Owner/player of 2 1960's Martin D-18's,purchased to play in church praise band plugged in and avoid taking my vintage Martins to gigs in cold/hot weather & wild crowd extremes. Also moving to smaller guitars lately with shoulder pain issues. The KOA veneer back and sides are more beautiful than the pictures suggest up close. Love the familiar sound of the mahogany however which is the interior wood. Black tuner knobs add some nice contrast with the woods. Tremendously easy to play with nice low action/setup. Known as a fingerstyle size guitar but I'm more of a flat picker and it works great for that as well. Battery installation was a bit confusing and not clear in instructions but alas I wasn't familiar with this particular battery setup. I haven't plugged it in ... MoreOwner/player of 2 1960's Martin D-18's,purchased to play in church praise band plugged in and avoid taking my vintage Martins to gigs in cold/hot weather & wild crowd extremes. Also moving to smaller guitars lately with shoulder pain issues. The KOA veneer back and sides are more beautiful than the pictures suggest up close. Love the familiar sound of the mahogany however which is the interior wood. Black tuner knobs add some nice contrast with the woods. Tremendously easy to play with nice low action/setup. Known as a fingerstyle size guitar but I'm more of a flat picker and it works great for that as well. Battery installation was a bit confusing and not clear in instructions but alas I wasn't familiar with this particular battery setup. I haven't plugged it in yet but expect it to sound great as I have some experience with Fishman pickups. Sounds like a guitar that should cost at least $1000 more. Very happy, I upgraded it to a hard shell case as I'm not a fan of gigbags but the gigbag it comes in is nicer than the usual gigbag. Highly recommended.

Simply put this is a great guitar. I bought it because I also own a D18 E Retro and, with the price tag of the D18, I was always hesitant to take it out when I’d be playing a hot, humid summertime outdoor gig or something like that. The Richlite fretboard is incredibly stable, the guitar stays in tune, and the new Fishman Matrix electronics are outstanding. I actually reach for this one over the D18 the majority of the time. Price, quality, and outstanding tone ... it’s all there.

A pleasant surprise.

This is a less expensive Martin than others I've had so I wasn't real sure about this one, but it's a pleasant surprise. It plays like a Martin, it's good looking, and the black head stock and tuning knobs are a nice touch. I have no regrets about this purchase.

Fantastic New Martin triple 0.

Picked it up. Played an E major chord. Fell in love with the guitar. Best triple 0 I've ever played. Beautiful guitar all in all. Sound and look. It's now my song writing pick up an play go to acoustic. I plan on taking it in the studio as my 3rd acoustic to record my second album in June 2020. Fishman did a great job with the preamp/ pickup system. And what's to say about Martin's acoustics? Great job as always. No cutaway or any equilizer stuff on the outside of the guitar to mess up the Koa. Love it. Somebody tell Eric Clapton.

If i had a need I would surely buy again.

Great Martin 000 size guitar. Large tones even without using the pickup.. Like the position of the tuner, the black hardware just adds to the style of this acoustic. Highly recommend for the person that travel not wanting to haul a larger guitar.At same time I purchased a Hardshell Martin Case. I like the added protection from damage and also the humidity..

In love for the first time, again.

For the past 20 years I have been playing a beginner's guitar. There is nothing wrong with a beginner's guitar and in fact it made me appreciate the everything about this guitar. The customer service at was top notch and even received a followup on my order. The guitar is everything I was hopping for. Out of the box things needed to settle for a couple days. It was either the humidity change or my excitement but the string buzzing eventually faded out. A beautiful guitar and comfortable to play. Oh the tone! I feel like I have been playing underwater all these years.

Play it before you judge the layered back and sides

99% of the tone of an all-solid guitar with the added durability and aesthetics of layered Koa. Should it be priced the same as the 000-13e? Debatable. Should it be judged as a "layered", "plywood" or "HPL" guitar? I don't think so. Essentially, Martin sandwiched two fine Koa veneers (not a cheap wood by any means) over a solid African mahogany core. How fine is the veneer? No idea. Does it affect the tone? Minimally. My guess is they're covering an aesthetically imperfect but otherwise perfectly fine piece of mahogany. My Koa B/S look great but I've seen others that are truly spectacular. If sustainability matters to you - this guitar hits the mark.The black tuners and headstock, black Richlite fretboard, and black pickguard contrasted against the mother-of-pearl ... More99% of the tone of an all-solid guitar with the added durability and aesthetics of layered Koa. Should it be priced the same as the 000-13e? Debatable. Should it be judged as a "layered", "plywood" or "HPL" guitar? I don't think so. Essentially, Martin sandwiched two fine Koa veneers (not a cheap wood by any means) over a solid African mahogany core. How fine is the veneer? No idea. Does it affect the tone? Minimally. My guess is they're covering an aesthetically imperfect but otherwise perfectly fine piece of mahogany. My Koa B/S look great but I've seen others that are truly spectacular. If sustainability matters to you - this guitar hits the mark.The black tuners and headstock, black Richlite fretboard, and black pickguard contrasted against the mother-of-pearl rosette and fretboard inlays is just on another level. It's super comfortable to play, it sounds fantastic (again, a 1% difference in tone compared to the 000-13e IMO), it has added durability, and the solid spruce top will sound even better over time.I personally love the look and feel of the Richlite fretboard. The built-in tuner is super convenient. The electronics are tucked away and don't impact the look of the guitar at all. Do I wish it came with a hard case? Sure. The gig bag is great quality though. Unless you're bringing it on a plane or moving, the gig bag is more than enough protection.I originally wanted to sell it for a 000-13e (which was out of stock everywhere I went) but every time I get an offer, I can't seem to let it go. I do think it should be $100-$200 less than the 000-13e but still well worth the price, especially if you really want the Koa look. It's a keeper for me.

Sweet tone, beautiful wood

Overall:Highly recommend. I got one because I was considering selling my D-35 to go over to a short scale neck like an 000-18. I am now in love with this guitar and can barely put it down. As I expected the bass is more punchy than boomy compared to the D35 but that's apples and oranges. However, the very distinct Martin overtones are fully present in this guitar. This guitar is much more comfortable to play around the house than a dread. Tonally it sounds more like mahogany than rosewood...i took off the endjack case to see the laminate cross section and indeed there is a nice looking piece of mahogany there with a very thin koa layer, which explains the very warm tone. i threw on some medium phosphor elixirs and it added even more warmth and bass but because of ... MoreOverall:Highly recommend. I got one because I was considering selling my D-35 to go over to a short scale neck like an 000-18. I am now in love with this guitar and can barely put it down. As I expected the bass is more punchy than boomy compared to the D35 but that's apples and oranges. However, the very distinct Martin overtones are fully present in this guitar. This guitar is much more comfortable to play around the house than a dread. Tonally it sounds more like mahogany than rosewood...i took off the endjack case to see the laminate cross section and indeed there is a nice looking piece of mahogany there with a very thin koa layer, which explains the very warm tone. i threw on some medium phosphor elixirs and it added even more warmth and bass but because of the shorter scale the increased tension was not noticeable. Exceptional clarity and sustain, and fun to fingerpick or strum. The onboard sound surprised me. Using the phase switch and playing through my Fishman amp I was shocked that there was no quacky sound...a touch of reverb and it almost sounded like it was mic'd.

The Martin 000-12e Koa Veneer Feels Good and Looks Great

I bought the guitar based on Musicians Friends website description. It said Made In USA. The guitar is made in Mexico. There are many fine Mexican made instruments. I have guitars made in Japan, China, Mexico and the USA. When it comes to Martin, I prefer the models made here.I own a Martin HDC-28e and wanted a 000 size Martin to compliment it. I tried a 000-X2e first. The tone is stellar, but in the environment I live in was severely affecting the playability. It was returned.The 000-12e has a better neck and build, plus it's prettier. But it didn't impress me as much sonically. I sent it back.I've ordered a Martin 000-17. It's back ordered, but I'm sure it will be worth the additional cost and wait time.

Very Nice Guitar

Overall this is a quite good guitar. Although I also own a higher end Taylor Koa acoustic, I frequently gravitate to this one to play day to day. The day I bought it at Guitar Center I played every other Koa guitar in the similar price range and settled on this one based on its playability and quality of sound compared to its price point. I don't know exactly what grade of Koa veneers Martin uses on it, but it sounds as good or better than my significantly more expensive Taylor Koa through my church's house sound system where I play. In particular it has a rich bottom end sound. Also the built in tuner is a nice touch. Again, overall it's a very good guitar for anyone desiring a Koa instrument at a very reasonable price point.