Martin SC-13E Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural Reviews

I bought a used on for my granddaughter first. I liked it so much I bought one from sweat water. My granddaughter, of course, couldn't resist taking hers to school and showing her music teacher who decided he needed a new guitar too. He admitted that he was a little jealous of her guitar.
I have small hands. It fits my hands perfectly and has beautiful low action which makes it easy to play. It has great tone and sounds good through my acoustic amp too.

This is an outstanding new development from Martin Guitars.
Great feel and playability. It maintains the oh so sweet Martin sound and tone.
Just can't put it down.
Plugged in to my Boss Acoustic Singer it is the cats meow.

This was my first Martin and it is fantastic. The neck feels like my electric guitars and sliding down to the lower frets feels very comfortable. The sound is crisp and full. The over all guitar is gorgeous. Looking forward to using for a long time. Thank you Brenton Evens for your help with the ordering and all the useful info. He is very knowledgeable, friendly and truly great help.

This guitar looks and plays like a dream. The neck shape makes playing effortless, and it sounds fantastic. Seriously cannot put this guitar down!

Big thank you to Brad Irvan for his help and awesome customer service!

If you're looking at the SC-13e you already know you don't want a giant dreadnaught strung with steel girders, you want a small(er) guitar with comfortable body and well balanced/rounded sound from bass to high, that you can actually PLAY. Like me you might be an electric player who needs an acoustic to record or perform some specific things and you need to be able to pick it up and play it quickly without a huge difference in feel or trip to the ER after 30 minutes. Well here she is. Neck feels entirely manageable for an electric player, they make great claims about the action being 'oh so low' ... it isn't but it's better than most acoustics, a good luthier can probably squeeze a bit more out of it in fact. I've read online that many people take the .11's off it and string it heavier... which seems to defeat the point, just go buy a traditional acoustic. Keep it at .11's, love the neck, revel in the sound plugged and unplugged and never look back; playable, loveable and Martin.

Martin really nailed it with this new body shape and neck. Fit & finish is impeccable and the guitar simply states feels wonderful in the hands. Lovely neck with a lower than usual profile for an acoustic, bolt-on heelless affords superb accessibility up the fretboard giving the feel and playability of an electric. Top notch electronics, stable laminate construction, and soft-shell case only add to the overall pleasure of this fine guitar.
100% pleased with this purchase!

I saw reviews of this guitar and heard all the positive reviews but have never played one in person. One day when I was out I stopped by the local guitar store to get a in person perspective. They had a demo on the shelf and asked if I could play it. Well 45 minutes later I was hooked.
The guitar played like butter. The action was spot on. You can play all the way up the neck comfortably how it's cut. The neck has the feel of an electric. Now for the tone. I was a little worried about how to get that Martin sound with 11s. Trust me it is warm, it is full and then some. This guitar will make you sound awesome. Get it. You won't be sorry!

I've found it fits quite snug in an electromatic case, really don't like having such an expensive family member in a soft case, but it is padded at least a bit.
The neck feels like cool silk and it's hard to put down. Have a big baby Taylor so this is my first "expensive" guitar and I couldn't be happier with it. Thought the Big Baby was the bees knees, but 5min after asking to see this at the store and I was already sold- was leaning towards the Taylor 214 or 224 for the cutaway and saw this.
The tuner isn't the best, it will say everything is flat then after returning it will say sharp. Phone app fixes that and I'd like to take the tuner out but it also serves as a killswitch if you're amped.

I bought this guitar 6 months ago and its worth every penny . I record with it and play out with it . The neck is thin like an electric and its easy to chord . I highly recommend it .

I have had 29 Surgeries, deal with nerve issues, both biceps shredded from shoulders attached under armpits with screws, neck plate, double tendon surgery on elbow, hand surgeries, list goes on. I suffer with chronic pain daily and I can still play exceptionally well praise Jesus!

With that said, every acoustic guitar just beats me up, even ones 3 times the price. For reference I play Music Man guitars so I don't buy cheap instruments or gear. This guitar is everything Martin and everyone else has said. I can play this just like my electrics and it doesn't kill me. I was a little apprehensive when it got here as I didn't realize this is made in Mexico. Fear not, the quality is top notch Martin and they obviously have a good Luthier in Mexico.

The best playing acoustic guitar I have ever owned and its just an absolute joy to play.

I love this guitar, Chris Lewis is excellent to work with and the ease at which this guitar is to play is what sold me. If you are going to buy one guitar in this price range, do your research and consider this Martin!

I LOVE this guitar! It's the best acoustic I've ever owned. I've always wanted a Martin and was finally able to afford one. I like this particular model because of the unique design and how well it plays. It feels just as good as playing an electric which makes it feel effortless. The pickups are good but I run it through a Sonicake Sonic Wood pedal for acoustic guitars. It has a preamp, reverb, chorus and delay. Everything you need to make your acoustic sound great for a great price so check that out as well. I'm the kind of person that does extensive research before purchasing a product and waiting to buy so I can make the best decision possible. This is a great buy! I also like that you get to see pictures of the actual guitar you will be buying along with the serial number. Also, Sweetwater has the BEST customer service. They called me to update me on my order status and asked if I had questions or any requests before shipping it out. Thanks Sweetwater! You guys are the best!

I followed reviews on this guitar as I had always wanted a Martin, like so many of us. I finally took the plunge when my wife asked if there was anything I really wanted because "...now's the time to get it." Say no more. You can read about all of the innovations; the neck tapering, the trusses, the baffling, the S-shape. But then you need to pick one up and see what happens. I own Taylor, Ovation, Breedlove and Takamine among others, and I enjoy them all. But the best reason to get a new guitar is because it is different, somehow, from the one that you have. This Martin has that difference. You almost approach it like an electric; I've often thought that the Fender Acoustasonics are it's natural competition, but the Martin has, to me, more depth. It is incredibly light-weight, but still balanced. I played a very lightweight RainSong for years, and the neck kept "falling" to the ground. Not a problem here. When I hand this guitar to a friend their first reaction is always, "Wow,".

I've had mine for about three months, now. A momentary issue with the "G" tuner worked itself out and everything else is just fine. This has become my instinctual "grab and play" guitar. So read the reviews, find a store that has one and sit down with it for an hour. The price for this type of guitar, with this name, is quite good, and it should be a purchase which sits with you long and well.

I have had this guitar for several weeks and i still cant stop smiling about it, Martin is known for its "old legends", i have played several of them and never really liked any of them. I went to the sweetwater store (EPIC BTW) to get a high end acoustic, i tried many guitars that were 2 and 3 times the cost of this. After trying this guitar i bought it on the spot. This guitar has the "softest" feel of any guitar i have ever played in over 30 years of strumming. the overall balence and fit is without a doubt the best i have seen. This is in my opinion a future classic and modern day legend, and for the price it is simply a no brainer.

If i had to find a issue it would be that Martin does NOT have a hard shell case for it, well, they do but it is $ just for the case and they dont even list the case on the websight. A $ case would be great. the soft shell case it comes with is above average, but come on Martin we need a HSC.

Excellent wood , comfortable to play , very warm sounding guitar with nice lows mid ranges and highs . I love the tuner built in . I've been playing for 50 years and id highly recommend this guitar .

Wanted one ever since college almost 50 years ago. Price was always higher than I wanted to spend on a "luxury" item. I say luxury item because I play for self-amusement only. Not a performer by any means.Now that I'm retired, and with more disposable income, I decided to look into getting one and the Martin SC-13E fit the bill. I never realized how seriously they considered their customers until the guitar arrived. Beautiful case included, a 55 point inspection before it went out the door and when you register your guitar you're considered part of the Martin family.
Sounds and plays great and it's making me play more to toughen up my fingers after years of not playing.
Really happy I pulled the plug on this item and bought one.

Okay, okay, I know I keep adding on to my review, but I keep finding things out. Through experimentation, I've discovered that the Katana is not the answer for this guitar. It works better with the Alto Trouper, when run through a Sans-Amp classic and a small Macki mixer. Much better control of the tone/sound and a smaller kit to carry around "bonus". Overall, a very nice guitar. Good looking, light weight and great sonic ability, plugged or unplugged. Lost or stolen, I would buy another.

This Martin guitar has a wonderful brightness accompanied by a warm resonance. It's great acoustically and worthy of micing but the electronics make it easy on loud stages. The neck design does make it easy to play all the way up the neck. The SC-13E Martin is well worth the money and I'm glad I bought it.

My wife gave this guitar for an "early Christmas present" and I wrote a review at that time. Great guitar, however, plugged in, the "high e" was a little weak. I replaced the strings with a slightly higher gauge set. The guitar came alive. So much so that I had to adjust my amp settings to compensate. A good guitar made better by thicker strings.

P.S. A big shout out to David Hess. A great sales engineer that has served my music needs for a long time....Thank you David

I was very skeptical of the reviews, both on YouTube and on this site as well as MF and GC.. But it really does stand up to the hype.

It feels like this is what fender's acoustasonic series was supposed to be.

The action is incredible. The neck feels like a professionally set up electric guitar. The neck its own right should be a breakthrough in guitars going forward.

The physical presentation is phenomenal. It's a stunning guitar to see in person. Not many natural finishes get the WOW factor but this definitely does.

My only complaint, if there was one, is the bass end is a little lacking, however; to me you understand that tradeoff when you buy this thing.

It is a smaller body shape, which BTW, is extremely comfortable, so comfortable you can play in the leaned back position that any guitar teacher would cringe at.

Overall this would be an absolutely perfect guitar for anyone at any stage of their journey.

Everything that I expected! Set up well and not disappoimted by the 11's at all.
Martin does need to start working a case or an immediate option for one with this Series however.
Sales service is honest and helpful to say the least.

Amazing how good this guitar feels when playing acoustic or electric style. I didn't think i'd be comfortably hitting fret 19 on the low E on an acoustic but this one does that. Onboard tuner works well and is a great touch. Nice not having to remember to grab the tuner. So far i'm just using the gig bag that comes with it, which is very well constructed.

I upgraded to bone nut and the setup and service were exceptional.

Closest thing i have to a complaint is the point on the pickguard is a bit sharp, but it hasn't bit me yet.

So, this is not your dad's Martin. Yes, it has a dovetail neck, but it's like no other dovetail Martin has ever produced. If you take a look at that crazy neck joint, you'll find a marvel of engineering, which makes a thinner, super-playable neck join up with a marvelously contoured heel joint, giving effortless access to the higher frets. That's remarkable for any acoustic, and this thing is just a joy to play.

It is NOT a dreadnought, nor does it attempt to sound like one. It has a nicely balanced tone, and sounds great through any amplifier. I use a Li'l Dawn Champster (boutique Champ clone tube amp), and a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb, and it sounds fantastic through either, with no feedback at all. Acoustically, it is not a 'boomy' Martin, so don't expect it to project like a dreadnought. I've read opinions that putting 12's on it will make it louder, but you may want to watch a comparison with 11s vs. 12s (I think it's Maury's Music on YouTube), and it seems that any difference is offset by the advantage of slinky strings being easier to play leads on. I suppose decide for yourself, of course, but I love the 11s, and will keep those on.

The built-in tuner is super intuitive, and works perfectly. One less thing to carry around, so I really like the convenience.

Let's talk about that silky smooth neck. It says it has an asymmetrical shape, but all I can say it that it's a dream to play. You can play your cowboy chords easily, and slide up for solos with no effort or strain at all.

The build quality coming out of Navojoa's Martin factory is top notch. You won't get the cork-sniffing cachet of a "Made in Nazareth" label, but if you're about the playability of a guitar, that should not concern you. It's beautifully built.

I don't have much negative to say about it. The ebony is a little dull coming out of the gig bag, so I'll have to hit the fretboard and bridge with some F-One oil on the first string change, but I think that's the only thing to adjust. The action and neck relief was spot on out of the box. The new neck joint does allow you to adjust neck relief, neck angle, and (get this) even the intonation by moving the entire neck up or down - crazy, right? But, it was pretty much dialed on, with good action and intonation off the bat.

Sweetwater packed it very well with an external box as well as the Martin box, so I had no issues in shipping. Fedex did drop the ball on expedited shipping (they missed their published delivery day), but my Sweetwater sales rep (Michael DiGiorgio) made sure I was happy. Their reputation for outstanding customer service is well deserved, so I'm grateful, as this was my first guitar purchase from Sweetwater.

If you want a great playing guitar, at a reasonable price (for Martin, anyway), that you and just start playing, you're going to like this. As I mostly play electrics, it was a seamless transition. If that's what you're looking for, and NOT a traditional Martin acoustic, then you're going to dig the SC-13E.

While I await arrival of my new Martin SC13e guitar, I wanted to pass along my true appreciation for the Sweetwater team, led by Mason Hunter. You have always treated me with courtesy and respect and you make buying musical gear a fun experience.
Thanks you guys.

I have a bunch of very nice acoustics in my lineup. Varying tonewoods and electronics. The Martin SC-13e has become my first choice for gigging now. Super comfortable to play, neck…body…fretboard access…it's made for the road and delivers 100% on that promise. If you're a gigging musician this is the guitar for you.

I just received my guitar earlier today from Sweetwater, but I can already say that I love this guitar!! Picking it up and playing it felt like putting on a favorite pair of shoes. While it is a bit smaller than most of my acoustics, it definitely had a rich Martin sound. It sounds even better plugged into the amp. Great job Martin and Sweetwater!!

What a beautiful instrument, from the line's to ease of play and easy fret reach. With the wonderful turquoise accent what a guitar to have in your arsenal.

I've been a Martin guy for many years. I Love my DC-16s action and tone. I've been searching for a shorter scale and thinner guitar that would be a better fit and less stress on my shoulder for 3 and 4 hour gigs. But great neck feel, action, and overall tone were a must. Once I learned that Martin had designed the SC13, I started reading about it. I searched and searched. Mike Godlove at SW let me know of an SC13e arriving at SW on a Friday, and I drove to SW on Monday to check it out. Side Note: If you can get there, you must check out the NEW SW store for an amazing experience! The SW staff set me up in an isolation room, and provided a Bose S1 Pro and my request, and I played this guitar for over an hour. The 13 Fret neck and 4 1/8" body thickness, along with the new "S" body shape was a perfect fit for me. I'm mainly a rhythm and fill player normally not going past the 7th fret, but occasionally going beyond the 14th. The action and neck profile feels great. The S Shape noticeably dropped my shoulder to a more comfortable position. The guitar is light and is not "neck heavy" so standing is also very comfortable! And it's an absolutely beautiful instrument. I've held off writing a review until I performed with it for a while. I've now done six gigs with this guitar. Two Solo, Three Duo, and one Trio. I run it through Bose Ts8 with Main outs to an L116Pro and S1Pro. With Larger venues we run to Bose F1's and/or Yamaha DBR15's. I have had fellow gigging musicians at gigs that confirm the pleasing full tone of this set up! It cuts through with amazing tone. This guitar is staying in tune... Even at 85+ degree / high humidity gigs. I'm sticking with the 11-52's that came on the guitar as I find that I'm not giving up any significant lows (I normally play 12's on my D16's). My D16's are still amazing and I always have one at my gigs for back up and different tunings. But I've finally landed on my perfect instrument! The SC13e is my new GOTO.

I received my SC-13E. I did the bone nut,bridge, and liquid metal grey martin bridge pins. I love everything about this guitar. It plays beautifully, great intonation...same quality near as a D-18 or 28. The softshell case is a very nice one. Buy this guitar you will not regret it!

I've had the SC13E for 4 months. Love it.

I was looking for a cutaway acoustic-electric for my guitarsenal and was considering several.. So, you guessed it, I took the plunge. After arriving in secure, timely Sweetwater fashion, I now have one of Martin's newest designs in nearly 100 years of quality guitar making and could not be happier. I am new to guitar and, since I am retiring later this month, I plan on picking out a nice rocking chair (maybe something in a nice Koa wood?) to go with this little beauty and spending more than a little time getting acquainted. The guitar is lighter and thinner than I was expecting, but has a great tone. Plugged in sounds even better. The nut is actually wider than my Martin dreadnaught and, with the unique neck design, it is a very comfortable guitar to play. The SC-13e has been called a player's guitar and I can certainly see why. They don't hang around very long, so if you have one of these on your wish list, go for it, you won't regret it. As always, thanks to Pat Walsh and the Sweetwater team for their usual outstanding service and support.

The title say it all! Except for the great sound that comes from the guitar. The service was outstanding engineer Tom Koch found me one and with in seven hours it was shipped with the help of the Sweetwater team. I would definitely recommend both Guitar and Sweetwater.

Better than expected!

This is a beautiful guitar with a wonderful sound. Easy to play and the Sweetwater set up was perfect. It is what I have been looking for in an acoustic guitar. Fit and finish are top notch. The adjustability of the neck is important to me. Martin has solved this problem and there is none of the usual high action Martin's are famous for. The sound seems to leap off the fretboard and out of the body. Crystal clear and sweet. An incredible instrument.

This is an absolutely fabulous guitar. It feels nice in your hands. The neck of the guitar is so comfortable. It's a beautiful guitar. The sound is amazing.I honestly did not plug it in for about a week after I got the guitar because I was enjoying getting to know it unplugged. When I finally used it with an amplifier I was blown away. The sound was crisp and perfect.I feel so lucky to own and play this outstanding guitar.Of course Sweetwater's great service was the cherry on top.

Really happy with this purchase. This guitar lives up to all the great reviews.

Wow, I can't imagine another guitar sounding better. I had to wait a couple weeks for it to come in from back order and, was it worth the wait! If you are looking for an electric/acoustic guitar in this price range, forget the others and purchase this one! I have been neglecting my other guitars because I just can't seem to put it down. The sound is awesome and it looks great. Can't forget about my sales engineer, Spencer Pyles who took very good care of me, Thanks Spencer! I'm glad I bought extra strings and picks because I have been playing it so much I'm going through them. I will purchase more guitars from Sweetwater. Thanks Sweetwater!

I've played electric guitar on and off for 20+ years but never owned an acoustic. The SC-13E hit the market right when I had finally decided to change that, and as an amateur electric guitar player, I was won over by the promise of its low action and accessible neck. I was also intrigued by the unique shape of the body and the cool geometry of the sliding dovetail and elimination of the heel. After about 2.5 months of playing, I can honestly say that I love this guitar and have zero regrets. It is gorgeous and effortless to play. I had Sweetwater do a setup just to be sure everything was dialed in, and it played perfectly right out of the bag. It sounds amazing, especially in the middle of the neck. If I had to nitpick, I'd say that occasionally the low E sounds a little thin, but that comes with the territory for a slim body. The onboard tuner is a nice touch, but it is a little slow. Otherwise, the Martin SC-13E was definitely the right choice for me and my only complaint is that I can't stop picking it up and playing. I haven't used the onboard Fishman electronics much yet, but it sounds great fully acoustic.

This is also the first time that I've purchased a guitar online. My sales engineer, Larry Reed, was great at every step - he always responded quickly to my questions and made me feel comfortable the whole way through, even with follow-up a few months after my purchase. I'm already looking forward to my next purchase with Sweetwater!

THIS GUITAR WAS RIGHT ON STRAIGHT OUT THE BOX, CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT MY MAN JACOB AGEE HE WAS AWESOME TO WORK WITH, HE STAYED INTOUCH AND HE GOT THE JOB DONE,THE GUITAR LOOKS AND SOUNDS GREAT, I WILL NEVER BUY A GUITAR FROM ANYONE ELSE,THANKS SWEETWATER FOR DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT.

Got my Martin SC-13E about a month ago and I love it. The tone is incredible as is the volume. Which is surprising for a smaller body guitar. And the smaller body fits me well. But the real story is the neck. Such a pleasure to play. It is advertised as an acoustic guitar for electric guitar players and it lives up to the hype. It did have a slight string buzz on the high E string in the higher register so I had it set up. The cost was minimal and well worth it to make it perfect. I LOVE THIS GUITAR and now my luthier loves it too. Well worth the money.

I ordered this puppy in late August 2020 and it arrived in mid-December. After playing her for a couple of weeks, I have fallen in love with the tone naked as well as plugged into my Bose S1 Pro. Acoustically, she sings pure and takes the capo with minimal re-tuning. Amplified, she is amazing. I am surprised that this guitar is opening up nicely with only a few weeks of daily playing. Nice sound for the James Taylor, Jim Croce, and Gordon Lightfoot tunes I love to play. Now, I have Larrivee OM-03R that used to be my best acoustic and now sounds dull and clunky in comparison. I had no idea what a difference the "Martin Sound" would be. Hats off to Aaron Tremain at Sweetwater for his years of support to my music passion.

I needed another guitar like a hole in the head but some unusual circumstances led me to purchase this guitar with the assistance of my sales engineer Alan Carter. My best friend had ordered this guitar and was really excited to get it and show it to me. We both have a pretty good collection of guitars and gear. My friend passed away unexpectedly and I decided I wanted the last guitar he had ordered. I didn't know anything about it but now I do!

It's just very cool! First, the design is new and unusual, especially for a Martin guitar! Second, it has an affordable price point. Last but not least, it played perfectly right out of the box and the sound acoustically was above my expectations for a small bodied guitar. Plugged in, I think it sounds fantastic and would be an excellent choice to use for a gig. I keep this guitar out or in the gig bag in my living room and it's become the one I grab the most for a few minutes of play here and there. I think it's a perfect guitar for a young person to learn on and I look forward to giving it to my son when he's old enough to begin playing. In the meantime, I get to play with it!

Could not be happier with this gorgeous instrument. Crisp, punchy chord tones. Super comfortable neck and action. Surprised, however, that this is not made in Nazareth .. and no hard shell case from Martin to fit it ... but otherwise would recommend to entry level or advanced musicians. I did put this in a roadrunner hard shell (extra large to fit it). The neck capo's true and easily with zero buzz anywhere on the neck. I was as post-NAMM pre-orderer. Love my Martin -

My Martin SC-13E arrived from Sweetwater a month ago. I am extremely pleased with this innovative, fantastic sounding and beautiful looking guitar, my first acoustic steel-string.

It hasn't given me much cause for concern buying an ELECTRIC guitar online before trying it out in person. (I've bought two electrics from Sweetwater.) However, regarding an ACOUSTIC guitar, with me being very particular about the sound I'm seeking, I wanted to only buy one I've actually played in a store. (Large music stores are a 2 or 3 hour drive from me.)

There's a few reasons why I decided to risk buying this acoustic online. Sweetwater is an awesome company and my Sweetwater Sales Engineer, Israel Hernandez, is fantastic to deal with and is part of what makes Sweetwater so awesome. That helped a lot and also, before deciding to buy, I watched many YouTube videos.

In the YouTube videos, the SC-13E UNplugged sound (through a microphone) is impressive, whereas the plugged in sound (from an amp) seemed not so great having a slight unreal quality as though the guitar body is composite rather than wood. I didn't like that, but I thought that's okay since I mainly wanted to play unplugged.

But after plugging my SC-13E into my electric guitar amp and hearing the wonderful, pure sound (unlike the YouTube video plugged in sound), now I want to play it only when plugged in. I'm so excited, I can crank it up loud and the sound is very high quality and professional. Also, I like the built-in tuner.

Note: You may have missed in the SC-13E information that you can plug it into an ELECTRIC guitar amp. An acoustic amp is unnecessary.

Before buying, besides the plugged in sound, there were a couple of other things that bothered me. One was in online photos and YouTube videos, the SC-13E body TOP looked so plain that I wished there was another color offered. But after actually seeing my SC-13E, it looks so beautiful. So, no complaint.

Another thing, I had wished there was a hard case included/available, but the guitar/soft bag combination is so extremely lightweight it's a delight to pick up and carry. Again, no complaint.

My only complaint might be the SC-13E maybe should have come from the factory with EXTRA light strings especially since the overall design (neck and higher fret access) is to appeal to the electric guitar player.

I'm 100% satisfied buying my SC-13E from Sweetwater.

I pre-ordered this when they were first announced. Dontae walked me through the order and we decided to have a plec job on it it as well. I own a Martin D41, as well as a more budget friendly Martin DC-X2E. I've also owned their DC-16GTE, and I would comfortably take this SC-13E along with any of them.
The neck is super comfortable, with low, playable action. If you're getting out of and away from cowboy chords you can really work up the neck easily. I was also pleasantly surprised with how much low end is in the guitar, in consideration of its thinner body. I couldn't be more happy with it, and I'm looking forward to spending a little more time with this plugged into a Fishman acoustic amp too.

This guitar is really great! Shawn the sales associate hooked me up when it was finally available. I usually play a Les Paul so the strings felt a little heavy. I called Martin and asked if I could change the strings to 10's. They said it would be ok so I ordered 3 sets of Martin 10's and the guitar is awesome! Sounds great through my Fishman amp. Get this guitar. You won't be sorry!

I've had mine for a few weeks now. First Martin purchase. Took it out of the box after the typical 1 day wait. It's comfortable to play, and I was surprised at the sound. Most Martin's I've played over the years sound a little "muddled" but this one has a great balance with plenty of bass, crisp mids and just the right amount of high. (Unlike something like a Taylor that is weighted heavy on the highs).

It's a great guitar for country, can be driven a little harder for rock, and is a really comfortable every day player. Looks great and the build quality is excellent.

As far as the electronics go, it's solid through a good acoustic amp but the balance in the tone changes and leans a little more towards the low end when amped. I was a little surprised that there's no tuner/tone pot on the guitar, so hopefully the sound guy will be able to change things up when playing different styles of music.

Great every day player, Martin quality, a cool shape, extended reach on the fretboard and a beautiful finish. I would buy it again.

Run don't walk, better yet…click whatever button you have to…to get one of these. It is not often these days one buys a product that completely exceeds his or her expectations. The last two Martins I have bought have had fantastic action…from the moment they arrived. This SC-13E is no exception. The action is perfect….look out Bob T. Take any impression you have from the pictures or videos of the SC-13E and multiply them by three or four. This guitar is absolutely beautiful. The Koa is so three-dimensional, it looks like you could fall into it. I've been buying and trading Martins for the past 45 years and I know what they are suppose to sound like……this guitar sounds incredible, even with factory installed strings. If you are partial to the balanced sound of an OM, you won't be disappointed with this guy. I can't wait to put a new set of strings on it. I would have liked upgraded electronics; however, I plugged it into an old Fishman Aura pedal and it sounded like I was micing it. Record it, gig it, buy it. You won't be disappointed. My Sweetwater Sales Engineer, Roq Martin helped me out every step of the way.

I just received my Martin SC-13E from Sweetwater-Derek ext. 1243, my sales pro and a true professional by the way, who knows how to take care of his customers. I was not sure if I liked it at first because I am not used to a small body guitar but,,,, once I sat down for a little while and plugged it in, I found myself playing things I had never been able to do. I have been playing Taylor for a good while but I think they may stay in the case for a while. I can't wait to get this guitar out on the job. If you are looking for cutting edge instrument, this guitar will do things that will amaze you. Great Martin sound and I hope Martin has the SC28E, SC35E, SC18E, SC45E in the upcoming supply chain. This is the guitar I have been waiting for. A real player !!

Good sounding acoustic guitar for its size. I found it easier to play if the strap is connected to the neck, rather than the guitar body. Why I gave it a 4 1/2 is because of the frets. Wish they were jumbos for I have a heavy hand. Also, the tuners are here and there. When you think you've got it nailed, it may jump to far on a slight turn. All in all I'd recomend it for anyone who plays mainly electric,and needs an acoustic for the fret board similarity.AS always Matt at Sweetwater did a fantastic job as well as the staff in preparing, and shipping it safely. Very happy !! Long time customer-

It would have been better if they sold this guitar without a pickup or included an LR Baggs Anthem or something similar from Fishman like the matrix infinity blend, the stock pickup is an under saddle piezo. Other than that it is a great guitar with the best playability and a nice sound.

I really like this guitar, its so lightweight, easy to hold and play and sounds amazing. All the innovative features, shape, cross member, etc that you read about are fulfilled.

One thing I don't like: The tuners. I'm thinking hard about getting them replaced. Not smooth. Tuning is turn, turn, nothing happens, then 1 more turn and its a whole step sharp.

I purchased a Taylor 510K back in 1996. I absolutely love the guitar and it's been with me through tons of shows and good times bad times. The electronics have finally started to go out on it and I needed a new acoustic electric. I tried several new Taylor's and none compared to my 1996. I decided to try a mid priced Martin this time. I am primarily a lead guitar player so the extra cutaway access appealed to me. This Martin SC13E is amazing. It has a great tone plugged in or unplugged (my old Taylor sounds slightly fuller unplugged but that is to be expected from a dreadnaught). The Martin is easier to play lead lines and the weight is perfect for long shows. Very pleased with my purchase. Michael Eades my Sweetwater rep h.as always been great to work with. Thanks again!

Really nice to play, the tone is great. The action for playing lead progressions is great as well. The only reason I am giving it a 4.5 rating, is the soft case. Definitely Worthwhile giving one a test!

My lovely wife gave me an early Christmas gift of a new Martin guitar. Who does that?! Really a nice guitar. Plays easy and sounds good. I'm still tweaking it in to my Katana 100-112, but it's getting close. Light weight, big sound, easy to play. What more can I say. Oh, just that it has stunning optics with the Koa and all. Get one, you'll like it.

I, like others was somewhat nervous about buying an acoustic sight unseen. No cause for worry though, the guitar is great, easy playing, nice bright sound unplugged and sounds good through a clean setting on an electric guitar amp. What more can you ask for :-) Couple of nits, like others have mentioned, the tuner seems slow though it does work, I have just a bit of string bind at the nut that will need to be cleaned up (around 3rd/2nd string only) and there is a bit of neck dive but it is really irrelevant for the most part since the overall guitar is so light. This was a great buy, highly recommend giving it a shot.

Awesome for lead players, lightweight thin but a full sound unplugged, I am very happy with my SC 13 E you can see the cutaway in my pic for lead players.

I received my Martin SC-13e a few days ago. I pre-ordered in March and my sales pro (Ryan Clapper) was on top of it all the way. With the current crisis, I would have been surprised if it didn't ship until November My go-to guitar is my Martin HD-28 followed by my Martin CEO-7 this guitar is right there, definitely a different sound. I think the mid-range tones are awesome and there is plenty of sustain. The neck is great, barre chords are definitely easier

A couple of caveats with this guitar; I am 71 and play at least an hour a day, so this guitar gets a lot of use (when I playa
gig it's 2 hours). Also, I really like this guitar; it's light, attractive and sounds good. However, the internal tone/volume control FELL OFF! I could have sent it back to Sweetwater or Martin for warranty repairs, but who knows how long that would take. I've been able to reattach the controls and the work as intended. Tone and volume is something I take care of at the mixer EQ so this should have never happened. Just a warning of things to look out for down the road for those who have purchased this guitar.

I've owned my Sc-13E for a few months now. Like many i watched reviews on it and without playing one pulled the trigger on a Christmas gift to myself. As a bonus I had Sweetwater replace the nut with bone and did the setup (which was included in the bone replacement) they did a awesome job i might add. When i recieved the guitar a few days later all i could say way wow!!! I loved everything about it's feel, sound, and playability! But very quickly i realized the tuners that were on it were slipping and not up to par. It became the nemesis of the guitar, as much as i loved her.. So a month ago I went out and bought some Waverly tumers. I wasn't ready to replace them at the time until i needed strings and that came last night. I put the new tuners on and all i can say is im much, much more happy with the performance of the Waverlys. They are solid and don't slip at all. So i still would recommend the SC-13E as a guitar but the slipping of the tuners stinks… would love to give it a 5 star but can't m. Sweetwater would get 10 stars if i could, awesome great people work here!!!

First off, the sales experience with Sweetwater was first rate! Chris Arnold and his team gave me excellent customer service, answered all my questions and did a quick job of delivering the guitar. The instrument was set up perfectly right out of the box and ready for me to try out. So here's what I found with the SC-13e…
This is a very solid guitar- not flimsy feeling. The finish is beautiful around the body. Yes, the neck is bolt-on, so to speak, with the new technology to facilitate changing the neck angle, so you won't see it joined and glued around the bottom of the neck- but hey, you've got that incredible option available!
The sound is definitely Martin. It's relatively balanced with a little less low end and volume, but it will hold its own playing acoustically. Scoop the mid-range a few dB and add a little bass with a good EQ and it sounds great through a PA.
My goal was to find a guitar that my 71 year old hand and elbow could play on for more than an hour. In spite of a rebuilt neck, my '74 D-28 is still a challenge to play for a long time. The SC-13 was built to be extra playable and it doesn't disappoint all the way up the neck. My only issue is there is very little rounding down the topside of the neck to facilitate my thumb-over style of barre chords. The neck width is the same as my D-28 and a little thinner, but without rounding it didn't provide the playing relief I was looking for (ergo 4stars o/o 5).
Though it didn't work out for me, this might be a good fit if you play with a conventional style and are looking for a good gigging guitar. The folks at Sweetwater make it really easy to check it out!

It will fit into a Gibson Acoustic hardshell case.

When I attempt to use the tuner, I can hear the intonation change as I turn the tuning pegs but the tuner itself is unresponsive...which renders it useless as far as I'm concerned.

Guitar is very nice, good bass response.

I like it. I can see that it will be a very welcome gigging axe for Buskers or Open-Mic players or even Jammers. More serious performers might see it as a "road axe" that allows them less worry about potential damage with its apparently rugged design and lower cost. (Although those might want to find a hard-shell case for it.) I see it more as a "rock" or "country rock" acoustic guitar as a trade-off from an electric guitar on certain songs. As for traditional country, bluegrass or folk guitar, the stylistic choices will be hard for more traditional musicians to accept easily. But as those boundaries blur, it could easily crossover to other genres. And just maybe the finger-style folks will find that the higher fret access and light gauge strings are big pluses!
It is comfortable to play, standing or sitting, easy fretting with lighter gauge strings and easy access to higher frets, it sounds good unplugged and adequate when plugged in, and the design visuals make it unique and attention-getting. There are some fairly obvious areas cost-cutting (the top is not high grade and there is no binding on the back, and the Koa back and sides, while very pretty and finished nicely, are laminated after all.) Still, it is well worth trying out if it sounds at all to your liking.

I've had my SC13E for well over 3 years now. It plays well - especially if you switch from an electric back and forth, sounds ok acoustically and pretty good when plugged in. So it fits the purpose for which it was designed well, I think. But... I wish Martin had spent $5 more and gotten a good tuner instead of that piece of junk it comes with. The tuner is so close to useless, that when I am playing before an audience, I bring along a clip-on tuner so I don't have to keep fighting it. Way too little resolution to be a useful device, and when standing up, you have to lean over so far to see it that the audience thinks you fell asleep. With a little nicer piece of spruce for the top and with a decent tuner, I think I'd give this a 5, but as is, a 3/5 is the best I can rate it.

There's nothing worse that falling in love and discovering he's all wrong for you.

The strap pegs are placed in such a way that the guitar feels unbalanced while standing up with it. It almost rocks as much as an ovation! Plus the back (butt) strap peg completely blocks the 1/4" input jack.

Such a disappointment.

I play a Martin 000-15M and 000-18 custom, and I was intrigued with this Martin Design. A friend had picked up the SC-13E so I asked if I could borrow it for a couple weeks and record with it in CHicago. I was shocked at the tone & sustain - and not in a positive way. To start the intonation was terrible, it wouldn't hold tune, and it sounded flat and lifeless on the low end, tinny on the high end and severely scooped in the mids. I have a 20 year old Takamine I picked up second hand that sounds and plays so much better. It doesn't have that that Martin sound for sure, it doesn't have bright fullness of a Taylor, and it doesn't lend itself for recording. It was extremely disappointing... When I gave it back I thanked him, and he told me he was already looking to trade it, and hoped that I would have liked it. I played the SC-18E at a music store in Frankfort IL along with a 000-16 Streetmaster, and that Streetmaster is hands down the best sounding guitar ($$/tone/playability/sustain/Value) in Martin's lineup. I hate to admit it, but I think the Streetmaster sounds better than my 000-18 custom, both with torrefied tops, and the 000-16 was $ less!

Nice sound and looks, thin body, nice tuner, just not worth $ to me

Went to test drive at the Martin factory, as I was looking to purchase another hybrid style acoustic and considered this and the newest high end one just released. The tone, playability, and feel of this guitar was like a toy in comparison to my current instrument. I was surprised at all of the glowing reviews. The SC-10e there sounded a touch better, but that could have been strings. I was disappointed at how slow the neck felt compared to others that I thought it would compete against. Note that I am not a Martin fan, but I thought that this entry intobthe hybrid space had more potential.