Guitar review: Martin OM-1GT

[Reverend M]

Back in the dark ages of guitar history, when Gibson had been taken over by a refrigerator company and when everybody was looking for vintage Martins to buy because the new ones didn't sound or play so well, I had two Martin D-28's, a six string and a 12 string. I was young and thought I was buying the top of the line guitar, so they HAD to be good, but when you got them home, they weren't all that great, and the buyer's remorse set in. I had traded a Les Paul and a Super Reverb amp for them, imagine my despair.

Fast forward 40 years. Here I am, at Guitar Center looking at the resonator guitar I have been plotting to buy for months. The reviews on it were good, in person it really didn't live up to it's press. Before leaving I spotted a Martin OM bodied guitar on the wall and was curious about it, so I picked it up to take it for a spin. After all, I was there, might as well make the most of it.

The thing fairly exploded with music, producing a sound far greater than it's size would suggest. Loud, bright, balanced, and magical, this instrument fairly sang under my touch and I started playing songs I hadn't played in years to see how they would sound.

I believe the sound is due to Martin's "modified scalloped X-bracing", which possibly allows the top to vibrate more than it normally would yet still gives it strength. The top is solid spruce, the back and sides, solid sapele. The neck is what they refer to as "Stratabond", a semi-synthetic material that will give it strength, yet it still has a truss rod. Likewise, the fingerboard and bridge are Richlite, another semi-synthetic that looks like ebony and feels very smooth and slick. Purists will no doubt sneer at these materials on a Martin, but with tricks like this who needs treats? I don't care if it's made out of papier mache with a sound like this.

The list is $1249 from Martin, you can get them just about anywhere for $949, I paid considerably less for mine. I have two Taylors, and this new generation of Martin guitars is the best they have come up with in my memory, worth a look.

[NowFound]

I wonder if you have expertise extending to bass guitars?

We got my son a knock-off Les Paul last Christmas just to see if it'd spark some interest without breaking the bank.  He had played violin for years so he can read some music, and learned a couple things on his own this past year.

They want him to pick up the bass for the youth worship band, so he's using a church-loaner now.  Looking for recommendations...

Thanks!

[Reverend M]

I wonder if you have expertise extending to bass guitars?

We got my son a knock-off Les Paul last Christmas just to see if it'd spark some interest without breaking the bank.  He had played violin for years so he can read some music, and learned a couple things on his own this past year.

They want him to pick up the bass for the youth worship band, so he's using a church-loaner now.  Looking for recommendations...

Thanks!

I'm glad you asked that question!

I have been doing business for a few years with an e-order house called Rondo Music:

http://www.rondomusic.com/

Rondo sells Fender and Gibson knock offs plus a few original designs on their website made in China and Korea, as far as I know. At one time, Korean guitars were as good as anything made in Japan, and China is catching up, although I generally find the materials they use to be substandard.

Anyway, I have four guitars from Rondo, the most expensive one having cost me $175. All of them are functional and playable, although if you spend a little more you get better tuning machines and tone controls. One guitar I have cost $135 and has Grover tuning machines, which sell for about $50 retail in the US market!

Anyway, here's the bass page:

http://www.rondomusic.com/bassguitars4.html

Look for one with a solid alder or ash body - this will be what you will find on top of the line American made guitars. One thing you will need to do is change strings right away - get them from these guys:

http://www.webstrings.com/electric_bass_strings_detroit-nickel.html

You can buy strings in music stores, but they will cost you easily twice as much.

If your son is label conscious stick with the Fender offerings (Squire, etc.) but I still think you get more bang for the buck with the Rondo gear. Good luck.

[NowFound]

Great!  Thanks so much for the detailed and specific response.  I'm a complete novice so simple directions like the body construction help a lot.

[DaveW]

I wonder if you have expertise extending to bass guitars?

We got my son a knock-off Les Paul last Christmas just to see if it'd spark some interest without breaking the bank.  He had played violin for years so he can read some music, and learned a couple things on his own this past year.

They want him to pick up the bass for the youth worship band, so he's using a church-loaner now.  Looking for recommendations...

Thanks!

Did you get one yet?  You did not say how old your son was but I would suggest starting him off on a short scale. I am 59years old and I still prefer short scale. It makes "walking" a lot easier and the transition from the regular guitar to bass is much quicker as the distance between the notes (frets) is not THAT different. The extra 4 inches out there at the end make for some W-I-D-E finger positions.

I have heard of Rondo but have never played them. My basses are a solid body Waggs (custom build) and a viol- body Rogue. (Musician's Friend)

[christianlc]

Thanks to all the replys i've learned a lot.. i you wanna practice Christian song with lyrics and chords to be used in bass guitar just this one site [link removed]

God Bless