Here’s a really nice new Martin DSS-16E in Cherry Cola. We are big fans of what Martin did with this one. The slope-shoulder dreadnought gives it a slightly different personality than the standard Martin dread, and the shorter 24.9" scale makes it feel really comfortable in your hands.
The solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides give you that familiar Martin sound — warm and woody, with a good punch in the mids and a nice focused low end. The forward-shifted scalloped bracing lets it open up a bit more when you dig in, so there’s plenty of response without the guitar feeling overly stiff.
The shorter scale is probably our favorite part from a playing standpoint. It has a little more relaxed feel to it, especially if you’re used to longer-scale acoustics, and it works really well with the slope-shoulder body. The grained ivoroid pickguard is a nice touch, too, and the Cherry Cola finish looks pretty killer in person.
It’s also got L.R. Baggs Element electronics for plugging in. Overall, this is a really cool Martin for somebody who wants the familiar spruce-and-mahogany thing but with a slightly different body shape and feel. Comes across as pretty simple, but there’s a lot to like once you actually spend some time with it.
