The guitar I have to get before I get my dream guitar

I think the Martin DX1 is an old discontinued model (2015) - probably get a good discount on it if you try. I don't like the Martin non-wood fingerboards.
 
I think the Martin DX1 is an old discontinued model (2015) - probably get a good discount on it if you try. I don't like the Martin non-wood fingerboards.

The store is having a guitar sale and the DX1 is marked down from $499 to $399. The Taylor is not included in their current sales promotion.

Since the Big Baby is only an inch less in diameter, and 1/4(?)-inch in depth, a full-size hard case with a little extra padding could work.
 
But didn't she marry you because you were a guitar playin' man..?

(..and women who collect shoes are different?)
 
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Well, it's a done deal. I bought the Taylor Big Baby this morning. I didn't want to wait until tomorrow and find that, maybe, it had been sold. They had one more in inventory, but the one in the showroom is the one I wanted. And... it doesn't come with a truss rod wrench. I've got a thin-walled socket that fits it perfectly, so no problem there.

All I have to do now is let it sit for a couple of days without touching it. That'll be harder than it was to play it all week and not buy it before.

This comes strung with Elixir Phosphor Bronze with NANOWEB coating. Lights : .012 - .053 - - They feel and sound great. The coating is to keep all the gunk from collecting between the windings. We'll see, as I'm good at filling up those areas.

The included literature covers the correct "Taylor way" string replacement procedure - good. Instructions for using a humidifier, as well as separate brochures for how to know when the guitar is too wet, or too dry, and what to do. I guess I'll need a little tube-style humidifier and a digital hygrometer - says humidity was 47% at the factory and should be kept in that area. My current local humidity is 44% ... outside. I usually keep my apartment between 74F - 80F.. mostly 80F, even in our hottest summers - but it could get a little dry, so I'll have to monitor that indoors.
 
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Thank you, Mike. My apartment has no windows which open to the outside, so I'm getting dried, dehumidified, cold air year round. Unlike our beautiful outdoors.
 
Thank you, Mike. My apartment has no windows which open to the outside, so I'm getting dried, dehumidified, cold air year round. Unlike our beautiful outdoors.
Well the hygrometer will tell you if you need more moisture. You can make in-case humidifiers in a number of ways, the simplest is to take a plastic travel soap holder, punch some 1/4" holes in it, and put a cellulose sponge in it. Soak the sponge, squeeze out excess water and put it in the case. Better - smaller holes and use those plasticy absorbant beads you can find at a craft store that absorb water for vases.
Much better - humidify the room, but not that those cool mist humidifiers leave a white film on everything, and usually need to be filled daily.
 
Thank you. I just got done adjusting the truss rod about 1/4 turn. The action was ok out of the box for most people, but I haven't been playing regularly and got some muted notes at the 9th fret.
 
I gotta say.. it's been 2 weeks and every time I open the case to play I'm amazed at how nice this guitar looks. It has a sort of rosé glow (under flourescent). As soon as I strum a chord I get sucked into it and the next thing I know It's 3 hours later.

On my old guitar, I was bending the neck back on an E Minor to get a slight tremolo bar effect. With this Taylor, all I have to do is push the strings a bit and it works even better - I can hold them bent slightly longer which works better with the vocal at that point.

I have absolutely no problems with the neck as far as the feel goes. It fits my hand perfectly, and the 15/16 scale of the guitar as a whole is more comfortable to play for hours at a time.

I was working a bit in a semi-public area on an arrangement for a new song and stopped when I noticed someone taking a seat nearby. They immediately said "Oh, don't stop!.. it sounds really nice." I don't usually like to work on material in front of others because I frequently stop and start the same lines over and over until I get what I want. Hard for listeners to follow, and I think it's boring for them to listen to in that way.

This is going to be a great guitar for live gigs in small venues.
 
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About 2 months now and the factory strings are holding up nicely. These are Elixir Phosphor Bronze Acoustic with NANOWEB Coating (.012 - .053).

The strings look virtually new as the coating has prevented debris from filling them in. This has also aided in maintaining their tone - as advertised.

These strings are roughly three times the cost of my usual favorites (Dean Markley Phosphor Bronze), but I can see they are proving their worth. When the time comes, I'll definitely replace them with the same set.

Having adjusted the neck truss rod several days after purchasing, the adjustment has remained steady to date. I do notice however that after sitting overnight the tuning edges up just a hair on all strings, though not enough to be obviously out of tune to my ear - I always use an electric tuner before each session.

The tuning heads are silky smooth.

The Taylor gig bag is an exact fit, which makes it just a bit snug. The shoulder straps dangle a bit long when carrying it by hand - I'm going to add some velcro to their ends and the bag to secure them out of the way.
 
I dropped by the music store tonight and there was actually a decent, new, low-end Martin acoustic/electric in the room which had great action - the strings were old, though. Still, it felt and sounded real good. Warm sound without the boomy. It's $600 + case. I'd really like to check this one out with a new set of strings.


Martin X Series Custom X1-DE Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural
 
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