Worship Musician Magazine March 2021 | Page 110

GEAR REVIEW
C . F . MARTIN IS TAKING IT TO THE STREETS ! D JR-10E | Eric Dahl
KEY FEATURES
• Small Versatile Body Size
• Solid Tonewoods
• Streetmaster Vintage Finish
• Affordably Priced
The C . F . Martin guitar company has been built upon a long history of tradition and craftsmanship . Some players may consider them too conservative in styling , but innovations like the SC-13E guitar this past year reflect a company of innovation .
[ WM ] recently had the opportunity to review another forward-thinking Martin instrument , the D Jr-10E . Upon delivery the Streetmaster finish on this model , which is considered distressed , looks as though it has been played and loved for years . Some guitar purists weren ’ t fans of this new treatment that Martin launched a few years ago but I am . The appeal to me of the Streetmaster finish is that besides looking great you don ’ t need to be as precious with the guitar for fear of scraping , bumping or dinging it !
The Dreadnought Jr looks like a typical acoustic guitar , but it is built on a 24-inch scale with 20 frets . The body is a bit smaller and thinner than your average dreadnought acoustic making it easier for many players to navigate it . Also , it feels like less string tension under your fingers . The D Jr-10E is ideal for worship team rehearsals , fly dates , songwriting sessions and church / praise events and activities .
From the first strum of this guitar , thanks to the dreadnought shaped body , it resonates like a full-sized guitar . The top , back and sides are made of solid Sapele wood which is very similar to the warmth of Mahogany in tone . The Sitka spruce scalloped X-bracing inside of the body also contributes to its full throttle sound projection .
The fretboard takes advantage of Martin ’ s Richlite composite and the guitar features a Corian nut with a compensated white Tusq saddle . The body has a satin finish while the back of the neck is hand rubbed .
The Mortise & Tenon neck joint securing the neck to the body speaks to the Martin craftsmanship . Although full sounding acoustically the D
Jr-10E truly delivers when plugged in as an acoustic / electric . The electronics are delivered by Fishman ’ s Sonitone unit with easy battery access at the bottom of the guitar .
The neck shape is a high-performance tapered neck pattern with a 16-inch radius making it comfortable for chording and soloing . The enclosed tuners do a fantastic job of maintaining the tuning . Surprisingly with all of the acoustic guitars we had in for review at [ WM ] the Martin D Jr-10E was the one that most people gravitated toward first purely because of the finish . Although once they started playing it , they didn ’ t want to put it down , or went back to play it again before they left .
C . F . Martin ’ s Dreadnought Jr line has been vastly popular for the company especially during the pandemic , but the Streetmaster distressed finish raises the bar on it for me .
This would also be a perfect instrument for a young person or an adult with smaller hands . At a $ 699 street price , the Martin D Jr-10E represents a true value in an acoustic guitar constructed from hardwoods and not laminates . I would have no qualms playing this guitar with a full praise team or leading a service with the instrument . It includes a gig bag , and this is one of those guitars that you could leave in the practice room , your car or on-stage and not be as concerned about as much as your prized Martin D-28 .
I suggest you play one for yourself at your local Martin guitar dealer when they finally do hit the street . But be warned due to the increase of new musicians during the pandemic and popularity of the D Jr-10E , pre-orders are stacking up quickly ! This guitar will be worth the wait though , just keep it away from your guitar playing friends . D Jr-10E $ 699 Street MartinGuitar . com
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