Asymmetrical 13-fret guitars, the SC-13E Special and SC-10E Debut

Three new models for Martin’s first new body shape in decades

In a “virtual preview” later today, C. F. Martin & Co. CEO Thomas Ripsam and Vice President of Product Management Fred Greene will unveil the first new Martin models for 2022:

$1,799

$1,999

$1,299

The SC-13E Special, SC-13E Special Burst, and the SC-10E expand the horizons of the Martin’s ultra-modern 13-fret acoustic-electric guitar design, pioneered by the 2019 SC-13E Koa. Upgrades on the Specials, and a satin finish on the more affordable 10E set these SC guitars apart from the earlier version.

Ziricote Specials

After the phenomenal international accolades that poured out for revolutionary SC-13E Koa, it was only a matter of time before we saw new SC models coming from Martin’s state of the art facility in Navojoa, Mexico. The SC-13E Special and the Special Burst version are the most luxurious models yet offered in Martin’s Road Series of relatively affordable professional-level acoustic-electric guitars intended for performing musicians.

Each Special has a back and sides with highly figured ziricote fine veneers. A Cordia genus from Central American, ziricote is considered very close to Brazilian rosewood in looks. These gorgeous veneers are laid down over a core of solid Khaya, a true Meliaceae-family hardwood known as African mahogany in the furniture trade.

The Khaya core provides stability, but the ziricote plays a part in tone production. It is used to line the insides of the sound chamber, where it reflects and adds tonal coloring to the sound waves broadcast by the solid Sitka spruce top. The new ziricote models have a noticeably warmer, fuller acoustic tone compared to the koa versions.

The attractive ziricote also makes an appearance on the front of the instruments, where it is inlaid as the center of the fret position makers, and as part of the dynamic Aperture sound hole rosette for a new, woody take on the motif of the original SC-13E. It may be hard to see the ziricote fret dots in the photos, compared to the solid ebony of the fingerboard, but it is more noticeable in person.

Things get even fancier at the other end of the solid ebony fingerboard, where a silver script logo ties in nicely with the nickel-plated open keyhole tuning machines and their airy skeleton key buttons. These are special ratio tuners loved by Tim Teel, Head of Instrument Design at Martin, who has used them on some limited editions in the past. Each string gets its own ratio to work with the specific string diameter and tension. Supposedly, each string will adjust in pitch to the exact same amount of knob turning. One twist adjusts every string to the same degree.

The SC-13E Special Burst has a new Amberburst finish on the top, which Teel based on some other amber-heavy shading Martin came up with for previous models. This one shows the top wood grain nicely, while working very well with the darker ziricote aesthetic.

Upgraded Electronics

Both Specials come with the LR Baggs Element pickup and EAS tone and volume controls that protrude from inside the sound hole. This is one of the most popular pickups out there and compatible with Baggs’ Anthem internal microphone, for those who might want mod out the acoustic qualities of their electric sound. However, such alterations might imperil the Martin warranty, so proceed with caution.

A More Affordable SC

The SC-10E brings the price point down, for the most-affordable SC model to date, even though it too has fine veneers of Hawaiian koa and an ebony bridge and fingerboard like the original SC-13E Koa, which is still for sale and immensely popular. The savings come from the use of a satin finish on the 10E, instead of gloss, and somewhat simpler appointments. It does come with black tuners that look edgy and cool with the dark wood of the headstock faceplate, and a sparkly black swath to its Aperture rosette instead of the ziricote used for the Specials. Under the hood is Fishman MX-T electronics, with their own volume and tone control hidden inside the bass side of the sound hole, and the bonus of an on-board tuner inside the treble side.

Return to the Future

The creation of the S body design combined Greene’s desire to make a Martin guitar with an asymmetrical body with Tim Teel’s admiration of cutting edge design and engineering found throughout the modern world, from high-end cutlery to the automotive industry, and beyond. He came up with the “S” designation, after constantly drawing fluid, serpentine shapes at the draftsman table.

The C stands for the cutaway. And what a cutaway it is. Because the trademarked Sure Align linear dovetail neck joint removes the need for a heel where the neck meets the body, a player can easily fit their entire hand into the cutaway area, without having to distort the grip or fingering. The most complex jazz chords or rock leads are achieved effortlessly, all the way up to the 20^th fret.

If you haven’t realized it yet, these are acoustic-electric guitars aimed for electric guitarists, who want something versatile enough to handle any kind of music they play. The body shape and unique Tone Tension bracing allow you to take the cable out of your Les Paul or Strat and plug it into a Martin SC model and starting playing, without the need to adjust a single knob or pedal, or the worry about feedback issues that plague traditional acoustic guitars.

They come set up with very low action on the extremely comfortable neck, and extra-light strings. But they are capable of working with light and medium gauge strings, and also can be set up with much higher action. But any major adjustments require a specially trained Martin certified technician who can alter the neck angle through the Sure Align system.

The 13 stands for Style 13, at the very top of the Road Series, and include the only models in the series that have full high-gloss finish on the back, sides, and top. It is a happy coincidence that the SC design created Martin’s first regular production 13-fret guitar. As you can read in my original review of the SC-13E Koa model, having the neck join at the 13th accomplishes multiple perks.

The SC guitars are perfectly balanced when hanging from a guitar strap. No more having to worry about the body or neck sagging down and moving the fretboard out of position when both hands are busy adjusting the microphone. It also allows a long-scale neck, with its roomier frets up in the cutaway, to feel much more like a short-scale neck, because all of the frets are a little closer to the player’s body, so everything is played with a little less stress and effort on the shoulder, elbow, tendons, and hands.

Each of the new SCs has Martin’s exclusive Velocity neck, now officially called the Velocity Low Profile neck. It is indeed low, and it has a helix skew to the shaping. It is subtle, but the corkscrew effect adjusts perfectly the change in angle of the fretting hand as it moves up toward the body. It really needs to be played to be appreciated, even if you may not even notice how incredibly comfortable and relaxed it makes playing even the most complicated music.

What makes these models so desirable is a combination of the perfectly balanced acoustic tone across the six strings, and the fact you can plug them in and play at higher gain without running into the feedback issues normally plaguing acoustic guitars with pickup systems.

Like em, love em, or don’t want to have much to do with them, as I predicted two years ago, the Martin SC design is here to not just stay, but to proliferate and evolve into multiple models, and eventually with many different varieties, across many years to come. Having new SC models a little more expensive than the first SC-13E and having one notably less expensive, but all from the Navojoa factory, is a welcome and logical next step.

As for new Martins from the home factory in Nazareth, PA, well, you will have to wait until later in the year to learn more about that possibility. But not too much later. Say, oh, the morning of January 31 might be a good time to check in for any updates at One Man’s Guitar. 😉

I can say no more, and so I shan’t.

[click to enlarge]

And that is one man’s word on…

Martin’s new SC-13E Special, SC-13E Special Burst, and SC-10E

Further Reading

SC-13E Koa Review

Spoon Phillips chats with Martin’s Jason Ahner about the SC-13E

SC-13E Special

SC-13E Special Burst

SC-10E

Authentic Series Specs at a Lower Price

Available only from a Martin “Custom Shop Expert” dealer

Spring Surprise Sprung

Martin Guitars has introduced their Custom Shop Experts designation, granting certain dealers a special badge to signify that they do a high-volume business in one-of-a-kind instruments built in the Martin Custom Shop. They are also being granted the privilege of selling some exciting new Martin models that feature construction techniques from the lofty Authentic Series, at a lower price than any previous thoroughbred from that stable.

Some seven years ago, I sat in the office of Tim Teel, Martin’s Director of Instrument Design, along with Fred Green, Vice President of Product Management, discussing the neck shapes of the 1930s Orchestra Models about to be recreated for the Authentic Series. I asked if they might eventually sell guitars based on the Authentics, but with Standard Series woods, while pricing them in between the two. The answer was an emphatic “No way!”

Well, Garth… way.

Wayyyyyyyyy!

Made by the craftsmen and craftswomen of the Custom Shop, the guitars in the Authentic Series are painstaking recreations of specific, priceless instruments built in Martin’s Golden Era, centered on the 1930s. But these new Custom Authentic models have certain changes to the specifications that make them more affordable, if no less exclusive. Pricing starts just over $5,200.00, compared to $6,888.00 for an authentic Authentic.

The eight new models are actually two models, offered with four different finishing options, including the basic Vintage Gloss finish exclusive the Authentic Series, an Amberburst top not previous used in the series, and for an additional up-charge, a less-dramatic version of the “relic” processing found on their Aged Authentic models, as well as both the Amerburst top and the new Stage 1 Aging, as it is being called.

The D-28 Custom Shop 1937 is based closely on the fabulous D-28 Authentic 1937, which debuted in 2014. The all-new Custom Shop 1937 000-28 has the styling of a 1937 000-28 with a neck and bracing similar to the CEO-7 model that first appeared in 2013.

The lower sticker price is being achieved by using East Indian rosewood for the back and sides and by not using Martin’s Vintage Tone System of wood torrefaction. They also have a modern adjustable truss rod in the neck, rather than the rigid steel T-bar used in Martins from the pre-war era.

UPDATE: These Custom Shop models have been renamed from the original “Custom Authentic” models used to describe them prior to their official release. And that release date was moves up from the Summer NAMM Show to April 26 of this. Given how long it takes to build and age each of these exquisite guitars by hand, dealers with the Custom Shop Expert badge were granted permission to accept pre-orders for them. But that “pre” was quickly removed. So now it is just a matter of waiting for the first ones to reach the first dealers who received the first customer orders.

See the list below to contact the Custom Shop Expert dealer nearest you to place your (pre)order.

The full story of these new Custom Shop 1937 models and the Custom Shop Experts program will appear in the upcoming issue of Martin: The Journal of Acoustic Guitars, based on my interviews with Fred Greene and other Martin insiders.

The Future is Bright

One year ago, the global pandemic compelled C. F. Martin & Co. to suspend operations. They had just managed a nimble navigation to remain afloat in the wake of the most recent economic downturn, only to face the greatest challenge in their 188 years in business – the complete shutdown of production due to COVID-19.

Senior management had to restructure the entire company and invest considerable time and treasure before any of their guitar builders could safely return to work, and all other employees could be supplied with the means to work remotely. Anticipated product launches were postponed and some models already in production were suspended, in some cases indefinitely. So, I was very happy to see these new Custom Shop models appear, basically on schedule.

Orders for regular catalog models are now being filled, but with a backlog larger than at any time since they opened the modern factory in 1961. And yet, they are appearing at long last in the shops and showrooms and on the websites of Martin dealers around the globe.

The consumer appetite for portable and affordable musical instruments grew steadily across the months of the pandemic lock down. Music soothes the soul, and the playing of live music is a delight for all who get to experience it. It also provides hours of satisfaction for free, after the initial investment in a quality instrument like a guitar or a ukulele.

But these modern times have also inspired musicians to step up and buy the sort of world-class instruments only available from builders like C. F. Martin & Co., with an “if not now, when?” attitude and a sense that life is too short not to play a Martin, as one of their old sales slogans put it. And so too has increased the interest in ordering a one-of-a-kind instrument from Martin’s Custom Shop, which is busier than ever.

I have designed multiple custom Martins over the years, with the help of multiple dealers, and I now own more customized Martins than stock catalog models. Each of these special guitars has been wonderful and worth the time and effort and cost it took to have it built. None of those dealers is even part of this new Custom Shop Experts program. The point being, there are many Martin dealers with many years of expertise when it comes to shepherding a customer through designing their dream guitar. But these official experts are different from the rest.

The new Custom Shop Experts have been selected because of their long-time practice of ordering large numbers of custom Martins, not just for individual customers, but for the dealer, so they can offer a unique guitar only available from their store. They put careful and considerable thought into each guitar before finalizing the specs, so that their websites are often glittering with mouthwatering Martins, made from stunning woods, both traditional and unusual, and inlays and cutaways and combinations of features not available anywhere else but on that one guitar in that one showroom.

Reaping What They Sow

This list appears to primarily include dealers in large cities or who otherwise have large showrooms and who also sell guitars from many other leading brands and independent luthiers. They attract customers on-line and as walk-ins who might not have considered ordering a Martin, let alone an out of the ordinary Martin, until that one-of-a-kind guitar is put in their hands and they can’t let it go and end up taking it home.

For their continued efforts to order and offer guitars from the Custom Shop in such quantities, these select dealers have been rewarded with the exclusive right to sell these new Custom Shope models. And boy, are they gonna sell!

Besides the modern neck rod, the D-size design has all the important pre-war specs of the version made with the pricey Madagascar rosewood and VTS spruce. The new 000 is the first guitar in the modern Authentic Series that isn’t based on a specific vintage Martin. It will have 1/4″ bracing similar to the old 000-18 Authentic 1937, and a neck shape that is being officially listed as a Modified V that has a 1930’s Style heel, and the standard 1-3/4″ fretboard taper matched with 2-5/16″ string spacing. That basically says it has the neck currently available on the CEO-7. But the actual designer referred to it as being based on the OM-28 Authentic 1931. I will have to get my mitts on it before I can make further comment.

The usual questions concerning whether or not there will be more models included in this new concept, or other woods like mahogany back and sides, get the same answer they always do. If these sell as well as Martin hopes, then yes, there might be other models, eventually.

The only thing I am permitted to say for certain is that these current Custom Shop models will eventually go away, as they do have an End Date.

The following Martin dealers are currently members of the new Custom Shop Experts program in 11 different nations. The sooner you reach out to one about ordering your amazing new Custom Shop D-28 1937 or Custom Shop 000-28 1937 guitar, the sooner you will be cradling it in your lap.

And that is one man’s word on…

The New Martin Custom Shop Models