Martin Celebrates Eric Clapton’s 80th Birthday with the 000-42EC 30th Anniversary Model
by The 000-EC 30th Anniversary also announced
C.F. Martin & Co. aka Martin Guitar has seen fit to release even more Eric Clapton signature models. But these new Claptons set themselves apart in their specifications and in debuting on Sunday, March 30 2025, Clapton’s 80th birthday, while also commemorating the 30th anniversary of the first EC model.
You can learn about the many previous Martin Eric Clapton Models, with exclusive insider info HERE. (coming soon.)
000-42EC 30th Anniversary
The limited edition 000-42EC 30th Anniversary combines the aesthetic appointments of the Martin’s original Eric Clapton signature model with an “Authentic 1939” neck specifications, likely borrowed from the 000-42 Authentic 1939. With premium grade Adirondack spruce and Guatemalan rosewood, this 2025 signature model is truly a premium level guitar and an instant collector’s item, had at the premium price of $10,999 and limited to 300 guitars.
See the full specs of the 000-42EC 30th HERE.
000-EC 30th Anniversary
The more-affordable 000-EC 30th Anniversary is made with Indian rosewood and comes with a Sitka or Lutz spruce top. It does get the 1939 neck shape model like its pricier sibling. Both have a 1-11/16” nut and 2-/18 string spacing, but the 1939 heel and fuller barrel will make the hand feel less cramped than recent Martins with the 1-11/16” nut width, and a Low Profile shape, like the OMJM John Mayer model. The 000-EC retails for $4,999 and has no production limit for this special edition instrument. But Martin dealers may only order it through March 2026.
The 000-EC has no style indicator in the name, because it combines the herringbone top trim and sound hole rosette of the popular 000-28EC with colorful Golden Era Style 42 position markers at frets 5, 7, 9, 12 and 15, just like a 1939 000-42. This may cause some confusion since modern Style 42 models use a vintage Style 45 fingerboard pattern that has markers on frets 1 and 3, including the Standard Series 000-42 and the original 000-42EC model.
See the full specs of the 000-EC 30th HERE.
At various times over the decades, Eric Clapton has had enormous influence on popular music. But none more so than his 1992 appearance on the hugely popular program MTV Unplugged, where he performed with a rare 1939 000-42 (SS #72234,) and sideman Andy Fairweather Lowe played Clapton’s 1966 000-28 (serial #208511) converted to Style 45 Mike Longworth. That one evening’s performance, and its hugely popular soundtrack album, single-handedly set off a seismic shift in the popularity of the acoustic guitar.
Martin received so many requests for a guitar like the ones featured on MTV Unplugged that it led to the first of many Eric Clapton signature models, 1995’s 000-42EC, a limited edition that was followed the next year by the special edition 000-28EC. The latter remains one of the best-selling Martin models of all time.
Watch my pal Dick Boak tell his tale of designing the original Eric Clapton models
It may be hard for some people to remember just how highly-regarded Eric Clapton was during the first decades of his career, starting with the electric British Blues band the Yardbirds. He left that band to form the first “super group” with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, who boldly declared themselves to be “The Cream,” eventually shorted to just Cream. He left that band to return to the Blues in Delaney and Bonnie, before collaborating with Duane Allman on the album Layla by Derek and the Dominoes, and finding time to perform with George Harrison, and John Lennon a short time later. But in all of this, Clapton was playing electric guitars.
In 1995, at age 50, the venerable rock legend garnered countless new fans after he switched his electric guitar for acoustic guitars that resulted in the phenomenal success of his Unplugged performance. At a time when acoustic guitar sales were at an all time low, the most famous electric guitarist in the world reminded us just how awesome acoustic guitars can be, especially in the right hands.
Happy birthday, Eric. Or as they say in France, joyeux anniversaire!
