Martin CEO-7 Acoustic Guitar - Autumn Sunset Burst Reviews

Bought this guitar and didn't appreciate what was coming, Amazing tone, super flexible for whatever style you are wanting to play. Every time I play this guitar I get a compliment on the sound. Thumbs way up!!!!

This is a precision instrument. The sound is exquisite. For me, a non pick strummer, this guitar is an ultimate whisperer with the sweetest pitch I've ever heard. In over 40 years I never found the perfect tone of my '78 Yamaha, though I've found very fine guitars since. This little CEO however, brought me right back to what got me to love playing guitar from the start. It is LOVELY!!! Even my husband who does not play an instrument was drawn to it and plucked a few strings. He said it made even him sound good. It is an extraordinary guitar. Hands down. Some guitars are meant for large crowds and some are meant for just the player. To me, this feels like it is just me and this guitar against the world. I love it so much. Sturdy, perfectly built and no electronics. An ultimate acoustic.

I absolutely love this guitar. It's like Mana from the heavens. Sounds so good. I names I'm Chuck for the C shaped stain inconsistency on the neck. I've always wanted a Martin AND a smaller body burst acoustic ever since I stared listening to acoustic blues and saw pics of thise vintage Gibson L-00. The CEO -7 ticked both boxes. Hell yeah. It's super comfortable, looks so amazing, but the sound… oh the sound. Loud for its size, but very balanced. Great for fingerstyle, but I strum lots of rock songs on Chuck and it always cuts through. It might need a pickup if I were to play out more.
To be honest I'm more of a Rock/blues electric player, but the CEO7 is my favorite guitar I've ever owned. I play it everyday and it's usually the first guitar I pick up. I love sitting on my front porch or back deck playing slide and letting loose on the
CEO -7. This and my Les Paul are the two guitars I'll never get rid of. It's that good.
Do yourself a favor and check one out. You won't regret it.

Guitar from the Beatles Yesterday movie. That should be enough said because I don't think it was a paid endorsement. I bought it from SW. I love it. It's super responsive from the top and well balanced from bass to treble. This is my couch guitar and does everything an acoustic should do. Sounds huge like a dread when you want to dig in loud with a pick. Sounds even better fingerstyle or hybrid picking. I have a Gibson Songwriter and om-28 but I love this guitar for the natural balanced tone. I picked it out over a oogibson or Waterloo oo. Then Waterloo sounds a bit more classic 30s but the ceo7 is better for almost everything you want to play.

I have owned many Martins in my 55 years of playing guitar, but the CEO-7 is by far the best decision I have ever made buying a guitar. I wanted a 00 body size and was considering the 00-18 Custom as well because of the modified low profile neck which I have on my other Martin (000-16 RGT custom, 2001). I love the feel of the modified low profile, but I was drawn by all the features of the CEO-7 and the reviews as well. I was unsure about the modified V neck, but when I spoke with the sales rep at Sweetwater, he asked if I was a thumb wrapper and I said yes. He told me I would love the V neck. That was all I needed to hear. I ordered it on the spot and received it three days later. It was packed perfectly and when I took it out of the case, it needed minimal tuning. I played several songs and my wife and I were both crying it sounded so beautiful. It has the warmness and woodiness of a pre-war D-28, and the sound is balanced from bass notes all the way up the neck. The intonation is flawless, the whole set-up a tribute the the 55-point inspection Sweetwater promises. They even threw in the humidipak for no extra charge. If you're on the fence, I hope this will convince you to go with the CEO-7.

I have an OM-28 but it just didn't have enough low end for me.
The CEO-7 has a very nice punchy low end and feels like my OM-28 when I hold it.
It's very close to the same size with the exception of the sloped shoulder and the shorter scale length.
The neck is a little wider but it's easy to get used to and it plays really easy.
It's a great guitar and it looks great too.
It's the one I've been looking for.
I can't say enough about how much I like this guitar.
Also, Dennis Konicki is a great sales guy.
He's always set me in the right direction on everything I've bought from Sweetwater.
You can believe all the great reviews about this guitar.
My new CEO-7 gets 5 Stars and then some!!!

I've been blessed to have owned (and still own) some amazing acoustics over the past 40 years from makers like Froggy Bottom, Santa Cruz, Martin, Taylor, David Flammang, Dermot Mcilroy etc. If the CEO 7 had been available 40 years ago, most of the other purchases would not have taken place. There's a reason the CEO 7 is still in production..... it's amazing. Build quality is exceptional and it's ridiculously comfortable to play. Now on to the important part..the sound quality. It is simply amazing. The guitar is light as a feather (under 4 pounds) and is highly responsive and harmonically rich..just as good as my Froggy Bottom Model M which cost more than double. This is a fingerstyle monster. BUT WAIT..it also stands up amazingly well to a pick both while flat picking and strumming. This guitar has punching power and depth. In Summary - After all these years and thousands of dollars spent searching, I've found my desert island acoustic.

Just taking a break from playing my new guitar to write this review.

I'd been waiting a while to see this model Martin in stock again, they sell out fast. When I saw the current inventory of 4, CEO 7 guitars, they were all sold in one day, I'm very happy I got one of them.

Specifications of short scale, 00 sized with 1 3/4 nut and 2 5/16 at bridge fits right in my wheel house. This guitar didn't disappoint at all, out of the box was impressive, a few setup tweaks and the playability is great, love the V shape neck and standard taper.

If you're looking for a sweet 00 guitar that sounds great and plays fantastic, pick one of these up when you see them available.

Transaction and support from Sweetwater is another thing that consistently exceeds my expectations.

I purchased this guitar just before Christmas of 2021. As I have evolved in my guitar playing,I find smaller bodied guitars much more to my liking. The CEO-7 is a 00, a smaller bodied guitar. A smaller sized guitar, but not lacking in tone or volume. It is perfectly suited to comfortable playing and the fatigue factor is much less with the CEO-7 as compared to playing one of my Dreadnought's. Extremely well packed and promptly shipped. I did have a issue with FedEx, but one call to my long-time sales engineer, JOHN TONELLO and the problem was promptly resolved. I recommend John Tonello to everyone because he has the experience and training to get the gear you need,to you, and is there after the sale to back you up, in the unlikely event help is needed.Sweetwater has treated me well over the years and I am completely satisfied with this company. Tom in Wisconsin

Buying this guitar is dangerous because it might cause you to forget about your other acoustics. The body size and neck shape are so comfortable that I can play it for hours without any pain. It sounds incredible with light fingerpicking, heavy strumming, and everything in between. Plus, it's gorgeous. I had to wait a long time for one to arrive from the Martin factory, but it was totally worth the wait. As always, thanks to Josh Hacker for his help and patience! This has quickly become my #1 acoustic.

SOUND: I've always been a Gibson guy. Have a 75th Anniversary Advanced Jumbo, ES-335 and a J-45 prior to the AJ. I've played many Martins but never found one I liked...until now! To my ears Martin has a more refined sound, but I prefer the raw sound of a Gibson acoustic. The CEO-7 is like the perfect marriage of both. Beautiful vintage woody tone, amazing volume and projection...unreal for how small the guitar is! It has that Martin compression and balance to an extent but also that raw Gibson tone at the same time. Records like a dream, so easy to get a great sound. Found my AJ too loud and boomy to record well. The CEO-7 is also extremely versatile....fingerstyle, flat picking, strumming all sound great.

LOOKS: Very nice looking guitar. I agree that the tuners stick quite a bit, but they look too good that I may not change them. The burst and cream binding is so much nicer in person than in the photos online. Another reason I've not been a fan of Martin is the natural tops. Love the vintage sunburst look.

CHANGES: I put the Martin Luxe liquid metal bridge pins on it (Turkish Emery), had the guitar professionally set-up with medium Martin Retro strings and had a K&K Pure Mini installed. All fantastic upgrades and the guitar now sounds even better live and plugged in.

I'm a one guitar kind of guy (one acoustic and one electric). Looks like I'll be selling my AJ...The CEO-7 is the one for me!

Small axe with a big timber! This guitar is stunning and great to play. Great for finger picking and strums really loud. Great job Martin!

I feel for the money this guitar is a steal! The guitar for one looks amazing, the finish and color is awesome. The playability is great, neck is nice and comfortable. The sound is amazing! My brother and I were playing some and I have a collings Julian lage w/ Adirondack top - I hate to say it but the sound "spectrum" is way broader on the Martin, in fact its making me consider trading my collings for the modern deluxe d-28. I honestly think for the money you can't beat this guitar, the sound is amazing. It has a "growl" to it and just is a joy to play. Id say if you can get one get this guitar - I feel its one of those hidden gems that martin has, and its not super expensive either. I really enjoy it

The best way I can describe,

It reminds me of a grand piano

I mean I've got strings on this thing that are so old that need to be changed and I'm not tempted to even begin to change so I can imagine what some great strings are going to sound like incredible guitar I am so blessed this is my acoustic worship guitar for days

After lots of research and thinking about this guitar for a while I made the right choice. For me its a guitar I just love to play. I have several other Martins and I started with strats but this is the one I really can't put down.

Every purchase with Jeff Green is handled with careful attention and great advice, I've trusted him to
advise me well for many years now and I know I can count on his excellent suggestions.

The reviews are right, amazing tone, great neck, a pleasure to play and a good value too. I didn't see it as a smaller guitar, its got a big ole bottom, but that makes for a round low end. All the notes are robust and defined. I love the look of this beauty and I'm sure all involved in the crafting of this are proud of such an instrument.

This is a ridiculously great guitar, everything about it just works, feels and sounds very authentic! Thx you to my sales engineer Randy for making this happen!

This guitar is a pleasure to play. I own Martins and this guitar is as fine an instrument as any Martin or other guitar I own. My guy Cris had been advising me about it for at least a year, when I finally decided to purchase. The ease of play, neck great, and tonal palette are simply amazing, Woody and shimmering are the best I can describe. Cris is a great guy, no pressure and really has taken the time to learn what I can play
and what would not work for me. Older player hand problems. I recommend Cris and Sweetwater and trust both, they go the extra mile to keep my business. I really like this guitar as you may have noticed.

For over 50 years of playing, I've never owned a mahogany guitar. Mostly rosewood with the occasional more exotic such as very curly maple and solid top, back and sides koa wood. I do have a couple of guitars with ovangkol which sounds a lot like rosewood. But..............this guitar blows me away. Don't know if it's the bracing or the Adirondack top or the genuine mahogany. Perhaps a combination of all three. Three months before I bought this guitar I finally pulled the pin on a 000-28 and I thought I had my forever guitar. But now it's hard for me to decide which one I want to play the most. The 28 has a nice balanced tone, but the CEO has more balls. Volume for days. So now I guess I have two forever favorites. I suppose it's time to thin out the herd and stick with these two gems. But for pure sound I almost have to give the nod to this, the CEO-7. For playability, the 000-28.

I went through 4 guitars (all fine instruments) to get to this one. I did my research, read customer & editorial reviews, and viewed online videos. At the end of the day (a 2 month journey), the CEO-7 outplayed them all: tonal quality, response, balance, sustain and volume. It's very resonant. It actually hums, sings and vibrates. It has an open, airy sound quality that just gushes out when played. It surprised me. It's a fine strummer, fingerpicker and flatpicker. It covers alot of bases well. This is the finest instrument I've ever owned, and I've been through more than a few over the years.
For players concerned about the Modified V neck, don't be. It's different than what I've been used to, but in a good way. I adjusted very easily and quickly. I'm a female player, just a tad smaller in stature than average, and find this guitar very comfortable to handle and maneuver around. It's gorgeous. It plays well and sounds good. What more can one ask for?
Special thanks to Dan Robinson - Sales Engineer extraordinaire! His advice, patience and expertise made this whole process a pleasure. And thanks to Sweetwater for posting high definition photographs of the actual instruments they sell. It's a great service to customers buying online.

I was considering 3 guitars, a 00-15 Retro, a 00L-17, and the CEO-7. I listened to all three and the CEO-7 just had the fullest tone. I ordered mine and was initially expecting a long delay, but Sweetwater was able to get me one in just a few days. The sound is incredible. It must be the Adirondack top because this guitar has a lot of volume. It is better sounding than my HD-28. The resonance and sustain are superb. I love the neck, I have an Alvarez Delta and the neck is nearly identical to that. The finish is perfect and the aroma from the wood is intoxicating. I could not be happier with my choice.

This guitar is awesome! I have an HD-28 which I love also, but I think the HD-28 just got bumped to second place. Love the V neck and the smaller body. Can"t say enough about this guitar. Thanks Ryan Clapper from Sweetwater

After consulting with my sales engineer at Sweetwater , I ordered a CEO7 and I"m glad I did! This little guitar is beautiful and huge sounding. I honestly don"t know how they did it.
My guitar is sipo back and side versus genuine mahogany and I don"t care. It looks and plays wonderfully. Best guitar purchase I"ve ever made

bought this in march. I have a 1970 D-28 bought it in Warrensburg Mo. new. sold my then 68 J-50. I've had several instrument ,but always kept the Martin.. loving the full sound of a dreadnaught, you just can not get that in a smaller guitar.. I have been mainly a flat picker. few years ago I started finger picking . This led me to wanting a smaller body and a wider neck. Not having a lot of excess cash I consumed all I could about 00 sized bodies and different necks. Well 3 yrs ago I went to a Taylor road show . I got a 12 fret custom , beautiful ,great big tone, lots of superlatives , but mainly I felt a finger pickers guitar and not the best fit for me. Time passes and I had taken a pause ! When I won a Taylor 514 ( WOW) thanks ,Folk Alley Radio, anyhow, I started playing again. Then I got a new Sweetwater catalog and their it was, and even in sunburst too. I now have my D28 a CEO7, a514 and custom12 fret ,abalone rosette bloodwood binding , running horse inlay fret board.and a GS mini. I have not played any but that new little Marty. ( wow, wow, wow.) This is my guitar. 14 fret short scale, ( room to go up neck without that high string tension) lots of spacing between strings for flat pick or fingers. ( yes the unwound strings can't be plucked quit as hard wth the lite tension) Elixir makes string set with a heaver 1st and 2nd that works. Remember it isn't a big guitar! But it still sounds pretty darn big, maybe that has to do with the sweet full tone that comes from the Adi and Mohogany pairing. sounds like a Martin This little acoustic axe is one of the nicest most versatile that I ever had . I have been playing 50 + yrs and I no longer have acoustic GAS. this guitar IS teaching this old dog new tricks. If you don't like the CEO7 it's not the guitars fault.

Bought this guitar after an exhaustive search of acoustics in the $2-3k range.
I looked closely at rosewood, mahogany, sapele, maple, etc. All the major brands.
Came very close to buying a Gibson J45 and a couple Martin dreadnoughts, but I could not deny the CEO7.
It is now my #1 guitar for playing live and recording. And practicing. And writing. And therapy after a long day.
It is loud. So loud for a smaller-body guitar. Punchy, which is great because I play bluesy and aggressive. And I just love the tone. Bassy and rich. Love the clarity. Love the brightness. Love the neck (and I normally scoff at V-shape necks). Love how little it weighs.

If you want a dreadnought or big-body sound, this can do it. But it's different. Maybe not quite as balanced as a full dread. But eventually I realized that I wanted something different.
Plus I have a 20-yr old American made dreadnought, and can get my dread fix whenever necessary.

Had a Fishman pickup/preamp installed and it works great. Totally works. Will be playing this guitar weekly on stages.

You just have to play this thing. I've read lots of criticism of previous CEO models, and lots of Gibson lovers' reviews that remind us this guitar is a knock-off of the 30's era Gibsons. Whatever. That's cool. Martin crushed it with the 7.
I had a thought the other day that if I go on the road and have to bring a back-up, I might just get another CEO7.
It's the real deal.

This is a great guitar for the price if you are looking for something with a short scale length and wide string spacing. I was not sure I would like the v shaped neck; but, after playing it for a while I do like it. The service at Sweetwater, as always was excellent.

I am truly blown away by this little guitar. The projection that it has for such a small body, in addition to the even response across the tonal spectrum has made this 00 sized guitar my new go-to. I installed a K&K Pure Mini in it and played with it live for the first time last night. It sounded so good that my sound guy commented that it was like listening to a really good acoustic recording. I would highly recommend this little guy, whether you're a couch player or a stage musician. You will not be disappointed.

When I first receive my CEO-7, my pick guard seem to be rough around the edges till I discovered the protective film that covers the pick guard. Once I removed it , it became nice and smooth.

Wow!!!! What else can I say. The sound that comes out of this small box is unbelievable. This is now my #1 guitar. I needed a smaller guitar because my shoulders bother me and I tried a smaller Gibson but it didn't have the volume. So I took a chance on this after reading the other reviews. I'm not disappointed. This has the volume near a jumbo guitar. How Martin did it is probably a trade secret. Kudos to them!

If you're looking at this, you understand that once you own this guitar, you'll eventually hand it down to someone you know and appreciate.

Once Martin stops making these CEO-7 guitars, they'll become a collector's item...and for a reason.

I picked up my first CEO-7 at the local guitar chain.
I realized that I had to own one shortly after picking up this broken-in showroom piece.

Each CEO-7 comes loaded with it's own set of un-written songs...

After purchasing many pieces of gear from Sweetwater over the past 4 years, this was the first guitar that I purchaed.

5 stars!!
100%
Every time...

I own several very good acoustic guitars, mostly Martin, Gibson, Taylor and this one has the high ground. First off, Martin quality is by far better than most acoustic guitar companies; their attention to detail is superior to most. Only Taylor would be comparable as in you wouldn't find any flaws, scratches, glue build-up, ect.
Secondly, what held me off on the initial purchase was the tuners and the neck; however, my salesperson Josh Estock assured me the neck is very player friendly, and he was correct. I was accustomed to the low profile 1-1/16 neck on my HD-28, but now I prefer the neck on this guitar. The tuners are good, not great. Way better than the open gear tuners on my Gibson (changed already) but may need to be replaced if someone planned on doing any heavy gigging.
Finally, TONE! it is a tone monster. Nothing I've played recently compares. I installed an LR Baggs Anthemn, and EQ'd absolutely nothing.
Very satisfied with my purchase, and Sweetwater is the best music store on the planet...period!

Martin hit this model out of the park.. I've owned the CEO-7 for a year, and it is more pleasing every day, on every level; sound, sight, touch, smell - WOW. It is very easy to find "the slot", or a comfortable playing position with this model. Parlor sized, sloped shoulder, with red spruce, mahogany, and ebony. The neck is comfortable and playable with a smooth and well spaced fingerboard, and the sustain on this beauty if just wonderful. It really does play like a dream. Your only problem will be not wanting to put it down!

L-00 Gibson when Martin Makes it. I love and own Gibsons, but the CEO-7 is a must! For a only guitar or in your guitar corral. You just can't miss! Martin had a Honduran availability issue so they used Cipo from Africa. Voila a amazing fortiatist match made above. This Mahogany loses nothing and maybe sparkles more. Hear it on One Manz Guitar then call Karl!

I'm surprised by the lack of ratings for this guitar considering all the stellar remarks you will find with a short Google search. I have owned my CEO-7 for just over a month. It comes with a nice set up right out of the case. The case is a nice plush style like the ones for the 000-28ec. It shines as a finger picker, but I have enjoyed strumming on it also. It has a surprising amount of bass for such a little guitar. Such a joy to play sitting back on the couch. Great projection. Clean minds and highs. It may look like a Gibson but it sounds like a Martin. You may be concerned about the modified V neck. You shouldn't be. I have small hands and I find this the most comfortable neck I have ever played. I don't get hand fatigue at all even with hours of straight playing. I also own an HD-28 with the low profile neck and I still prefer this modified V. It isn't as boomy as the HD-28 but that isn't what this guitar was designed for. Even though it isn't as loud as a dread it plays a lot louder than you would expect. Just love this guitar. The only thing I can complain about is that this is a smudge machine. It will show every sweat mark and finger smudge, but that is the trade off for such a beautiful burst. My Sweetwater Engineer, Mark Thompson, was great to work with as always.

Bought my CEO-7 because of reviews and videos I saw of it. It looked and sounded great on the reviews and although they were mic'd, I figured if it sounded close to that good it would be worth it. I was wrong on that point as it sounded every bit as good when I got it (right out of the box). Notes were clear and very Martin sounding, and the sustain was better than my "played in" Martin OM-28. This is a fantastic guitar for the price and one I'll pass down to son and grandson. Oh yes, the woods and finish on this guitar are excellent as is the over all look. It makes you want to play it.

I received the Martin CEO-7 today and it lived up to my expectations in every way except one. The pick guard has the roughest edge I have ever seen on a guitar. It appears they had it cut on the band saw at the local high school shop class. It makes no difference to playability and not much to appearance but I expect more from Martin, especially if it has the bosses name on it.

As for Sweetwater, this is my third guitar purchase and each time they have exceeded my expectations. Thanks again, Ben.