Modern playability meets vintage soul with Martin’s latest dreadnought body.
C.F Martin & Co – or Martin Guitars, as most know them – was founded in 1833. The company has been around for almost 200 years, and that’s about how long it took me to get my hands on one of their guitars for the first time.
They say first impressions are the most important, and Martin left a lasting one on me with their new DE Retro Plus Mahogany, part of their Road Series. Acoustic guitars are great to look at and hold, but they’re made to be played above all else. The first thing you notice about this guitar is the playability. There’s no break-in period, no setup session or tweaking. Straight out of the gig bag, it plays like you’re speaking to an old friend. One you haven’t seen in years, who picks up the conversation exactly where you left it last time.
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The action is low with no buzz, strings are super plucky and responsive and there’s no need for heavy-handedness. Your fingers do a little and the guitar does the rest. The fretwork is exceptional, which isn’t always the case for a new guitar. Fret ends are smooth to touch and the crowning and levelling straight out of the bag is noticeable. There’s a real sense of craftsmanship about the DE Retro Plus – and that’s what you should feel when you unwrap a quality acoustic instrument.
The dreadnought body gives your playing warmth, cathedral-like resonance and excellent volume and sustain. There’s a heap of dynamic variance on offer here, particularly for an acoustic guitar, and the body dimensions mean you’re not struggling to reach around like on some dreadnought shapes.
This DE Retro Plus is built with a torrefied spruce top, ebony fretboard and bridge and a mahogany body. A matte finish on the back of the neck adds to playability, and the contrast of the spruce with the polished mahogany back looks great. Moving to the headstock, you’ll find the classic Martin squared-off shape that’s instantly recognisable. There are also vintage-style Grover tuners that provide excellent stability and add to the guitar’s retro look and feel.
Both the visual and tonal characteristics of this guitar come from Martin’s aging processes. The spruce top is thermally aged to help achieve a broken-in sound that you can typically only get from a truly vintage guitar. The fretboard has also been visually aged, so there’s some variance in light and darker patches of wood – plus the pearl inlays are darker as a result, which really adds to the vintage style of the instrument. The combination of all the retro elements executed properly on a new guitar makes you feel as if you’ve travelled back in time when you strum it.
What snaps you out of your nostalgia trip is how light this thing is, which isn’t the case with a lot of vintage guitars. The warmth and resonance you get from something that’s super gig-friendly and easy on your back is noticeable. It’s impressive that it’s so lightweight, considering that the DE Retro Plus has a built-in pickup for when you want to plug in at a show or shape your tone at home. The volume and tone controls are subtly tucked away inside the sound hole and they barely leave a footprint. Small sliders control both and there’s great range at each end of the scale. The pickup is battery-powered and inserts along with your lead at the base of the body. I didn’t get to gig with this thing, but running it through my amp at home showcased how rich you can get it to sound. I’d love to hear one live and mixed properly.
If you are taking the DE Retro Plus to a show, the included gig bag is one of the better examples I’ve seen. The outside has a tear-resistant material and waterproof zips, backpack-style straps and a couple of storage pockets. Inside is a thick layer of foam padding, a pillow for the neck and a lush, velvety blue lining. I’d sleep in here if I could.
Martin’s website says this guitar is “not your grandparents’ guitar but might one day be your grandkid’s,” and it’s hard to argue with this sentiment. It has a vintage charm about it that invokes a certain image or feeling – at least to me. And I think that’s an important factor in determining whether a guitar is right for you or not.
The first strum when you pick up a DE Retro Plus transports you to the front porch of a farmhouse, plucking away on your grandfather’s guitar on a balmy summer night, watching the sunset while the crickets chirp. There are plenty of well-made guitars that play great, though they can often lack character. This guitar from Martin delivers on modern playability without a compromise on soul – it strikes a wonderful balance of both and leaves a lasting impression on the player.
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your acoustic sound or get into a modern workhorse that’s as comfortable plugged in at a gig as it is on your grandad’s porch, the DE Retro Plus is a winner. A player’s guitar that will strike a chord with both gigging musicians and enthusiast collectors.
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