2017 Martin Guitars Sneak Preview Video
by Quick first impressions of the 2017 Martin Guitars
Unprocessed camcorder audio
But it still gives some idea of what’s in store for upcoming in-depth reviews.
Latest Acoustic Guitar Reviews and News
NAMM News of Interest and Intrigue
The 2017 Winter NAMM Show opens for the press and provisioners
Musicians and music lovers rejoice
Acoustic guitars make up but one tributary of the mighty NAMM river feeding the sea of music-oriented retailers. And I am focusing on acoustic guitar news from NAMM over the next few days before my first hand reviews can begin to flow from my own fonts.
The economic downturn finally caught up with the acoustic guitar market over the past couple of years, with mixed results. And this year’s NAMM has some guitarmakers focusing less on new models to add to crowded catalogs, and more on exhibiting models they already have in production, or limited editions like artist signature models, and showing off just what their custom shops can do for customers who will pay cash on the barrel head before an instrument is built.
One company that has put out an array of new models is, of course, C . F. Martin & Co.. Martin has at least one model entering every instrument series not scheduled to be phased out of production.
Read about the new 2017 Martins here
With other Martin news to follow as it develops.
Collings Guitars of Austin, Texas announced a new Pete Huttlinger signature model.
Read more about this new 2017 limited edition model and see some awesome Collings eye candy here
Bourgeois Guitars always offers an entertaining NAMM experience. This year singer Courtney Hartman stopped by to play some guitars. She is also appearing in the promotional video for a very special 2017 offering from Dana Bourgeois.
Bourgeois Guitars is celebrating 30 years of the Schoenberg Soloist cutaway OM with a 30th anniversary collaboration with Eric Schoenberg.
Santa Cruz Guitar Company is an exhibitor focusing on amazing one-off custom guitars is the Their custom shop gets its own display area as large or lager than the one exhibiting standard models and artist signature instruments.
Read more about the Santa Cruz guitars at Winter NAMM here
Vintage Guitars offer up a retro-cool Statesboro 12-string dedicated to Blind Willie McTell
Check out the specs and Paul Brett Video here
Taylor Guitars has partnered with Guitar Center to offer a limited edition John Petrucci Artist Choice 916CE model. New guitars appeared in the new Academy Series of affordably priced instruments, as well as the new 800 Deluxe Series, and the super cool GS Mini Bass head up the latest in Taylor Guitars innovation.
Read the Taylor Guitars details here
What’s new from Collings, Breedlove, and all the rest?
Keep checking back for new and interesting reports
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Collings Honors Late Maestro with Signature Model at NAMM 2017
Pete Huttlinger Signature Model Returns at Collings
Limited edition model to feature custom inlay reflecting Huttlinger’s love of fly fishing
According to Collings, “the first 15 will feature his handwritten signature on the label and a portion of the proceeds of each guitar will benefit the Pete Huttlinger Fund for Adult Congenital Cardiac Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.”
Pete Huttlinger is the only artist ever honored with a Collings artist signature model. Like his original OM-1A cutaway from 2011, this 2017 limited edition guitar features South American mahogany back, sides, and neck with 1-3/4″ width at nut, African ebony fingerboard and bridge, and Adirondack spruce top.
Pete Huttlinger played Collings guitars from 1997 until his untimely death in 2016. A true friend of many at the small-shop luthiery outfit in Austin, Texas, this Collings model is truly an affectionate commemoration of a much loved and sincerely missed artist of the highest character and caliber.
Collings Guitar Eye Candy NAMM 2017
click photos to enlarge
Related Reading:
NAMM 2017 News As We Find It – Taylor, Bourgeois, Santa Cruz, Martin, et al
Bourgeois Schoenberg Soloist 30th Commemorative LE – NAMM 2017
Dana Bourgeois is celebrating 30 years of the Schoenberg Soloist cutaway OM with a very special model for 2017
Limited to just 12 instruments
The Soloist 30th Commemorative LE is made with premium cocobolo back and sides and a bearclaw German spruce top. According to Bourgeois, “Both are the finest examples of their species and rare in this grade! The elegant “Soloist” triangle inlay not only adorns the heel as it has traditionally, but it has also been added to both sides of the pyramid bridge as a finishing touch.”
And it has a label signed by Dana Bourgeois and Eric Schoenberg.
Bourgeois did the majority of the work on the very first Soloists, which were made for joint venture between C. F. Martin & Co. and Schoenberg’s shop. At that time Martin was focused on contemporary acoustic guitars, and was neither trained or tooled up to do vintage features like hand-carved pyramid bridges, hand-planed and “voiced” back and soundboard, and the special neck shaping Schoenberg required. So Bourgeois handled the detailed work and then the guitars were sent to Martin for assembly and finishing.
Both Schoenberg and Bourgeois have offered world-class cutaway OM fingerstyle instruments ever since.
The Schoenberg Soloists were the first Martin flattop acoustic guitars to have a cutaway. I used to own the first Soloist made with pearl top trim, which is now in Chris Martin’s private collection. It has outrageous bearclaw waterfalls in the Sitka top, reminiscent of the stuff being used on this wonderful and historic new Soloist.
Schoenberg guitars have had the Soloist model built by a succession of small-shop luthiers. And now it comes full circle, as Dana Bourgeois brings his own personal interpretation after decades of evolving exclusive methods and philosophy of guitarmaking.
Courtney Hartman made an appearance at the Bourgeois NAMM booth to play some guitars. And here she is in a promotional video for this amazing limited edition.
Related Reading:
Taylor Guitars Winter NAMM 2017 Highlights
New offerings from Taylor Guitars at NAMM 2017 have style and comfort in mind
New beveled armrests are found in new affordable and deluxe models, and of all things a comfortable couch bass guitar appears.
NAMM Booth 213
Apeaking of beveled armrests, one can be found on Dream John Petrucci Artist Choice 916cee limited edition. The Dream Theater guitarist was on hand at the Taylor booth to play #1 of the edition.
This Grand Symphony size guitar has the same top-shelf Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce, and opulent inlays of the 916ce acoustic-electric model, along with a special label signed by Petrucci and Bob Taylor.
Just 50 instruments will be for sale, exclusively through Guitar Center , with another 20 sold in the overseas markets. And it comes with Petrurcci’s preferred Ernie Ball Earthwood strings, a custom DiMarzio JP guitar strap, a boxed set of 4 vinyl LPs entitled ‘The Astonishing.”
While cool, perhaps their coolest newbie is the little GS Mini Bass.
It has layered sapele veneer for the back and sides, and a Sitka spruce top, along with an ES-B pickup and preamp system, that have volume and tone controls and a built-in tuner.
A bass guitar that exists beyond the parameters of what a bass normally has to offer, Master Guitar Designer Andy Powers spent years developing the concept, design, and execution of this instrument, and the special strings that allow it perform as it does. With a 23-1/4” scale, it has a very short string length, nearly 10” shorter than a standard bass guitar. And the small body appears to be derived from Taylor’s Grand Symphony shape.
Taylor Guitars collaborated with D’Addario to invent the unique coated phosphor bronze strings, which have a nylon core, similar to classical guitar strings. And the strings are pinned into the bridge via Taylor’s newly patented “dual-prong bridge pin design,” which allows each string to pass through the bridge pin, so that the ball end anchors securely behind the pin, while the string bends more gradually over the saddle, resulting in a “slinky feel.”
Taylor Guitars conceived GS Mini Bass concept with a guitar player in mind, but quickly realized “this is a bass for a bass player… that’s portable and can go places” or anyone wants to try their hand at playing bass guitar, on an easy to fret neck, in a body size suitable as a sofa instrument or travel instrument.
And if that is not cool enough for you, Taylor also has a new affordable Academy Series of guitars designed with the student musician in mind, or anyone wanting an inexpensive guitar that is actually comfortable to play. And they are coming out with 800 Deluxe versions of their recently revamped 800 Series, with the addition of Adirondack spruce bracing, and Gotoh 510 turners with 21:1 gear ratios. Both the Academy Series and 800 Deluxe models feature instruments with a bass side beveled “arm rest” built in, similar but not exactly the same as the one found in their top of the line 900 Series.
Related Reading and Video:
Vintage Statesboro 12-string – NAMM 2017
British-based Paul Brett introduces a new 12-string for the Vintage brand of acoustic guitars
Official Debut at the Winter NAMM show
One of the more interesting arrivals at Winter NAMM is the Vintage Statesboro 12-string guitar, from John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd. (JHS) who distribute brands like Fret-King™ electric and bass guitars, Vintage® and Encore® electric, acoustic and bass guitars and Pilgrim® Folk Instruments..
Made with a 1920s Stella look, and dedicated to Blind Willie McTell, this “bluesmachine” 12-string features a maple back and mahogany sides, topped with solid Sitka Spruce, and a metal trapeze tailpiece, and a bone nut and saddle.
It is available as an acoustic (V5000SB-12) and acoustic-electric version (VE5000SB-12) that has the Fishman Rare Earth humbucker soundhole pickup system.
It comes with a Kinsman Hardshell case.
JHS/RBI Music NAMM Booth 5279
Additional Reading:
Santa Cruz Guitar Company at Winter NAMM
Wonderful Guitars from Santa Cruz Guitar Company
Winter NAMM Booth# 1708 (Hall E)
Models on display for the playing include a Standard OM Grand and an all-mahogany 00 1929, while the Custom Shop display includes the 12th and final installment of their 40th Anniversary FTC model, and an a Firefly model made with highly flamed koa back sides and top,
seen here enjoyed by indie fingerstyle phenom Jamie Stillway.
The Brad Paisley B/PW signature model debuted at Summer NAMM. Is a pre-war style dreadnought made with Indian rosewood for the back and sides and a bearclaw Sitka spruce top, forward-shifted bracing and a 1-3/4″ V neck and 2-3/16″ string spacing, and a white calligraphy cowboy hat on the headstock.
Scott Law’s D-Law signature model is a mahogany dreadnought with vintage D-28 appointments including diamonds and squares on the fretboard and herringbone trim, a Italian spruce top with tobacco sunburst, Adirondack bracing, hide glue construction. It has 2-3/16″ string spacing at the traditional-looking long saddle to go along with a 1-11/16″ V neck that is slightly shorter in scale (25.25″) from the usual SCGC 25.375″).
They have a Bob Brozman Baritone Pro, a 12-fret dreadnought sound monster by any means, this one has outrageously flamed koa rather than the usual mahogany, and a German spruce top.
And then it gets really good.
While many of the 12 40th Anniversary FTC models have maple back and sides, this one is made with mahogany back and sides, a bearclaw Sitka top, whiteish cowboy rope purfling and rosette, the classic SCGC art deco fret markers set into upper left corners, and replica decco tuners. Each of the 12 guitars has a different styling in terms of toner, sun burst tops or lack there of.
Other custom shop offerings include a Tony Rice model with bearclaw German spruce, an OM Grand 12-string with high-grade Adirondack top (!) and an H13 custom with Alpine moon spruce over cocobolo, a soft lamp light sunburst and super fine sparkly Style 42 inlay
And that is just the ones I can remember at the moment.
Related Reading:
Martin OMs Making Music
Marshall Fleisher’s Martin OM-42 and Maury Rutch’s OM-28V
Mates of mine meet up at Maury’s, where music magic is made
Check out this series of videos over at Maury’s Music’s blog
Two of my brothers-in-Martin make up the R and F in D.O.R.K.F., the classic rock cover band that perform in Pennsylvania, but once a year with a long list of special guests.
Marshall Fleisher has been journeyman musician since the Woodstock era and is one of those players with a built in encyclopedia of songs and his own arrangements of fingerstyle tunes, who I get to hear at Martinfest and occasionally elsewhere.
Maury Rutch made his living as a performing musician long before he started moonlighting as a dealer in fine Martin, Blue Ridge, Reverend, and Mesa/Boogie music-making machines. And when he’s not out gigging with one of his own bands, he is happy to serve as sideman for visiting musicians, wandering minstrels, or the occasional back alley tomcat.
I could listen to these guys all day long.
Martin GPC-15ME Review
Grand Performance in Martin’s 15 Series’ GPC-15ME
Versatile mahogany top tone at a great price
Specs include: Grand Performance body size with cutaway; solid wood construction; African mahogany back, sides, top; 5/16″ scalloped forward-shifted bracing; mahogany High Performance neck with Modified Low Oval profile, Indian rosewood bridge and fingerboard with High Performance taper, 1-3/4″ at nut, 2-1/8″ at 12th fret, 2-5/32″ string spacing; satin finish, open back tuners with butter bean knobs; Fishman Matrix VT Enhance N2 electronics
“I am pleased as punch at the punch from the GPC-15ME’s midrange, and how it is hugged by a cuddly bear of mahogany warmth in the bass. And my ear loves being tickled by the sweet, sweet laugh of the 15 Series treble notes that make me want to reach out and pluck them from the air.”
