The Fanciest Martin: Martin D-45 Guitar

This model was originally created for singing cowboy Gene Autry before World War II. By the time production ceased in 1942, a total of 90 D-45s were made. That’s the D-45’s place in history. Now, you can make history with your own D-45 as Martin reissues this classic dreadnought.

The D-45 is a Dreadnought style guitar. A Dreadnought is one of the two main types of large acoustic guitars, the other type being called a Jumbo.

While the Jumbo style is curvy like a classical guitar, the Dreadnought has square shoulders and a thicker waist. These characteristics give the Dreadnought as built by Martin its roaring bass tone which must be heard to be appreciated. Martin Dreadnoughts earned their sterling reputation playing country music in the days before amplification at places like the Grand Ole Opry. The Martins were loud enough not to be drowned out by the wailing banjoes, fiddles, and singers.

Like all Martin hand built guitars, the D-45 is made from selected solid wood. That means there are no pressed wood, plywood, veneer, plastic, space-age, or wood-like materials used in the construction but actual, solid wood pieces cut and shaped by hand to fit exactingly together and then tuned by hand with the proper internal bracing to have the sound best associated with the Martin name.

The body and neck of the guitar are solid Indian Rosewood, a wood known for its bass response and warm tone. The body can also be made out of Koa wood as an additional cost option. Koa wood is a rare tone wood that has a more balanced response between the bass and treble sides of the instrument. The clear tone of Koa is highly prized, as well as the honey colored rippled grain. The top, or face of the guitar is solid Sitka Spruce, braced accordingly to produce the characteristic Martin sound.

Once you get to the quality level of the full-sized solid wood Martin guitars, your increasing price relates a great deal to the appearance rather than the quality of the instrument itself. They are all high quality and will play as good as you can, so any limitations there are can be pretty much attributed to the player. The 45 in the name refers to the trim level. The D-45 is the highest level or fanciest Martin normally seen, although there is a D-100 that is priced at a cool $100,000, if I recall correctly.

Stylistically, Martins have always impressed me as a very simple looking guitar. The headstock is just square cornered, no fancy cornices or swoopy shapes, like the styling used by other well known makers. The Martin looks like the sort of a guitar that might be built by the Amish or the Shakers, if you’ve seen their furniture. Plain and functional and that’s that. You could also say it has very clean lines, and that’s perhaps the best description of the overall look of a Martin Dreadnought.

The D-45 carries this characteristic austere “chic” forward, but adds large quantities of gorgeous abalone purfling around the body of the guitar.

Purfling is the little decorative border that butts up against the plastic (celluloid) binding at the corners of the body. All corners are purfled, front sides and back, with a border of abalone shell. The sound hole is also surrounded by a ring of abalone as is the part of the guitar finger board that overlaps the body. The CF Martin logo is also inlaid in abalone shell and the position markers are hexagon shaped abalone shell. Abalone is mother of pearl from the inside of a sea creature‘s shell, usually of a bluish cast, with all the iridescent color highlights pearl is known for.

The playability is first class with no loose places or high frets. The 14 fret neck is smooth and fast and the string spacing is perfect for either flat or finger picking. I find it a trifle close together but one with smaller hands might find it perfect. Usually guitar playing gets easier as you adapt to the scale of the instrument, but my touch is generally to a slightly wider neck than the Martin’s 1.6875” width at the nut. Needless to say, the sound is rich and full with plenty of bass. William Pinn says to put Dean Markley strings on if you want to emphasize the treble response.

Like all Martins, the D-45 comes complete with a deluxe hard shell case and a full lifetime warranty, both at no additional charge.

Before you buy a hand made all wood guitar, I urge you to go to the music store and try several models to see which is the best to your playing style, your ear, and your budget.

Thanks for stopping by!


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