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Fender Newporter Classic
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th
VS
Playability
73
Sound
86
Build
75
Value
83
Score
78
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Playability
73
Sound
81
Build
66
Value
78
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
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Fender Newporter Classic vs Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th

Reasons to Get
Fender Newporter Classic over Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th

Nut Material
Bone vs Corian
Good quality nut with rich tone
Top Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Sides Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Back Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Body Shape
Newporter vs Dreadnought
Mid-size body similar to an OOO
Scale Length
25.6'' (650.2mm) vs 25.4'' (645.2mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
15.75'' (400.1mm) vs 16'' (406.4mm)
More curved fretboard helpful to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
83 vs 78
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th over Fender Newporter Classic

Country of Manufacturing
Mexico vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Release Year
2019 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Body Shape
Dreadnought vs Newporter
Prominent low-end tones in a large body
Scale Length
25.4'' (645.2mm) vs 25.6'' (650.2mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm) vs 15.75'' (400.1mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
Fender Newporter Classic vs Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th

Back Material
Mahogany vs HPL
Different Back Material
Sides Material
Mahogany vs HPL
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Bone vs Ivory Tusq
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Modern Viking vs FSC Certified Richlite
Different Bridge Material
Body Wood
Spruce vs HPL
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Birch
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Pau Ferro vs Richlite
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Bone vs Corian
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Fender Newporter Classic vs Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th

Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Hollowbody
Warm tone, lighter and acoustic sound
Switch Positions
0
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
0
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
0
Same tone control
Number of Frets
20
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Fixed
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Type of Frets
Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Locking Tuners
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender Newporter Classic is probably the better product overall with its final score of 78 compared to the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th's 73 score, although not by a lot.

The Fender Newporter Classic wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th has the upper hand when it comes to.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender Newporter Classic is the better choice.

The Fender Newporter Classic meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Newporter Classic
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Fender Newporter Classic Overview

  • From Fender's 2018 California series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.6"'' scale
  • 15.75" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Sitka Spruce top
  • Solid Mahogany back
  • Solid Mahogany sides
  • Mahogany neck
  • Pau Ferro fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman-designed preamp system (Preamp/Active)
  • Modern Viking bridge
  • Acoustic Slim C Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Sealed Nickel tuners
  • Weight around 4.1lbs (1.9kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th Overview

  • From Martin's 2019 Custom & Special Editions series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 6 strings
  • 25.4"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • HPL top
  • HPL back
  • HPL sides
  • Rust Birch Laminate neck
  • FSC Certified Richlite fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Sonitone (Preamp/Active)
  • FSC Certified Richlite bridge
  • Acoustic Performing Artist Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome Enclosed Gear tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The most important thing that will determine the tone of an acoustic guitar is the wood. Let's take a look at the differences between both .

Woods Used in the Fender Newporter Classic

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Pau Ferro wood pattern used for guitar building
Pau Ferro
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Pau Ferro has a dark, chocolate-like color with straight dark grains that is being used as a replacement to Rosewood due to the regulations. It produces a warm tone that is somewhere between Mahogany and Rosewood. Find out more about Pau Ferro.

Spruce has a light color with tight grain patterns. It's very stiff but relatively light. It's known for producing a well-rounded tone with a broad dynamic range. Find out more about Spruce.

Woods Used in the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th

Birch wood pattern used for guitar building
Birch
Richlite wood pattern used for guitar building
Richlite
HPL wood pattern used for guitar building
HPL

Birch wood is a hardwood with a light color and a fine, even grain. It has good dimensional stability and is resistant to warping. It's used as a cheaper replacement for maple. The tone produced by birch wood is typically described as being warm, clear, and resonant.

It's very similar to Ebony, but it is much cheaper to make. The main reason is that it is made from resin-infused paper. It is very durable and soft, so it's often used for fretboards and tops.

HPL is a high-pressure laminate made from multiple layers of paper or fabric that are impregnated with resin and then fused together under high pressure and heat.

Winner: Fender Newporter Classic.

Electronics

Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Fender Newporter Classic
Sustain 90
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 86
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th
Sustain 70
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 81

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender Newporter Classic compares to the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Newporter Classic is built in China while the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th is made in Mexico.

China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.

Mexico has been for a long time where Fender has built their semi-premium series. If you don't want to overpay for a wellp-built instrument, a guitar built in this country by a good brand always offers good value for the money.

Winner: Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Fender Newporter Classic has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

On the other hand, the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th comes with a Corian nut. It used to be the go-to nut for Gibson, but it's slowly being replaced by Graph Tech (Tusq). It's a synthetic material made to be similar to Bone, but it doesn't have the same self-lubricating properties, and it's less resistant.

Winner: Fender Newporter Classic.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Newporter Classic's are Sealed Nickel while the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th's are Chrome Enclosed Gear

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Newporter Classic
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Bone Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • Laminated Top Wood
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Fender Newporter Classic
Quality of materials 81
Features 85
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 75
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th
Quality of materials 43
Features 85
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 66

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Fender Newporter Classic Nut Width
Fender Newporter Classic Nut Width
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th Nut Width
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th has the wider nut with 44.5mm (1.75'') vs 43mm (1.693''). This is a 1.5mm (0.057'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Fender Newporter Classic's Scale Length
Fender Newporter Classic's Scale Length
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th's Scale Length
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Fender Newporter Classic has the longest scale: 25.6". The Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th is only 25.4" long. This is a 0.2'' (5.1mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Fender Newporter Classic Neck Profile
Fender Newporter Classic's neck profile
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th Neck Profile
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Fender Newporter Classic and the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

Fender Newporter Classic Fingerboard Radius
Fender Newporter Classic's Fingerboard radius
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th Fingerboard Radius
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the Fender Newporter Classic's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th.

Still, both tend to favor soloing over chords, so if you're looking for a guitar for playing rhythm, you might want something else with a radius closer to a Stratocaster's 9.5''.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison favor small hands .

Fender Newporter Classic:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Fender Newporter Classic and Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium fret size

Both have a Medium fret size. If you like feeling the fretboard when you play, but also appreciate some easiness to press down the frets, this size offers a good balance for that.

Final Playability Scores

Fender Newporter Classic
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Fender Newporter Classic vs Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th
General Fender Newporter Classic Martin DX WOODSTOCK 50th
Brand: Fender Martin
Year: 2018 2019
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China Mexico
Series: California Custom & Special Editions
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Sitka Spruce HPL
Sides Material: Mahogany HPL
Back Material: Mahogany HPL
Bridge: Modern Viking FSC Certified Richlite
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Sealed Nickel Chrome Enclosed Gear
Fretboard: Pau Ferro FSC Certified Richlite
Neck Material: Mahogany Rust Birch Laminate
Decoration: Maple Dots White Plastic Dots
Scale Size: 25.6" 25.4"
Shape: Acoustic Slim C Acoustic Performing Artist
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 15.75" 16"
Nut: Bone Corian
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman-designed preamp system (Preamp / Active) Fishman Sonitone (Preamp / Active)