Celebrity Death Match? Perhaps not. But in this one-foot-out-the-door I compare the new Martin neck profile with the actual 1930 OM-45 Deluxe it was based upon.
“The instruments in Martin’s oh so Modern Deluxe Series combine vintage Martin aspects with modern day know how and high-tech advancements in a most exciting way.”
The new Album by T Spoon Phillips, Lost and Haunted Ways, featuring all of the original guitar music used for Spoon’s beloved guitar video reviews, heard in the entirety at last!
“…a brilliant piece of musical art for the ages. Bravo, Spoon!” – Rhys Ord
A “reimagined Standard Series” for Winter NAMM 2018, changes to D-45, D-42, D-41, HD-35, D-35, HD-28, GPC-28, M-36, om-42, 000-42,OM-28, 000-28, 00-28, and MORE!!!
“Formidable fingerstyle finely fretted, both solo and accompanied by other instrumentation – The Wall Talks, and people should listen
Hitting Play on a new Howard Emerson album is like receiving a visit from a favorite old friend, where even the instrumental tunes are like hearing about the places they have been and the people and events they encountered along the way.…”
“When having lunch with the three main instrument designers for C. F. Martin & Co., they could not remember what pricing was ultimately set for these special guitars. There estimate of $20K and $45K turned out to be rather high.”
“The fingerboard edges are rolled over quite a bit as well, to create a nice worn-in feel. It’s a wonderful feeling neck,” Collings Manager Mark Althans told me…
Thanks so much for always having such detail in your reviews. I so appreciate your ability to put what you hear into words! Simply amazing, and so appreciated. Oh, and there’s the stellar playing of course…….. Best!
As a player for the past 45 years, and collector for about 10 years, I must say his site is absolutely imperative for any player or collector, and such a find! The detailed descriptions, information, and stellar playing, is simply mind boggling! I am so glad I found this site!
Thanks again for all you do to help educate players like myself make better choices, and simply learn about all of the great guitars you are fortunate to play and review!
“Washburn weaves a captivating tapestry of a company’s fabled history, sewn with precious gems mined from the Martin archives and the broader American saga they illuminate.”
This year C. F. Martin & Co. has been celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Dreadnought. Named for largest class of British battleships ruling the waves of the First World War, it was a revolutionary instrument that dwarfed typical acoustic guitars at that time, in size and firepower.
Here’s a recap of the many Martin Dreadnought models released in 2016….
The Martin Experience took place last night at Rudy’s Music in Soho, New York City. It gave the general public an opportunity to get up close and personal with showcase guitars built in Martin’s Custom Shop, along with a couple of the people who design them.
New album of new tunes, new custom Martins, new strings endorsement deal, and a new video interview at Fretboard Journal
“… inventive arrangements of well-known tunes from other writers, mixed with impressive original compositions. As outstanding as some of his earlier endeavors have been, just gets better and better in both modes…”
A mid-sixties Gibson Barney Kessel model (Nels Cline) and a Manzer Bluenote (Julian Lage) together in some amazing space jam Jazz, live from at Seattle radio station.
A murders row of terrific heavy hitters, and some more modest but no less cool additions make their debut at Winter NAMM.
Many of these new Martins feature spruce soundboards and supporting braces torrefied with Martin’s new Vintage Tone System, or VTS, which I have had to keep quiet about for so long my tongue is riddled with bite marks.
But now I may tell (almost) all!
Get our exclusive insider look at the new Martins and see the official VTS video posted in the Blog!
Stan Jay of Mandolin Brother Died October 22, 2014.
A long time friend of mine, and of countless lovers of fine stringed instruments, Stan was a radiant being who accurately proclaimed the focus of his life’s work as a “dream fulfillment center.” He will be missed forever.
Thanks to Jim in Wisconsin for taking the time to inform me that the article on Martin’s Performing Artist series, originally penned in 2010, contained some out-of-date facts on display, primarily relating to Martin’s phasing out of their old M&T neck joint in favor of the new and improved “simple dovetail” neck joint.
A more detailed explanation of the significant differences between Martins traditional dovetail neck joint, their Mortise and Tenon neck joint, and the Simple Dovetail neck joint can be read HERE.
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Martin OM-18 Authentic 1933 sighting
Guitar Center in Brooklyn, at Atlantic Center, has an OM-18A 1933 in stock. I stopped in for some picks and was pleasantly surprised to find the Authentic there behind the glass case, in their small room of higher-end guitars.
It impossible to remember fully just how light of weight this model is compared to other modern guitars, and just how big and lovely the voice is when played with the lightest touch, yet it does not break up at all when played full throttle with a flat pick.
So if you are in the NYC area, and have always wanted to see one of these excellent guitars, now is your chance.
The Standard OM-28 is resurrected by C. F. Martin, alongside an upgraded, updated 000-18, and new Aura models
New OM-28
As expected, Standard Style 28 has received a makeover, following in the footsteps of the one that appeared with the fabulous D-18 and the upgraded OM-21. And some well-loved Martins have been put out the pasture to make room…
“With fluid fingering, a flare for the dramatic, and compositions that flit and flutter like birds over a pastoral valley, or soar like eagles atop the winds of the world, de Lucía was among the most highly regarded guitarists of the twentieth century.”
“There were two Loar F5 mandolins present, a fern signed by Loar on March 24, 1924, and one without the fern signed on April 12, 1923. Also present was a stunning K-5 Mandocello, one of only six known to exist. This one was signed by Loar on October 13, 1923.”
We went to the Martin Factory on a frigid Thursday morning to play the red hot off the griddle Martin Prototypes, at the same hour NAMM was opening its doors…
An after-hours reception was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last night, where an invited group of some 60 guests were treated to a private viewing of the exhibit Early American Guitars: the Instruments of C.F. Martin, which opened to the public earlier that day. I was among them.
More than just another Johnny Cash biography, Robert Hilburn’s latest volume reexamines the rags to riches details of this unique example of the American Dream with its extremes of peaks and pitfalls, as lived by one the nation’s most iconic musical artists.
“…an insightful yet sympathetic analysis that conjures up the late Man in Black in living color… it is Hilburn’s ability to include the many quoted snap-shots within the smooth emulsion of his own smart prose that keeps the focus on events as they happen, present and alive. And his insistence on allowing others to speak with emotion and opinion, while he sticks to the facts and resists any temptation at grand conclusions that provides a sense of authenticity to the story, and keeps the pages turning…”
I receive email from all over seeking my opinion and advice, or simply asking questions related to all sorts of guitar-ish things. Our blog will now feature some of these questions, and the new Q & A section on the menus will begin to offer links to some we feel may be of greater general interest.
joyous and evocative, on display and for sale at the Morrison Hotel Gallery, Soho.
“From Leonard Bernstein to Patti Smith, a young Willie Nelson to a very young Bruce Springsteen, the royalty of Jazz, Folk, Blues and Rock n Roll preserved by David Gahr in living black and white…”
“When Bob Dylan ripped into “Maggie’s Farm” in front of a stunned crowd at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, not many people realized they were seeing a paradigm shift in the current of popular culture that would reverberate around the globe for decades to come…”
While other guitar brands have their loyal fans, none seem to evoke as much reverence and affection from their admirers as Martin, and this has led people from greatly diverse backgrounds to find they share a similar love of music that transcends their many differences…
Republicans room with Democrats, liberals stay up till dawn with the conservatives they looked so forward to seeing after a year apart; even Yankees fans find themselves warmly embraced by fans of the Tigers, Oriels and Red Sox. From the Oscar winner to the homemaker, the CPA to the MBA, all and all, they have found common ground in this most unpretentious celebration rooted in the love of music and Martin guitars…
As one member put it, “Music is a unifying force that reaches across many boundaries and brings people together in very deep and lasting ways.” Martinfest is living proof of that.”
We heard from our friend Laurence Juber this morning…
The double Grammy-winning guitarist dropped by One Man’s Guitar to check out the new site, and then dropped us a line to let us know about his new guitar, and tell us that our copy of his latest CD is on the way.
“A warm, layered and very human scene painted entirely with one acoustic guitar drenched with resonant chords, clear and unhurried melody lines, and shadowy blue bass notes that rise or fall in pitch or pace like a melancholy pulse. An exquisite piece of music played on an exquisite guitar, exquisitely.”
And that is just the first track on Juber’s Under an Indigo Sky, the latest CD from the two-time Grammy winner.
“Countless musicians across many types of music have been greatly influenced by the man with the big blonde guitar. Even if they had never heard his name, the amount of blues, rock n roll, folk, country, and jazz recordings he had a hand in would fill a large catalog. Many young guitarists playing today were inspired by guitarists who were inspired by other guitarists who were directly inspired by George Barnes.”
“It is the futuristic features of the D-28 Modern Deluxe that are responsible for how it weighs and plays more like a very old D-28 than a very new one, with a bell-like tone that is truly original, yet with qualities that should thrill Martin fans…”
“…this new short-scale 000 has a full-bodied voice that immediately says it is no “small guitar.” The bass has Grade A beef in its rosewood brisket, a satisfying heft in the midrange fundamentals under a firm flatpick, and trebles that …roll out from arpeggios as defined, delicate, and pure as sunlit dewdrops…”
Pearly Engelmann spruce over Guatemalan rosewood with turbocharged bracing and a Full Thickness neck!
“Boldly Beautiful… with a splendid combination of primo tonewoods chosen with the input of an admirable guitarist…”
“There is a firmness to the sycamore trebles and a fullness to the bass notes, and a chiseled definition to the center of the voice, thanks to the Adirondack spruce top. The Adirondack effect makes the center of the voice quite straightforward, leaving lots of space behind it, in that almost “vintage openness” sort of way.”
“Simply put, this guitar sounds huge. Explosive chords burst into the room with near-concussive waves of power and punch, and relaxed, expressive picking lights up an expansive tonal chamber, as if by ballroom chandeliers.”
“With its retro styling and ultra-modern neck, the new 2017 model is a souped up enhancement of the straight-braced D-28, given a more powerful engine, with a roomier interior.”
“With twinkling trebles, warm clear-cut mids, and a succulent bass, its distinctive fundamental notes front a subtly complex harmonic array, filled with delightfully sweet overtones and a roomy translucent undertone awash with whispery, ethereal hues. In other words, the John Prine signature model is an absolute charmer.”
“Singing with silvery purity up high, commanding mids, and full-bodied lows, all riding atop the lush and lovely depths saturated with what I call that “smoky rosewood presence,” the new 00-28 provides classic, nay even legendary Martin guitar tone.”
“The bass is big but not boomy. The trebles are clear and ringing. The midrange notes are distinct but have a woody warmth to them… In other words, the SJ-200 is a classic. And this jet black version is pretty darn classy.”
“Never woofy nor muddy, there is a firmness from the bottom E string. It is buoyant, yet taught and strong. .. The sound of the unwound trebles with clear-cut definition and a silvery ring.”
Woody to be sure, it has an old dry box resonance that is accentuated by a torrefied spruce soundboard. The undertone remains open and uncluttered, yet with a glowing presence reflecting the hum of each string… At times, that tonewood combination had those singing trebles soaring through the room – and straight to my heart, as uplifting as sunlight streaming through the flawless glass of a spotless, squeaky-clean window.
“This converted 000-28 has my favorite kind of Brazilian/Adirondack tone, warm and richly colored, with a bass that is plump but not woofy, spawning a rich undertone that at times hugs but never smothers the higher registers, and trebles of fine purity that are precise but solid, yet radiating shimmery harmonic overtones.”
“…its long, sleek neck adorned with shimmering diamonds of abalone, in the timeless short-pattern array, matching retro chic with a contemporary silhouette, and economic good sense with stylish minimalism, channeling the dollars spent directly toward beautiful wood and lovely tone…”
“A little dreadnought, but a real guitar … looks beautiful…sounds lovely…a very good price for a guitar built with solid tonewood back, sides, and top”
A large caliber canon of Guatemalan rosewood and VTS Adirondack spruce with a large sound hole.
“…something charming to the chime ringing off the unwound treble strings, supported by a palpable cushion of rosewood undertone welling up from the bottom end, where the bassiest string is plump and succulent…”
First 14-fret Grand Concert added to the Standard Series, with a modern, short-scale neck and a LOT of classic tone.
“…a relaxing, comfortable playing experience that rewards the guitarist with a prosperous voice, lavish with presence in the undertone resonance and the wafting high harmonics.”
“Everything from the prodigious volume, bottom end presence, responsive playability, expansive depth, and projecting definition are remarkable for a short-scale guitar with a body smaller than a 000 or OM.”
The First Affordable Pearl-Trimmed Martin in the Authentic Series is a Beauty
“It is an emotionally expressive instrument that naturally inspires nice bluesy string bends, and even subtle little waggles of a fretting finger translate into evocative alterations in the tone of each note, which then spawn echoes that radiate within and without the lively 000 body with its scallop-braced VTS top.”
“From the first note, I felt that of all the Authentic Series, the 00-18 Authentic 1931 would fool me most easily if I was blindfolded and told I was playing a pre-war Martin.”
“Wonderfully resonant, the CS-OM True North-16 is delightfully complex in its detailed tonality, and yet it has an expansive dynamic range beyond most ultra-responsive guitars.”
We end 2015 with the guitar built only in 2015, which people will be very pleased to hear once it gets out into the shops during 2016.
“…a pretty musicality from a clear and spacious treble, and the wound strings report with piano-like authority across the midrange and bass, defined but with a quick bloom of bassy undertone resonance.”
Inspired by the 1965 original, the D12-35 50th is a modern interpretation of grandeur.
“..the Harley hog of guitars, agile but oh so powerful. I love how it handles across intricate fingerstyle passages and wide open straightaways of full out strumming.”
Sixty years in the making, a commemorative limited edition of Indian siris, rosewood, and torrefied European spruce.
“The treble strings give off the tinkling chime of a music box, while the midrange notes stand firm and defined over a built-in reverb echoing from within…It is a voice of depth, color and definition, conjured out of a very interesting combination of woods and craftsmanship.”
An elegant powerhouse with responsive finesse and hearty dynamics, the Martin CS-D41-15 showcases Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce as the top-tier tonewoods they are.
“Few if any Indian/Sitka dreadnoughts are as alive and dynamic and tuneful as the CS-D41-15.”
A museum-worthy piece of craftsmanship and design, the McPherson Manhattan Skyline is a towering achievement in the art of luthiery
“Playing this guitar was like knocking on the door of a spruce stable full of horsepower, chomping at the bit and so eager to sink its weight into that rich, fertile Brazilian tonewood, with its peppery, rose oil scent rising from the sound hole like freshly turned earth. The future owner of this McPherson Manhattan has my envy as the player whose personal style will most influence the training and feeding of this thoroughbred, as it comes into its own as the champion it so obviously will become.”
“With its Grand J sycamore body topped with VTS Sitka spruce, the CEO-8 has a voice with a unique character.
The bottom-end boost from the extra-large sound chamber fills out the bass, while the rest of the voice stays open. Strummed chords ring out, vivid and vibrant, while arpeggios and picking patterns lay down a succession of clear strong notes that never get in each other’s way, thanks to unusual rates of sustain and decay…”
Made by the Custom Shop from cocobolo and torrefied Adirondack spruce…
“I found it effortless to return over and over to the heart of “the zone,” where notes sprout and bloom like tulips opening in fast-motion close-ups of rich colors, and sympathetics glint and waver, like sunlit ripples breeze-driven across deep, clear waters.”
Prewar OM reproduction, with new Vintage Gloss Finish and VTS torrefied spruce top!
…It was like it said, “Oh yeah. That’s the stuff!” when I would increase the pull on the strings, so it could convert more potential energy into kinetic energy, and ultimately full, unbridled tone.
That was but one of the subtler prewar Martin traits to be found in this new OM-28 Authentic 1931…
Cocobolo OM reviewed for the new indie luthier series:
“The voice is dominated by strong, solid fundamentals, clear and straight off the reflective top of Adirondack spruce, standing firm over a cocobolo sound box that imparts a fudgy rosewood richness, smooth and dense, but never so dark that it turns murky.”
A D-18 with a difference, the D-18 Sycamore comes in somewhere between maple and mahogany in looks and in tone.
“…It sounds like a more complex maple, with thicker top notes, more overtones and complexity over all, like mahogany, but with a maple-like bass that shifts the focus into the mid-range, which has the same kind of defined top notes and high overtone ring as the trebles.
It still has plenty of the complexity, resonance and sustain one looks for in a dreadnought. In fact, it excels at traditional flatpicking, with the kind of punch and “cut” that would leap out of a Bluegrass jam when it is time to switch from playing rhythm to a solo break…”
“…a versatile instrument of the highest order, with an expansive dynamic range of clear and present fundamentals, surrounded by complex rosewood sympathetics, a full but open undertone, and a forthright over-reaching ring thanks to the torrefied European spruce top, and all laid out with exceptional balance across the six strings…”
The first thing that comes to mind when seeing this K Wingert guitar is, “That’s a big guitar!” The first thing that comes to mind when I hear this K Wingert guitar is, “That’s a big guitar!”
But as big and bold as it sounds, its voice remains refined and lovely from the first note to the fading final moments of the resonant sustain.
“With quality tonewoods matched by the artistry used to create it, this custom Wingert Model F has a full-bodied voice rich and satisfying as steaming hot cocoa made with half and half, while allowing for clear notes that come right through all that indulgent rosewood/alpine spruce tone.”
Combining the looks of a pre-war Style 42 12-fret slothead with the convenience of a 14-fret OM, made all the more powerful with extra-deep sides, this Madagascar/Adirondack jewel box from Martin’s fabled Custom Shop is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears.
“From the first strum there is a stark ring to the fundamental voice, each note pure but with pronounced substance, clear yet dense, like diamonds. And with each steely note ringing off a string an expanding sonic reaction blooms, from an echo beneath the top voice and a woody hum deeper down, to a shining choir of lofty overtones. This guitar shows off the most sophisticated type of Madi-Adi tone.”
A throwback in the best of ways, Martin’s CS-D-18-12 is one classic mahogany 12-fretter
Made from 400 year old sinker mahogany, reclaimed from a river in Belize
“The CS-D18-12 has a marvelous voice that is effortlessly large yet clear, ringing, and simply a joy to hear. Once again Greene and his team have put together a unique instrument and gotten it right.”
A woody aesthetic and sleek modern neck, matched to impeccable and “Authentic” pre-war construction techniques makes the CS-21-11 a uniquely versatile dreadnought, even by Martin standards.
“That ultra-light build contributes mightily to the guitars breathtaking resonance, response, and purity of tone. It astonishes with how much resonant, living tone swells out of it with the lightest touch, and how that glow increases as chords and picking patterns sustain over time. And the response to nuanced playing and the ultimate payoff in tone only increase as the top brakes in and the guitar grows up.”
With thumbs up, the Navy Blues earns a row of gold stars
“The Navy Blues is the third guitar designed in collaboration between the legendary Eric Clapton and Eric’s good friend Hiroshi Fujiwara (a renowned Japanese artist, DJ, musician, fashion designer and trendsetter) and design assistance from Martin’s Dick Boak. With a deep navy blue finish and upscale inlays, the OM-ECHF offers rich, complex tone, powerful dynamics, and wide-ranging versatility.”
A carbon fiber neck rod and Martin’s first foray into the world of torrefied wood, adds exciting new facets to one of the most classic guitar designs of all time, the 12-fret 00.
“If the CS-00S-14 is anything, it is resonant. It comes alive with the lightest touch, and it feels alive… from the warmth glowing out of the bottom end and a low E string impressive for this body size, a fatness to the midrange strings that reaches down like a pillar into the echoing cellar below the top voice, and trebles with a distinct chime that leaps out, with a vintage-like openness directly under them, but reflecting harmonics off the midrange like the surface of a mirrored pond disturbed by the sound waves firing off that crystalline fundamental chime. It is a sophisticated voice…”
“… the envied owner of a new D-28 A 1937 will be afforded the privilege of breaking in the fledgling tone woods and ultra-thin nitrocellulose finish, to coax out more and more of the guitar’s rich, round rosewood lows, punchy Adirondack mids, and pure, ringing trebles that signify the classic Martin sound.”
High-tech but simple to use, this capo with the postmodern looks was the brainchild of guitarist Nick Campling.
“His primary concerns were the effect of the capo on a guitar’s intonation, the ease of use in terms of applying and removing it, making sure the capo did not damage the guitar’s neck or get in the way of the guitarist’s fretting hand, and finally, a capo that was attractive to the eye. The G7th Performance capo does a good job in all these respects…”
Sparky Kramer was visiting one of his customers in New York City last night, on his way to the big guitar show. So, I stopped by for a chat with the California wood charmer, and a look at these new and delightful musical instruments, made with gorgeous woods and super smart design features.
“The guitar sounded huge for such a small size. It invited one to play with the absolutely lightest touch they could, and be rewarded with such lovely tone and marvelous projection. But it had no issue with being attacked, and effortlessly turned into a blues machine.”
An instrument as impressive as its hefty price tag
“… a sound bigger than Texas and just about as audacious. I have played examples of them all, from the D-100 to the Celtic Knot, to the Stephen Stills. There just hasn’t been a modern-day pearly Martin with a sound this enormous.”
“The light build on this mahogany/Adirondack is reinforced by rear-shifted braces, with the main X brace placed a bit farther back than on modern Martins. This helps add to the openness of the voice, and reduces the rumble in the bass, so the bottom notes retain great definition while the highs have all the cutting power a Bluegrass flatpicker could hope for.”
As our D-28 Authentic 1941 review shows, “this isn’t just a good vintage D-28 reissue; it’s a great guitar.”
“Tone, dynamics and playability matter most to me when judging a guitar. This guitar gets top marks in all three areas. When it comes to tone, it had me at the first strum, because of its ringing purity, impressive depth, effortless volume, and its expansive, open, room filling presence.”
A 0000 reimagined with a Standard 12-fret body shape.
“This guitar is so finely tuned in terms of dynamics and response that it is basically effortless to play, in any tuning. There is a gorgeous complexity to the harmonics, but an unperturbed clarity to the fundamentals, and an organic sensibility to the sustain and decay of each, which makes it a delight to play.”
Martin’s successful take on the prewar Gibson L-00 remains more Martin than anything else. A slope-shoulder 00 for the ages.
“When it came down to it, the whole time I was playing the guitar I kept feeling like the CEO-7 is the Golden Era Series reissue of a pre-war Martin that never existed.”
“In a word, the voice is huge … a good example of a Bluegrass banjo killer with focused trebles that cut through the stout, strong bass of its pronounced bottom end …”
If you have an acoustic guitar in mind that you would like included, please drop us line at guitar@onemanz.com
If you are in the New York City area and own a professional level acoustic guitar that we might video, record and review on the site, please contact us at the same address above.
The writing is that of one man,
with input from the owners of many of the instruments reviewed as an important part of the overall presentation, along with luthiers, manufacturers, and purveyors of acoustic guitars from all over the world. Thanks for visiting!
