Show Full Spec Comparison
| Martin OMJM John Mayer | D-41 | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Martin | Martin |
| Year: | 2012 | 1969 |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | United States | United States |
| Series: | Custom & Special Editions | Standard |
| Colors: | Natural | Natural |
| Left-Handed Version: | Yes | Yes |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Hollowbody | Hollowbody |
| Body Material: | Solid Engelmann Spruce | Solid Spruce |
| Sides Material: | Rosewood | Rosewood |
| Back Material: | Rosewood | Rosewood |
| Bridge: | Ebony | Ebony |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Set | Set |
| Tuners: | Nickel Open Gear | Gold Open Gear |
| Fretboard: | Ebony | Ebony |
| Neck Material: | Select Hardwood | Genuine Mahogany |
| Decoration: | Mother-of-Pearl Custom | Abalone Reduced Hexagon |
| 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: | Bone | Bone |
| Nut Width: | 42.9mm (1.688'') | 44.5mm (1.75'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Pickups: | Fishman Gold Plus Natural I (Preamp / Active) | Fishman (Preamp / Active) |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | No | No |
| Hardware Color: | Nickel | Gold |
Reasons to Get
Martin OMJM John Mayer over D-41
Reasons to Get
Martin D-41 over OMJM John Mayer
Other Key Differences
Martin OMJM John Mayer vs D-41
Shared Features
Martin OMJM John Mayer vs D-41
Common Strengths
- Solid Top Wood
- Solid Side Wood
- Solid Back Wood
- High-Quality Nut
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
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
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .
Martin OMJM John Mayer:
Martin D-41:
Beginner Friendliness
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 OMJM John Mayer- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Soft Strings
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Martin D-41- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
- Soft Strings
- Locking tuners
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
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.
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.
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.
Woods Used in the Martin OMJM John Mayer
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.
Woods Used in the Martin D-41
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.
Winner: Martin D-41.
Electronics
Both come with electronics that allow you connect them to an amplifier or interface for recording.
Winner:Tie.
Final Sound Quality Scores
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 OMJM John Mayer compares to the Martin D-41.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.
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: Tie
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.
In this case, both have Bone nuts. 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.
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 Martin OMJM John Mayer's are Nickel Open Gear while the Martin D-41's are Gold Open Gear
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Martin OMJM John Mayer
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Electronics
- Ivory Tusq 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
Martin D-41
- 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
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
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Martin D-41 has the wider nut with 44.5mm (1.75'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 1.6mm (0.062'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Martin D-41, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
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
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 OMJM John Mayer and the Martin D-41 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
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 OMJM John Mayer and the Martin D-41 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.
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.
