The Best Christmas presents are the ones you buy for yourself!

This week will be my 48th guitar lesson, Wow! Almost a year in. It has been a tough yet enjoyable journey so far. I tend to pick up my guitar or should I say guitars as I have somewhat been caught by the bug and now own several, nothing Uber expensive, just instruments that I enjoy the aesthetics of and the feel of when I lay my hands on them. I dare say if, or should I say in more positive terms "When" I become more proficient and skilled I wouldn't mind paying a small fortune for a top end bit of kit. I think a guitar and the melodies it allows you to play can become very personal, like a best friend in a way.

Martin DJR-10E Dreadnought Junior.

 

Anyhoo before I get carried away and getting all deep, I thought I would share my latest buy, a Christmas Prezzie to myself if you like. I have been looking at buying a little more of an up market guitar. Don't get me wrong, I still love my Ibanez TCM 50 Talman, it has and continues to serve me well, hey maybe it was sheer boredom that got me looking at my next purchase, who knows.


As usual the internet has been a great source of information, thing is there is just Sooooo! Much choice. What has been very difficult is identifying things like how big and actual guitar is in the flesh, how it would feel in my hands? Plus there is nothing quite like actually listening with your own ears, live shall we say, compared to listening to a video on the likes of YouTube, where various mics and amps are used. Not only that most of the videos showing a guitar's playability are by people who can actually play a few licks very good, and not just a green horn like myself.


So after a few months of toying with the idea of a new guitar, checking out reviews and deciding just exactly what was going to fit my needs, I made a short list of top prospects.

Things I was looking for were a guitar that I could strum on and also do a spot of finger picking. The aesthetic appeal, I fancied something vintage looking, something with a bit of character and not overstated. I really like the look of the Sunburst guitars, or what are known as tobacco colour. Also, one of the most important things for me was that the guitar was not too big in its body. You see, I struggle with a bigger guitar when I am sitting trying to play. A bigger bodied guitar always slips off my prosthetic socket and I end up holding it more as if the guitar is resting on my lap, Lol.


My short list of guitars included 

Faith Venus Blood Moon.

Eastman AC308CE Ltd

Martin DJR-10E Dreadnought Junior.

Oh! And I love the look of the Takamine PTU441MTB New Yorker, however this was a parlour size guitar and more suited to a finger style, which I am nowhere near being able to achieve so would not to get the best out of the guitar.

With  somewhat of an idea of what I was after, my dad and I popped through to Newcastle yesterday and visited Guitar Guitar. At least being able to have a look around the various electro acoustic guitars, I thought it would help in my decision.

Once at Guitar Guitar a very help sales assistant, named Tommy, was only too happy in my selection. Tommy showed and demonstrated a range of guitars, the first being a Martin DJR-10E Dreadnought Junior, which was on my list. Tommy brought me a stool, so I  was able to have a seat and see how comfortable the guitar felt, and I was then able to have a short strum, opting for a tune I knew off by heart, and then I played a few chords just to get a feel for the guitar.

Next Tommy handed me a Taylor as I recall, I think it was a GS Mini. The guitar felt good in my hands and had a slightly brighter tone, however to the eye, for me just out of personal preference it didn't float my boat.

Tommy also gave me a look at a beautiful Alvarez Yairi. An amazing looking guitar with a slotted headstock. It was a parlour size, so a bit small for strumming, more of a finger picking instrument, plus at £1999 a little over budget at the moment. I mean some of these guitars, it would be like owning a supercar, yet not having a driving licence.

Back for another go on the Martin DJR-10E Dreadnought Junior. I really liked the tones the guitar produced. Although it's smaller than my Ibanez Talman it sounds like it has more depth in the bass. So I opted to go with the Martin.

Martin DJR-10E Dreadnought Junior.

Buying the guitar was simple too, I put a deposit down and got 3 months interest free on the remainder in store using Klarna. The guitar came with a small gig bag just to keep it safe and dust free.

Sapele Wood

Martin DJR-10E Dreadnought Junior.

 

I spent the whole of yesterday evening playing around with the wee Martin and have to say it is a joy to play and sounds great. I haven't tried plugging it in to an amp as yet, the guitar having a Fishman Sono tone with 2 controls that you get to through the sound hole. I love the understated nature of the guitar which looks slightly distressed and worn, with a mother-of-pearl inlay around the soundhole and mother-of-pearl fret inlays.

Now all I need to do is learn to play a lot better...