Martin LXK2 Little Martin Koa Pattern
While the martin LXK1 Mahogany little martin is definitely one of the better guitars on the market, it has a brother and a competitor of comparable sound and handsomeness. The Martin LXK2 Little Martin, Koa Pattern acoustic guitar is a little miracle on part with the mahogany martin. While very similar in so many aspects the LXK2 has its own personality and look worth taking a closer look at to understand what makes it one of the better guitars on the market.
The body style of this guitar, just like the LXK1, is the Modified 0-14 Fret. The combined designs of the dreadnought and grand concert guitar, scaled down to about ¾ of a full size guitar, result in a very interesting and beautiful sound. Less powerful than a full size dreadnought, yet still powerful in its own right, the guitar has a beautiful emphasis on mid and higher tones because of its size and style.
The top wood of this guitar is Laminated Koa. Many will find this scandalizing, as their understanding of the wood is very limited. Koa is a beautiful hardwood capable of incredible tone. It is lightweight and yet it is dense, allowing the lowest of basses to be well sounded and individualized during play. The fact that it is also dense allows the mid and higher tones to bounce straight off it, producing a vibrant, beautiful tone even there. The laminate might act as a dampener, but the sound remains strong. The back and sides of the guitar are koa as well, which results in beautiful amplification, as well as great resonance with tones across the range of sounds. The awesomeness does not end there, since Koa has a beautiful colour and texture pattern. It is a very unique looking guitar.
The neck of the guitar is natural Stratabond. It is a very sturdy and handsome hardwood, which can be a great choice for a guitar, especially as unique as the Martin LXK2. The slender neck is topped with handsome richlite, which works well with the koa and is very smooth to the touch.
The bridge of the guitar is usually solid east indian rosewood. This wood is notorious for its resonance with the deeper tones. It adds just a little bit more resonance to the bass tones, bringing the guitar into a new realm of beauty in terms of low tones.
The nut and saddle of the guitar are White Corian. This is an affordable material which works great for cheaper guitars with a tendency towards lower tones. The same goes here, with the harmonics of the guitar being very well defined and the buzz resulting from playing fast low tones being almost nonexistent.
The tuners of this guitar, while not being the best, are definitely not the worst either. You might have to retune the guitar every few weeks, but the stability guarantees you will not need to worry about it the day after.
The guitar, as a result of its unique construction and tonewood combination, has a very unique sound. The body style gives it a very good basis in the mid and high tones, while the koa wood pushes the lower end of the register to the forefront of the sound. Yet the mid and high tones do not fall behind as koa brings them out as well. Individual notes sound very clear and beautiful on this guitar. The guitar sound warm and yet powerful, vibrant and yet capable of being very mellow. Definitely a beautiful sound.
Conclusion
The Martin LXK2 Little Martin Koa Pattern guitar is unique, not just in its bracket of price among travel guitars, but among guitars in general. Its small size allows for easy travel. The affordable price of the guitar allows many to have it. The unique composition and build of the guitar allow for some of the most unique, yet beautiful, sounds a guitar to produce. And the guitar is pretty, to boot! Definitely recommended for anyone considering picking up a new travel guitar.
