Martin has completely reworked its 16 Series, and the new Martin J-16E is one of the most interesting guitars in the refreshed lineup.
The 16 Series sits between Martin’s Road Series and Standard Series, giving players a USA-made Martin at a lower price while still offering premium materials, electronics, distinctive finishes, and a variety of body shapes.
The J16E takes that idea and pairs it with a jumbo body, East Indian rosewood back and sides, a gloss cream finish, and LR Baggs electronics. At $2,599, it also puts some features and finishes within reach that previously required spending considerably more on a USA-made Martin.
The Refreshed Martin 16 Series
Martin didn’t simply bring back the existing 16 Series. The company rethought the lineup from the ground up.
The refreshed series includes several different body shapes, ranging from smaller, more intimate guitars to dreadnoughts, grand performance models, jumbos, and grand jumbo 12-string guitars.
One of the biggest changes is the focus on finishes. The new 16 Series offers colors including amber fades, blues, blacks, white, and cherry cola.
These finishes give the guitars a much more distinctive appearance than you might normally expect at this price point from a USA-made Martin.
Martin J16-E: First Impressions
The guitar I’m looking at here is the Martin J16E, finished in Martin’s cream color.
The first thing that stands out is the finish. The guitar has a gloss top with the wood grain visible underneath, giving it more depth than a simple painted finish.
The front also gets multi-stripe binding, while the back features cream binding.
The contrast between the cream top and the darker East Indian rosewood back and sides is particularly striking.
Jumbo Body and Playability
The J-16E Cream uses a jumbo body with a 25.4-inch scale length.
And yes, you can feel the size of this guitar when you pick it up. This is a guitar designed to move some air.
The jumbo body produces powerful projection and resonance, making it especially well suited for strumming. But don’t let the size fool you. The J16E can also respond to a lighter attack and works surprisingly well for fingerstyle playing.
Change your picking dynamics and the guitar responds accordingly. That versatility makes the J16E useful for everything from quiet playing at home to bigger acoustic performances.
Build Quality and Details
Martin has packed quite a bit into the J-16E.
The guitar features an ebony bridge and ebony fingerboard, with a very dark and consistent appearance on the fingerboard.
You’re also getting mother-of-pearl 28-style inlays and additional detailing around the soundhole.
The soundhole features Martin’s traditional decorative elements along with exposed wood detailing that creates a subtle gold-like contrast against the cream finish.
The guitar also features a faux tortoiseshell pickguard, open-gear Grover tuners, and a bone saddle.
LR Baggs Electronics
Every guitar in the refreshed 16 Series comes with electronics, and the J16E uses LR Baggs Element electronics.
This is one of my favorite types of acoustic electronics because of how simple the system is.
The controls tuck neatly into the soundhole, giving you easy access to the volume control without putting a large control panel into the side of the guitar.
The battery compartment is located near the bottom of the guitar next to the strap button, while the output is positioned on the side.
It’s a simple setup that works well for players who plan to plug the J16E into an acoustic amp, PA, or recording setup.
How Does the Martin J-16E Cream Sound?
This is where the J-16E really impressed me.
The jumbo body produces a big, open sound with plenty of projection and resonance.
During testing, I ran the guitar through a variety of playing styles, including light strumming, heavier strumming, fingerstyle playing, and different picking dynamics.
The guitar remained responsive throughout.
It can deliver the big acoustic sound you’d expect from a jumbo, but it doesn’t feel limited to aggressive strumming. Back off your attack and the guitar becomes much more intimate and controlled.
One of the reasons for that response is the updated bracing used in the refreshed 16 Series. Martin is using scalloped bracing with the goal of enhancing sustain and resonance.
That combination of the body, woods, and bracing gives the J16E a large, open voice that works particularly well for players who want an acoustic that can fill a room.
What I Like About the J-16E
The Sound
The biggest selling point is easily the sound. The J16E has the projection and low-end presence you’d expect from a jumbo, while still responding well to lighter playing styles.
The Finish
The cream finish is one of my favorite aspects of this guitar. The gloss top combined with the darker rosewood back and sides creates a ton of contrast.
It looks like a much more expensive Martin.
The Features
You’re getting USA-made construction, East Indian rosewood, ebony appointments, Grover tuners, a bone saddle, LR Baggs electronics, and a distinctive finish for $2,599.
That’s a pretty compelling package.
What I Don’t Like
There isn’t a lot to complain about with the J16E, but there is one obvious compromise.
No Hard Case
The J16E comes with a semi-rigid gig bag rather than a traditional hard case.
For local gigging, transportation, and everyday use, the included bag should be perfectly fine. It’s substantially more protective than a basic soft gig bag.
However, if you’re traveling frequently with a jumbo guitar, you may want to budget for a proper hard case.
It’s a Big Guitar
The other consideration is the jumbo body itself.
If you prefer smaller acoustic guitars, the J16E probably isn’t going to change your mind. The good news is that Martin offers several other body shapes in the refreshed 16 Series.
However, if you specifically want this cream finish, the J16E is currently the jumbo option to look at.
Martin J-16E vs. Martin D-28
At $2,599, the J16E occupies an interesting position in Martin’s lineup.
You could spend roughly another $900 on a D-28 and get a hard case along with some upgraded specifications. But the D-28 doesn’t give you the same combination of finish options and built-in electronics found on the J16E.
That’s really what makes the refreshed 16 Series interesting. Martin has created a middle ground between the more affordable Road Series and the Standard Series, while giving players features that make these guitars feel considerably more premium.
Final Thoughts
The Martin J-16E is an impressive guitar, especially when you consider the $2,599 price point.
You’re getting a USA-made Martin with a jumbo body, East Indian rosewood back and sides, ebony appointments, LR Baggs electronics, a distinctive cream finish, and a powerful, responsive voice.
The lack of a hard case is the biggest compromise, and the jumbo body won’t be for everyone. But if you want a big acoustic sound and don’t mind the size, the J16E is an extremely compelling option.
More importantly, I think the refreshed 16 Series makes the entire lineup much more interesting. Martin has managed to offer distinctive finishes and stage-ready electronics while keeping the price below the higher-end Standard Series.
If you’re looking to spend around $2,500-$2,600 on a USA-made Martin, the J16E deserves a serious look.
Martin J-16E Pros & Cons
Pros
Excellent projection and resonance, versatile jumbo body, beautiful cream gloss finish, East Indian rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, LR Baggs Element electronics, USA-made construction, distinctive appointments, $2,599 price point
Cons
No hard case included, jumbo body may be too large for some players, cream finish is currently limited to the jumbo model in the refreshed 16 Series
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Wow what a cool guitar! Thanks for the write up!
I’m really loving the white look! It’s a bit of a departure from the usual blacked-out Cash guitars, but I think white is definitely underrated. But seriously, Martin… is there no chance of a hard-case?