If you are a lead player, you will absolutely love Martin Guitar’s new SC-13E acoustic-electric! Picture having easy access to your Am pentatonic scale all the way up to the 17th fret, while ripping solos…comfortably! Martin made this happen. By getting rid of part of the heel (that hump where the neck meets the body), it is now more accessible to reach more frets, therefore, opening up more playing possibilities with ease and comfort.
This guitar comes with a slightly new shape. The design contours to the body and balances nicely on a strap. It is very lightweight, and after standing for an hour straight while playing, it didn’t hurt my back or make me feel strained. Sometimes I find myself pulling on the neck a little and the strap puts weight on my shoulder. I normally don’t realize it until the end of the gig. I didn’t have that issue with the SC-13E. It just sits in the right spot. The projection seems to be more enhanced with the new body style as well.
Nice low action makes playing the neck a breeze. The cutaway heel and tapered neck make it so easy to glide along the fretboard. I do a lot of live acoustic looping and I love the fact that I can get so far up the frets, especially since there are guitar leads I am used to doing on electric guitar. So many times, I’ve found myself awkwardly trying to hit that 15th or 17th fret during solos — now I can reach them without any problem.
If you are looking for an acoustic that plays like an electric, this just may be the winner. It looks sleek, plays smoothly, sounds fantastic, and has a fast neck. This is definitely a gigging musician’s dream acoustic. Whether it’s plugged in or raw, it has that beautiful, signature Martin sound. It’s a solid guitar for any player.
For specifications, visit 
MartinGuitar.com.
MSRP $1,899.00
Street $1,499.00
Listen to what Angela Petrilli has to say about the Martin SC-13E
Check out our review on YouTube: