Thomas Ripsam’s CEO-11 is an exquisite work of art
The Chief Executive of Martin Guitar has surpassed his sublime CEO-10, which is really saying something
Martin CEO-11 specs include: 14-fret Grand Auditorium body size; solid tonewoods include figured white oak sides and three-piece back; FSC-certified European spruce soundboard with unique New Horizons burst finish and custom inlays and half-herringbone “rope” purfling; European flamed maple binding; two-piece flamed maple neck with dark mahogany stain, and GE Modified Low Oval profile and neck heel; ebony fingerboard with custom abalone inlays and High Performance Taper, 1-3/4″ at the bone nut, 2-1/8″ at 12th fret; ebony bridge with bone saddle and bone pins with abalone dots; ebony headstock face plate with abalone Unalome inlay and open nickle tuners; Fishman Aura electronics with custom-voiced microphone image.
“Gorgeous to see, lovely to hear. The versatility of this acoustic-electric lap piano is immediately evident from its bass-to-treble balance and its clear yet colorful tonal pallet.”
C.F. Martin & Co. to Debut New Models at 2024 NAMM Show
Nine new acoustic guitar and ukulele models add variety to the company’s iconic lineup of instruments
Exlusive written and video reviews will appear on One Man’s Guitar starting later this week!!! – ed.
NAZARETH, PA, (NAMM, HALL D, Booth 5602), January 22, 2024… C. F. Martin & Co. is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated lineup of new instruments set to debut at this month’s 2024 NAMM Show – along with the recently unveiled GPCE Inception Maple and remastered X Series guitars.
With a legacy spanning nearly two centuries, Martin Guitar continues to push the boundaries of innovation in the world of acoustic instruments. This year promises to be no exception, as the company introduces a wide range of exciting new models to its iconic lineup.
These new models include ornate limited-edition anniversary guitars, the addition of traditional appointments to the popular SC lineup, a gloss tenor ukulele, and much more.
But first the two models One Man’s Guitar is most-excited to finally get to mention in public. The long-anticipated SC-18E and SC-28E, 13-fret acoustic-electric hybrid instruments made of solid tonewoods in a asymmetrical body and with heelless, ergonomically-advanced asymmetrical neck shape! – ed.
SC-18E
Modern playability and classic looks – the all-new SC-18E pairs technology with timeless style and tone, combining SC innovation and Standard Series appointments. Its patented features include a Sure Align® neck system that helps you play all the way up the neck, while the low-profile velocity satin neck barrel fits comfortably in your hand, and an internal soundboard recurve for added bass response. The SC-18E features a spruce top with mahogany back and sides, giving you plenty of volume, bright treble, and punchy midrange for that classic Martin sound. It also features an ebony fingerboard and bridge, nickel open gear tuners, LR Baggs Anthem electronics, and is strung with LUXE BY MARTIN® Kovar™ strings. The SC-18E comes with a molded hardshell case.
SC-28E
Modern playability and classic looks – the all-new SC-28E pairs technology with timeless style and tone, combining SC innovation and Standard Series appointments. Its patented features include a Sure Align® neck system that helps you play all the way up the neck, while the low-profile velocity satin neck barrel fits comfortably in your hand, and an internal soundboard recurve for added bass response. The SC-28E features a spruce top with resonant East Indian rosewood back and sides, giving you deep bass and rich overtones for that classic Martin sound. It also features an ebony fingerboard and bridge, antique white binding, nickel open gear tuners, LR Baggs Anthem electronics, and is strung with LUXE BY MARTIN® Kovar™ strings. The SC-28E comes with a molded hardshell case.
CUSTOM K-1 MAJOR KEALAKAI
Hawaiian musician Major Kealakai, and his custom Martin guitar, helped shape the course of music history. Kealakai was a guitarist and conductor of the Royal Hawaiian Band, and in 1916, Martin made him a unique custom guitar that was wider, deeper, and longer than a 000 to provide more volume and help fill concert halls. That one-off guitar was the precursor to the iconic Dreadnought. Now, Martin is honoring that historic milestone with a new take on his custom 12-fret guitar with a refreshed bridge design to better complement the traditional specifications, as if the company continued to produce it well past 1916. The Custom K-1 Major Kealakai features vintage gloss sinker mahagony back and sides, an Adirondack spruce VINTAGE TONE SYSTEM® (VTS) top, hide glue construction, authentic 1931 X bracing, and a modern, embellished ebony pyramid belly bridge. It blends tradition and innovation, paying tribute to the rich heritage of Martin.
click on photos to for hi-res galleries More hi-def galleries coming soon! – ed
D-42 BITCOIN
Crafted by the skilled artisans at Martin, the D-42 Bitcoin is built of premium Guatemalan rosewood back and sides and a heavy bearclaw Engelmann spruce top, producing a resonant and complex tone with plenty of volume. This one-of-a-kind guitar features a one-ounce solid gold token coin embedded in the headstock and crypto-themed inlays down the fingerboard. Among the standout features of this guitar is the unique pearl QR code inlaid on the pickguard. Scanning the code will unlock access to a private Martin webpage featuring exclusive content and photos of the guitar’s journey through the Nazareth factory – making this a truly one-of-a-kind collector’s item.
D-50 CFM IV 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Introducing the D-50 CFM IV 50th Anniversary – a timeless tribute to half a century of dedication. For the past 50 years, Chris Martin IV has been the driving force behind Martin Guitar, carrying forward the legacy of excellence and innovation established by generations before him. To honor this milestone, his namesake company proudly presents a limited-edition guitar that embodies his unwavering commitment to crafting the finest acoustic guitars in the world. The D-50 CFM IV 50th Anniversary features Guatemalan rosewood back and sides, a stunning heavy bearclaw spruce top, European flamed maple binding, and intricate abalone and mother of pearl inlay throughout. Each of these beautiful anniversary instruments also proudly displays a signed, numbered label commemorating Chris’ 50 years of service. This guitar is a true collector’s item, with only 50 available worldwide.
D-CFM IV 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Introducing the D-CFM IV 50th Anniversary – a timeless tribute to half a century of dedication, and a special acknowledgement of the company’s 35th year of quality craftsmanship by its talented family of coworkers in Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico. To celebrate, each of these beautiful anniversary instruments proudly displays a signed, numbered label commemorating both Chris Martin IV’s 50 years of service, and the rich lineup of innovations originating in Navojoa. It’s a testament to the artistry and skill that have defined Chris’ tenure. Crafted at Martin’s factory in Navojoa, the guitar features a gloss finish, pommele sapele back and sides, a bearclaw spruce top, and classic “Tree of Life” inlays on the fingerboard and headplate with a matching rosette presented in beautiful Paua pearl. It’s an instrument that promises to inspire and captivate musicians for generations to come, as Martin continues its quest to make quality and innovation as approachable as possible. This guitar is a true collector’s item, with only 50 available worldwide.
ID-ROBERT GOETZL 7
A one-of-a-kind guitar that sounds and plays like a Martin guitar but looks like something all its own. Martin has once again partnered with renowned artist Robert F. Goetzl for this nature-inspired work of playable art, featuring an eye-catching image that makes the serenity of a koi pond come to life on his canvas of wood and wire – and it isn’t short on tone. This full gloss guitar’s hand-painted spruce top and East Indian rosewood back and sides provide deep bass, rich overtones, and plenty of volume, while the high-performance neck taper allows for ultimate playability. “It’s a fun image where I could create something colorful and with movement,” Robert says. “Not only is it a valuable piece of art, but it’s a valuable instrument, so don’t just hang it up and look at it – play it!”
OM 20TH CENTURY LIMITED
All aboard! Martin and Pennsylvania-based watchmaker RGM have teamed up once again to create something truly unique – the OM 20th Century Limited. Celebrating technology and innovation, this limited-edition handcrafted work of art pays tribute to the Art Deco-inspired passenger train of the same name that revolutionized travel in the mid-1930s – around the time that would become known as Martin’s “Golden Era,” when the company’s instruments began to revolutionize music. This guitar is full of intricate design elements, including custom streamliner-inspired inlay throughout, European flamed maple binding, gold open back tuning machines, and an inlaid ebony pickguard. The OM 20th Century Limited also features hide glue construction, a spruce VINTAGE TONE SYSTEM® (VTS) top and Guatemalan rosewood back and sides for superior tone. The guitar even comes with a custom, handcrafted railroad-inspired watch from acclaimed watchmaker RGM. Only 20 of these elegant OM 20th Century Limited guitars will be built.
TKE UKE
Martin’s first tenor ukuleles rolled off the production line in 1929 and have been a favorite of countless players since. The TKE Uke is Martin’s latest addition to its tenor-sized lineup, featuring a gloss body and satin neck, and top, back, and sides crafted of solid koa – a wood native to Hawaii and a favorite of island players. It also features an East Indian rosewood bridge and fingerboard, select hardwood neck, applied dovetail neck joint, and nickel open gear tuners. Its size already provides plenty of volume and projection, but the ukulele’s electronics allow you to plug in and play at any volume. Developed in collaboration with electronics-maker Mi-Si, they provide 16 hours of play on a 60-second charge. The TKE Uke is also available for lefties and comes with a softshell case.
New for NAMM 2024! Many Martin Models in the X Series
Revamped Martin X Series models include a thinner, beveled fingerboard
(click photos to enlarge)
With just over a week to go to the NAMM Show, Martin Guitar announces their least pricey models, even if they all come with world class aesthetic charm. While some of these acoustic-electric models exit already, they have been revamped with a redesigned bridge, a thinner fingerboard with a “gently beveled comfort edge,” “refined string spacing” and fantastic-looking XPL back and sides featuring glorious visual reproductions of choicest tonewoods including figured Brazilian rosewood, ziricote, mahogany, koa, and the cocobolo pictured above in size 0, 00, and GPC.
The full lineup of the new X Series models includes the 0-X2E Cocobolo, 00-X2E Cocobolo, GPC-X2E Cocobolo; GPC-X2E Ziricote, D-X2E Ziricote Burst; 000-X2E Brazilian, D-X2E Brazilian, D-X2E Brazilian 12-String; D-X2E Mahogany; D -X1E Koa; GPC-X1E Black.
These affordable (by Martin standards) acoustic-electric guitars are made at their plant in Navojoa, Mexico from rugged high-pressure laminate back and sides. The 1 models have an HPL top with a either a koa, mahogany, or black pattern and a birch laminate neck. The 2 models have actual solid spruce or sapele soundboards and select hardwood necks and bridges.
The X Series bridges have been reshaped with a soft slope rather than the defined edge on either side of the bridge pins seen on traditional Martins. The electronics have been upgraded to the Martin E1 system that has a built-in turner and phase control in addition to the volume and tone controls.
While the cosmetic HPL patterns will not change the sound of the X Series instruments, they do offer excellent choices in terms of stunning visual appeal.
D-X2E Ziricote Burst (Do you see the lama sticking its tongue out at you? Or the viper’s fangs??)
Launched toward the future with appropriate celebration at C.F. Martin & Co., established in 1833 and boldly venturing into new territory in 2024, the Martin GPCE Inception Maple is an acoustic-electric guitar made in Martin’s Grand Performance body size with a Cutaway treble bout, representing the inception of a new Inception Series of Martin guitars that will feature domestic American tonewoods including Maple, in combination with environmentally sustainable tonewood from abroad, and the latest tone-enhancing technology inside the sold wood sound chamber.
In this case, the top is made from FSC certified European spruce. FSC standing for the Forest Stewardship Council, the world-wide entity assuring consumers that these certified natural resources were obtained from forests that are manged in an environmentally-friendly way with an eye on sustainability and with the greatest respect for the residents living within the forest.
The back and sides are made from maple grown in the USA, with a center plate of black walnut on the back that likely adds some tonal coloring to the voice of the instrument. Walnut is often described as a cross between mahogany and rosewood, but deserves its own place in the pantheon of true tonewoods that generate a pleasing sound capable of creating beautiful music. The fingerboard and bridge are also made from black walnut, as is the body binding and the decorative face plate at the front of the headstock.
This back does not have the usual alternating three-wedge shape of a Style 35 Martin. Instead, the center plate has a gentle curve to it. This is but one new aesthetic change from typical Martins.
While the back, sides, and top feature a new “amber fade” sunburst under a satin finish, the final production model retains important features of the Standard Series, like solid tonewoods throughout and the traditional, full-size dovetail neck joint. It also has the full complement of scalloped braces on the inside of the soundboard, except for a most unusual top plate that is only on the bass side of the upper bout.
However, this version of the traditional Martin-invented X-bracing is enhanced with a honeycomb of empty space, where mass was removed from the struts of the otherwise solid spruce X brace and the large traverse brace on the opposite side of the sound hole.
(click to enlarge photos)
The purpose of this laser-cut spacing is twofold. It increases the flexibility of the bracing around the sound hole while maintaining a structural integrity that keeps the top from collapsing from the pounds of tension brought to bear on the soundboard by the taught steel strings. It is an achievement of engineering both elegant and practical, invented centuries ago for weighty yet airy stone structures like the cloisters of medieval abbeys and cathedrals. But here it is brilliantly applied in miniature for a light, solid-wood soundboard of a world-class musical instrument.
Another significant enhancement is implementation of “sonic channels” cut into the solid spruce soundboard, around each brace and tone bar, and along most of the circumference of the soundboard. This allows the sold top to respond more-easily to the vibrations passing through it.
Soundboard channeling is an idea that has been explored by other guitar makers, but not nearly to this extent or in the same patterns. This feature also appears around the back braces that have been redesigned to allow the back to contribute to sonic resonance, not just passively reflect the sound waves generated by the spruce top.
While I could go on about the development of this project based on insider tidbits, I felt it best to prevail upon the man inside Martin Guitars who knows more about it than anyone, Vice President of Product Management Fred Greene. Fred was happy to share some exclusive insight with One Man’s Guitar about the evolution of the GPCE Inception Maple in his own words, and how this exciting new Martin guitar is but the vanguard of the bold future ahead for America’s most venerable musical instrument maker.
OMG: How long has this project been in the works?
FG: The project has been in the works for about 18 months.
OMG: What were the origins of this new model?
FG: It started with a desire to highlight the possibilities of sustainable domestic hardwoods in guitar construction.
OMG: Martin has made some very successful models with sustainable domestic tonewoods, like maple and walnut, yet not many, and nothing with this combination of body size and tonewoods. What was behind the inception of the Inception?
FG: I knew we couldn’t simply make another maple Dreadnaught and leave it at that. It’s been done by us and others in the past. Too often big manufacturers get lazy and stop innovating. When that happens, new models can be met with a collective yawn from guitar players. I felt we needed to make changes in how we designed this musical instrument on a deeper level.
OMG: Well, nothing is boring about this new maple model! Who was the primary designer of the GPCE Inception Maple?
Like most projects at Martin, it was a team effort. But as the leader of the product team, I instigated a change in our approach stemming from my desire to show off the potential of these woods by combining the technology we have developed over the past 190 years with innovations we developed in the twenty-first century. That was the mission I tasked the team to embark upon.
Nate Hoffman, our R&D leader, took up the challenge and his team really dug deep and presented us with some cool concepts. Those concepts were discussed, massaged, prototyped, and eventually agreed upon by myself, designers Tim Teel and Rameen Shayegan, and the production team. We felt it was very important that we showed the world that Martin continues to innovate and explore the possibilities presented by a changing world of materials and technology.
OMG: How are the gorgeous, skeletonized braces created?
FG: The new braces are created using lasers. We realize we are not the first company to put holes in braces. Small one-off builders have done this in the past. However, I believe Martin is the first “major” builder to do it in a true product guitar. It was fun developing a weight-relieving pattern that was both visually appealing and strong.
OMG: How do they affect things like energy transference and tone production?
The general concept is simple. By lightening the weight of the braces, and consequently the top, less energy is required of the strings to move the top. Thus making the instrument more responsive and increasing sustain.
photo: C.F. Martin & Co.
Maple tends to compress sound in acoustic guitars with traditional builds so that all you hear is the fundamental notes without any pleasant overtones. We wanted to allow the guitar to move a little more and offset some of that compression. We wanted to open it up. This bracing in combination with the new sonic channels set into the underside of the soundboard more than accomplished that goal.
OMG: Why the Grand Performance body size?
We saw this guitar as a stage guitar for a singer/songwriter and the GPC seemed like a natural canvas for something new. We thought if we started with a Dreadnaught or 000 it would simply draw too many comparisons to existing models that already have a very established sound signature. We didn’t think these traditional shapes would be the right formula or recipe for the player we were targeting.
OMG: Might we assume the new Marting GPCE Inception Maple is so named because this is the beginning of a new trend at Martin Guitar? Should we expect to see other models featuring domestic American tonewoods and the new bracing and sonic channels under the top?
You are correct that the Inception is the first of several new guitars that will be coming in the future using more sustainable woods. It’s exciting because these new guitars will allow us to offer new designs and hopefully give guitar players more options and sounds to explore.
Well, it’s been worth the wait to see the end results of this long-anticipated project. Now I have to wait a little longer to play and hear the finished product officially being released at the NAMM show on January 24, 2024.
Check out the Martins and More podcast where Spoon Phillips and Maury Rutch share even more information about the minds and muscles that created this super cool new Martin GPCE Inception Maple, below.
An all-sapele SC hybrid model and a new D-15E with onboard electronics also released.
LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.—Friday August 25, 2023—C. F. Martin & Co. announced today the release of four new models, including two signature artist edition models that celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Grammy Award-winning artist John Mayer’s popular OM-28JM model. This launch also includes an affordable addition to the popular SC lineup, and an oh-so-appealing alternative to those who’ve been eyeing up an all-mahogany 15 Series guitar.
John Mayer 20th Anniversary Models
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of John Mayer’s popular OM-28JM model, Martin collaborated again with John Mayer to offer two stunning anniversary models. They are limited to the calendar year 2023, so make sure to check them out soon.
OM-45 John Mayer Anniversary
On John’s first signature model with Martin, he chose to include an aluminum border around the headplate and bridge. For this anniversary model, the border is expanded to the fingerboard and pickguard and the border has been upgraded to a fine silver that will look amazing for the life of the guitar. Like Mayer’s previous models, it includes a thinner 1 11/16th width at the nut for comfort and speed. It also includes stunning satin nickel Waverly tuners. This edition includes a unique label with Mayer’s signature. $18,499
OMJM John Mayer 20th Anniversary
This tasteful Orchestra model exhibits the same versatility for today’s diverse contemporary musical styles and includes a unique label with Mayer’s electronic signature. This edition is limited to the calendar year 2023, so make sure to check it out soon! If you’re looking for something with a little more bling, check out the OM-45 John Mayer Platinum Anniversary Model, which is also new for 2023. $3,999
Mahogany Family Tree Grows Branches
SC-10E-02
The SC-10E-02, with its patented Sure Align® neck system, gives you full access to all frets so you can comfortably reach those high notes. It’s also equipped with a low-profile velocity neck barrel that ergonomically accommodates your hand as you move up the neck, giving you the comfort and playability of an electric. The affordably priced SC-10E-02 includes a satin finished sapele top, back, and sides for a warm, yet crisp tone. It features a Richlite® fingerboard and bridge with mother-of-pearl pattern inlay that is complemented by a rosewood pattern HPL headplate, and chrome enclosed gear tuners. To top it off, it comes with a softshell case for ultimate portability. $999
D-15E
If you’ve had your eye on a Martin 15 Series guitar, the D-15E is going to knock your socks off. This 14-fret Dreadnought is crafted with sapele back and sides and a mahogany top with non-scalloped bracing, so you’re going to hear bright, airy trebles and a punchy midrange. The Dreadnought body provides plenty of volume so this baby can handle whatever music scenario you can dream up. To top it off, this model comes equipped with Martin E1 electronics and a softshell case to make it super easy to take with you on all your adventures. $1,299
More affordable Martin D-28 and D-18 models arrive
D-28 Satin, D-18 Satin, D-28 Satin Amberburst, D-18 Satin Amberburst, D-28 Street Legend, D-18 Street Legend take to the streets
C. F. Martin & Company breaks with the tradition and offers six new models in the venerable Standard Series made with a matte satin finish. The D-28 Satin and D-18 Satin replicate the classic D-28 and D-18 but with a satiny matte finish instead of the high-gloss finish used on previous Standard Series models.
(click to enlarge)
These new dreadnoughts provide the design platform for their sibling models, the D-28 Amberburst, D-18 Amberburst, with the latest burst finish to come from the minds of Martin’s Instrument Design Department, and the visually impressive D-28 Street Legend and D-18 Street Legend, with spruce soundboards that have the appearance of some serious playing wear that is an optical illusion of sorts.
Like the darker and well-loved Ambertone finish used on various Martin models, this new Amberburst is inspired by 1930s Martins made with a shaded top similar to Martin’s 1935 Sunburst that has faded over time. More of the grain of the spruce shows through this new burst and the center of the burst has is basically the same color as an unshaded spruce top.
The new Street Legend models have the same satin finish but the spruce soundboards have received a realistic-looking digital painting replicating the playing wear on vintage Martins found in the collection of the Martin Museum. It looks similar to Martin’s Aged models in the Authentic Series, but is actually under the finish and a 2D painting rather than being achieved by someone physically distressing the lacquer and wood.
The D-18 Street Legend’s top features the wear actually received by the famous 1953 D-18 nicknamed “Grandpa” and formally owned by the late Kurt Cobain of the grunge band Nirvana. The D-28 Street Legend replicates the wear from a vintage D-28 with no particular celebrity association and not nearly a as much wear and tear. Both tops look amazingly like the finish has been worn way from decades of hard strumming, but when I ran my hand across the satin finish it was smooth “as a baby’s cheek.”
Pewter-colored nickel tuners add to the impression that these Street Legend models are old Martin guitars. They are otherwise in pristine condition, with no further “aging,” painted or otherwise.
These new dreadnoughts have a lacquer finish on the back, sides, and top that it is not polished and buffed out to the full gloss we are used to seeing on a rosewood D-28 and mahogany D-18. To the touch the body finish is identical to the satin finish that Martin has used for Standard Series necks since the late twentieth century. This may mean fewer layers of lacquer have been applied.
At $400 less than the high-gloss versions, it is wondered just how identical these new models are with the old, other than the finish. When I stopped by the Martin factory on Friday, I was given the impression they are indeed the same in terms of bracing, neck joint, and overall joinery. I expect to get some quotable quotes later today, as I will return to Martin at 9:00 AM to meet up with key designers and sample more of the 2023 Martin models.
Whatever differences may exist between these Satin models and their full-gloss counterparts, the effect on tone is noticeable immediately. Each Satin model has an expressive openness highlighted by clean top notes and a more ethereal undertone.
In direct sound comparisons at Maury’s Music, I found the traditional high-gloss versions to have a thicker, throatier voice. Not only do the new Satin models offer more-affordable Standard Series options, they offer a new kind of tone that will appeal to many players, perhaps more than the traditional full-gloss models.
Martin has used a satin finish on many models outside of the Standard Series and it is used with great success by other builders, most notably Lowden guitars from Northern Ireland, as well as many builders of high-end classical guitars.
The long awaited Martin D-45 Modern Deluxe arrives in splendor
Regal and refined, extravagant and divine
Specs for D-45 Modern Deluxe include: All solid wood construction; Indian rosewood back and sides; Vintage Tone System torrefied Sitka spruce top with Golden Era scalloped, forward-shifted, VTS torrefied Adirondack spruce bracing attached with natural protein glue; composite bridge plate of carbon fiber/torrefied Adirondack spruce; Genuine mahogany neck with Vintage Deluxe profile, two-way adjustable titanium alloy support rod, hand-fitted dovetail neck joint and solid mahogany neck block; ebony fretboard with High Performance Taper, 1-3/4” width at nut, 2-1/8” at 12th fret, abalone fret position markers, EVO Gold frets, solid bone nut; ebony bridge with Liquidmetal bridge pins, compensated solid bone saddle and 2-5/32” string spacing; European flamed maple binding; high gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish on the body, satin neck finish; ebony headstock faceplate with polished gloss finish, 1920s-style torch inlay; golden Waverly open back tuners with butter bean knobs.
“The piano-like report of the fundamental notes is solid and immediate, igniting astonishing natural resonance. The voice is huge and rich but never muddy or harsh. Every inch of this guitar earns the right to be called the Martin D-45 Modern Deluxe.”
The 000-16 StreetMaster brings Adirondack spruce to the 16 Series
First use of VTS on an “affordable” Martin guitar
Specs of the 000-16 StreetMaster include: Auditorium 000 size; all-solid tonewoods including Indian rosewood back and sides, Adirondack spruce soundboard with Vintage Tone System torrefaction, and 5/16″ scalloped braces; short-scale High Performance neck with Modified Low Oval profile; Indian rosewood fingerboard with 1-3/4″ width at nut, 2-1/8th at 12th fret, short pattern Diamond and Squares position markers; Indian rosewood bridge with 2-5/32″ string spacing at the bone saddle; StreetMaster distressed satin finish; open gear Golden Age Relic tuning machines with cream buttons; soft shell case.
“The VTS Adirondack spruce helps make the 000-16 StreetMaster sound bright and expressive to the point of effervescent, yet it has a warm heart, thanks to the rosewood back and sides.”
The fabled 1954 D-28 of the Black Crows’ Rich Robinson recreated
Martin’s Aged cosmetics and rearward-shifted bracing recreate a 1950s Martin cannon
D-28 Rich Robinson Specs include: All-solid tonewood construction with hot hide glue construction; 14-fret Dreadnought body size; Indian rosewood back and sides; spruce soundboard with Style 28 black and white ply purfling and rosette, Antique toner; 5/16” non-scalloped, rearward-shifted top bracing; Genuine Mahogany neck with 1954 heel and shaping unique to this model, dark mahogany stain; Ebony fingerboard with large mother of pearl dot markers, 1-11/16” width at the bone nut; Ebony bridge with smooth contour and long drop-in bone saddle with 2-1/8” string spacing; Vintage Gloss back, side, and top finish with Authentic-style Aged cosmetic distressing on the body, neck, and headstock; faux tortoise shell pickguard; Antique White body binding; Golden Era script headstock logo on an Indian rosewood faceplate; Aged enclosed tuning machines with oval buttons; retro molded blue plastic case.
“…this is a full-throated thoroughbred Martin. The coupling of that immediate fundamental pop to the languid swell of the undertone, finished off by those complex, hovering and angelic harmonic overtones makes for a voice that is, in a word, delicious.”
A Reader Asks Why His Martin “GPC-16E Special” Warranty Card Shows A Different “Model”
Mark from Iowa writes –
I purchased a Martin guitar and when I registered it the warranty card said the style was CMGCGT0083. Is that explainable? It was sold as GPC-16E Special.
Spoon Replies:
Hi Mark and thanks for your query,
As far as I can tell, these hieroglyphs say that your guitar was made for Guitar Center/Musician’s Friend, with a long history of Martins designed exclusively for them. So, it is not technically a GPC-16E because Martin either wasn’t making them at this time for the regular catalog, or the ones they were making had some different specs.
For instance, 16 Series GPCs weren’t offered in rosewood for some time. Also, GPCs in the 16 Series are built with a 000 side depth rather than the actual, deeper GP depth, with less bass boom for anti-feedback reasons. That includes the new 2020 GPC-16E Rosewood.
Your guitar being rosewood, from a time when Martin wasn’t offering that, and possibly having true GP depth, are the probable reasons it was “special.”
Also, your guitar was likely marketed by GC/MF before Martin cracked down on dealers saying things like “Custom D-18” or “GPC-16E Special” in their marketing copy, when Martin wasn’t actually naming specific models that way. Today, Martin dealers are required to say something like “Custom GPC with 16 Series styling and onboard electronics.”
Personally, I feel it would be better for Martin if they said, “So long as it has the same neck joint and bracing as the standardized model and the same cosmetic styling, regardless of the wood species, neck shape, etc., the neck block stamp should read:
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