is that Martin construction quality makes it worth the effort and repair procedures are well documented and understood by quality luthiers.

Some background on the D-41
There is tons of historical information about Martin guitars and the D-41 is no exception. You could easily make it a lifetime endeavor to study Martin Guitars. I will only cover the points I feel are most important in making the decision to buy a D-41.

According to Martin's web site the D-41 was introduced in 1969 and only 31 were made with Brazilian Rosewood before the switch to East Indian Rosewood. You can bet that these first D-41’s due to rarity are prized collectors items today. I have not heard the Brazilian version so I cannot compare sound and appearance. On the Mandolin Brothers web site they indicated that they have access to special order Brazilian D-41s so if you are bent on Brazilian and you have the money it can be done. Except for the earliest Martins you can determine its age by the serial numbers listed on the Martin web site.

Bottom Line
Why spend nearly 3 grand on a Martin? A guitar is like a good friend. Be good to it and it will be good to you. There are lots of Martins that have been around for decades and even some that have been around over a century. The more you play your Martin the more you will love it and it will show in your playing. I tried quite a few cheaper guitars but none have given me that special relationship that the D-41 has.

The D-41 is a solid instrument. It is obvious that Martin takes great care on selecting the wood used in their guitars. The D-41 is no exception. The East Indian Rosewood back and sides have beautiful grain and the Sitka Spruce in the top is clear and beautiful. Martin's bracing is a major factor in its unique and beautiful tone.

Dimensions
Total Length 40 1/2"
Body Length 20"
Body Width 15 5/8"
Body Depth 4 7/8"


Recommended: Yes