Let’s get this out of the way, this guitar does not sound like a full sized dreadnaught. Alright, now to the rest. I’ve spent a lot of time researching, testing, and so forth with acoustic guitars. My thoughts immediately say that I need a full sized solid wood dreadnaught guitar but then I remember, I’m not in a band anymore, I don’t play live shows. I play on my couch for fun. While there is no replacement for a dreadnaught, that big booming, room filling sound that’s so magical everything about them is complete overkill for the hobbyist. They are so loud that you can’t play them without disturbing everyone in the vicinity, they’re so big that you can’t hold them comfortably, and that means that you can’t just sit on the couch and strum and for me that means that I won’t be able to play as much. So, I gave up my plans for a big guitar and started to look at other options. I checked the usual suspects including the big baby (which I’ve owned before) but no matter what all of them had laminate bodies. Solid wood was something that I really wanted if possible. That really narrows down the options and to be honest I was really hesitant on a small Martin. I’ve played the little Martin and was not at all impressed, I’ve also owned a back packer and it was absolutely terrible. Those have left a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to smaller guitars from this brand. However, I was willing to consider the junior because of its solid construction and built in… read more tuner. I watched a lot of videos and really didn’t hear a bad thing about them. So, I took the chance. First thing I will say is that it was a good decision. Out of the box it has a very nice gig bag, it’s sort of a soft case rather than a bag, it has neck support, large storage pocket, and seems like a high quality product. Once the bag was opened I was impressed immediately. The instrument is beautiful, the Abalone inlays are understated, they’re dark against the board, almost like they aren’t there unless you look for them but they are beautiful against the black richlite. The top is a very light, almost white spruce as it should be. The back and sides have a nice grain but aren’t what you would call figured. There is black binding around the top which is very elegant, and the abalone continues to an inlay around the sound hole. The wood is not gloss and it isn’t matte. It feels almost unfinished, you can feel the wood with your finger and it’s just so nice. Picking the guitar up I noticed that the action is perfect. I was expecting to have to work the saddle to bring it down to a reasonable level but it was just right. The frets are even with no sharp edges, it was almost in tune! A slight adjustment (using the built in tuner) and I was playing. That’s when I was REALLY impressed. As I opened with, it does NOT sound like a d28! Forget that right here. What it does sound like is a really great acoustic guitar. The sound is balanced and woody, the biggest thing I was afraid of was the “plastic” wound that smaller guitars tend to have but there is none of that here. The notes ring and jump from the guitar, it is responsive to every input, every nuance. It blooms with strumming but also rings with finger picking. It does not have the big boom of a typical Martin but again, I wasn’t really looking for that. It would not hold up in a room full of dreadnoughts but it would be amazing for a regular concert with a single guitar or even a band setting. I haven’t plugged the guitar in yet as that wasn’t my intention with it. The built in tuner is great, works well and is super convenient. Overall I couldn’t really be happier. For what I’m doing this guitar is nearly perfect. Everything is a compromise when you play at home, I went with the smaller body to have more comfort and less volume, that resulted in less bass but, the trade is worth it in my case. Now, don’t get me wrong, this guitar is still quite loud. My wife and daughter commented on how loud it was as soon as I started playing! So, it can handle jams with friends, campfire, whatever you want. In this regard it’s like a 20 watt amp. It’s 80% of what the 100 watt version is. Still very loud but not AS loud, it loses a little in sound but makes up for it with portability and convenience. Overall, Martin did a great job here. If you’re looking for something that would work very well around the house but still allow the flexibility to gig and play with friends this may be the ultimate solution.

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