Paul Davids Acoustic Guitar For Sale (Jan 2023 Update)

Bought this LH Fender because I wanted an acoustic. Overall the sound is good with the right strings. Within 3 weeks of purchase I had to have the neck adjusted and frets filed because they were inset too high. The sound overall is bright and vibrant. Had a couple times playing where the sound was not the best. Overall, it's a solid entry level guitar. Could be better but could be far worse.Phil

Overall: While this has a decent tone, it's not going to improve with age as the top is a laminated top–not solid spruce.Moreover, since this is a guitar targeting the beginning student, I mark it down because the setup is NOT conducive to the beginner. The action needs to be lowered and the Fender branded DuraTone strings it came from the factory with feel more like a medium gauge than a light gauge. I have a 12-string Yamaha that is easier to play than this.But to give it some props–the price includes a hardshell case–something no other guitar in this price range offers. And the abalone rosette is a nice cosmetic touch.The tuning machines turn smoothly and it does hold a tune very well.And for those who object to Chinese-made guitars, this was made in Indonesia.David

Generally, it is a great guitar. Many of you would expect a low volume for a mahogany top, back and side guitar. However, it's dreadnought style compensates for this and thus you will have a warm mellow toned guitar whilst still having plenty of volume. The guitar looks a lot better in real life than on the photos you may see on the internet. Contrary to the CD60S spruce top (built in Indonesia), this guitar is manufactured in China. The tone difference between CD60S spruce top and this one is small as the spruce top also has mahogany back and sides. This guitar however is one with great overtones. Being a novice, it is a great starting guitar. My only complaint is that the nut and saddle are plastic. The nut, in particular, causes the guitar to be in need of tuning every 2 or 3 days. However, this disadvantage is very manageable and if you prefer, you can spend a tiny bit of money to replace the nut with a bone nut at a guitar shop. If you webchat with a guitar center rep they might be able to give you a discount to cut the cost of this guitar to the price level of the cheapest possible for a major manufacturer's acoustic guitar.Dan the Beginner

Love this acoustic. Beautiful guitar. Detail to design and quality. No nasty mid rumble. Just pure bass and clean tones. Electronically: sounds like a miced acoustic. Get a lot of guitar and quality for the money. PRS knows how to do things and make it first class without paying the price.amos0011

The quality of this guitar is astounding. Beautiful apppointments all around. The fretwork is flawless and playability spot on to my liking. Balanced tone across the strings, rich low end and sparkling highs. Shipping from AMS was faster than expected. I’m very happy with this purchase.EddieA

The PRS A60E Angelus is a nicely balanced sounding guitar. It has good bass (but not over powering) and mids, and the presence of the highs is not overly bright. I'll also add that I think it has a pleasing tone, although that is personal and subjective. It has good volume, projection, and sustain. The neck, action, and playability are all among the best I've experienced on my sample. The laminate Ziricote woodgrain has beautiful texture and reminds me of an old Alvarez I had with Jacaranda back and sides, although the Ziricote stain is overall darker hues. Additional cosmetic touches are abalone PRS birds fret markers, rosette, and purfling along the curly maple top binding. The fingerboard is also nicely bound with curly maple. Taking into account 1) the sound quality of the A60E, 2) playability, that it includes 3) electronics (pickup and preamp) and 4) a hardshell case, along with 5) its attractive looks this is a nice guitar for the money. I'm giving it 5 stars considering all that one gets for its price (and not trying to compare it to a Martin or Taylor that costs 3 or 4 times as much, for example).ROBERT

I just wanted an affordable acoustic to write songs on so I wasn't asking for much. It's very well built but really it doesn't sound very full or even very good, especially for a dreadnought and isn't the most comfortable to play. I have to confess, I set it up myself and I'm sure a pro could do a lot better. Still, it's got this sort of bad muffled sound that cheap dreadnoughts are famous for.Michael

I've been playing guitar for over 40 years and I have to admit that this model is now my favorite Dreadnought acoustic I have ever owned. I have more guitars than viruses, which include vintage and "high end" types. It's not just "a great guitar for beginners" even though the price is a guaranteed good investment. I am experienced and I bought 3. One for each of the different places I travel. I plan on getting more as gifts and another to designate as DADGAD. Do not let the low price deceive you. Try playing this guitar at the store while sitting in the "high end" section. Play a full G on this guitar, and then on one of the popular expensive ones. The action is low with no buzz and very buttery to play scales, especially when a capo is used. The intonation remains accurate all the way to the highest notes. The fretboard is unpolished, so vibrato may be noisy, especially with the stock strings (see below). The neck may need a slight adjustment with the tool after a month, but this is typical with most new out of the box acoustics. I recommend replacing the original strings with Elixir Nanoweb bronze. I use medium, and a beginner should try light. I am not sure why this model is so inexpensive. Whatever the case, the designers did it right.Dadadadeo

I'm really impressed with the quality of this guitar. I went to guitar center to pick it up. And as soon as I took it out of the box, I was amazed. I couldn't wait to get home and try it out. And sure enough, it sounds just as good as it looks. I've been playing acoustic guitars for over 30 years. My nephew wants to learn to play and he just graduated high school. So I was looking for a reasonable price starter guitar. Came across this one and decided to buy it. And I feel I made the perfect choice after looking at several others. The quality, feel, and sound is awesome for the money. Stays in tune after wailing on it. Would definitely recommend this guitar to anyone getting started. Also the accessories it comes with are nice too. Everything you need to get started. High five on this one!T Man

This guitar is very well constructed. The quality is evident from the tuning knobs to the feel of the neck as well as the saddle and body. Though smaller than a jumbo or regular flat top acoustic. This guitar sounds just as loud. Good volume and tone!returnofthechrist

une guitare facile à jouer et pratique à transporter. Elle vous donne un son plus que correct malgré sa petite taille. Elle est beaucoup moins couteuse que la Taylor GS mini, mais de la même taille, elle pourra vous suffir si vous n'avez pas le budget pour la Taylor. Je la conseille fortement aux débutants.Aubourg g.

Vielleicht hatte ich Glck, aber ich bin super begeistert von meiner kleinen Asyla-Gitarre! Fr den Preis und die Gre ist sie echt einwandfrei, ich bin sehr positiv berrascht. Habe Silk&Steel-Saiten drauf, damit klingt sie noch etwas wrmer, und recht krftig ist der Klang sowieso. Die kleineren Abmessungen machen auch das Spielen super angenehm, ich spiele sie echt gerne.pizmayken

This is a great little guitar! I have had several travel guitars including the Martin and Taylor versions and I think this beats them hands down. You can’t find a better travel guitar especially for the price. This is the third one I’ve purchased as I’ve given them away and moved them on— people appreciate them very fast. I do recommend using a little pillow wrote a tale so you’re are mangoes are the same as for a regular size guitar Makes it much easier to play any small guitar.I do recommend using a little pillow or rolled up small towel so your arm angles are the same as for any regular size guitar. This makes it much easier to play any small guitar. Very lightweight. One came with perfect action, but the other two I had to do a truss rod adjustment to get the optimal action which can be very good. The adjustment was simple. Orangewood customer service is excellent .Thomas B.

Not just for the money, its just a nice guitar! So my packaging had a few issues, it looked like it had gotten hung up on a fork lift tyne and dragged across the floor, I was nervous about opening it. But it was very well packed, not even a blemish. Everything I ordered was there, the guitar itself coming from California to South Alabama, undoubtedly passed through abrupt temperature and humidity changes, yet it was almost in tune out of the box. So much so, that I could tell that it had been tuned properly, and the QC person rolled the heads back about a half, or maybe 3 quarters of a turn just to relieve stress from the rod and neck. The E. Ball strings are pretty nice, feels like standard Bronze Phosphorus strings. I wiped them down with a clean cloth, and no dust or anything whatsoever came from them. I had no loose bindings, no sharp fret wires hanging over, and the ride height is perfect. Its almost unbelievable to get such a nice guitar for what I paid. The gig bag is certainly not the worst one I've ever seen, its padded nicely and has the backpack straps which I like. I hope that you guys never change your core business model, of offering the add-on accessory pack separately, which in my open leaves more room for nicer details like good strings, and real bone. And also allows you to offer slightly higher quality accessories. Very nicely done. I understand that now that you're up and running good, I hope that you still offer a guitar like the Rey at that low price point, for those who may be like I was growing up, and just couldn't afford a decent guitar. They always sounded like crap, couldn't tune them…and for a couple decades I just gave up. I'm back into it again, thanks to this guitar, I'm going to be upgrading soon, but I will probably always hang on to this one…I like it that much. Thanks guys, no complaints from me…God Bless you all, – Jeff Andrews, Mobile AL.Jeffery A.

I really like guitars from Orangewood’s “Playa” collection including my mahogany Dana mini guitar. (I also own a mahogany Rey guitar and have examined a friend’s Victoria guitar.) I will outline my recommendation reasons below, but also will attempt to temper any unrealistic expectations. Size: The diminutive Dana guitar is IMHO a great instrument for hauling around outside the home or playing where space is tight such as on the couch, or at a desk or table, where larger instruments might more readily bump into things or make playing cramped. The shorter scale length might be helpful for those with small hands, but isn’t *that* much different from longer-scale instruments to make going back and forth a big problem. Sound: A small guitar won’t have the deep, resonant tone of a larger instrument no matter how much you pay. That said, after being used for a while, the Dana “plays in” nicely — the tone getting better than out of the box. It’s voice is completely loud enough and resonant enough to satisfy reasonable expectations. Materials & construction: The bracing and general construction seem to be good. Mine is a very handsome, rich honey-chocolate brown with contrasting off-white binding. The laminated materials are a good economical choice but also don’t sacrifice much sound quality. I think this is due to the clever design of these “Playa” instruments, which seem to have thin top, back and sides as well as light bracing and a thin finish; these things together, I think, make for louder, more resonant tone. A key benefit to the laminated wood of the guitar body is that it’s less sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. I play my laminated guitars much more frequently because they are not so “fussy” — though I do nonetheless humidify them in the winter months. The light construction may benefit from lighter strings. I prefer electric-like playability, so I restring my guitars with 10-46 strings. This makes the instrument more player friendly and may also help the guitar to last by reducing string tension. The tuners are adequate, but have turning ratios that just require slow sneaking up on perfect pitches. Set up: Of the three “Playa”-collection guitars that I’ve examined in detail, NONE arrived set up to the standards of professional guitar technicians. I believe that Orangewood way oversells the “professional” set up on their “Playa”-collection guitars. However, my Dana arrived about a year later than the others, and was the best set up of the three. This guitar arrived at my doorstep with the neck having extreme forward bow. This was not just due to string tension. The double-action truss rod was actually adjusted to increase the neck relief, which was excessive to say the least. I had to tighten the truss-rod adjustment just to get to neutral tension engagement, then continue tightening to get the neck relief to an appropriate setting of about .006”. The set up required no additional adjustment. This was a big improvement over the other “Playa” guitars I’ve examined, which required both nut and saddle tweaking. I am a guitar-tech hobbyist, so I have the tools and knowledge to check out and set up acoustic guitars. My Dana had a fingerboard that was not straight from the factory. I know this because despite the slight waviness of the fingerboard when straightened as much as possible by truss-rod adjustment, the frets are surprisingly level — though they obviously vary considerably in height to compensate for the wavy fingerboard. But let me be realistic. To be able to sell a guitar at these prices, some corners will be cut when compared to the manufacture of guitars that cost five or ten or more times the price. This also applies to guitar set up, which may be the most time-consuming, and therefore expensive, single aspect of guitar creation. So, of course, the set ups on these economy guitars will be less than perfect. (Okay, that said, Orangewood might please stop way overselling their “professional” set ups done in the USA.) So my general recommendation regarding set up on these “Playa”-collection instruments is, upon delivery, to pay a good luthier/technician to check them over to assess keeping or returning, and, if a keeper, have him or her set them up for your level of play or personal preferences (that is, if you aren’t qualified to do it yourself). And that brings up my final, important set-up point, which is that the truss rod's purpose is to compensate against string tension. Action is properly adjusted at the nut and saddle. Bottom line: I have the Orangewood guitars because they are a good value, they sound good, they don’t require obsessive attention to humidity or temperature, and can be fun to play both for a beginner and a more experienced guitar player. The Dana fulfilled my final requirements, which were a guitar that travels more easily and doesn’t require quite so much space to play.Doug H.

Yes, the tonal range is great, especially the piezo pickup, nicely playable and overall looks and finish seem perfect. But, with nicely contoured access to the high notes let down by the overly large neck heal which starts a fret or two earlier than my other electric guitars. Another annoyance is the very cheap knobs which don't sit straight on the pots. I have a guitar costing a tenth of the price with better fitting knobs. The battery compartment is a bad joke of a design, as the battery holder comes out with the wires attached, you then have to prise up the battery from its contacts and the lever it out for replacement. Overall these are minor annoyances on what is a great guitar but, at this price I expected better. Oh yes, it came with a hard case. Which doesn't fit properly and with no tags or brand markings so who knows what it was made for. It did come with two loose bits of foam, one which was floating around unsure of its purpose.Kevin L.

PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo — I've owned and played this guitar for about three months now. Bottom line: I'm very happy with it–and would recommend it–in spite of a couple issues. There are dozens and dozens of videos that go into detail about the appearance, fit, and finish of this guitar so I won't bother with all that except to confirm that it is very well made overall. The magnetic pickups sound fantastic, period. The piezo pickup was putting out FAR too hot of a signal, distorting at low guitar volume, but once I learned how to adjust the trim pot for it (thanks to the PRS guitar forum website), that problem was solved and now it sounds good. It's a tad bright in my opinion but that's easily fixed with the tone knob on any amp or with an EQ pedal. The battery compartment opens easily enough, but getting the 9V battery out of it without breaking the plastic frame is a challenge. Fortunately, the battery isn't used unless you plug a cable into the PIEZO/MAG jack. The 3-way selector is garbage and I was experiencing crackling and signal drop right out of the box. HOWEVER, this is a known issue and several reviewer videos mention it so I knew what to expect. My soldering skills are only beginner-level (and I've never worked on a hollowbody before) so I paid to have a pro replace the switch for me. MF has offered to credit me the amount of the repair once I send them the receipt, so that's good. The Guitar Case — This shipped with a hard case, which I'm not happy with. When the guitar is properly seated and the lid is properly closed and latched, there is a quarter-inch gap around the bottom (see pics). That's not good. There are several (expensive) case options that are touted as "PRS and PRS-style" cases but they WILL NOT FIT this particular guitar because the lower bout is 14" wide (at least an inch wider than other PRS models). Also, it's about an inch thicker (front to back) than a Jazzmaster so a Jaguar/Jazz case won't work either.RiserGrease

I received the Black Gold Burst version about a week ago. It's a BEAUTIFUL guitar. The pictures don't do it justice. The f-holes really add to the appearance. Fender ALSO makes a hollowbody guitar, but they went the round sound hole direction, which, IMHO, is hokey looking. The sound is INCREDIBLE! I have 4 other electric guitars, including a Fender American Standard Strat, Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG and an Ibanez Prestige- They are ALL wonderful guitars, and each has its own personality, in how they play AND how they sound. THIS guitar has a sound that TRANSCENDS ALL of my other guitars. There are a number of videos on YouTube. BUT, as with the appearance, they simply DO NOT do it justice. The humbucker pickups ALONE produce a sound that is CLEAR and RESONANT. Adding the sound from the piezo pickup sends it over the top! ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS. I was a little reluctant to purchase a guitar made in China. However, the CONSTRUCTION and FINISH are PERFECT! PLUS, the cost is WAAAY less than the equivalent US-made version. I hope I've given you the idea that this is a SPECIAL guitar, BECAUSE IT IS!Kevin

I have owned this Guitar for almost 2 years and I was very impressed with the finish on this Guitar the moment I took it out of the box. The gig bag and other accessories that come with this Guitar make it an exceptional value. I knew Nothing about Guitars when I bought it and All of my seasoned Guitar playing friends have played it and everyone has commented how nice it plays and sounds. I couldn't be happier. The tuner that came with it bit the dust within a few months and was really finicky when tuning the A string but I went and got the SNARK tuner and its been awesome.Pete

a lot of brands come with these starter kits that offer most of the accessories required to start playing..but its Ibanez that I chose because of its brand value and good reviews. the product was delivered within a few days and was packed well. The package also includes an electronic tuner for fast and accurate tuning, a gig bag, a guitar strap and a pouch for accessories. the guitar itself which obviously is the main product offers excellent value for money and has a great tone and feel which has kept me playing it for a few hours daily as I enjoy practicing on it.Varun R.

My 10 year old grandson wanted to learn to play guitar so I ordered this for Christmas. He was so excited. He said it looks great and even looks like an expensive guitar! Just the little I heard him play, it sounds good. Good size. Thanks for making my young guy happy!!nanac

So if you’re reading this because of my headline, let get that out of the way first. I’m a weirdo for liking that classical smell. It smells gooooood! As for playability, the guitar is very comfortable. Very easy to play. My only complaint is that a couple of the strings are not keeping tune. Maybe they’re just older strings? I received the guitar about a week to two weeks ago. The tuning issue was present upon receiving the product. I thought maybe the strings were just fresh and needing some breaking in but that’s not the case.Michael

I've played a number of Ibanez electric and acoustic guitars over the years, almost bought an Ibanez 12 string A/E guitar not too long ago. I've owned nylon strings before, but not for a long time. I wanted a nice classical that I could just grab and play around the living room. This is perfect. It plays well and has a nice, soft sound that just sounds good! Highly recommend it!Jamie

Love this acoustic. Beautiful guitar. Detail to design and quality. No nasty mid rumble. Just pure bass and clean tones. Electronically: sounds like a miced acoustic. Get a lot of guitar and quality for the money. PRS knows how to do things and make it first class without paying the price.amos0011

The quality of this guitar is astounding. Beautiful apppointments all around. The fretwork is flawless and playability spot on to my liking. Balanced tone across the strings, rich low end and sparkling highs. Shipping from AMS was faster than expected. I’m very happy with this purchase.EddieA

The PRS A60E Angelus is a nicely balanced sounding guitar. It has good bass (but not over powering) and mids, and the presence of the highs is not overly bright. I'll also add that I think it has a pleasing tone, although that is personal and subjective. It has good volume, projection, and sustain. The neck, action, and playability are all among the best I've experienced on my sample. The laminate Ziricote woodgrain has beautiful texture and reminds me of an old Alvarez I had with Jacaranda back and sides, although the Ziricote stain is overall darker hues. Additional cosmetic touches are abalone PRS birds fret markers, rosette, and purfling along the curly maple top binding. The fingerboard is also nicely bound with curly maple. Taking into account 1) the sound quality of the A60E, 2) playability, that it includes 3) electronics (pickup and preamp) and 4) a hardshell case, along with 5) its attractive looks this is a nice guitar for the money. I'm giving it 5 stars considering all that one gets for its price (and not trying to compare it to a Martin or Taylor that costs 3 or 4 times as much, for example).ROBERT

If you want the ARCHETYPE, the inspiration, the BEST, Go for a Martin. I have a Gibson Original Jumbo 1934 reissue, that sound like heaven, the Martin is another animal, a perfect pair for my Gibson, I'm not a professional, I love blues and fingerpicking in my home with a cigar and a whiskey and my two acoustics and my OMI Dobro Lilly Of The Valley are a treasure for me! The martin have a striped ebony fingerboard and bridge (I like it but some maybe preffer a black one, well are not black), the sound is clear and a joy! The craftmanship is perfect, the case is very nice, the martin strings sound very good (I bought 3 sets of the same), the rosewood is very nice paired, and the top have a beautiful aged tone. This guitar will be with me all my life. About Guitar Center of Miami Mr Mario and Ignacio are nice people!Alejandro

I'm a new guitarist and consider myself very fortunate to be able to afford an instrument like this. I am nowhere near good enough (yet) to get the most out of this guitar, but I will say that even as a beginner (and long-time music lover) I can really hear the difference between this and lesser guitars, and playing on an instrument like this makes learning more rewarding, and dare I say easier. Anything I hear wrong is clearly my technique, which this guitar rewards when you get it right, and makes obvious when you miss. From simple cowboy chords to picked or fingered individual notes this guitar just has tone to die for. Hit an E minor, hard or soft, and each string resonates with depth, clarity and sustain. Playing this guitar is really a dream come true. Oh, I said I'm a beginner and that means that as I write this I've been playing guitar for all of five months. I'm 52-years-old and take weekly 30 minute lessons, have dabbled in online lessons and practice about 15 to 30 minutes on weekdays and about an hour or two on Saturdays and Sundays. I recently sang and played "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues for my family. Just me, my D-28 and beautiful, room-filling tone. There's nothing better.Andrew

I am an intermediate player. I was looking for a parlor guitar in part due to the guitar lessons on Active Melody, where the instructor, Brian, uses a similar model, which sounds fantastic. I bought a "scratch and dent" to save some money, but it is verydifficult to see the blemishes. MF described the cosmetic blems perfectly, but they were much more minor than I expected. My wife could not find them. The set up was perfect right out of the box. I put on new strings when it arrived, and have not put the guitar down since (about a week ago). I use it mainly for finger picking, and it sounds great. It is amazing to be able to purchase such a beautiful instrument for so little. I have several more-expensive guitars, including a 15-year old Martin D16GT and a newer Seagull S6, but I am drawn to this Alverez's warm sound and projection. It is also easier to play than the Martin. I had a bit of trouble finding a case that fits, but eventually bought the Luna LLFP. It much more sturdy and padded than the standard gig bag, and the guitar fits nicely. It is also much lighter than a hard shell, and about half the price. (But the case also arrived with a nasty chemical smell inside, but I guess this will fade.) In summary, I am very happy with the Alverez AP70, and I would highly happily recommend it to my friends. I wish I had this one when I was just starting out.rabbitt

Bought this model to get back to playing after a bad accident stopped me playing at a time when I owned a seriously expensive guitar. Didn’t want to spend too much in case I couldn’t get back into playing but I can’t praise this guitar too highly. The tone is outstanding and it’s playability is second to none. The guitar is set up perfectly, no need to have it set up at your expense as with a lot of guitars out there. The build quality is superb and as it sits it the stand encourages you to get it off and play it. This model belies the price you pay because in my opinion it it a 400 to 500 pound guitar in all respects. It is delivered ‘mummified’ in bubble wrap to ensure safe passage and was delivered as promised. Can’t thank PMT enough for their advice. Great people to deal with. Need to get back to playing now.Mal H.

I wanted a small, inexpensive guitar that sounded good and played well. I pick up and play a guitar every night while I watch TV. The Takemine dreadnaught I was primarily using was carelessly broken and unremarkable. After reading about this AP70 and listening to Alvarez promotional and YouTube videos, I decided to buy this. It seemed like the thing to do, especially because of the low price and apparent sound quality; it seemed like the best value. It was on back order and wasn't supposed to ship until Feb 9, but I was pleasantly surprised when I received it on Feb 2. It was packed well and mostly in tune already. The construction quality is fantastic, and the sound was pretty good, but not as good as I expected. One of the other disappointments was that it wouldn't stay in tune and the intonation seemed off. After close inspection it seemed that there were not enough wraps of string around the tuners, the quality of the strings used were sub-par and more of a medium than a light gauge, making it difficult and frustrating to play. I immediately replaced the factory strings with Elixer bronze 80/20 nanoweb strings and that made all the difference in the sound, intonation, stability and playability. It's now an enjoyable instrument to play and a great value, in my opinion.The Deeski

This is not a product if you want to actually hear guitar sounds. It's more of a toy that won't last long. We returned and purchased a slight pricier but real guitar with wire strings and it has been a much better purchase.ggnabasik

This is a toy. It will not stay in tune, no matter how much you tighten the screws on the machine heads. Was going to try to ease my kids in with a smaller guitar. This is not the one to use for that. It is, at best, a prop that shouldn't be used to play actual music.truelol

Got it for under $70 as a deal of the day. It's not a top of the line acoustic and shouldn't have those expectations of it. Having said that, it's a great inexpensive acoustic to take out of the house and have no worries. It took a bit of a setup to get right for me as the action was high. But was good, but the bridge needed a little sanding down. Neck relief was close. The tuners are not the best but I had a set from an ESP I upgraded and they went right in. Dressed the fret ends after a week of time in the high humidity here to acclimate. I can't really fault a guitar at this price, and for what I intended it's perfect. The sound was way better than expected. It's not a Taylor or Martin, but just fine if you're looking for one to take out of the house without worrying yourself sick. I do recommend giving it a fair look over and setup before judging too harshly.Jon L

I got 5 of these from Musicians Friend while they were on sale to hand out as Christmas Presents. I give them 5 stars, over all. If I was just rating the build quality I might drop that to a four. The top laminate is very thin and the finish is thin and that makes them resonate well. They sound great. thery must have good bracing because with a really thin top, if they weren't braced well they would distort when you hammer them, I think. These don't distort. Setup is OK. Playable, but they definitely do need a bit of tweaking in that respect. Two other cheap guitars I have are a Rogue RD 80 and an Epiphone DR 100. I believe the Savannah's edge both of them out slightly in sound quality, but I also think both of the others are built a little better. I like the Rogue best of all. If I could choose from the three with no respect to price, i'd grab the Rogue with no second thoughts. Still in all, these Savannah's would make good starter guitars for anyone. I can't say how well they will hold up because I just got them.Eris

PROs:. Built in tuner is accurate and very well placed. Neck feels nice. Tuners hold tuning very well. Really good intonation. CONs: The strings it came with were atrocious. They turned my fingers black in 2 minutes. I prefer satin necks to the gloss of this one. The headstock is very narrow so it doesn't hang well on my wall mounts. The finish is far from perfect. Lots of places where it could have been sanded better before painting or where the painter had a heavy hand. Overall: After changing to some quality Daddario strings this guitar became a lot of fun to play with very pleasant sound. It's super light and a great guitar for the price point. I only needed to do a very small truss rod adjustment to get everything playing really well.Wink0083

Great looking, well built, excellent sounding guitar! The workmanship is high-end and the loud sound is what you would expect from an acoustic guitar without a cut-out. I found no imperfection in the stain, shape, or assembly. Everything has been well done. Just an observation, the nut and saddle sat a little high, so some adjustments had to be made. However, adjusting the saddle is typical for a new guitar since each player has personal preference for string height. Even if the guitar is in tune, it may not sound right if the saddle and nut are too high. The sound changes significantly if the strings have to press down too far down to the frets. Sanding the saddle and filing the nut to the right measurements has made this guitar something to keep for many years.Benneth01

Not bad, I bought it for my daughters first guitar. I'm thinking about getting one for myself. I put new strings on it when it arrived , strings from the factory were damaged, not a problem I planned on this anyway. No fret buzz, stays in tune, descent string height on neck, sounds good.Slim jim

Love it. This thing feels really nice out of the box though it would definitely benefit from a good setup. The size makes it really comfortable to play at home on the lounge and holy balls that bevel on the lower bout should be mandatory on all acoustics because it makes it soooo much more comfortable. The smaller neck obviously puts the strings closer together which I imagine would make it more difficult to play if you have larger hands but I have small hands and find it isn't small enough to make it difficult at all. Sounds like a guitar that is a lot more expensive than it is and has a surprising amount of bottom end and volume for its size. I really just have nothing negative to say except I wish it came with a pickup because I would have no qualms with gigging with this little monster, but that's asking a lot for the price.plsbuymystuff

I had this on my wish list for a couple of years and after finally getting to try it out at my local Sam Ash, it did not disappoint. Online reviews were consistently good with a few mentions of the strings being coated and how it gave an unusual feel and sound. According to the Michael Kelly website, the strings are D'Addario EXP16 Coated Phosphor Bronze, Light, 12-53, so they shouldn't be some off the wall knock offs but my experience over the last few weeks has been that after a few minutes of playing, the tips of my fingers on my fret hand and the palm of my strumming hand turned black. I've never had this happen on any other guitars I have. I tried rotating after 15 minutes between my Jackson, my Strat, my Martin Backpacker and then my Michael Kelly and, every time, after a few minutes of playing the Forte Port, my fingers turned black. I've played a lot of guitars since the 80's (not professionally) and this is a new one on me. Obviously, the strings can be changed but I feel it is worth mentioning because for someone's first guitar, it may be off putting if they are unaware. If I can edit a review, I'll try to add a pic of my fingers (there's no way to make that sound right…) when I get time. That's my two cents…Sean

Overall: I was reluctant to buy this Michael Kelly. I like to try it before I buy it . With that being said , The guitar come it flawless. It was packaged very good . I played for about an hour after opening the box. The action is spot on. It plays and feels more like an electric guitar. Hammer on pull offs pitch bends are perfect. The sustain goes on forever. The neck feels a touch wider than my Martin, but that's a good thing for me. There are no fret buzzes at. It's vert light and comfortable , light weight is a must , I have had shoulder surgery 3 times. The balance and weight are near perfect . Michael Kelly may not have the prestige of Martin. Gibson and such , but as far as the sound and quality build , it simply can not be beat in this price range.Mark

Overall: Original unopened uninspected by zZounds, in the heavy duty box from Martin. Mine was packed well enough, but still a little surprised how little bubble pack it had, or needed. The guitar seems perfect, no blemishes, straight neck, just beautiful. Rings like a bell despite needing a set up. Saddle has tons of room to sand down to most anyone’s preferred height/action. Nut seems like it’s in similar ready to set up condition. But even out of the box it sounds absolutely great and isn’t terrible to play. The little booklet that comes with it lists features, including “non adjustable” truss rod. I hadn’t come across this in my (limited) research into D18s. Martin guitar forums are divided on it, but I think the idea is “the old ones that people worship didn’t have adjustable truss rods, so we’re following the recipe”. Fine, but why not put that in the specs too? It’s not a cheap guitar. Taking a chance on it and seeing how it does. I’ll care for it properly and if it craps out and needs a neck reset or god forbid a new neck, I’ll rant and rave about it. But for now, let’s see how it sets up!Dan

I can't say enough about this guitar. For as long as I have been a guitar player (and a Pennsylvanian, for that matter) I have known Martin guitars. They are always prominently used and sold around this area. I looked up to my idols who played them, even older players like CSN and Neil Young and Clapton. I dreamed of owning one and as a kid, I loved the white binding on dark wood, seemingly drawing me in to a D-28, which is arguably the most popular Martin ever. As a kid, I almost got a Martin DM, but ended up with a cheaper Epiphone. After college, I decided to get my first Martin Custom D Rosewood – essentially a D-28 with a mortise and tenon neck joint and a D-15 A-Frame bracing and styling – sold exclusively here on MF (and GC). It's a great value for a guitar, but had to keep it constantly humidified because of the thin-skin matte finish. It can get really dried out and in fact, was in that condition when I received it (used). Great guitar, but I was always chasing buying a brand new Martin to call my own. I played some in stores of course and always A/B'd them, but it wasn't until a factory tour that I got a real idea of the breadth that the Martin line possesses. There is the 1833 Shop there with an adjacent players room filled with a good spread of Martins of all values and construction style. I was simply playing them to see which ones spoke to me, sonically and soulfully. I played the D-28, the D-35, the D-41, the D-15, 00-15M, the CEO, a 12 string, Eric Clapton model 000-28, etc. They all had their magic I'm sure, but when I landed on the D-18, I was simply blown away. It had a completely organic and natural sound – I could literally hear the wood. It's an absolutely lovely woody tone – this sounded better than the rest to me. I also LOVE the understand design and simplicity. It's a true working man's instrument – plus it features forward shifted X-Bracing which gives a lot more bass. The new improvements are all choice! 100% my fav. acousticIan from PA

I bought this guitar last year at a locally owned music store and was happy to do so as you don't find many of them stocked at large corporately owned brick and mortar stores. When I purchased it, I fell in love with the look and overall sound of the guitar and felt I was indeed buying a piece of history. The overall materials, finish and body construction are excellent and it produces a rich tone even with older strings. However that is where the positive remarks end. The more I want to love this guitar, the more it disappoints for the simple reason that it is incredibly difficult to play. Whether this is due to a poor set up or poor fretboard construction I really can't say, but I have to put this thing down after more than after five or ten minutes of playing – it is that bad. The same is true for the D-15 I spent a pretty penny on too. How a guitar maker that's supposedly been around since 1833 can produce something this hard to play is beyond me. Older D-18s I have played are not much better as they are incredibly hard to fret and buzz incessantly. So before you spring a couple of grand for this "piece of history," reconsider something that actually plays with ease. For this reason alone, I certainly would never invest in another one of these or a D-28, D-35 etc.. that costs even more. I can name several other major brands that put this guitar to shame due to their playability but won't to avoid embarrassing the manufacturer. But I will say that Martin's quality control folks ought to check these things out before shipping them out the door. Believe me, Martin's reputation and its chances of survival depend on it.Tom R

Been playing it for a couple of weeks. My feedback. 1. Bajaoo Service The delivery and packaging was to my expectations. 2. The guitar Ideal for someone who has relatively less longer fingers. I used to play on a yamaha c40 which has a std 52mm nut size, whereas this comes with a 46 mm one, so the stretching is comparatively smoother. 2. Retuning of strings is a must before each session, but after a few days the strings seem to retain their tone, which is the case with all guitars. 3. Due to the thin soundboard, the sound is not very projecting but good enough for soloing in a medium sized room. However, the tone for me is acceptable. 4. The preamp works well after connecting to my kustomsound amp if one really needs amplification. There is no on/off switch, so the battery may have to be removed if you are not using the amp. 5. It is artfully finished in terms of its looks. 6. Would be a good buy for someone playing the steel guitar which usually have a 43mm nutsize and wanting to move to a nylon guitar. My overall experience with this guitar has been good so far.Nikhil D.

Overall: Played one 10 or so years ago but didn’t get because of other obligations. Never forgot how it played and sounded! Finally got one and it is a truly excellent guitar. I have a Gibson CJ165EC, which I love, and the 000-15M is a totally different sound, which I wanted. Needed some Martin jangle! Out of the box fantastic. The mahogany tone is unmistakable and rich! Neck is a thin Martin neck, which I’m fine with. I’ve been playing for 53+ years so I kinda know what I’m talking about. Putting in a Fishman rate earth soundhole pickup and this will be my busking guitar! Really happy with the guitar and with zZounds. Delivery was fast and purchase was flawless. Highly recommend both the Martin 000-15M and zZounds!!Reverend

I ordered this online after discussing the purchase with Sam Ash Staff, it was in short supply, they scouted all Sam Ash Stores, they found one and it arrived two weeks early just after christmas. My wife loves it! It's her 2nd Martin Guitar and this one is her prize instrument. The staff at our local store were really helpful both with the Order process and preparing the the guitar upon arrival at the store. I asked about the 1st year instrument maintenance option and they were able to update our purchase to include that. The guitar sounds great, my wife loves playing it even though she is a novice. Totally satisfied with the instrument and the staff that helped obtain it. Thanks guys.Britinusa

I have wanted a triple-aught mahogany guitar. I preferred the Guild D20 dread to the Martin D15, but was open-minded about which 000 brand. Didn't like videos on Taylor and Alvarez all hog orchestra models and was very impressed with the Martin videos. So ordered this. Was also a big fan of Kenneth Pattengale and I'm With Her who use the 00-15 model. Let the box sit half a day. Upon opening it I was greeted by this amazing scent. The guitar came set up with low action, slightly detuned. The bridge and fretboard appeared to be stained morado (a very hard and valid wood, harder than rosewood but not quite as much as ebony). Tuners are Grover Statites. They are firm and perhaps a little too sensitive to sometimes dial in. The body was a gorgeous chocolate with amber-orange highlights. The guitar was immaculate. Martin Lifespan 2.0 PB 12-54 strings. It sounded really nice with the ebony pins which were fit absolutely perfectly. However, I had already purchased Blisstime unbleached bone pins which fit perfectly too. I got even more sustain and a more melodic tone, along with greater volume. This improved the strumming tone immensely. May switch to nickel-bronze 12-56 strings, but I will wait for now. The guitar is super-light and weird to hold after dreads. The tone is dark (as expected) but ringing. There is the hog compression, but I was amazed how great this sounded brand new. I did humidity it overnight. Intonation was spot on. The frets were dressed wonderfully with no protruding ends. No truss rod wrench, nor polishing cloth like with my DSS-17. The case had a small ding in the tolex which I was able to bond into place cleanly and disguise. The case is very nice, but without built-in humidification like my Guild. The tone is beautifully even and not bass-heavy like the D15. The treble keeps up with the expected mids. The end pin was not pushed in all the way by me as it was very tight. May opt to have that professionally assessed. I don't gig, so a pickup is not for me. I did get a tortoise pickguard. This is definitely a keeper which I will pamper.Tom

This is a laminated guitar, which has several advantages. First, it will be less prone to cracking from weather than a solid wood guitar, second it's inexpensive, and third even though it is a laminate, it sounds really good. Not as good as a Blueridge BR160, but right up there with similar constructed guitars like the Fender DG-60.Billy