Feature:
One great feature is the built in tuner. The only bad thing about it is you have to be pluged in in order to use it. However, with this guitar you really do not have to use it that often. The Martin case fits nice and snug.

Value:
You get what you pay for, and this one is worth the money.

Desirability:
I expect to keep this guitar until death do us part. If I had a need, yes, I would buy this guitar again.

Sound:
With so many great guitars on the market, I don't think there is a perfect 10. But this one comes close. I have also tried Taylor, Fender, epiphone, too name a few. But could not put this one down. This was my first Martin purchase. Since, I have purchased a Martin DSM. I also own a Fender CD2200SCE, and a 72 Clasic Tele. I use all of them. My 16RGTEAURA is my Tux. I save her for the best. I play her out of a Fender Stage 1600. Add some spring and chorus and blend it with the desired Aura setting for a great sound. I would also like to mention the smell. I sure wish it could be bottled. You get what you pay for, and this one is worth it!

Support:
Have not had any problems.

Overall:
I would replace it if I had to. Don't expect that to happen. This guitar meets my music goals and more. And its kept under lock and key.

• User: a customer from comcast.net
• Submitted: 6/18/2008
• Style of Music: Christian, Alternative, Country, and soft Rock.
• Location: Bradley, IL. USA

Feature:
I think the materials used a great. Nothing has broken or gotten any the worse for wear since I bought it. That's saying a lot, 'cause I'm not all that gentle and slap the body occasionally for expression during some songs.

Quality:
Excellent quality. Fit and finish are superb and it's pretty resistant to wear. Nothing has come loose, worn out or broken over the past five years.

Value:
I could have spent a lot more money but found there really was no need. I think you get a lot for the price with this one.

Desirability:
I think it's aesthetically pleasing. I think it's great that the controls for the electronics are where they are rather than on the face of the guitar. The cutaway comes in handy.

Sound:
I'll begin by noting that I've owned this guitar for about five years, so we've spent some time together. I'm a finger-style player who performs in a local restaurant weekly and this has been my main guitar. When shopping, I tried about 30 other Martins and Taylors without too much concern for price, but this one sounded best for me. I think it has a great sound acoustically, and I've found that I can even get a really Beatle-y sound if need be. Otherwise it's fairly loud for its size, even while finger-picking. It does not have an "Aura" pickup system - I guess Gibson changed to Aura in the past few years. Anyway, can't address the amplified sound with the current system. After trying many brands of strings, I use Elixir lights on it which complement the acoustics of the instrument nicely.

Ease of Use:
This is a very easy guitar to play. The action is great, right from the factory. The electronics are simple and intuitive. Frets are fine, fingerboard is good, it stays in tune all the way up the neck.

Support:
Haven't needed any.

Overall:
Well, I've had it five years and, while I'm always buying and replacing electrics, I haven't found anything to replace the GTE. As far as a steel-stringed acoustic that can be amplified, this one is perfect. If it got stolen, I'd buy another.

• User: a customer from hotmail.com
• Submitted: 6/5/2008
• Style of Music: Rock, jazz, acoustic, surf
• Location: San Clemente, CA

Feature:
I like the slimmer body style for my size, I'm a petite female and the regular width dreads gave me back fatigue, I feel this guitar is more comfortable. The Aura electronics is simply unbeatable in sound and ability to dial in specific tones.

Quality:
I think the overall quality of this guitar is unbeatable, I'm very well satisfied with the quality. It has a sustain on it that makes hammer-ons and pull-offs much more audible than other guitars I've tried. I've tried everything, from $4000 Gibsons, Epiphones, Taylors, Blueridge, and the Martins are a completely different league and sound.

Value:
In lieu of all the guitars I've tried, I think this Martin is the best value for the money. I think its priced right. I can't see that I would ever have a need for more.

Desirability:
My opinion is that this guitar is one of the better looking models out there. I personally like this body-shape as opposed to the regular dreadnoughts. I also love the satin back with gloss top. I think it is very tastefully done and I strongly disagree with the reviewer that stated, "it wasn't very good-looking". I think its very classy looking.

Sound:
Had just purchased a Blueridge 3 weeks earlier, thought it was great until I picked this up at a music store and gave it a try----WOW!! The sound is simply amazing unplugged, very very warm, mellow and extremely well balanced. I just couldn't put it down. Then plugged in you have even more sounds selections and best electronics I've seen on an acoustic/electric.

Ease of Use:
This thing played like butter the second I picked it up. Barre chords were a breeze even being lazy about it, IMO a guitar is set-up well when barre chords take little effort to make each string ring clearly.

Support:
haven't had to use it

Overall:
I love everything about this guitar, its sound, its playability, its size. I thought I would never find the perfect guitar but when I found this one I realized there is a perfect guitar!

• User: a customer from bellsouth.net
• Submitted: 1/12/2008
• Style of Music: Folk, pop, 70s,country
• Location: Russellville, KY

Feature:
The Aura system is incredible. There is non other like it on the market. (to my knowledge at least). Highs, lows and mids are all represented beautifully, each note articulated perfectly.

Quality:
C.F. Martin Co. (need I say more?)

Value:
I was shopping/saving for a while to buy *THAT* acoustic, you know the one that will stay with me till the end (I'm only 19) I'm confident that this was the best purchase I could have made, and lucky for me, guitar center was out of the normal cases so I recieved the highest end case Martin produced (or atleast that they had in stock).

Desirability:
There are prettier guitars out there, but if you are shopping for looks rather than sound, you shouldnt be looking in this price range. The white binding and satin finishes combine for a classy, warm looking intstrument.

Sound:
The ultimate acoustic sound plugged in and acoustic. I was dead set on buying a taylor x14 series, going back and forth amongst taylors, until as i was having the salesman restring the taylor, i picked up this Martin and was blown away...

Ease of Use:
The Aura system and its on board tuner is incredibly user friendly, the guitar has a very playable neck, and you get a crisp sound up and down the neck.

Support:
havent had to deal w/ them.

Overall:
Couldnt be happier.

• Submitted: 12/20/2007
• Style of Music: Acoustic Alternative Rock (coffee shops, college gigs, that sort of thing)
• Location: New York

Feature:
The Fishman electronics are awesome. I tried a Taylor and some other guitars and kept going back to this one. You have a tuner (I've only tried it in a quiet room) and lots of "sound effect" options. The battery is pretty easy to access too. I would have preferred if it ran on a AA battery, but at least I don't have to take off the strings to get at the battery.

Quality:
It looks perfect to me. I would only worry that the electronics might break, but they should be fine as long as I am not careless. If I brought this guitar on an airplane I would definately want to carry it on.

Value:
This was by far better than any of the guitars I tried at a comparable price.

Desirability:
It's not the prettiest guitar I've seen, but the white and black details make it basic enough and nice enough that it would go with any outfit or setting, looking good, but also blending in when you don't want to be too flashy. The Fishman electronics are what make this guitar stand out above other accoustic-electric guitars.

Sound:
I love the Fishman electronics on this thing. There are so many things to play around with besides bass/mid/treble. You can slide between pickup and aura - the aura is a more full (ambient?) sound while the pickup gives you more of the flat strum. Besides that you also have 6 different settings to choose from to change how the guitar sounds as far as tone and brightess and so forth. Like one setting might be better for a soft ballad and another gives you a nice bright sound for a raucous rock song. It's very fun to play with this when plugged into an amp to determine which setting works best for which song in your set.

Ease of Use:
It's very easy to use. There are even 3 more buttons on the Fishman electronics that I haven't used yet, I will have to read the manual to see what they do. I just got the guitar yesterday so I haven't had more than a couple of hours to play with it so far.

Support:
Have not needed support so far.

Overall:
I wouldn't have paid this much for a guitar if I though I would need to upgrade any time soon. As long as I keep this guitar in good shape, I don't think I will ever need a new one... unless I want to get a cheaper "road trip" guitar.

• User: a customer from yahoo.com
• Submitted: 10/5/2007
• Style of Music: Rock, alternative, country, jazz, contemporary Christian
• Location: Kirkland, WA, USA

Feature:
The tuner is right on.

Quality:
It's a Martin right? I'm on the road about 2 months out of the year. I don't think I'd take it on a plance. I do have a Fender acoustic that I've taken a few times.

Value:
Before buying this I did try Gibson, Epiphone, Fender and others. Kept going back to the Martin.

Desirability:
Just like everyone else, the Martin is what you strive to obtain.

Sound:
I've playes dozens of guitars, never played anything better.

Ease of Use:
Mine was professionally set up and they did a great job. I just need to buy a better amp to do it justice.

Support:
Have not needed to contact them.

Overall:
I'm 56, I think this and the Fender will outlast me.

• User: a customer from windstream.net
• Submitted: 9/3/2007
• Style of Music: Country and Old rock
• Location: Omaha, NE. USA

Feature:
Aura is easily mastered and will deliver a variety of tones. The built-in tuner can be a little iffy in a noisy room.

Quality:
No problems whatsoever. Best quality.

Value:
Seems a bit expensive, but if you play several you will appreciate the difference. I admit being partial to the Martin brand, but there are several other makers that I appreciate. This one was $200-1000 less than any equivalent other brand.

Sound:
Just can't beat that Martin sound. Sounds great plugged in or not. The Aura system lets me achieve a full body sound in any environment.

Ease of Use:
Again, the tuner is sensitive to noisy environments, but still very usable, even in a live performance.

Support:
Haven't used it, but online registration was a breeze

Overall:
If I had to replace it, I wouldn't consider anything else.

• Submitted: 11/18/2006
• Style of Music: Blues/Folk/Country