Guitars and Basses Category

 About Martin
Choosing the guitar for you is a very personal affair.
If you already own an acoustic guitar, it’s most likely that you recognize the Martin name and know our reputation. But if you are new to acoustic guitars, Martin may be new to you. Let us introduce ourselves.

We’ve been crafting Martin acoustic guitars—considered the world over to be the finest you can play—right here in the United States since 1833, and in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, since 1839.
That makes Martin one of the longest continually owned and operated family businesses in America—and the only guitar maker with such a record. When you learn more about us you will understand why. Our longevity is sustained by our vigilance over quality, innovation, excellence—and the dedication of generations of amateur and professional Martin players.
On the Martin Website you can zero in on the Martins of your dreams. Then go to your local Martin dealer and be moved. See them, feel them, smell them, play them, hear them…and satisfy your senses.

Our hands make Martin magic for your hands
A Martin guitar, because it is crafted with the best raw materials, and made by world-renowned skilled craftspeople, becomes a magical sensual experience—to completely satisfy your personal aesthetics. read more.

History of Martin

For well over a century and a half, The Martin Guitar Company has been continuously producing acoustic instruments that are acknowledged to be the finest in the world.

The Martin Guitar Company has, through the years, managed to survive with each succeeding generation from C. F. Martin, Sr.’s Stauffer influenced creations of the 1830s to recent developments introduced by C. F. Martin IV. Continuous operation under family management is a feat bordering on the remarkable, reflecting six generations of dedication to the guitarmaker’s craft. In or out of the music industry, C. F. Martin has few rivals for sheer staying power.

Throughout its colorful history, the company has adapted successfully to continual changes in product design, distribution systems, and manufacturing methods. In spite of the many changes, C. F. Martin has never veered away from its initial commitment to quality. The concern for producing the finest instruments possible in 1833 is especially evident today at Martin’s expanded facility in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

The story behind one of America’s most famous guitars began on January 31, 1796, in Markneukirchen, Germany, with the birth of Christian Frederick Martin, Sr. Born into a long line of cabinet makers, Christian Frederick took up the family craft at the early age of 15, when he left his hometown and traveled to Vienna to apprentice with Johann Stauffer, a renowned guitar maker.

Born in 1796 in Markneukirchen, Germany, C.F. Martin came from a long line of cabinet makers and woodworkers. By the age of 15 he was an apprentice to Johan Stauffer, a well-known guitar maker in Vienna, Austria. After completing his training, Martin returned to his hometown and opened his own guitar-making shop. Shortly after opening he became embroiled in a controversy between two guilds.

At the time European craftsmen operated under the guild system. The guitar (in its modern form) was a relatively recent instrument, and most guitar makers were members of the Cabinet Makers Guild. The Violin Makers Guild began to claim exclusive rights to manufacture musical instruments. Although the cabinet makers successfully defended their rights to build guitars, Martin decided that the guild system was too restrictive, and in 1833 he moved to New York City. Apparently uncomfortable with the pace and style of big-city life, by 1838 he had moved his operation to Nazareth.

In the 1850's Martin developed one of its major technological innovations for the guitar, the X bracing system. The musical and structural integrity of an acoustic guitar is a balance between the need to allow the soundboard of the guitar to resonate freely for acoustic purposes versus the compensation needed for maintaining structural integrity over the long term. By gluing struts of wood to the underside of the top of the guitar in a modified X brace pattern, Martin invented a design that successfully met these competing demands: the compromise being pleasing to the ear of players and listeners as well as the demands of time, with instruments of 100+ years of age still being eminently playable.

Models

       Six string guitars

For many years Martin has used a model-labeling system that consists of an initial letter or a number or series of zeros that specifies the body size and type (5 being the smallest and 0000, also called M on some models, being the largest - though not as large as the dreadnaught - D - or Jumbo -J) followed by a number that designates the guitar's ornamentation and style, including the species of wood from which the guitar is constructed. Generally, the higher the number, the higher the level of ornamentation. Additional letters or numbers added to this basic system are used to designate special features (such as a built-in pickup or a cutaway).

Martin also periodically offers special models. Many of these have a limited production run, or begin as a limited-production guitar that sells well enough to become regularly produced. Many of these special models are designed with, endorsed by and named after well-known guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Merle Haggard, Stephen Stills, Paul Simon, Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash, and many others. In 2002, Martin launched their "Women in Music" series with the Joan Baez Signature guitar, a replica of the 0-45 Baez began her career with.

As of 2005, Martin offers over 180 different guitars. Some of the more notable models are:
000-1: Slightly smaller in all dimensions than a "Dreadnought" guitar (the "standard" acoustic guitar), solid Sitka spruce top, solid mahogany back, laminated mahogany sides, tortoiseshell binding, rosewood fingerboard.
000-28 EC [4] and 000-28ECB: Two of the five "Eric Clapton" models. Same size as the above guitar, constructed with higher-quality woods (especially the more expensive 000-28ECB constructed from the extremely rare Brazilian species of rosewood, hence the "B"), a different shape to the neck, and greater ornamentation around the edge of the body.


The 000-28EC (left photograph) is one of Martin's most popular guitars; unlike the bigger dreadnoughts, the 000-28EC is nearer to the size of a Spanish guitar - a slimmer body and wider fretboard.
D-1: Dreadnought version of the "000-1".
D-18: Dreadnought guitar, solid Sitka spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides.
D-28: Dreadnought guitar, solid Sitka spruce top, solid East Indian rosewood (Brazilian rosewood before 1969) back and sides, ebony fingerboard, black and white binding and ornamentation.
The HD-28 (right photograph)[5]is a slightly more ornate version ("H" for herringbone purfling) and is an extrememly popular guitar with a full sound, good balance between bass and treble and a slightly narrower, rounded neck for ease of playing. The bracing pattern is also modeled after vintage models, and the braces are scalloped to enhance the tone and volume.Note the differences in sizes and body shapes of these two standard models.
HD-35:Identical material and style to the HD-28, but has a distinctive 3 piece solid East Indian Rosewood back.
D-45: Similar to the "D-28" with much greater and more complex ornamentation, including abalone and mother-of-pearlshell inlays. Also comes in a vintage version D-45V and a D-45 Koa made with solid highly flamed Koa.
J-40: a "Jumbo" sized guitar, slightly larger than a Dreadnought but not as deep. Woods similar to the "D-28" and ornamentation slightly less ornate that the 45 level.
OM-28 - Similar to the 000-28 model in body size and ornamentation, except with a slightly longer scale. Also known as the "orchestra" model.
OM-42PS - Paul Simon's signature acoustic model, manufactured in the 1997 model year, is based on the OM-28, but with fancier ornamentation and alterations specifically requested by Paul Simon himself. From the original planned run of around five hundred, only two hundred and twenty three were made, making these a collector's item. The OM-42 is the nearest in the current range.
Backpacker: a very small guitar with a body shaped like an elongated triangle, designed to be very portable and inexpensive while still being constructed of quality woods.

       Bass Guitars

EB 18

The EB-18 was the first electric bass the Martin company produced in 1979. Previously they had only produced acoustic bass guitars.

The general features of the EB-18 are:
     Scale length 34".
     Brass nut,
     Badass bridge,
     Single DiMarzio humbucking pickup,
Through piece solid construction of hard maple and walnut (body wings are glued on to central core), rosewood fretboard.
Schaller BM series open tuning heads M/C heads with a gear ratio of 1:20. Some M/C heads have C.F. Martin stamped on them but look very similar to Schaller heads.
Four figure serial number printed on the back (where the 'neck' enters the 'body').
The headstock has the C.F. Martin logo printed on the front. The name C.F.Martin and Co. is printed on the back.

Pickup

The pickup is a DiMarzio DP120 (model 1) dual pole type with a multicore screened lead. This contains red, white, black and green wires as well as an uninsulated ground wire.

Controls

The EB-18 is provided with a single volume control, one tone control, and a switch for altering the pickup wiring. The switch alters the tone from a bright to a more bassy sound by cutting one pickup coil out of the circuit.

The tone control is comprised of a 0.1 microfarad capacitor in series with the variable resistor of the tone control. This network is placed directly from the red pickup lead to ground. The volume control is a simple potentiometer wired between the red pickup lead and ground with the wiper being fed to the output jack.

The control compartment is covered on the rear surface of the body by a polished brass plate. The interior of the compartment is coated with a light colored conductive paint to act as a screen against unwanted pickup such as mains hum.

Flight case

The EB-18 was supplied with good quality hard flight case. The EB-18 body fits into the shaped recess and the case takes account of the odd shaped 'lizard' looking head and large tuning lugs. There are a pair of compartments inside for cables etc. The inside is lined with a soft, burnt orange color, fur-like material. The case is closed with four toggle latches and has a centrally placed carrying handle.

Popularity

The EB-18 was not all that popular amongst bass players. Their next model the EB 28 was more popular.

 E 18 series guitars


       EB 28 Bass




    







 

Martin D-15 Custom Spruce and Mahogany Acoustic Guitar.

Built for portable durability . . . and great sound!

Don't let the diminutive size of the Martin Backpacker Acoustic Guitar fool you. A braced, solid tonewood top with a solid mahogany neck, back, and sides gives this cool little guitar a surprisingly big projection. Built to withstand the rigors of camping, hiking, and off-road traveling. Includes high-quality chrome-enclosed tuners. A unique bridge on the nylon-string version accepts either plain or ball-end classic strings. Weighs less than 2-1/2 lbs.

Martin Backpacker Acoustic Guitar Features:
   Solid top
   Mahogany neck, back, and sides
   Enclosed chrome tuners
   Lightweight, small size

Martin Backpacker Acoustic Guitar Includes:
   woven strap, Martin gig bag, one-year limited warranty.

Martin Backpacker Acoustic Guitar.

Built for portable durability . . . and great sound!

Don't let the diminutive size of the Martin Backpacker Acoustic Guitar fool you. A braced, solid tonewood top with a solid mahogany neck, back, and sides gives this cool little guitar a surprisingly big projection. Built to withstand the rigors of camping, hiking, and off-road traveling. Includes high-quality chrome-enclosed tuners. A unique bridge on the nylon-string version accepts either plain or ball-end classic strings. Weighs less than 2-1/2 lbs.

Martin Backpacker Acoustic Guitar Features:
   Solid top
   Mahogany neck, back, and sides
   Enclosed chrome tuners
   Lightweight, small size

Martin Backpacker Acoustic Guitar Includes:
   woven strap, Martin gig bag, one-year limited warranty.