Carter Vintage Guitars and Cotton Music’s Parent TNAG Merger

Nashville Institutions Combine Resources

Carter Vintage merge with TNAG Cotton Music onemanz.com

The North American Guitar, owner of Cotton Music, and Carter Vintage Guitars merge to bring the world’s finest guitars to players and collectors around the globe

The two independent guitar companies will work together to shape the future of the high-end and vintage guitar market ensuring that guitar lovers no matter their location can access the best guitars the world has to offer

NASHVILLE, TN, MARCH 3, 2022—Two of the world’s leading independent guitar stores, The North American Guitar (TNAG) and Carter Vintage Guitars (CVG), have announced they have merged.

Carter Vintage Guitars will become part of The North American Guitar and together they will pursue a shared mission to bring the world’s finest guitars and instruments to players, collectors, and enthusiasts worldwide. CVG co-founders Walter and Christie Carter will remain at the helm of the vintage instrument operations from their iconic location in Music City, Tennessee.

By combining TNAG’s expertise in luthier-built instruments and the premium guitar market, along with CVG’s extensive vintage inventory and expertise, the partnership will create an unprecedented online and in-store guitar-buying experience for discerning musicians.

“Partnering with CVG truly is an honor, but it’s also a strategic decision as we are not only bringing together two of the most respected guitar brands but two that are inherently complementary,” says TNAG’s CEO, Ben Montague.

“TNAG has worked over the last 10 years to develop the premium guitar market and to reshape how collectors and players source, play, and eventually, sell high-end instruments. Carter Vintage Guitars has the same philosophy in the vintage world and so this partnership really is about bringing together two trusted brands that will work together to build the future of our wonderful premium guitar market.”

“TNAG has set the standard for the modern guitar business in providing buyers with a friendly, personal online experience. We’ve always aimed to be Nashville’s friendliest guitar store, and TNAG will help us take that to the next level,” says CVG co-founder, Christie Carter.

The North American Guitar was founded in 2010 in London, UK, by Ben Montague and his father Robert Montage, CBE. In 2019, TNAG acquired Nashville’s longest standing music store, Cotten Music Centre. As part of the 2019 acquisition, TNAG relocated its HQ to Music City, Tennessee, to build out its mission of delivering the world’s finest guitars to players around the globe.

“I bought my son’s first guitar in 1988 from Cotten Music, the guitar shop that became TNAG in Nashville,” says CVG co-founder, Walter Carter. “History is the foundation of our business and we’re thrilled to be a part of the music store with the longest legacy in Nashville. TNAG is the perfect partner to deliver the world’s finest guitars to players and collectors everywhere.”

Joining these two guitar powerhouses will create the ultimate online destination for the world’s finest guitars and instruments.

About TNAG

TNAG is a family-founded business started by a father and son with the goal of bringing the world’s finest guitars to enthusiasts around the globe. Representing the most skilled luthiers and handmade guitar brands, TNAG is the number one destination for boutique and custom guitars for discerning players and collectors alike, both online and in their Nashville showroom.

About Carter Vintage Guitars

CVG is one of the most respected brands in the vintage instrument business. Also a family-founded company, CVG was created by a husband-and-wife duo who bring 50+ years of collective industry experience and unmatched historical knowledge of fretted instruments. Walter and Christie Carter are legendary supporters of musicians and enthusiasts of the instruments they play.

Martins for Summer NAMM 2017

A little something for everyone as Summer NAMM Martin guitars are officially announced

Including the NEW D-28

 Beloved personalities honored with unique models, and the Standard Series receives a half dozen new acoustic-electric models without cutaways!

Exclusivee in-depth reviews of many of these new Martins will follow in the coming weeks.

Although Summer NAMM does not open its doors until July 13, 2017, C. F. Martin & Co. has officially announced their new guitars ahead of time, creating some heated buzz as summer gets underway.

The NEW 2017 D-28

Only about time the D-28 got the makeover similar to the D-18, combining specs of the now defunct Vintage Series with the today’s High Performance neck. The looks are that of a post-war D-28, but with forward-shifted bracing. I have confirmed this is not a typo – model has forward-shifted NON-scalloped braces – the first cataloged dreadnought with this spec.

NAMM D-28 2017 1

List Price: $3,299

Beloved Personalities Honored

NAMM Jason Isbell D-18 1 NAMM d-boak Inside Out 1 NAMM Ed Sheeran Martin X 3

d-boak Inside Out

Martin’s own Dick Boak has been honored with a special edition celebrating his artwork and his long career at C. F. Martin, which comes to a close in January as he takes a well-earned retirement.

This Sitka spruce-topped Dreadnought has the forward-shifted scalloped bracing and genuine Mahogany back and sides that he loves, with some beautiful soundboard artwork of his own design, inspired by some of his earlier illustrations and his admiration for the Martin-invented X bracing, that he shares with the wider world, by letting them “see through” the top to the bracing beneath.

Read our exclusive interview with Dick Boak regarding the fascinating development and realization of this unique project.

List Price: $2,999

NAMM d-boak in space

D-18 Jason Isbell

As part of his long love affair with Martin guitars, singer-songwriter Jason Isbell has been recently playing a D-18 Authentic 1937, when not playing his D-28E Retro, D-42, and D-41 Special, to name but a few. And now he is being honored with his own signature model.

It has the same 1-11/16” V neck and rear shifted bracing of his Authentic 1939, along with hide glue construction and thin finish, but it has the bracing has the scalloping and non-tucked bridge plate of the D-18 Golden Era model, no pickguard, a straight pyramid bridge (whaaaaat?) and the fretboard has a custom inlay at the 12th fret of one of his tattoos.

List Price: $5,999

NAMM Jason Isbell D-18 1

D-18RG – Robert Goetzl

Fine artist Robert F. Goetzl has created artwork for Martin Guitars for some time, while keeping things in the family. After all, his mother is the sister of Chris Martin’s mother.

And his contributions to the world of fine arts is being honored with a special D-18, which features stunning artwork of a soaring eagle and a Native American in the traditional dress of a Lakota Sioux tribal chief. One guitar from this special edition is being donated to the Native American Heritage Association, which raises awareness and charitable funds for South Dakota’s impoverished Crow Creek and Pine Ridge Reservations.

List Price: $4,699

NAMM D-18 RG Lakota Sioux 1

Ed Sheeran ÷

In six short years young Ed Sheeran has gone from the smallest stage at the Glastonbury Festival to closing the festival from the main stage, before 100,000+ fans knowing all the words as they sang along to his many hit songs, performed all by himself on his wee “Little Martin” guitar, to thunderous applause.

The third iteration of an LX Ed Sheeran Martin joins a collection of small guitars with huge popularity and phenomenal power to entertain, at least when in the hands of Mr. Sheeran himself. This is the exact same model he used at Glastonbury.

List Price: $699

NAMM Ed Sheeran 1

History Revisited

Model America 1

In 1906, three years after Henry Ford sold his first Model A automobile, Martin Guitars created their own Model America. Built for a Mr. Daniel Schuyler of San Diego, CA, it resembled an 0-28 with a unique bridge and some other tweaks of Schuyler’s own patented design. Only two were ever made.

And now, 111, years later, Martin is putting out another Model America and from its number designation, it may not be another century before we see a follow up. This first edition is based on the popular D-18, but is made entirely from products sourced within the United States of America, including sycamore back and sides, Adirondack spruce top and scalloped forward-shifted braces, cherry neck, black walnut bridge and fingerboard. Even the Sperzel tuners are made in the USA.

List Price: $3,499

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SS-00L Art Deco 2017

The NAMM Show Special is always very special indeed, and only available to Martin dealers who make a personal appearance to order guitars at Martin’s NAMM Show booth.

For Summer NAMM is a stunning slope shoulder 00L size guitar beautified in a Art Deco motif, built in partnership with one of my all-time favorite indie luthiers, Bruce Petros.

List Price: $7,499

NAAM SS-00LArt Deco 2017

Standard Series Acoustic – Electrics

After the Winter NAMM introduction of a new collection of cutaway acoustic-electric models into the revitalized Standard Series, comes non-cutaway versions of basically the same models, and more!

And for the first time, all of these guitars can be ordered with a choice of electronics between the Fishman Aura VT Enhance Duel-Source with a soundboard transducer or L. R. Baggs Anthem Duel-Source with an internal microphone.

The D-35E, GP-18E, GP35-E, GPC16-E, OM-18E, OM-35E will all be welcome additions to the Martin Catalog. And yes you read that right. Martin has FINALLY introduced an OM-18 without a cutaway into the Standard series for the first time ever!

NAMM OM-18E 1

The OM-28E and GPC-28E are conspicuously absent.

I inquired and was informed by Tim Teel, Martin’s Director of Instrument Design, that the decision to use the same styling as the new D-28 2017 was made late into the cycle of new models, and they are not going to be ready for the Nashville show.

Expect an official release later this year. The 00-28 introduced in January will also be revamped to have the same look as the D-28 2017

Latest Americana Series

GPC-16E – This Grand Performance-sized entrant into the Americana 16 Series was originally scheduled for Winter NAMM this past January, but was likewise held in reserve.

The series focuses on domestic American tonewoods. So the shallow body DC-16E is made from sycamore, the OMC-16E is made from cherry, and this new GPC has a back and sides of Hawaiian koa wood under a satin finish, with a Sitka spruce top, scalloped forward-shifted braces, like the GPC-18E, and the red, white, and silver trim exclusive to the 16 Series, along with Fishman Matrix VT Enhance NT2 electronics.

List Price: $2,999

X Marks the Spot

The X Series expands with the 0X2MAE

NAMM 0X2MAE

Made too look similar to the Martin 15 Series instruments, this affordable 0-size guitar will be great for travel or home use.

List Price: $729

 

Related Reading:

The Dick Boak Interviews Part One – the how and why of the d-boak Inside Out guitar