Acoustic Guitar Magazine Reviews the M-40 Troubadour

“In a market that is flooded with diminutive guitars, the M-40E stands out for its solid craftsmanship, superior tone, and comfortable playability,” writes Pete Madsen for Acoustic Guitar Magazine.

One of the latest guitars to come out of our Oxnard, California factory is another hit with the reviewers! Featuring a solid sitka spruce top, solid African mahogany back and sides and 24-3/4-inch scale length, the M-40 Troubadour wowed Acoustic Guitar just as much as the M-20:

You are apt to be surprised when you play and hear this guitar. It is loud and punchy. The small size keeps the M-40E from sounding boomy, but it has a thick midrange that should cut through most environments. Keep in mind that this is not a big guitar, so the bass response is more tightly wrapped around the midrange spectrum. Lead players should be pleased with the playability of the M-40E.

Click here to read the full review, and see below for a video demo! Learn more about the M-40 Troubadour here.

8 replies
  1. Guitar Niche
    Guitar Niche says:

    I’ve found the LR Baggs Element to be THE perfect compliment to a small body acoustic. The pickup has a sweet bloom in the low end which marries perfectly with a parlour sized sonic footprint when amplified. Great choice!

    Reply
  2. Ray Isaacs
    Ray Isaacs says:

    just played an m-40 today. very strong little guitar. i love the sound: punchy. not as refined s the 00-28 next to it—which i also love—but clearer and bluesier. but i hate that red stain on the back and sides. won’t buy it for that reason. why not leave the natural color if the mahogany?

    Reply
  3. Andrew
    Andrew says:

    I recently got a new M-40E after trying out a number of 0-00 sized guitars from different makers (Taylor, Martin, Larrivee, Blue Ridge, etc), and it sounded incredibly big and punchy right out of the box for such a small guitar. It has incredible clarity (especially in the mid-range). Due to the mahogany back and sides construction with the small body size, don’t expect a ton of low end. The real meat of the tone is in the mid-range. I’m partial to mahogany (over rosewood) on small bodies, so it’s perfect for me. I also think the satin finish is the perfect compliment.

    The guitar is also incredibly light. One of my biggest criticisms of Guild guitars of yesteryear was the bulkiness and heavy weight. This guitar is the opposite, while still being a workhorse.

    My budget was about $2,500, and the M-40E sounded and felt better (to me) than its main competitor, the Martin 00-18.

    This guitar sounds incredible plugged in, so I would advise anyone considering this guitar to dish out a little more money for the Baggs pickup. It’s well worth it.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *