Martin LX1 "Little Martin": A worthy beginner or travel guitar
Written: Jul 15 '06 (Updated Jul 15 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: well made; solid spruce top; warm sound; micarta fingerboard on some earlier models
Cons: no real bass; made mostly of plywood
The Bottom Line: Either the Martin LXM or the LX1 would make a good present as a beginner or travel guitar. I actually like both more than the popular Taylor Baby.
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| Horswispr's Full Review: Martin Lx1 Little Martin |
The LX1 is one of several "Little Martins" offered by Martin Guitar Company as a travel or beginner guitar. Martin's own Backpacker Guitar has been around for years, but it just isn't that good, and Taylor's "Baby" and "Big Baby" are quite popular, so Martin had to answer.
I already reviewed the Martin LXM Little Martin and was favorably impressed.
http://www.epinions.com/content_163149614724
The only difference between the LXM and LX1 is that the LX1 has a solid spruce top while the top of the LXM is laminate.
The LX1 costs about $50 more than the LXM.
The Martin LX1 is exactly the same size as the LXM and almost identical in size to the popular Taylor Baby. The upper bout of the Martin is actually a tiny bit smaller than that of the Taylor Baby, but other than that, their measurements are quite similar.
What you get with the Martin LX1 is a small mahogany laminate guitar (Martin calls it "mahogany pattern HPL textured finish") with a solid spruce top and a high quality fingerboard. That fingerboard made of black micarta on the earlier samples of the LX1 that I've played, but I gather more recent samples are using morado wood, an inexpensive but relatively high quality wood.
Black micarta is the same material used in the fingerboards of early Martin 000-X1, D-X1, and some more expensive Martins. As I've mentioned in other reviews, I find micarta to look, feel and play almost like dark ebony, a fingerboard wood usually used in more expensive guitars (Taylor uses ebony in the Taylor Baby, which is really impressive to me). If you can find an earlier model for comparison's sake, I recommend you do so.
Fingerboard width of the LX1 Little Martin is the standard 1 11/16" at the nut, while scale length is a relatively short 23". There are 14 frets clear of the body, which is the norm for acoustic steel string guitars.
Retail price of the Martin LX1 Little Martin is currently $419, meaning you should be able to get one for about $310. The Little Martin LX1 comes with a "gig bag" rather than a hard shell case.
OK, so how does the thing feel and play?
The first thing that impressed me about the LX1 was its construction quality. It is small but it feels solid and well put together. The seams were tightly fitted and I could find no excess glue or other problems.
The sound of this little guitar also impressed me. No, it can not compete with larger guitars for sheer volume or bass response, but it did not sound like a "small" or "beginner" guitar to the same extent as the Taylor Baby did. I could bang out blues riffs or bluegrass chords and runs on the LX1 and it sounded quite respectable.
Compared to the Taylor Baby, the Martin LX1 (and LXM) was a bit warmer sounding, while the Taylor Baby was a bit lighter sounding. Compared to the laminate top Martin LXM, the LX1 sounded just a bit more open or "airier," and most samples I played were a bit louder and had slightly better sustain.
Playability of these little guitars was good. They felt comfortable in my lap, and fretting was no problem. Intonation was good up the neck, and the guitar did not go wildly out of tune when I slapped on a capo. The guitar felt small but not cheap, and the sound was direct and good, never tinny. The samples I played had no fret buzz or other distractions.
I like the LX1 much better than the Taylor Baby, but maybe a better comparison would be between the Little Martin LX1 and the Taylor Big Baby, a guitar I really like for the price.
Woah, this is a tough call! A good Taylor Big Baby has really nice sustain, and there's something about it that is a bit intoxicating. The Martin LX1 is a bit more woody and dark sounding (though less so than the LXM), but comparable in quality. Playability is comparable, with perhaps a slight nod to the Taylor. I could easily live with either if I was looking for a small travel or beginner guitar.
As I think I mentioned in my review of the plywood topped Martin LXM Little Martin, the darker sound of the LXM relative to the LX1 might appeal to some. Further, some folks suggest that that the laminate top of the LXM may be more durable than the real spruce top of the LX1. So if you're primarily a blues player, or if you're going to be hard on your guitar and don't mind sacrificing a bit if "airiness" and sustain, the all-laminate LXM might be a good choice. If you're primarily a fingerpicker, or you're not going to be passing the thing around a campfire as much as a living room, then the LX1 might be a good choice.
But of course it comes down to how you resonate with the individual instrument you play.
To conclude, if you are looking for a small guitar for your child or a beginning guitarist, or if you are looking for a good travel or campfire guitar, both the LX1 and LXM should be on your short list of guitars to check out.
Happy picking!
Recommended:
Yes
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