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Martin D-X2E 12 String
Martin HD-35
VS
Playability
73
Sound
84
Build
71
Value
81
Score
76
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Playability
73
Sound
88
Build
90
Value
69
Score
84
FIND IT ON:
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Martin D-X2E 12 String vs HD-35

Reasons to Get
Martin D-X2E 12 String over HD-35

Release Year
2015 vs 1965
From a more recent year
Strings
12 vs 6
Allows you to play lower notes
Nut Width
1.875'' (47.6mm) vs 1.75'' (44.5mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Value Score
81 vs 69
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Martin HD-35 over D-X2E 12 String

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Mexico
Built with higher quality standards
Nut Material
Bone vs Corian
Good quality nut with rich tone
Sides Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Back Wood
Solid vs Laminated
Helps with richer tones and louder volume
Strings
6 vs 12
Narrower neck and fewer strings to change
Nut Width
1.75'' (44.5mm) vs 1.875'' (47.6mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Avg. Weight
4.625lbs (2.1kgs) vs 5.2lbs (2.4kgs)
Tends to be lighter

Other Key Differences
Martin D-X2E 12 String vs HD-35

Back Material
HPL vs Rosewood
Different Back Material
Sides Material
HPL vs Rosewood
Different Sides Material
Saddle Material
Ivory Tusq vs Compensated
Different Saddle Material
Bridge Material
Select Hardwood vs Ebony
Different Bridge Material
Fretboard Wood
Hardwood vs Ebony
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
6-6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Corian vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Martin D-X2E 12 String vs HD-35

Body Wood
Spruce
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Hardwood
Same Neck Wood
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
Scale Length
25.4'' (645.2mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
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

  • Solid Top Wood
  • 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

Martin D-X2E 12 String Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Martin HD-35 is probably the better product overall with its final score of 84 compared to the Martin D-X2E 12 String's 76 score, although not by a lot.

The Martin HD-35 wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Martin D-X2E 12 String has the upper hand when it comes to value for the money.

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?

Both meet 3 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

Martin D-X2E 12 String
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Soft Strings
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Martin HD-35
  • 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.

Martin D-X2E 12 String Overview

  • From Martin's 2015 X series
  • Made in Mexico
  • 12 strings
  • 25.4"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • HPL back
  • HPL sides
  • Select Hardwood neck
  • Select Hardwood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman MX (Preamp/Active)
  • Select Hardwood bridge
  • Acoustic Low Profile Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome Enclosed Gear tuners
  • Weight between 5.15lbs (2.3kgs) and 5.25lbs (2.4kgs)
  • Compare Specs >

Martin HD-35 Overview

  • From Martin's 1965 Standard series
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.4"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Solid Spruce top
  • Solid East Indian Rosewood back
  • Solid East Indian Rosewood sides
  • Select Hardwood neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fishman Gold Plus Natural I (Preamp/Active)
  • Ebony bridge
  • Acoustic Modified Low Oval Set neck
  • 20 Medium frets
  • Chrome Enclosed Gear tuners
  • Weight between 4.5lbs (2kgs) and 4.75lbs (2.2kgs)
  • 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 Both

Hardwood wood pattern used for guitar building
Hardwood
Spruce wood pattern used for guitar building
Spruce

Hardwood is just a generic wood that can come from many species. This type of wood is used to build guitars because it provides a rich, warm sound. The wood also has good structural properties, making it durable and long-lasting.

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 D-X2E 12 String

HPL wood pattern used for guitar building
HPL

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.

Woods Used in the Martin HD-35

Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Martin HD-35.

Electronics

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

Winner:Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Martin D-X2E 12 String
Sustain 80
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 84
Martin HD-35
Sustain 95
Versatility 85
Tuning Stability 70
Sound 88

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 Martin D-X2E 12 String compares to the Martin HD-35.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Martin D-X2E 12 String is built in Mexico while the Martin HD-35 is made in United States.

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.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

Winner: Martin HD-35

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 Martin D-X2E 12 String has 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.

On the other hand, the Martin HD-35 comes with 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.

Winner: Martin HD-35.

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. Both come with Chrome Enclosed Gear.

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin D-X2E 12 String
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Mexico
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • Low-Quality Material Saddle
  • Laminated Side Wood
  • Laminated Back Wood
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Martin HD-35
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Electronics
  • Compensated Saddle
  • Solid Top Wood
  • Solid Side Wood
  • Solid Back Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Martin D-X2E 12 String
Quality of materials 58
Features 85
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 71
Martin HD-35
Quality of materials 84
Features 85
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 90

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

Martin D-X2E 12 String Nut Width
Martin D-X2E 12 String Nut Width
Martin HD-35 Nut Width
Martin HD-35 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Martin D-X2E 12 String has the wider nut with 47.6mm (1.875'') vs 44.5mm (1.75''). This is a 3.1mm (0.125'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Martin D-X2E 12 String, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

Martin D-X2E 12 String and Martin HD-35's Scale Length
Both have the same 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.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25.4".

This is considered a long scale, but slightly shorter than what's commonly found in acoustic guitars.

Since the distance between bridge and nut is relatively long, strings will feel stiff and more difficult to bend, but the tone will feel brighter. It will also be less likely to produce fret buzzing and rattling when strumming hard.

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

Martin D-X2E 12 String Neck Profile
Martin D-X2E 12 String's neck profile
Martin HD-35 Neck Profile
Martin HD-35'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 Martin D-X2E 12 String and the Martin HD-35 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

Martin D-X2E 12 String Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard 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.

Both the Martin D-X2E 12 String and the Martin HD-35 have the same fretboard radius of 16". This fretboard radius is really different from Stratocasters, but it's also a lot flatter than Les Paul fingerboards. It'll favor plating single notes over playing chords. This doesn't mean you can't use it for rhythm, but a more curved fretboard offers better playability for chords. Bending and sliding without losing sustain will also be more likely in a flat fretboard like this one.

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 .

Martin D-X2E 12 String:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Martin HD-35:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Martin D-X2E 12 String and Martin HD-35 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

Martin D-X2E 12 String
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73
Martin HD-35
Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Martin D-X2E 12 String vs HD-35
General Martin D-X2E 12 String HD-35
Brand: Martin Martin
Year: 2015 1965
Strings: 12 6
Made in: Mexico United States
Series: X Standard
Colors: Natural Natural
Left-Handed Version: Yes Yes
Body
Type: Hollowbody Hollowbody
Body Material: Solid Spruce Solid Spruce
Sides Material: HPL Rosewood
Back Material: HPL Rosewood
Bridge: Select Hardwood Ebony
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Chrome Enclosed Gear Chrome Enclosed Gear
Fretboard: Select Hardwood Ebony
Neck Material: Select Hardwood Select Hardwood
Decoration: Mother-of-Pearl Pattern Style 28 Mother-of-Pearl Style 28
Scale Size: 25.4" 25.4"
Shape: Acoustic Low Profile Acoustic Modified Low Oval
Frets: 20 Medium Nickel Silver 20 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 16" 16"
Nut: Corian Bone
Nut Width: 47.6mm (1.875'') 44.5mm (1.75'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Fishman MX (Preamp / Active) Fishman Gold Plus Natural I (Preamp / Active)