Dream Guitar Day!

[Boogie Bill]

Not going to post any pictures, but I have had my eye on getting a Martin HD-28E Retro since they were introduced.

Well, Merry Christmas to me from my sweetheart!

It truly is a dream guitar--exquisite tone and as perfect as a man-made object can be. The Fishman F1 Aura totally delivers...everything you've heard about this system is true. I've never been impressed with the Taylor Expression System...this is the most natural sound I've ever heard from an acoustic pickup. And the neck and action...amazing! I think I'm gonna have a Taylor 710CE for sale pretty soon!

Got to add, I was nervous about ordering it, but my guys at my local Guitar Center gave me a great deal and treated me like royalty...like they always do. Nothing but good things to say. I really value the relationship I have with them.

Gotta go play some more.

"I'm a pickin'...and I'm a grinnin'!"

Bill

 

[Sprinter]

Re: Dream Guitar Day!

Congratulations! The HD-28E Retro is a great guitar.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Dream Guitar Day!

oh my congrats

shame we don't get to see it

the electronics in my 000CE1 make my Martin sound like a really loud acoustic when amplified

I have not been disappointed with mine at all

so

I saw those in the MF catalog

is this the one with the onboard tuner and such?

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Dream Guitar Day!

Yes, I love the convenience of the onboard tuner, but the processing power of the Aura F-1 is amazing. Simple to run, but you can go really deep into it.

Bill

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Dream Guitar Day!

Yes, I love the convenience of the onboard tuner, but the processing power of the Aura F-1 is amazing. Simple to run, but you can go really deep into it.

Bill

Speak more of this processing of which you speak

*(Sent from my durned phone!)*

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Dream Guitar Day!

I haven't gotten into it yet, but they tell me that along with the other goodies, the F1+ Aura has compression and anti-feedback filters. There are three basic preset images (which sound pretty darn good to me), and then several others, all of which can be tweaked. These sonic images on this particular model were done using vintage microphones from a collector, recording one of the pre-war Martin D-28s from the Martin Museum.

I have a Taylor 710CE with the Fishman Matrix Blend preamp, and it can get good sounds, but it is tinky to work with; it takes a bit of effort. Unfortunately, that guitar just simply doesn't have the warmth or the power of the Martin dread, and it shows in the amplified tone as well. When I started to use my Martin DC Aura (which has a previous version of the F1+Aura) the difference was immediately noticeable, as it gave off a much more natural plugged-in acoustic tone. And it wasn't just obvious to me--my friends heard it too.

I also have a couple other acoustic guitars with preamps. My Takamine EF-381 12-strings have their CTB-4 preamp, and that's a good match for those guitars. Been very happy with them. I also have an inexpensive Ibanez Artwood, with the basic Fishman preamp of its day, and it works about as well as can be expected.

I have never liked the Taylor Expression system, as I mentioned above. A few years ago I bought a beautiful cocobolo Taylor dreadnought, but I could not get the ES to work right--it sounded like position two on a Strat...a really quacky and unpleasant out-of-phase tonality. Went round and round with Taylor's so-called "Customer Service", but they never did anything to help me, so I took it back. Acoustically, the guitar was a monster, but the poor performance of the ES killed it for me.

There are a lot of review and videos out there of the new Martin Retro Series guitars. Definitely check them out.

Bill

 

[CTN]

Re: Dream Guitar Day!

Not going to post any pictures, but...

Well, I'm outta here. BYE!













kidding. Congrats bro! Play until them calluses rip open!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Dream Guitar Day!

You've got the perfect Martin IMO.

I have a 2001 D-28 that I love, but it's very limiting without a pickup system.

I had to youtube the HD-28E Retro.

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: Dream Guitar Day!

Happy new dream guitar

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Dream Guitar Day!

Gearjoneser, I also have a Standard Series D-28 from 2002, and I added a Fishman Ellipse Blend to it. The FEB uses a UST and a Mic, and works pretty well. I'm very happy with it. They also make the Ellipse Aura which allows you to load images in an onboard preamp.

Last year I bought the Fishman Aura DI to use with my guitars, but I haven't had the chance to do use it live. It puts the processing on the floor and will work with just about any amplified acoustic instrument. The F-1+ Aura in the Retro guitars has fewer, different, presets....mated to a great guitar. I had stuff that was working for me, but I just couldn't resist having the onboard system in this guitar. It truly is a magnificent instrument.

But for anyone looking to amplify an acoustic guitar, and wants a natural acoustic tone, I'm sold on the Aura system.

Bill