CF Martin 00028EC

SRich

I've just finished watching "Eric Clapton Slowhand At 70 Live At The Royal Albert Hall" and, although a lot of the content is Strat based (naturally), I was hugely impressed at the tone from his Martin 00028EC. Ebony fretboard gives a wonderful snap and brightness…..
Of course having EC's fingers may help somewhat, but what a lovely guitar (except the EC Signature)...

richardhomer

They're great. The necks are a bit of a handful (with a heavy 'V' in the lower positions) but they have a lovely balanced tone.

AliGorie

I tried a lot of guitars a while back when I was getting back ‘into’ playing, I play solo and fingerpick.
All the boutique ’n small shop offerings - some lovely stuff.
Whilst doing I checked out Martins - you know, the ones theres been a big hoha about over the pond.
NB, I am always when trying out guitars 1: are the ’new’, and what that means in sound and responsiveness. And strings + condition.
The Authentic’s were oh so disappointing £5-6k, I remember thinking that I’d played better Lakewoods and Furch.
I also tried the 000ec,  a sitka / I Rosewood @ about £3k (?).
The Collings and Bourgeois, blew it outa the water.
The Americans seem to buy for different reasons and CFM can sure ’sell’ - endless lists of retro, authentic detailing and appointments. Oh this one is better than that one - it’s gotta be because it’s got upside down back to front shifted annular rings in the vacuum baked braces - the yanks love all that stuff and are prepared to pay for the exclusivity and one upmanship and love to talk about it -yawn.
I have the suspicion blind testing may blow their whole evaluating process apart.
Now on to your point about EC’s ’sound’ - was he playing ‘plugged in’ ?, in which case u’d be hearing his pickup system, through state of the art processing gear manned by a pro sound guy that could make a 300 quid guitar sound ’special’.
Your “Ebony fretboard gives a wonderful snap and brightness” point - or was it a couple of sliders on the mixing desk ?.
go try some £2 - 6k guitars Richard and see what u think.

thomasross20

I've played some very disappointing acoustics costing over £3k+

AuldReekie

thomasross20;1124620" said:

I've played some very disappointing acoustics costing over £3k+

Agree. I compared my Larrivee SD50 TSB with the Collings equivalent and the Larrivee sounded and played better. I funded buying that Larrivee by selling my Santa Cruz D, which was a good guitar, but again, the Larrivee isIMHO a better guitar on all fronts. Over the years, I have sold my Martin, Taylor and Fylde guitars, but the three Larrivees remain as to me, they are better guitars. I have never played a Collings I really liked, the only Bourgeois I played was a second hand dreadnought in Guitar Guitar and it was very disappointing. I also prefer my MciLroy to any Lowden that I have played. If I was going to pay serious money for an acoustic again, I would buy second hand made by one off the small independent builders who make great guitars but don't tend to hold their value. My Nigel Forster model C is simply the best acoustic I have ever played. Lesson - don't judge a guitar by the name on the headstock

thomasross20

You know the hard case fory costs about £200. I got the case with the guitar for £800, so £600 for the guitar. It's unreal!!

I definitely would not buy an acoustic untried. A shame as I'd like to see what higher end larrivee are like.

I think part of the problem is the setup. Most seem to have gauge 2000 strings and string height is from here to the moon. But no, not just that... larrivee just sound better, too.

Nigel model C... I'll check it!

AuldReekie

thomasross20;1124939" said:

You know the hard case fory costs about £200. I got the case with the guitar for £800, so £600 for the guitar. It's unreal!!

I definitely would not buy an acoustic untried. A shame as I'd like to see what higher end larrivee are like.

I think part of the problem is the setup. Most seem to have gauge 2000 strings and string height is from here to the moon. But no, not just that... larrivee just sound better, too.

Nigel model C... I'll check it!

Have sent you a pm

thomasross20

Got it, cheers 8)

Evilmags

He uses a 600 quid pickup in it. 

Lewy

Evilmags said:

He uses a 600 quid pickup in it. 

What is it?

Gassage

I have a Martin EC00028BW and I will give a very honest view

1. It's not massively loud compared to a Lowden.
2. it is hugely balanced tonally
3. The cowboy end has a huge V to it but it makes chords very quick at that end.
4. The Fishman is sensational in it (after market fit on mine)
5, It's got real snap due to ebony.

However- where it scores heaviest isn't the tone, but the feel and the ease for which it works for an electric player swtiching from it.

There's many acoustics I like better acoustically but as an all rounder it's nigh on unbeatable.

AliGorie

Gassage said:

5, It's got real snap due to ebony.

good to  get a n owners view on an instrument rather than the usual sales pitch or magazine 'review' which I see as being 'advertisements' of products by company's who advertise their products in 'magazines.

No. 5, here is this very odd claim again - where did this come from ? - did clapo or someone say this in a 'review', it just doesn't make sense  - 'SNAP' would indicate an aggressive 'attack' and fast 'decay' and quick 'release' of the note somewhat like a Gypsy jazz guitar. It's common knowledge that 'note dynamics' are produced in the soundboard / bracing system (and ultimately the player).
Or - couldn't it just be because of a low action limiting the strings 'excursion' ?.
 

Gassage

AliGorie said:

Gassage said:

5, It's got real snap due to ebony.

good to  get a n owners view on an instrument rather than the usual sales pitch or magazine 'review' which I see as being 'advertisements' of products by company's who advertise their products in 'magazines.

No. 5, here is this very odd claim again - where did this come from ? - did clapo or someone say this in a 'review', it just doesn't make sense  - 'SNAP' would indicate an aggressive 'attack' and fast 'decay' and quick 'release' of the note somewhat like a Gypsy jazz guitar. It's common knowledge that 'note dynamics' are produced in the soundboard / bracing system (and ultimately the player).
Or - couldn't it just be because of a low action limiting the strings 'excursion' ?.
 

I had to go and play it to see what I meant- enhanced mids and highs is a better way.

crunchman

Fretboard wood does make a difference to the sound.  It's subtle and it's small compared with the body woods but there is definitely an effect.

Ebony feels nice as well.

If @Gassage has now got a BRW one then has he sold my old IRW one on?

Gassage

crunchman said:

Fretboard wood does make a difference to the sound.  It's subtle and it's small compared with the body woods but there is definitely an effect.

Ebony feels nice as well.

If @Gassage has now got a BRW one then has he sold my old IRW one on?

Yup- p-exed with Charlie C.

AliGorie

odd that, I've found how I fingerpick / play a note / notes can override 'subtle' differences 'components' may affect tone / response.
I have a (well made) deep body'd 'OM' with a Pau Ferro, (sometimes called Morado, Bolivian Rosewood, Santos Rosewood) f/board and bridge - specific gravity of .70 - .80, so in the rosewood territory and it can 'snap' with 'brightness' with the best of them - depending how I play it.
I'm talking 'acoustics' here - electrics react diferently.

BTW, I do think bridge material (and weight) affect the way the notes are formed, I like medium density .70 - .80 (Brazilian r/w territory) - it may be cause my main guitar has a brw bridge and I've been playing it for 30 years - thats the kinda 'sound' I become used to working with. I chose the guitar with the Pau Ferro bridge for it's sound - I'd not seen the spec.
I find it very entertaining that on the OLF forum makers consider the 'soundboard system' so fastidiously - eg ,materials, dimensions, placement and weights of things like - bridge plate + bridge, soundboard, bracing etc, yeah they even weigh these components and you get guitar factory owners saying they were inspired by a Spanish maker 'fan bracing' (put an exclusive name in here) from a hundred years ago and seems to be oblivious to what actually makes the acoustic guitar work.

E.g. heres what Alan Carruth has to say re. bridge plates -
"Of course the mass, stiffness, and damping of the plate make a difference in the sound, although I think it would be very difficult to isolate the effect."