The BC-16GTE’s exemplary construction was immediately striking—unlike cheaper ABGs that can feel boxy and stiff, the Martin felt supple and responsive. The spruce top’s gloss finish protected it against bruises, and a satin finish guarded the tight-grained mahogany sides, back, and neck. The tuners were smoother than a Kenny G record. The Martin’s ear-tickling harmonic complexity extended across its range, and the fingerboard was free of dead spots.
The Martin’s deep body felt large but not unwieldy, and the bass played comfortably whether I stood or sat. Like most ABGs, the saddle placement made the neck’s lower reaches feel like a stretch—that low F seemed awfully far away at first, but it didn’t take too long to get my bearings. The larger body gave the BC-16GTE a much bigger bottom than I remembered from the 00C-16GTAE.
The updated Fishman preamp now includes a tuner, a worthy improvement that also mutes the bass when engaged. On a noisy rehearsal, pressing the phase button effectively shushed pesky feedback episodes by inverting my signal’s phase relationship with my cabinet’s speaker cones, and the variable notch control helped dial down the most problematic frequencies in various environments. The other EQ filters offered excellent control over the Martin’s amplified output.
Strung with flatwounds, the Martin morphed into a virtual doghouse, doling out compelling double-bass tone. Each note’s initial bloom and decay made the Martin exhilarating to play. Fresh phosphor bronze acoustic strings made the BC-16GTE’s bright side shine, letting the Martin’s crisp bite penetrate without losing low end. When I dug in by the bridge, the Martin’s quick, snappy response had me trading wannabe Jaco licks for much more original fare.
Given the ABG’s typical designation as a secondary axe, the price for this one may be prohibitively high. But once more people get hip to the unique tones of instruments like the BC-16GTE, the world of bass will be a much cooler place.
MARTIN BC-16GTE
List $2,499
Street $1,850
Pros Rich acoustic tone with lots of low end; well-appointed preamp
Cons None
Bottom line It’s pricey, but this beautiful bass seems worth the scratch.
CONTACT
www.martinguitar.comTECH SPECS
Top Sitka spruce
Sides & back Mahogany
Neck Mahogany
Fingerboard Rosewood
Scale 34.15"
Weight 4.5 lbs
Tuners Gotoh
Nut Corian
Neck width at nut 1g"
Neck width at 12th fret 2r"
String spacingh"
Finish Gloss top; satin sides, back, and neck
Pickup Fishman Acoustic Matrix transducer
Electronics Fishman Prefix Plus-T
Controls BASS ±12dB @ 60Hz; TREBLE ±12dB @ 10kHz; CONTOUR ±12dB @ 250Hz–10kHz; BRILLIANCE ±9dB @ 10kHz; NOTCH -15dB @ 30Hz–300Hz; phase button, tuner
Made in U.S.A.
Hard case Included
Warranty Lifetime limited
HEAR IT!
Digging the BC-16GTE’s deep acoustic voice on an old-timey demo date, I decided to ditch the DI and mic the body with a Neumann KM 184. Hear the recording at www.bassplayer.com.
For more on ABGs, check out Dave Pomeroy’s Retro-Rama articles at www.bassplayer.com.