Watch It First
The Little Martin LX1E is a guitar that shouldn’t make as much sense as it does. It’s tiny, it’s built from materials that sound weird on paper, and it wears the Martin name proudly.
Ed Sheeran made it famous, sure. But this thing had a cult following long before a ginger bloke with a loop pedal filled stadiums with one.
So is it a serious little guitar or an expensive novelty? I’ve spent proper time with one. Here’s the honest take.
The Short Version
It’s the best-sounding travel-sized guitar most people will ever pick up, and the fact it plugs in makes it stupidly useful.
It’s not perfect, and it’s not cheap-cheap, but it earns its spot on the shelf.
Wait, HPL Back and Sides?
Yep. The back and sides are high-pressure laminate with a mahogany pattern. Basically a super-tough composite, the same stuff kitchen worktops are made from.
Sounds grim, but it’s genius for a travel guitar. HPL laughs at humidity swings, temperature changes and the general abuse a small guitar gets chucked in a car boot.
And crucially, the top is solid spruce. That’s where the tone actually comes from, so Martin spent the money where it counts.
That Short Scale Feels Lovely
584 mm scale means everything is closer together and the strings are slinkier under the fingers. Beginners and small hands adore it.
The Neck
The Stratabond neck is a stack of laminated birch, and it’s rock solid. It feels modern and fast, nothing like a fussy vintage Martin.
If you’re brand new and still deciding, it’s worth skimming the best cheap acoustic guitars for beginners too, because the LX1E sits a rung above most of those on price.
The Fishman Electronics
The Presys VT system is clean, simple and does the job on stage or into an interface. Volume and tone, no fiddling. Exactly what a guitar like this needs.
So How Does It Sound?
Punchy and surprisingly loud for the size. It has that unmistakable Martin midrange bark, just shrunk down and tightened up.
It won’t rattle windows like a dreadnought, but for fingerpicking and quiet writing on the sofa it’s magic. It devours easy Taylor Swift songs and it’s brilliant for working out easy Springsteen tunes without waking the house.
The Niggles
It’s small, and if you’re a big strummer chasing volume, the body size will feel limiting. This is a companion guitar, not your only guitar.
The included gig bag is fine but basic. And Richlite, while durable, feels a little glassy compared to rosewood if you’re a fingerboard snob.
Price is the other thing. It’s more than a beginner budget acoustic, so you’re paying for the badge and the portability as much as the tone.
Who Is It For?
Travellers, songwriters, sofa players, and anyone who wants a Martin without remortgaging. Also great as a knockaround second guitar that lives by the couch.
If you specifically want tiny-and-cheap, the Harley Benton CLP-15ME undercuts it hard, and if you fancy a left-field alternative, the Godin lineup has some clever small bodies too.
The Specs
- Top: solid spruce
- Back & sides: mahogany-pattern HPL
- Neck: rust birch laminate (Stratabond)
- Fingerboard & bridge: Richlite
- Nut: white Corian, 42.9 mm
- Scale: 584 mm (short scale)
- Frets: 20
- Electronics: Fishman Presys VT
- Extras: gig bag included
- Thomann article no.: 556079
Verdict
The Little Martin LX1E is the rare travel guitar that you actually reach for at home. Tough, portable, plugged-in ready, and blessed with real Martin character.
It’s not the cheapest way into an acoustic, but it might be the most fun small guitar going. Get one, throw it in the bag, and stop making excuses not to practise.
