Martin D-10E Road Series Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural Reviews

This guitar is worth the price.
Plays great and sounds even better. The neck is fantastic smooth as silk. It arrived well packaged and in perfect condition. I've bought serval guitars from Sweetwater and each time has been great. My sales associate Zach Mauer rocks it out every time. Thanks Sweetwater!

As always great service , the guitar was tuned and ready to roll right out of the case. Love the guitar and great service with Aaron as always.

The team at Sweetwater were all excellent. I had a minor issue with my guitar and they dealt with it promptly. The gave me options and I was very happy with the result! Service is top notch and the people are quick to help. Can't find that many places anymore. The guitar is great I am a hack but it make my old guitar sound like it is from a toy store. Very new to me but it is great so far! Do the research yourself but solid wood at this price hard to find. I doubt it is my last guitar and would buy from them again.

I'll make this first comment short and to the point. The D-10E is worth every penny you'll pay for it. I have owned several Martins over the years and they never fail to impress me. The sound on this guitar is pure MARTIN. Great bass and brilliant highs. It's made of wood not HPL which to my ear does not cut it. The D10 has a spruce top and Sapele body. It resonates like a Martin should. Frankly. either without an amp or with one the guitar will out perform anything in its class, IMO. If I could afford a high end D-28 or better I'd rather have one but given that most of us are not rich, we take the best we can afford for the money. The price is right. There should be no question about quality even though it prominently says Made in Mexico in the sound hole. I'm sure Martin has its pros down there supervising every Mexican made Martin so the quality is a given. It has a built in tuner that's a nice touch. When you turn it on it mutes the line out to amp so you can tune without distracting amp sound affecting the tuner. This will probably be the last guitar I buy unless this one is stolen (I hope not). It's all I need for my limited performances and open mic sessions around town. I made one change right away: I don't know what gauge strings comes standard on the D-10E guitar but they are rather on the heavy side which affects my playing so I changed them immediately for a set of Martin custom light strings model MA130FX silk and phosphor. Not a big change in sound but easier on my fingers than the ones that comes with it. Finally, they kindly included a cloth/canvas plush lined gig bag that's fairly substantial. I wouldn't trust it in the baggage compartment of an airline but it's fine for carrying it around in your car. Free shipping helped my decision to buy from Sweetwater. It came in three days beautifully packed.

This is is an excellent playing and sound guitar. Great experience buying thru sweet Water, the 55 point inspection works! My first Martin , all wood, all good!

Unbelievable Martin sound finally without breaking the bank!!! Love it, love it, love it. Arrived tuned 1/2 step down, packaged perfectly and right out of the box sounding great. Craftsmanship top-notch. Softshell case is very nice too without being flimsy or faddish. Thank you Martin. Thank you Sweetwater :)

Stop looking and buy it! One of the best guitars I ever bought . Quality second to none.Plus the case is better than you can buy! Martin Co .did it again , got great compliments. Love the look and feel , you won't be disappointed!

I was looking for something that could go where I go. I play in strange places indoors and outdoors. Places one may not want to bring their HD-28 VR. This foots the bill well. No compromise on Martin quality, or sound. Sounds great through the Fishman loudbox. This is on the way to becoming my go to guitar. No complaints!

Beautiful guitar. I bought it for what I expected - it's beautiful sound. It does have a rich melodious tone that makes me want to play it over and over. It's a beautiful instrument with rich tone and I love it!

My new D10 feels absolutely exquisite along its sleek neck and fretboard. The sound is everything I hoped for at a price that put a Martin within reach of my budget.

I thanked Jeff Bohannon, my sales engineer, for his help in navigating the choices among the Road Series guitars, and 60 hours later my sweet-sounding Martin was on my doorstep.

Thanks Sweetwater. I have a great relationship with other online music businesses, but I trust my guitar buying to your company alone.

So after playing guitar for more than 30yrs, this is my first Martin. Very weird considering my father sang and played with a Martin F-65 (rare semi-hollow body, only about 600 made) most of his life. I've lived all my life usually not more than 2 hours from the factory, and for most of that time less than an hour. I've taken the factory tour which was awesome. I've met many musicians that play Martins, endorse them, etc. I wanted to buy a new acoustic, and support a local and legendary guitar company that deserves my money before a lot of other guitar companies out there.


I've been playing the last year or so on a Fender acoustic(not including my electrics that I own or play), which is a decent enough instrument, albeit a cheap sub 300$ guitar, when I purchased it over a year ago. I have owned a few other acoustics, a couple Takamines, Fenders, Ibanez, Ovations etc over the years. I won't say I have any considerable experience with 1k and up acoustic guitars, but I like to believe I have at least a decent ear.

The sound is really the thing here, as this is not an ornate guitar with fancy inlays and stuff like that. Still, one of the main reasons I chose this model is because it's solid wood. I have no experience with Martins HPLs, but I also know Martin wouldn't put their name on anything if it isn't well made, but I
preferred solid wood, so that's a great reason to chose this model for this price point, and the reason I did. That being said, this is what a great guitar should sound like. I can easily hear the way every string sounds as clear and loud as the others. This has everything to do with bracing and the way they build their tops, it just projects the way a guitar should, not muddy on low strings and too bright on the highs. It sounds superb, plain and simple. Clear, bright, articulate. Martin has been perfecting guitar building for almost 2 centuries now, and while this is not their top of the line guitar, it gets all the benefit of their experience in the way they're designed and built. I also like that these are made in Mexico, a USA friendly country, and not China, Indonesia, Vietnam etc.kudos Martin.


One thing I didn't realize about Martins until after getting this, and looking at their specs on most of their guitars is they have a wider neck (1.75" width), at least it feels wider and thicker than what I'm used to. My Fender neck was more like an electric neck, both width and thickness wise. The action on Martis have always been way to high for me, easily twice as high at the 12th fret than my fender acoustic. This was probably one of the main reasons why I never owned a Martin till now. This model was no different, so I changed the saddle with a new tusq( pretty sure it was the same as the OEM saddle),sanded it down and took the strings down to 12s instead of 13s that came with it. Wow!, what a world of difference..plays like a strat now and still sounds like a Martin. I love it even more now.


I also love the hidden controls for the volume and tone and tuner. I love that they didn't cut a huge hole in the body of the guitar for them, very cool. I haven't plugged it in yet, but I have no doubt it'll sound good. Fit and finish are fantastic, as is the soft case they include. I would rather it have had a gloss finish, except the neck, but that's just a personal thing. It's a beautiful, well made instrument, that you should definitely put on your short list of under 1k guitars.I would definitely recommend this guitar.

excellent guitar really sounds great

I purchased the Martin D-10E a few weeks ago, I have played it every day since it arrived. It is everything I expected from a Martin guitar. The quality and workmanship of this guitar is outstanding. I would recommend this guitar to anyone looking for an all solid wood guitar.I would like to thank Toni for all she did for me during the buying process of this guitar. Thank you Sweetwater for your outstanding service. Thank you again Toni.

Denny

I have now owned several guitars from OOO to Dreadnoughts. I started with a 2 Mitchell's, moved up to Yamaha, eventually got a Taylor, then a Washburn, Alvarez, and finally a Martin. I have liked all of them for various reasons with the exception of the 2nd Mitchell. It was a dreadnought that had maple back and sides, they said the sound was warm, I thought it just sounded dead. Also, the action was not that good, the strings buzzed, was not a fan. The all mahogany Mitchell is actually pretty good, one of my favorite campfire type guitars. I really wanted a dreadnought that I could play, my Yamaha FG830 sounds nice but the neck is thick and action is a little high so forget about getting to those bar chords when you have smaller hands. I got the opportunity to play a Martin OM Road series model at the local guitar store so I knew that I liked the performing artist neck. I could easily play all the chords and moving around the neck was smooth. So I took a chance and ordered the Martin D10E. My first impressions were... what a great smell, besides that it had a really classic look, nothing fancy, just basic and simple. It needed a little tuning (it's cold here) and I strummed a G chord. Instant smile on my face as the dreadnought came to life. There is just something awesome about that Martin sound, full and rich, I could hear this guitar it was just what I had thought it would sound like. Couple that with the history behind Martin designing the original dreadnought shape and I am happy camper. Really like this guitar, built well, sounds like a Martin, stays in tune, easy to play, good action height, no string buzz.

COVID lockdown spurred my third try at playing guitar (first time as a way-too-young kid, second time banging out crappy grunge bar chords in college), and I decided upon the D10-E after checking some reviews. It was near impossible to find one in the pandemic, but Sweetwater delivered. This guitar makes me sound better than I really am! Could I have bought a $300 starter guitar? Sure. I doubt I'd be as in love with playing guitar as I am.

Sweet sound! Great balance of tone. Very easy to play.
I'm more impressed than I'd thought I'd be.

I lead worship and needed something that fits in a mix well. The Solid Woods and the Performance Taper make it sound and play Great! It came in tune and Marshal my Sweetwater engineer was super helpful! It does come with light strings which lead to one breaking on the last song of its first Sunday set!! Maybe buy some strings with it, unless your used to lights! Great Guitar!

yea chris is awesome calls even if I order picks

Have had this guitar for a little over a month and cannot say enough good things about it! I was looking for a guitar to use in my weekly church band that hit a sweet spot of quality and affordability and this nails that combination. A Martin guitar that's solid wood, has a built-in tuner and pickup, sounds amazing, and is under $1000? Yes please. You'll be hard-pressed to find anything of similar quality at this price-point. The setup was excellent right out of the box and the soft-shell gig bag is very thick and sturdy.

As usual, the guitar was in perfect tune right out of the box, typical of Sweetwater. The quality is outstanding. Workmanship and sound quality is just what you would expect from Martin. I particularly like the 1.75 inch nut width which fits my hand perfectly. I would definitely recommend this model. Many thanks to Chris at Sweetwater for his exceptional customer service.

I received my Martin d10e last week. The guitar was perfect right out of the box. Comfortable to play and awesome sound, I am more than happy with this instrument. The staff at Sweetwater were very helpful and professional. I would strongly recommend this guitar.

The D-10 is an excellent guitar for the cost-conscious guitar player - particularly those who need big sound at a good price, and like myself, will likely never experience a return-on-investment in the form of dollars. I play in a Christian praise & worship group, and the D-10 is well suited for that task. It has the typical Martin full bodied sound you would expect when unplugged, and sounds surprisingly clean and crisp when wired. Coupled with some basic effects the amplified sound is tremendous.
• Finish is nice and smooth with normal Martin flatness. My initial examination showed no significant overspraying.
• This is my first experience with a Richlite fingerboard, the smoothness and firmness is wonderful, and I honestly cannot tell the difference between it while casually playing vs a guitar I have with a rosewood board.
• Fishman - the auto-mute tuner takes some getting used do, I have a few times forgotten to turn the sound back on after tuning. But it is extremely crisp and clear.
• Padded case - this was surprisingly more than I expected; it is VERY padded and the guitar will be well-protected. Though, it does seem like a hardshell case could be provided by Martin at the price point.

I hope this helps. I think at the current price point... this is a steal.

I purchased this guitar about a week ago. I play a Gibson Hummingbird for my solo gigs which is a guitar I love and have really bonded with. I was looking for a guitar to use as a backup if I break a string or want to change things up with an alternate tuning during a set. This really hits the mark. It has the classic Martin sound with out being muddy or the bass washing over while strumming. They did a really nice job with the electronics on this model. The EQ on the tone button works very well. I've owned a Martin about 20 years ago. This seems nicer to me.... Maybe I'm just a different player now. I played a gig with it last Saturday to break it in and it sounded and played flawlessly. Take it for a spin I think you'll be surprised.

The Martin D-10e became my favorite, go-to guitar out of the gate. While many other guitars lose their appeal after a couple of months, this one did not. When it is not headed out with me somewhere, it is the guitar I keep on the stand next to me so I can always have it at hand. The sound was good at the beginning and has improved greatly as I played it. It is a perfect guitar for leading worship at church. The only reason that it does not get a full 5 stars is because the built-in tuner is not as responsive as it could be, but that is a small ding on an otherwise fantastic guitar.

Great guitar, and the "very" best Music company to buy from , A+++++ !

I really think this guitar punches way above it's price point. No regrets buying it all. The best thing I can say is that it sounds like a Martin dreadnaught. The fit and finish are great. The set up is near perfect. The only reason it's not a full 5 star rating is I'm still undecided about the the pickup. That could be impart to me really not liking piezo pickups.

In October 2023 I ordered a Martin D10-E demo, which arrived damaged. There was no power so the onboard electronics did not work. Turns out the spring within the battery box was badly bent so the 9v batter was not making contact. Sweetwater referred me to my local Martin Authorized Repair Center, who told me there is NO WAY the guitar left Sweetwater is perfect working order. After waiting about a month for parts, Sweetwater finally told me to return the guitar to them and they would provide a NEW replacement guitar at no additional charge. The new one arrived (with a scratch on the back) in December - about two months after I originally ordered the guitar. This 2 months involved lots of back and forth, very little accountability on their end, but finally a resolution that ended with me getting an "almost" perfect guitar.
The guitar itself is great, I love it. I was looking for a guitar that I could travel with and this fits the bill. Sounds great, well made, and a joy to play.
Would I buy another Martin? Absolutely! Would I buy it from Sweetwater? No.

Love this guitar it's my go-to 4 many gigs a little annoying at times when my strap pulls the guitar Jack out since they are so close to each other that's my only complaint

Trying to build on the success of the DRS2, I can't help but think Martin included features just for the sake of trying to stay competitive in this market segment, by adding another line on the spec sheet. In reality, the upgrades are a disappointment. Lets start with what is undoubtedly the most unresponsive tuner I have ever seen. Definitely try this out in person before you buy it, so you'll know what you're getting saddled with. I'm not making this up, its terrible. And the fact that its right there in the soundhole, staring you in the face every time you pick it up, makes it even worse. Did anyone even demo this before they put it into production? I really wish they would end their relationship with Fishman, its just not working out. The electronics are not up to par with the proprietary systems from other companies. I'll also mention the redesigned battery compartment/input jack/strap button. Once again, this just doesn't make sense to me. Why have the strap button and input jack parallel, where they have a tendency to interfere with each other? Not to mention the strap button is now offset from center. I think there is a reason why no other company does it this way. Its not because they didn't think of it, its because its a bad design. As for the cosmetic changes, that's a matter of personal choice.

The good new is, because its still a DRS2 at heart, you're still getting a fantastic sounding instrument. I can only guess that these design "updates" were pushed through by the marketing department, against the better judgement of the designers and luthiers at the company. I can't think of any other way to explain it.

Note: This is just one person's honest opinions, but opinions none the less. Only you can decide what works for you.

Have been playing the guitar for the last 40 years. I could never make a connection with this guitar.
Always used a Yamaha acoustic guitar and this is my first and last Martin guitar.