Martin Alternative II Acoustic/Electric


Martin Alternative II Acoustic/Electric
by Jeff Blakeman
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With both the increased cost and limited availability of good "tonewoods" available to guitar makers becoming an issue for future production, for years manufacturers have been experimenting with alternative materials. Graphite, composites, and other materials have been put to the test in the past and Martin Guitars has developed an interesting alternative to their traditional wood guitars. Martin's Alternative II Acoustic/Electric is built using a high pressure laminate back, aluminum top, and a laminated "stratabond" neck with a micarta fingerboard. So how does it compare to its wooden brethren?

Right out of the included hardshell case, the graffiti-patterned aluminum top gives this guitar a unique, modern appearance. The extremely thin top is quite strong and the A-frame bracing allows it to vibrate much the same way as a wooden top. A palm pressed behind the compensated micarta bridge will clearly demonstrate this. The jet black laminated back has soft edges for comfort, and is virtually impervious to cracking and humidity changes.

Fit and finish are top notch with all frets seated beautifully for an action well suited for strumming and soloing. The multi-colored, laminated neck played very well with the factory set-up. There were no noticeable dead spots, and intonation was as good as it gets all the way up to the 20th fret. All of the seams between the aluminum top and laminated back are extremely precise. Tuning stability is excellent thanks to the micarta nut and enclosed tuners. Bending strings and percussive strumming did nothing to knock this solid-feeling guitar out of tune.

So how does it sound? Unplugged, the guitar has good output, perhaps a little boxy, but not bad compared to many other thinner-bodied models. Where this guitar performs best is through an amplifier. The Fishman Prefix Pro electronics package does a great job of keeping this guitar sounding as woody as most wooden guitars. Sustain is nice, the bottom end is clear and well-defined, and the attack is sharp but not harsh for both fingerpicking and lead playing. With the electronics sounding this nice, when I use this guitar live, I skip using a mic. A variable notch filter and phase reverse switch is included with the bass, treble, middle, and brilliance sliders.

If you are an adventurous guitarist and looking at alternatives to wood, this might be the one that helps you decide. C. F. Martin & Co, 510 Sycamore Street, Nazareth, PA 18064. Phone: 610-759-2837. Web to: www.martinguitar.com

Jeff Blakeman is currently fronting the Jeff Blakeman Band in Washington, DC. He has played guitar professionally and semi-professionally for over 25 years.

Edited by: Barry Rudolph

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