Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Martin LX1E Little Martin Solid Sitka Spruce/Mahogany HPL Acoustic/Electric w/Gig Bag

Top positive review

Great little travel guitar!

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2015

I bought this guitar about 1 month ago. I am a small girl 5'2". I just strap this thing on and walk around the house playing. The pickup sounds freaking great hooked up to my Marshall amp. I have several other guitars including a Taylor 210ce which I also love. But this guitar is great for traveling, camp fires, and just plain old jammin. I chose this over the baby Taylor because the Martin had a full heel on the neck where's the taylor baby did not. It also sounded better when I play both the Taylor and the lx1e side by side. I thought that the Martin had a better "feel" to is as well when holding it. It is a travel guitar so it doesn't balance as well when you are standing with the guitar strap but I don't mind that at all. I love this little guy and to be honest I now play it more than my $1200 Taylor. Came with a great soft case with backpack straps on it so I just put it on like a backpack when I'm walking far which is super convenient. Oh and the high pressure laminate is so great and seems pretty durable. Overall I have played a lot of guitars over my 10 years of playing and this little guy is a winner all the way around from sound, to feel.

87 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Amazon Customer

Nope

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2021

I was so excited to get my new travel guitar but I was super disappointed in the sound. I tried plugging in and adjusting to soothe my soul but I never found a happy spot. The sound is awful. I’m still in search of a small acoustic electric travel guitar. This definitely wasn’t it. Super not worth the money while I think about it either. Sorry Martin.

4 people found this helpful

209 total ratings, 104 with reviews

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From the United States

Joelle Miller

Great little travel guitar!

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

87 people found this helpful

Helpful

DavidQueener

Love it

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2023

Verified Purchase

This guitar sounds good to my ears. It's easy to play with my arthritic hands . Overall I'm very happy, with the exception that it was made in mexico, I thought I was buying an American made guitar. But very well built and it holds it's tune.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Allison Shenk

LOVE this guitar!!

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2016

Verified Purchase

Love, love, love this guitar! I've always wanted a Martin, but I am too small to wrap my arms around a full-size guitar. I tried other smaller guitars and felt like I had to hold back so I didn't "over-play" them. There was too much buzzing otherwise, and the sound was tinny. This LX1E, however, has a full, rich sound (it really cranks for a smaller instrument!) and I've already gotten so many compliments in the first week of playing it. The case is sturdy and has plenty of room. The Fishman pickup sounds great. I play in a local band (check us out... [...]- shameless plug! Ha!) and I'm excited to perform with this instrument. I'm thrilled!

7 people found this helpful

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Nomadic Nerd

Sounds much bigger than it is.

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2017

Verified Purchase

I purchased this guitar to keep me busy while serving in Iraq. It's small enough that it travels well. It's also cheap enough that if it gets destroyed or left behind, it won't break the bank. The HPL is not immune to temperature or humidity changes, but it is more resistant that solid wood and it sounds good.

This is not a Dreadnought, but the sound is surprisingly big given its size. The short scale length works well with my small hands. The action was set well right from the factory, and the intonation is dead-on all the way up the neck. It has a surprisingly full (for a 3/4 scale guitar), moderately rich tone as a straight acoustic, and the pickup & preamp sound fantastic through a Fishman Performer.

My only complaints are:
1 - The tuner on the Fishman iSys is a few cents sharp and not terribly precise. I have a Snark tuner for other instruments anyway, so this is a minor inconvenience.

2 - The nut was cut a bit low on the high E string, which caused noticeable string buzz when strumming moderate-to-hard from the day I received it. I will take it to a Martin dealer when I return to the US and have it repaired under warranty.

One note about that: Martin's warranty for MIM guitars is only one year, not for the lifetime of the instrument. Not a huge concern given the price point of this instrument, but something to be aware of.

All in all I am very happy with this little guitar. I would recommend it to a friend.

21 people found this helpful

Helpful

L. Lee

Great sound

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2017

Verified Purchase

I’m impressed. The sound is good for a small guitar. Has range and doesn’t sound tinny. Feels like a real guitar and not a toy guitar. I also own a Baby Taylor Mahogany and the Little Martin is much better. Feels and sounds more solid. I changed the strings to Elixir PB 12s. I don’t like the harsh feeling of Martin strings. Like my other Martin, the action is too high. I will have to sand down the saddle. The only real complaint is the heavy neck. Throws off the balance and makes playing awkward. Compared to Taylor’s, Martins feel more bulky and cumbersome. A sturdy travel guitar. Excellent acoustics.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Rio

Smells like Lincoln Logs.

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2018

Verified Purchase

Was skeptical at first since I own a couple of vintage Martins. Aside from the LX1E being a sustainable responsibly built guitar that has HPL back/sides, hybrid neck/fingerboard, and whose soundhole smells like a Lincoln Log toy set this is an amazing find. Yup- it’s perfect for the overhead bin on airplanes, comes with a good gig bag, and sounds great plugged in. Experimented with .11 gauge string set, but this guitar is really made for either .12 gauge or a true .13 (medium gauge) strings set. This guitar is designed for the combination of heavier strings and assertive strumming or picking to create a sound that belies its small size. It welcomes being pushed, muted, and/or percussively played. Found the same to be true of Martin’s DX regular size guitars which sound amazing for what they are. While the E Sheeran LX model has his logos on it, this is the same thing without the higher price tag-enjoy.

45 people found this helpful

Helpful

Andy C

I must say I am not disappointed. This guitar definitely packs a punch has a ...

Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2015

Verified Purchase

I was looking for a guitar to take on the road and potentially for live performances. I must say I am not disappointed. This guitar definitely packs a punch has a very full sound for a travel guitar, almost comparably to the full size counterpart. The weight does take some time to get used to as full sized guitars are bottom heavy while the little martin is handle heavy. The size and weight is very comfortable to hold with a strap on. The onboard electronics are also very nicely made and simple to use. The sound is quite unique with good bass but "chirper"/brighter sound than a full sized guitar. Great addition for any guitar player to have on his/her arsenal.

25 people found this helpful

Helpful

Emma

Great for Weak Hands

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2019

Verified Purchase

I have chronic ganglions on my left wrist and have had several procedures done on it, resulting in a very weak hand. I've been playing guitar since I was 5 and was saddened to find I was having a hard time on my older acoustic guitars, so I looked into a smaller guitar. This guitar might be small, but it sings just as loud, if not louder, than my full size guitars. It also has a beautiful sound that I would pick over many other guitars any day. Great little instrument - I'm so glad I found it!

30 people found this helpful

Helpful

Betty

Great size ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024

Verified Purchase

At 77 years of age, 5' 3" and 120 lbs. it was brought to my attention that I needed a smaller guitar. So true. My old guitar was getting heavier and heavier. I am delighted with how much easier it is to play a smaller guitar. As mentioned in other reviews, without plugging it in, the sound is a bit disappointing. So I am looking for a small practice amp to go with it. I'll update as I get more used to playing it ...

Helpful

Kuchibhotla S.

Travel guitar or guitar for someone with small hands

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2022

Verified Purchase

The product description is not totally true. The weight of the guitar is 3lbs 10oz.
The dimensions of the guitar (not including the case) are 34 x 12.5 x 3.5 inches.
If you are a beginner and can afford it, this is the best guitar. If you're intermediate and want to travel with, it's a decent guitar. It sounds good only with an AMP. If you're a gig performer, I'd recommend you're better off with a Yamaha FXG.

6 people found this helpful

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