the sounding board - martinguitar.com · quantities to allow us to craft the best guitar we can....

T H E S O U N D I N G B O A R DVOLUME 32 n JANUARY 2012THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE MARTIN GUITAR COMPANY

TM

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isavailable for free in limited quantities from yourlocal authorized Martin dealership. You will alsofind recent Sounding Board issues on ourwebsite in downloadable PDF format. Typically,issues are published in January and July of eachyear. If you wish to be assured of receivingfuture issues of The Sounding Board, werecommend that you consider maintaining anactive membership in The Martin OwnersClub. You may request a complimentary copy ofThe Sounding Boardor the Martin catalogby calling us at thephone number above.

P U B L I S H E D B Y

C. F. Martin & Co., Inc.P. O. Box 329, Nazareth, PA 18064Phone: (610) 759-2837 Fax: (610) 759-5757www.martinguitar.com

E D I T O R I A L

dick [email protected]

D E S I G N

misty wilt graphic designwww.mistywilt.com

C O N T R I B U T O R S

Printed On Recycled Paperin the USA

Darrin TrainerScott FollweilerTodd PhillipsMarshall NewmanDick Brown

Bill BushSusan J. BurlingameTracey Dooms John Sterling RuthMitch Gordon

© 2012 C. F. Martin & Co., Inc., Nazareth, PA. All rights reserved. 17MM03

Cert no. SW-COC-000043www.fsc.com

© 1996 Forest Stewardship Council

Dear Sounding Board Readers,Rosewood, ebony, mahogany and spruce. My ancestors and I have been veryfortunate that these traditional guitar woods have been available in sufficientquantities to allow us to craft the best guitar we can. As demand grows andsupplies shrink, I’m becoming more and more concerned that we have donetoo good a job convincing you that these are the only options.

The recent dialog around the Lacey Act and illegal logging has actuallybeen beneficial to all of us who make guitars. The politicizing of certainaspects of it have been disappointing to me personally. My understanding isthat the law was never intended to entrap the player, but it was designed tohelp eliminate the indiscriminate harvesting of timber through illegal loggingby holding all of us in the supply chain accountable for the provenance of the wood we use. This is a good thing. We have been able to comply with thelaw despite the fact that it is tedious and has added extra layers of scrutinyand paperwork.

More importantly, it has helped elevate the discussion around alternativewoods, engineered wood products and synthetic materials so that we can feelmore comfortable using them today and in the future. I believe that there aretremendous opportunities with alternatives. As you may know, we have beencommitted to this during my tenure as CEO and now I believe there will bemore guitar builders joining me in this fascinating quest to continue to tryand build the perfect guitar.

On a lighter note, we have acquired some very cool vintage guitars for ourmuseum recently, including the very first D-28 (see above). Please stop byand check them out.

Join Today!www.martinownersclub.com

C H R I S ’ C O R N E R

Chris Martin with the newly acquired assortment of special vintage guitars for theMartin Museum. (Left to right) Three special instruments were acquired at theRichard Gere charity auction at Christie’s in New York City: the very first stampedD-28 (Serial #48325) as well as a 1944 000-28 and a 1902 00-42S “Special” with tree oflife inlay. Two lovely parlor guitars were acquired from Gruhn Guitars in Nashville: a1907 0-45 and a 1904 00-45.

VOLUME 32 n JANUARY 2012

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

p. 10Care and FeedingThree back-to-backarticles center in on thecorrect procedures forshipping your guitar, howto create your optimumMartin Custom Shopinstrument, and the basicelements of guitar setupand action adjustment.

p. 22The Sound &The StoryArtist Robert Goetzl is creating muralsdepicting the history ofMartin. Read about hismotivation and whatviewers will soon enjoy.

p. 32Limited EditionMamas and ThePapas D-28MCelebrating the group and its place in pop music history, C. F. Martinannounces a very specialD-28M Mamas and The Papas Custom Artist Edition.

p. 36Martin Owners Club DayMartin Owners Clubmembers made thepilgrimage and “pulled into Nazareth” to immersethemselves in guitars, jam, and enjoy eachother’s company.

On the front and back covers:UPS recentlycollaborated withMartin on theirWe Love LogisticsCampaign duringwhich photographerMitch Gordon capturedquintessential day-in-the-life images fromthe Martin GuitarFactory in Nazarath, Pa.

Other StoriesMartin Stories ......................................2Caring and Feeding

Shipping Your Guitar ..............10The Custom Shop .....................12Set-up..........................................14

Artist Profiles.....................................16From the Archives...........................20The Sound and The Story.............22New Products ...................................24Limited Edition.................................32

Martin HappeningsLondon Acoustic Guitar Show...............................34Martin Owners Club Day........36UMGF ..........................................37Philly Folkfest ............................38

Backpacker Stories..........................40Martin Remembers .........................42Around the World ...........................44

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Two Fine GuitarsBill Anderson from Tempe Az. wrote in to let us know howmuch joy he finds with his two Martin guitars. Pictured abovein his left hand is the 1979 Martin D-18 (“and a great guitar”).The 1972 Martin D-35 in his right hand has been his workingguitar for nearly 40 years! (“It has the nickname ’My Baby’because that’s what it is.”)

Bill played Bluegrass music professionally throughout the1970s and part time ever since. Now playing Bluegrass toCountry and Country Rock full time professionally again sinceretiring he has found the freedom to perform.

He says of his D-35, “Once in tune it stays there and almostplays itself. I also fingerpick, as early in my life I took classicalguitar lessons and this guitar works wonderfully in that style. Itappears these instruments will long outlast me, but I will cherishthem till the day I die.” He saved his money and every weekendwould find himself at the music store playing the guitars. “Iplayed every D-28 that ever passed through their door.” Whenthe day arrived when he was ready to buy, the sales personbrought out the D-35, just off the truck and it was love at firstsight. “It has been a great relationship. You make great guitarsand I am so glad to own two of them.”

Pawn Shop SaintsAmericana group Pawn Shop Saints lead men, Mike O’Neilland Jeb Barry, each own four Martins. Mike is shown with his1988 Martin MC-28, a 2001 Martin 000-16RGT, a 2001Martin 000C-16RGTE, and a Martin LX1.

Jeb is holding his favorite, a new 2010 Martin 000-15M nextto his 2004 Martin D-15, a 2002 Martin DC-1E, and 2004Martin 000-16RGT.

Playing original music in the northeast, Mike’s maininstrument is his 000C-16RGTE. “I call this my main giggingacoustic. I actually loved the first 000-16 so much I boughtanother one.” Jeb only plays Martin guitars, both live and in thestudio, and is either seen playing the D-15 or the 000-15M.Founded in 2010, the Pawn Shop Saints will be heading intothe studio in the fall to record some new tracks with the fullband. All recorded live as usual. www.reverbnation.com/pawnshopsaints

M A R T I N S T O R I E S

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The guitarist, Barclay Martin, played for the people in Joplin atthe Joplin Relief Concert. www.barclaymartin.com

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2011 Summer Tour GuidesA big THANK YOU to our 2011Summer Tour Guides!

They did an excellent job ofmanaging and educating our factoryvisitors on the building process. Inaddition, by covering the tours they gave their co-workers time to focus on making great guitars.

Joplin TornadosThe town of Joplin, Missouri was hit by an EF-5 tornadothat wiped out a third of the city and took over ahundred lives.

Geoffrey Pollock (pictured above) was at a friend’shouse a little out of town when it happened. He wrote into give us an update, “We were listening to the weatherreports on the radio while we were taking cover in theirbasement and heard the news of some places that hadbeen hit in town. They were pretty close to where I live soI jumped in the car and headed for home. The 15 miledrive took about an hour and a half due to backed uptraffic but I somehow managed to get within a mile of myhouse before I abandoned my car and started runningthrough total devastation.

I hoped that my house had been spared but when I gotthere it was all but destroyed. I still had 4 walls (betterthan most) but the whole roof had been ripped off at theceiling. I entered the house not knowing what I’d find butlooking for one thing - my D18 that I bought while I wasin college in 1979. After moving some roof and furniture

around I found it under a recliner. As I moved the reclinerI expected to find it all smashed up but it was still in onepiece. It had a small crack in the top and somehow the pickguard had come off, but after all it had been through it wasin great shape.

I found the case, hiked back to my car, and startedhelping neighbors who didn’t fare as well I did.

I was much luckier than most people. I still have the onething that I owned that I couldn’t have replaced. Somefolks were left with nothing.

It will be many years until Joplin gets back to normalbut little things like finding that guitar gave me hope for agreat future.

“I’m calling the guitar my Martin D18, EF-5 editionnow. I cleaned it up, put on new strings and it sounds asperfect as it always has!”

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Christie’s Charity EventRichard Gere sold a majority of his vintage andcustom guitars at Christie’s auction house onOctober 11 in New York City. This included a1901 Serial #9373, which is significant to thedevelopment of Martin’s Style 45 guitars (seephoto above). The Martin ledger mentions it wasone of four prototypes with “special inlay.”

Richard Gere is donating the proceeds to buildschools and hospitals in the Himalayas.

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UPS Films for We Love LogisticsCampaignC. F. Martin & Co. is featuredin a recent advertisingcampaign by Ogilvy andMather for UPS. The photoabove shows the film crew onthe factory floor as anassortment of employees jamfor the cameras. Martin andUPS have collaborated formany decades on logistics anddelivery of such a preciousproduct to dealers anddistributors worldwide. See the link at left for the YouTube video.


The Music is BornJim Morrell purchased a very special anniversary gift for hiswife of 40 years, Carol. She tells her story below.“Earlier this year my daughter and I went on aphotography excursion with Dan’s Camera City(Allentown, Pa). We took photos at the Martin GuitarFactory (Nazareth, PA), then put together a photo journal.I entitled mine:

IN THE LIGHT OF A MASTERPIECETHE MUSIC IS BORN

We then took our husbands back to the factory for thetour to hear more about what we took pictures of.

When my husband asked me what I would like as ananniversary gift I announced, ‛a Martin!’. Although it wasdifficult to manage, he found a way to give me this gift. I fell in love with the Grand Performance Cutaway-GPCPA1. It is beautiful. The workmanship and all the loveand hard work that went into creating it amazes me.

Say it LoudSay it Clear

Our 40th AnniversaryIs Near

So my giftHas arrived

And it is Here! G- is for Gorgeous

P- Play it nowC- Care for it always!

P- The Picture of Perfection A- Adoring it

1- #1 the Best of the BestEven though Carol owns eight other guitars nothing

compares to her Martin GPCPA1.

www.youtube.com/cfmartinguitar#p/a/u/1/P7G7GF_mwxI

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Sasha GreendykSasha Greendyk of Radnor, Pennsylvania is inspired by music. Since she can remember,she’s been singing in choirs and playing piano; but it wasn’t until eighth grade that shewrote her first piece. That little piano melody was the start of many years of musicwriting, and she’s become an adept guitarist with a little help from her D-40 MartinDreadnought. It is now Sasha’s dream to become a film scorer and write music formovies and shows alike. No matter what, music will always be a part of her life.

Kirsten SowersSince appearing in our previousSounding Board issue, Kirsten Sowershas been keeping busy with her 000 Martin cutaway. This past July, she performed for the troops at the TD Bank Center in Philadelphia.

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A Family TraditionKen Kahn, from Sedro-Woolley, Washington, and his grandsonTyler Turner, 9 from Sequim, Washington, play country andbluegrass when they get together. Tyler plays an LX1 LittleMartin and Ken is playing a D-28 Don McLean with severalbackups: an HD-28, a 00-18, and a J-21. The mandolin is aMartin bowl back made in 1909.

On BroadwayMichael Aarons, lead guitarist and in-house contractor forthe popular Broadway musical Godspell, recently emailedus with feedback about the impressive array of Martininstruments being used on stage for the show.

“We have four Martin Dreadnoughts and a ukulele that weare using in the show. These instruments are superb – theyplay and sound incredible – they are just what we need!”

As a professional guitarist, Michael owns a lot ofinstruments. He admits that while he’s always wanted toown a Martin, he just couldn’t afford the vintage modelshe was drawn to...until now.

“I have to say after seeing how consistent, playable,elegant and perfect these instruments are, and hearing howtremendous they sound, I’m converted for life. They arethe best acoustics I’ve ever played and I mean it – perfectbeyond words. I speak for the whole band in thankingMartin for making such great guitars.”

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A Silent Servant With No NameWe recently received an interesting and compelling messagefrom a lifelong Christian minister, who along with his obviousspiritual connection, is also a musician and lover of Martinguitars. In his own arsenal of Martins, he cherishes threeDreadnoughts: a D-28 Marquis, a D-35 and a D-42. Thestory as he relayed it to us is that three years ago he was told“by God” to acquire five Martin guitars and gift them to fivespecial and specific people. At the time, the minister, who inhis humility, has suggested to us that his name is notimportant, only had enough money for one D-35 Martinguitar, which he promptly gifted as instructed. He waited formore money to appear and it seemed like it wasn’t going tocome. He was facing a serious operation and asked his wife ifshe would finish his mission in the event that he didn’t makeit through.

He woke up a month later after extensive surgery and couldnot move or walk. His daughters told him later that all he

talked aboutin his direstate was Godand Martinguitars, butinside he wasdeterminedto get back to normal. After a year transpired he was able towalk with a cane.

Miraculously, the money began to come in and hecontacted a prominent Martin dealership, eventually buyingthree more Martin D-35s and a D-16GT.

His message thanked us for the beautiful works of art. Inthe end, five people experienced the “best day of their lives.”

He is thankful for “being chosen” to be the deliveryman forsuch treasures and he wanted us to know that “God” isMartin’s best sales rep!

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Harley-Davidson Motorcycle & GuitarAgain gracing the Martin Owner’s Club event on Friday,August 5, 2011 was Mark Zickefoose’s custom Harley-Davidson complete with matching Custom Martin andmounted road case!

Martin MarinesCorporal David M. Jones wrote to us on behalf of hisDivision to express his thanks for his LXM LittleMartin that arrived in Afghanistan. Since he receivedthe guitar it certainly has made its rounds – someoneis always coming to play it or learn to play it. He hasactually had great success teaching two Marines toplay. David admits that the beginners aren’t the bestto listen to, but “at least they are having fun.” Picturedabove are David and a few of his fellow Marines withthe Martin guitar.

Inked AdmirationRobert Dutton ofBrooklyn, New Yorkshared this photograph ofhis Martin PerformingArtist Guitar tattoo.

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We are honored to have received the following Players Choice Awards for 2011:• GOLD AWARD for BEST

DREADNOUGHT GUITAR (D-28)• GOLD AWARD for BEST MID-SIZE

FLATTOP GUITAR (Eric Clapton Signature Model)

• SILVER AWARD for GUITAR OF THE YEAR (D-28)

• SILVER AWARD for SMALL-BODY FLATTOP (00-15M)

• SILVER AWARD for JUMBO GUITARSIX or 12-STRINGS (Grand J12-40E)

• SILVER AWARD for ACOUSTIC-ELECTRIC GUITAR (GPCPA1)

• SILVER AWARD for TRAVEL GUITAR (LX1)• SILVER AWARD for 12-STRING (J12-40E)• SILVER AWARD for OTHER STRINGED

INSTRUMENT (OXK UKE)• SILVER AWARD for STEEL STRINGS (FX)

Acoustic Guitar Magazine

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Distorted StringsIt is quite difficult to comeup with ideas for stringadvertising. Guitars are

much more visual. Martin’sDick Boak (no stranger to illustration)conceptualized thisslightly hyperbolic pencil drawing. Dick’ssuggested headline?“Martin Strings -

Exaggerate Your Tone!”

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Let Us InA special benefit concert was held onNovember 7th at Nashville’s legendaryRyman Auditorium. The “Let Us In”Nashville benefit was the kick off forNashville’s CMA Week. Actor, musicianand Martin guitarist Jeff Daniels hostedand performed at the event whichfeatured live performances by SarahDarling, SHeDAISY, Steel Magnolia, PhilVassar, Cheyenne Kimball, Juliana Cole,Nikki Shannon Fernandez, JordynShellhart, Chuck Wicks, Nancy Sirianni,Samantha Landrum, and Blue Sky Riders.Each artist performed an original versionof a Sir Paul McCartney song.

Sponsored in part by Martin, the eventwas filmed and recorded for a live DVD,as well as a CD bearing cover art by PeterMax that will include extra contributedtracks from Tommy Emmanuel, TimothyB. Schmidt, Mark Hudson, LaurenceJuber, Denny Seiwell and Ricky Skaggs.

The Women and Cancer Fund is a not-for-profit charity led by Dr. Alicia Alvarezand established in the memory of LindaMcCartney. Sir Paul McCartney has givenhis “whole-hearted blessing” to “Let UsIn” Nashville, a campaign led by ReviverMusic to raise awareness and proceeds for this charity which promotesprevention, increases lifestyle awareness,enhances available health services andadvocates advanced breast cancer andchildren’s cancer research.

A Martin D-28 Dreadnought, similarto the D-28 Sir Paul plays, was donatedand signed by the participating artists forsubsequent auction to benefit TheWomen and Cancer Fund.

The Invention of the American GuitarPeter Szego is spearheading new scholarship into the early history of theAmerican guitar, which will culminate in the publication of a booktentatively entitled, “C. F. Martin and the Invention of the American Guitar.”In September 2011 Peter hosted a group from Martin on a tour of hisextensive collection of antique American guitars and banjos (1833-1860),with a special focus on the earliest Martin guitars. The publication of hisbook and the concurrent opening of a major museum exhibition is scheduledin 2013. Stay tuned!

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Above: left to right) Michael Dickinson, Amani Duncan, Peter Szego, Chris Martinand Charles Peischl. Dick Boak is not shown because he took the photo!

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Every good guitar, like every good son and daughter,periodically goes home – or should go home – to theplace of its birth. For Martin guitars, that’s Nazareth,Pennsylvania, 18064, and Mother Martin is always gladto see the kids.

Kidding aside, there truly is a parental attitude at Martintowards every single Martin guitar ever made, because nobodyknows better than Martin the enormous skill, patience andunrelenting adherence to quality standards that goes intobuilding a Martin guitar.

Not surprisingly, Martin cares as much about how you send yourguitar back to Nazareth as the reason why you’re sending it. It isimportant to contact the Martin Customer Service Department inadvance to get a Return Authorization (R/A) Number. Simply call(610) 759-2837 and ask for a Customer Service representative.

I’ve shipped guitars to Martin for years and never damaged aone in the process. Not even a scratch. Here’s how I do it.

De-tune the strings with just enough tension to keep the bridgepins and saddle securely in their slots. If there are electronics,remember to remove any batteries to make sure that they do notbecome loose during shipping. Also, and very importantly, removethe endpin. Some people remove strings, bridge pins, endpin andsaddle (if it’s a removable type), put them in an envelope and put theenvelope in the string pocket of the case. That’s fine, but make surethat the envelope is securely packed with wadded tissue paper on topof it so that it doesn’t shake itself or its contents out of the stringpocket and wreak havoc on the guitar.

C A R E A N D F E E D I N G

Shipping Your Guitar

Home To Mother

BY BILL BUSH

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Next, buy a box of stringed paper tags. Print your name,address, telephone number and e-mail address on one side ofthe tag; on the other side print the Martin model number andserial number. Fill out two tags. Attach one tag to one of thetuning machines; attach the second tag to the case handle.Why? If anything happens to the shipping labels in transit thereis a record of you as the owner in two places within the box.

Also purchase a package (or two) of plain, soft tissue papersheets used for gently wrapping gifts inside a gift box. It’s verysoft paper and won’t scratch delicate lacquer. Do not stuff thecase interior with newspaper.

You want to be sure that the guitar is snug in the case,especially the headstock. Wad up enough tissue paper to supportthe headstock – top, bottom and sides. The entire headstockwell of the case should be filled, as well as the space above theheadstock (and front of the headstock). You can also tuck tissuepaper on the fretboard near the nut. You want to prevent theheadstock from whiplashing forward and backward which ishow a lot of necks get cracked.

You also want to gently stuff the sides and lower bout of the guitar(where the back strip is) and around the neck heel so that there is noshifting frontward or backward. In short, you want to make theguitar inert (motionless) within the case. No movement whatsoeverin any direction. About the case. No guitar should be shipped inanything but a hard case. Ever. Martin offers a thermoplastic hardcase (which is tough as nails), as well as black vinyl covered plywoodand plush “Geib-style” hard cases. They come in various model sizesand fit quite snugly.

Original Geib hard shell plush cases are still floating around out there from the 60s as are other vintage Martin hard cases,although none are as snug as the present variety – and snugness is critical when shipping a guitar.

The best shipping box for Martin guitars is the same shippingbox Martin uses to ship their new guitars to dealers. Just call your local Martin dealer and ask if you can have a used Martinshipping box - and do it quickly before it’s thrown out or beforesomeone else gets it. They’re good as gold.

About packing the case in the shipping box. UPS and officesupply stores sell bags of Polystyrene foam shipping “peanuts.”Sprinkle a layer of peanuts in the bottom of the shipping box,place the packed guitar case in the box, and carefully fill-in aroundthe case to the top of the box. Like the guitar in the case, you want the guitar case itself to be inert in the shipping box. Tape the top and bottom box flaps with lots of wide Scotch Strappingtape (the strongest). Then use clear Scotch packing tape to cover ahandwritten “To & From” self-sticking label in the corner of thebox top. UPS & Fed Ex have their own self-sticking labels as well.You can cover the address with clear tape, but NOT the bar code.

The shorter shipping time, the better. UPS and Fed Ex offerNext Day Air but it’s expensive. They also ship Ground, but besure you know how many days it takes to arrive in Nazareth andship early in the week so that your guitar does not sit in a hotshipping container or parked truck over the weekend.

Lastly, make sure you insure your guitar. Some shippers willonly insure guitars for a limited amount. Others will insure on the basis of declared value of the instrument. It’s not cheap, but it’sworth it if you love your guitar. Mother will approve.

De-tune the strings.(and remove the endpin!)

Fill outtwo tags.Purchase abox ofstringedpaper tags.

Packing. The caseshould be completelyfilled with tissue paper

About the case.Always ship in a hardcase. No exceptions.

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C. F. Martin & Co. offers guitars to fit every preference andbudget, but knows guitar dreams have no limits. Forthose whose guitar ideal can’t be found among the morethan 120 models Martin currently makes and who want toconceive their own unique, perfect guitar, Martin hascreated a special place. It’s called the Custom Shop and itis where guitar dreams come true.

Situated on the production floor, the Custom Shop is a dedicatedspace with several workbenches, assorted jigs, and a range of racks andshelves for “works in progress.” Here just over a dozen of Martin’smost experienced craftspeople build – one at a time, and mostly oneof a kind – masterpiece acoustic guitars.

“The Custom Shop’s goal is simply to build the best acousticguitars in the world,” commented Fred Greene, Martin Vice Presidentof Manufacturing. “Whether it’s an individual’s vision of a greatinstrument, a uniquely appointed model one of our dealers thinkswill appeal to his or her clientele, or a guitar we’ve conceived toshowcase artisan building, each Custom Shop instrument is crafted asif we were making it for ourselves.”

Custom guitars have been an element of Martin productionsince the company was founded in 1833. A number of Martinguitars from the 19th and early 20th century show customfeatures, and custom Martins from the 1930s through the 1950shad an “S” suffix on the neck block model number to indicatetheir custom (or “special”) status. In the 1980s and 1990s,custom Martins’ neck blocks were simply stamped “custom.” But

The Custom Shop:

Bringing your Guitar to Life

BY MARSHALL NEWMAN

Great sounding Custom Shop guitars don’t need to be fancy, but ifyou want to go that route, Martin can certainly accommodate you!

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until recently, all custom Martins were built on the main shopfloor, alongside their non-custom siblings.

The concept of a separate, stand-alone Custom Shop began to gainmomentum approximately 10 years ago, but didn’t come tofruition until 2005. “We had a custom administrator who handledand followed custom orders on the shop floor, but knew we coulddo more,” Greene recalled. “In 2005 I proposed we create aseparate custom area with a separate workforce with the capabilityto handcraft unique instruments using traditional techniques – likecarving necks by hand and hide glue construction - that didn’t lendthemselves to our standard production process. We started theCustom Shop with a staff of five: it began by building the Authenticline and slowly took on custom building.” Today the Custom Shophas a staff of eleven, plus three design consultants who work withcustomers, dealers and builders to assure Custom Shop instrumentsare everything they can be.

“The number one challenge of the Custom Shop is time,”Greene noted. “It takes time to build instruments of the qualityCustom Shop customers demand; to hand-carve the necks, to cutthe pearl, to shape the braces and all the rest. In the Custom Shop,we take whatever time is needed to make these instrumentsexceptional. Judging by the number of orders theCustom Shop receives, people recognize the value ofwhat we are creating.”

“The Custom Shop team includes several ofMartin’s most experienced builders. The average tenurewith Martin is 25 years and there are a few who areapproaching the 40-year mark.” Custom Shop guitarsare built almost entirely by this small staff in theCustom Shop: only operations requiring large,specialized equipment – like side bending andfinishing - are done on the main shop floor.

While all orders for Custom Shop guitarsmust be made through authorized C. F. Martin& Co. dealers, prospective Custom Shopcustomers now have a great tool they can utilizeto design their dream guitar: the Custom GuitarConfigurator. Accessible on-line atwww.martinguitar.com, the Custom GuitarConfigurator lets the user “virtually” create a guitar from a range ofMartin’s most popular options, see their creation and get a suggestedretail price quote. The information then can be printed out for useas a reference during the order process.

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The Custom Shop offers a remarkable range of options(actually more than shown in the Configurator); sizes, bodystyles, scale lengths, tonewoods, neck profiles, appointments,

inlays and more. Are there limits to what the Custom Shop willbuild? As they sometimes say in the Custom Shop, “We try to never say ‛no,’ we only say ‛how much.’” In truth,there are some projects Martin won’t tackle, among themreplicating a Martin Custom Artist model or SignatureEdition (to respect the artist’s vision for his/her guitar) and

building with customer-supplied wood (which may not matchMartin specifications or standards).The Custom Shop even allows customers to come by the factory

to select the specific tonewood set for his or her guitar from Martin’sextensive inventory. “At first it was just Martin dealers, but now weare seeing individuals stop by,” observed Greene. “The opportunityto select the set of Madagascar rosewood, or flamed mahogany oranother tonewood that will become a Custom Shop guitar makesthat guitar an even more personal statement.”Despite its limited production and brief history the CustomShop has produced an impressive array of guitars. Orders

often include unusual tonewood combinations, specialneck configurations or custom inlays. A CustomShop guitar generally takes four to six months tobuild after details have been finalized, depending on the current workload and the complexity of theorder: guitars featuring special design elements

and/or custom pearlwork can take longer. Whetherplain or fancy, each completed Custom Shop guitar

is identified by the laser-etched Custom Shop logoon its neck block.

In early 2011, the Custom Shop introduced two limited-production CS models, the first of a series of Custom Shop instruments thatwill be available for only one calendar year (or less, if demand is overwhelming, as was the case with the CS-21-11 model). “The CS

models express C. F. Martin’s spirit ofadventure,” explained Fred Greene. “These

short, exclusive runs of guitars allow us to introduceexciting new ideas that might eventually be looked upon asclassics. At C. F. Martin & Co., heritage and creativity aren’tmutually exclusive, and these CS guitars are the proof.” Ready to create your one-of-a-kind Martin guitar? Good! The CustomShop is ready for you.

In creating your Custom Shop Martin, you may choose from a wide array of tonewoods, body sizes, appointment levels and customized inlay styles.

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Adjusting the truss rod with a special long Martin Allen wrench.

Guitars are made to be played and the easier they are toplay, the more pleasure they bring their owners. Theaction – the distance between the strings and thefingerboard – should be just right and that’s the reasonevery guitar deserves a good set-up.

Fundamentally, guitar set-up is simple geometry; adjustingthe guitar’s neck, nut, saddle and (occasionally) frets to put theaction at an ideal level - not so high as to be difficult to fret and notso low as to cause string buzz.

C. F. Martin & Co. sets up every guitar it builds before it leavesthe factory. Most Martin guitars built in Nazareth are set up using aPLEK® Pro machine, which scans the nut, fingerboard and saddle

with a sensor, compares the scanwith optimal values, and thencuts the nut slots, contours thesaddle and polishes the frets toan accuracy of 1/1000 of aninch. If necessary, minor saddleand nut touch-up, and truss rodadjustment, are done by handwhen the guitar is strung. A fewMartin guitars - primarilyCustom Shop instruments -continue to be set up by hand.

Even an acoustic guitar with agood factory set-up may need tobe set up again within a fewyears, according to Lon Werner,Martin Customer RepairManager. “The wood in a guitarcan take up to five years to ‛settlein’ under string tension and achange in the action maynecessitate a fresh set-up.” Theowner’s playing style and

The Lowdown BY MARSHALL NEWMAN on Set-up

Checking neck relief during final setup.

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technique also may dictatewhether a fresh set-up isneeded. “A fingerstyle playerwith a light touch might wantthe action lowered, while aflatpicker may need the actionraised.” Indeed, an individual’splaying style and technique areinformation a repairperson willwant to know to do the bestpossible set-up.

So, can you tell if your guitarneeds a set-up? Begin with theobvious. If your guitar hasbecome very hard to fret, itprobably needs a set-up. If thestrings buzz, either open orfretted, it probably needs a set-up. If its intonation is way off,it probably needs a set-up.

A few simple diagnostic testsalso can help determinewhether a set-up is needed.Check the neck relief byfretting the low E stringsimultaneously above the firstand below the 13th fret: thegap between the string and the6th or 7th fret should beslightly more than the thicknessof a business card. Check action at the nut by frettingeach string between the secondand third fret: there should be daylight between each string and the first fret, a gapapproximately the thickness of a sheet of paper at the high E and slightly more at thelow E. Check the height of theaction with a machinist’s rulerat the 12th fret: the distancebetween the fret and the stringshould be approximately 2/32-3/32 of an inch on the trebleside and 3/32-4/32 of an inchon the bass side. A goodelectronic tuner can be used tocheck intonation on eachstring, by playing the openstring and then playing theharmonic of the same string atthe 12th fret.

A lot of guitarists may betempted to do their own set-up,but Dave Doll of Martin’s

Customer Repair Departmentcautions against it. “It’s like adoctor educating a patient onhow to recognize symptoms; thepatient may know he has aproblem, but he still should goto the doctor to have thatproblem fixed,” he commented.“Even a simple set-up can bedaunting; unless you know whatyou are doing, you may well domore harm than good.” LonWerner was more specific.“While preliminary evaluationmay suggest a set-up is needed,the symptoms also can beindicative of a much moreserious problem. When theMartin Customer RepairDepartment receives a guitar,we give it a thorough going-over from headstock toendpin. If the bridge is lifting,or a brace has pulled loose, orthe neck needs a reset (justthree examples), that is aproblem that has to be dealtwith for a set-up to bebeneficial.” Not everyone lives so close to Nazareth tohave their Martin guitarworked on at C. F. Martin & Co., but there are more than 150 Martin Service Centersthat can give that guitar thecare – whether a set-up orsomething more – it deserves.Should you happen to visitNazareth or live nearby, C. F. Martin & Co. offers avery cool opportunity to learnabout guitar maintenance fromsome of the best in thebusiness. Every Friday from 11 a.m. until noon, theCustomer Repair Departmenthosts a guitar care seminar,during which it demonstratesthe basics of guitar care,including some of theelements of set-up (like trussrod adjustment). The guitarcare seminar is free, noreservation is needed and it is a great way to learn how to keep your Martin in peak playing condition.

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Checking the relief of the neck.

Checking the action at the nut.

Checking the action at the 12th fret.

Adjusting the truss rod with a long Martin wrench.

truss rod wrench

hole in brace

truss rod location

gap between bottom of stringand top of fret at the 12th fret

gap between bottom of stringand top of fret at the 1st fret

with string depressed

gap at the 6th or 7th fret with string depressed at 2nd and 13th frets

exaggerated neck relief

front block

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All-Star MUSE Benefit Concert The All-Star MUSE BenefitConcertat the Shoreline Amphitheater inMountain View, Californiasupported Disaster Relief in Japanand Non-Nuclear GroupsWorldwide. Featured artists includedCrosby (with his Martin Signature 12-string), Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne,Bonnie Raitt, Jason Mraz, The DoobieBrothers, Tom Morello, John Hall,Kitaro, Sweet Honey in the Rock, andJonathan Wilson.

A R T I S T P R O F I L E S

Hollywood Bowl 2011Dolly Parton with her touring guitaristJim Salestrom, who is playing hisMartin J-40. Dolly’s World Tourthrilled attendees at the HollywoodBowl, Saturday, July 23, 2011.

DonavanFrankenreiterDonavon’s fourth studioalbum, Glow, is described as “warm, organic, andoverwhelmingly hopeful. Theperfect antidote to tryingtimes.” He’s playing his triedand true Martin 000-18. Shawn Colvin

Shawn Colvin’s new Live album wasnominated for the Grammy Awardfor Best Contemporary Folk Album.Accompanied with her pristineM3SC Signature Edition, findShawn’s enduring music on iTunes orat amazon.com.

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Photo by Lynn Goldsmith

Photo by Lynn Goldsm

ith

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Ron Davies(1946-2003) A songwriter fromthe pacific northwest,Ron Davies at 17,bought a well worn1956 D-18 Martinwhich he put to gooduse writing an entirealbum of songs forthe Seattle band “TheWailers.” As an artisthe recorded fivealbums during hislifetime, but he isbest remembered forhis songwriting.

His songs have been covered by a diverse group ofartists that include Joan Baez, David Bowie (ZiggyStardust) Long John Baldry, Ann Murray, Three DogNight, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Helen Reddy, Jerry JeffWalker, Maria Muldaur, Joe Cocker, Randy Travis,Nanci Griffith and the Raconteurs to name a few.

In 2011 friends in the pacific northwest cametogether to record “The Mystery of Ron Davies,” atribute CD containing eighteen of Ron’s songsperformed by artists from his hometown and one byDavies himself. Available on iTunes and at CD Baby, allof the proceeds will benefit “Music Cares.”

Leslie TuckerLexington, Virginia-based singer/songwriter Leslie Tuckerrecently received the gift of a Martin D-41 from a legion ofher fans, and she plans to use her new acquisition in theproduction of a new album project currently in progress,along with a tour of performances when it’s released. Tune into www.leslietucker.com for updates!

Santa Cruz Blues Fest 2011Some of the world’s finest guitarists, including JonnyLang were on hand to salute guitar legend, JimiHendrix at this year’s Santa Cruz Blues Fest 2011.Jonny’s playing his Martin J-40 Jumbo.

Sting

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Early StingFrom Andy Summers groundbreaking book I’ll be watching you: Insidethe Police 1980-1983. Police guitarist and professional photographerAndy Summers captured Sting with his Martin D-28 in 1982.

Photo by Jim M

cCrary

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Fast AJA.J. Rubino of SpringfieldMassachusetts has beenperforming folk and countrymusic for nearly fifty years –much of that time with his1975 Martin D-35, slightlycustomized with fingerboardinlay by luthier Harry Becker.This photo will grace the cover of AJ’s forthcoming CD.

He is a loyal member of the Martin Owner’s Club andowns several other Martin guitars. The tree A.J. is standingin front of was destroyed by the tornado that hit WesternMassachusetts in June of 2011, but no one was hurt andall of the Martin guitars survived.

A R T I S T P R O F I L E S

The Kingston Trio Fantasy Camp 2011

Winfield KansasFestival’s Martin D-42Allen Shadd began playing guitarwhen he was seven years old,acquiring his first Martin guitar -a 1973 D-35, at the age of ten.Since then he has gone on toperform in many bands, guitarworkshops, recording sessions, and in 1997 released his own CD, “A Cut Above.” Allen also frequently competes in guitarcompetitions and has won some of the most prestigious flatpickingcontests that have included Merlefest, Rocky Grass, and the WayneHenderson guitar competition. He brought home this year’s MartinD-42 from the National Flatpicking Championship held inWinfield, Kansas. It’s the sixth time Allen has placed in the topthree, including his first place finish in 1997.

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www.kingstontrio.com

Caroline Jones This NYC-based singer, songwriter,guitarist and producer was trainedclassically by Andy Anselmo, Founderof New York’s “The Singer’s Forum,”Caroline began singing opera arias,cabaret standards and show tunes at agenine. Under the management ofTommy Mottola and Chris Apostle, shebegan recording her original songs withproducer Chris Toland at Sony andAvatar studios in New York as a studentat The Professional Children’s School.In 2008, Caroline began monthly co-writing trips to Nashville, where sherecorded with many of the industry’stop talents. Since then, she has beenperforming and recording with herMartin 00-21 Kingston Trio model,that pays tribute to original KingstonTrio member Dave Guard (1934-1991).

Shown above are Fantasy camp attendees each holding their Martin guitars (plus one banjo).

Phot

o by

John

Lin

d

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Dierks BentleyReaching deep into acoustic rootsmusic, resulted in Dierks Bentley’snew album, Up On The Ridge.More than a bluegrass conceptalbum with guests, Up On TheRidge features Bentley workingwith some of the finest acousticmusicians in the world, includinglong-time collaborators the Del McCoury Band and a newmusical partnership with ChrisThile and the Punch Brothers. Asa recent addition to the MartinAmbassador ranks, Dierk’s israrely seen without his prizedvintage herringbone D-28.

Hawaii’s Hi’ikuaIn a culture that honors the legacies of the past, this Hawaiian trio oftalented musicians payshomage to their roots while creating a unique and progressive sound that leaves an indeliblemark upon contemporaryHawaiian music.

In a seamless,continuous movement, we all carry a past while living in thepresent and moving toward a future. Hi’ikua’s music reflectsthe belief that without asking, the knowledge of our ancestorshas already been placed within us in the hope that we too will shoulder that responsibility in an unbroken journey intothe future.

Their music is composed and performed by Kalehua Krug(left with his Martin 12-string), Kamuela Kimokeo (above andcenter left with his Martin OMC Aura cutaway), and BlakeLeoki-Haili (right with Martin tenor ukulele).

The group’s name derives from the Hawaiian word thatmeans literally “to carry on one’s back.” Hi’ikua has taken thisresponsibility seriously.

“Aia I Hi’ialo,” the long awaited CD from Hi’ikua, featuressix original and six traditional songs. www.hiikua.com

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F R O M T H E A R C H I V E S

Waiting for the Sunday Boat” by William Henry Jackson”. Florida circa 1902Martin small-bodied parlor guitar.

“As long as I’ve got my guitar,I’ll be fine.” — Willie Nelson referring to Trigger,his legendary Martin guitar.

HometownCentenarian Mary Arletta Hahnis shown (right)with her 00-17 12-fret Martinguitar. Mary was inher twenties whenthis picture wastaken (circa 1932).She was born inNazareth andturned 104 this pastSeptember. Healthy small town living! Shereceived her theology degree from the UnitedWesleyan College, but she also majored in voice,piano and guitar. She would sing and play guitarin her father’s varied congregations. Mary haslived her entire life in and around Nazareth.Today she lives just one block from where herguitar was made!

1883 Advertisement

Guitarist and Mandolinist.

circa 1890.

Guitarist and Mandolinist. circa 1925.

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ww

w.shorpy.com

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Ahh the sound of the Martin. Rich and evocative. Textured and colorful. Coaxed tolife by strumming or picking or the lightest touch to tease out the ring of the harmonics, the sound—like the history of C. F. Martin & Co.—is a story. A story ofpeople and a story of the senses. Hear it. Taste it. Feel it. And through the eyes ofartist Robert Goetzl, see it. See the sound of the Martin.

F E AT U R E

The Soundand the Story

The hand drawnsketches (right)illustrate thesix-panel seriesof three-foot byfour-foot muralsthat will hang inthe Martin Visitor’s Center.

BY SUSAN J. BURLINGAME, FREELANCE WRITER, MARTIN GUITAR PLAYER

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Chris Martin—C. F. Martin IV—calls it “the magic of Martin guitars.” From Johnny Cash to John Mayer and fromElvis Presley to Elvis Costello, many of history’s most brilliantguitar players have chosen the Martin sound, the Martin magic.And through them, the Martin story continues. But the true Martin magic is most profoundly represented bya story that began in the early 1800s on the other side of the Atlantic. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a youngman, quietly working, brow furrowed in concentration. He examines the woods, the braces, the strings of his first guitar.Young C. F. Martin has traveled from his home in Saxony to Vienna, where he learns the art of guitar making as an apprentice in one of the best known guitar shops in Europe.Sometime during his 37th year, C. F. Martin, along with hiswife and two children, sets out for America. The rest of the story, as they say…is magic. C. F. Martin & Co. is still family-owned—but the “family”encompasses both Martins and non-Martins, generations ofwhom have played a role in crafting the exquisite acoustic instruments Martin has offered the world for more than 175years. Artist Robert Goetzl, a cousin to Chris Martin, has beencommissioned to create a work of art depicting C. F. Martin &Company—its family, its sound, and its story. A six-panel series of three-foot by four-foot murals that willhang in the Martin Visitor’s Center, the work, says Goetzl, is alabor of love. “I love Chris Martin that much. He was enormously influential in my life, and the opportunity to tellthe Martin story authentically is extremely meaningful to me.”The first two panels (pictured here) take viewers on C.F. Martin’s journey from Saxony to Vienna to the new world. As richly textured as the music of the Martin guitar, the murals are dimensional—done in mixed media with collage andfound objects. Creating the first panel was for Goetzl the biggest

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challenge. “I realized the enormity of the project—not just inscope but also in importance to the family and to the thousandsof people who would be looking at it.” Goetzl labored andsecond-guessed and tweaked and prodded before finallyunveiling it to Chris Martin and others at Martin. “The lookson their faces told me I had nailed it.” Panel number two, which illustrates the Martin family’s initial shop in New York and the move to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, caused Goetzl much less consternation butequally as much joy, he says, as will each successive mural. “If this is the end of the road for me, the last work I ever create,” says Goetzl (who surely has a few more decades of creativity left), “I would be completely fine with that.”

“Robert has put his heart into creating something that will make a tremendous addition to the Martin experience.”

— Dick Boak, Artist Relations C. F. Martin & Co.

Tex FletcherSinging cowboy, Tex Fletcher may nothave become the household name thatother cowboy singers from the 1930ssuch as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers had,but despite sometimes overwhelmingodds he’s been remembered nonethelessfor his noteworthy contributions to early and mid-20th century cowboy culture.

He was born Geremino Bisceglia in 1910 in Harrison, NewYork, the fifth of eight children of Italian immigrants Michael (a stone mason) and Josephine Bisceglia. He left school after thethird grade to work with his father and brothers. He was raised in a musical household and he learned to singand play traditional Italian songs accompanied by accordions,mandolins and violins. Jerry picked up a few guitar chords from a local right-handedguitarist, but being left-handed, he retaught himself to play hisown right-handed guitar “backwards and upside down” as hewould later explain with a chuckle. He became enamored with the silver screen cowboys of theday, often sneaking into the local cinema for showings of thelatest silent picture starring Tom Mix, William S. Hart andYakima Canutt. Over the next few years, the teenaged cowboy wannabe beganto realize his boyhood ambition as he learned to handle horseand cattle by day while soaking up cowboy lore and campfiresongs by night, in effect becoming a “real” cowboy. A singingcowboy. Unique stuff for the late 20s. He returned to New York in 1931 with a confidence and anewfound voice. With saddle bags full of cowboy stories andsongs, the cowboy singer was now going by the name TexFletcher. He began entering and winning local, then regionaltalent shows. Fletcher’s confidence grew with each winningpurse, as was evidenced by his every growing wardrobe of cowboy outfits and his first Martin guitar, a 000-45. He never played another company’s guitars again believingthe least expensive Martin guitar was head and shoulders aboveany other company’s best. History has clearly made for a compelling argument! It wasn’t long before he received an offer of a radio job as a singingcowboy over WFAS in White Plains, New York. By 1934, at theheight of singing cowboy craze, Fletcher began a relationship thatwould last more than 25 years broadcasting over WOR, NewYork/New Jersey (Mutual Network). It was the same year that hebegan appearing at the Village Barn nightclub (which would laterbecome Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland) in Greenwich Village, NY,a gig that lasted well into the early 1960s.

1934 was also the year Tex ordered his custom made MartinD-42. He’d admired the pearly good looks and loud tone ofGene Autry’s D-45 (the first D-45), but wanted an instrumentthat would be uniquely Tex Fletcher’s guitar. But he wasn’t the only cowboy singer who wanted to followin Autry’s trail. Milwaukee - based Jackie “Kid” Moore beat him to the punch when he ordered his own D-45 (No. 2) fromMartin. But according to author/Martin researcher John Woodland, a misunderstanding with regard to neck length ledMartin to shelve the unfinished 14 fret to the body D-45.Moore then opted for a wider, OM style neck with 12 frets tothe body. This D-45 is No. 3. Then along comes New York radio cowboy Tex Fletcher withhis own idea of what features “his” guitar should sport, including 14 frets to the body, which aligned perfectly with thepartially constructed D-45 (No. 2), but he wanted all the flashup front. So instead of proceeding to finish the guitar as a D-45,Martin craftsmen changed the top’s bracing to a High “X” configuration and designated this slightly more modest cousinof the D-45, the D-42. So the Tex Fletcher model is not onlythe first D-42, but also the second D-45! It remained the onlyexample of the D-42 for the next 54 years. Fletcher had been out of the music business for just a few yearswhen he was tracked down in the early 1970s by then-Martin historian Mike Longworth, who convinced the old cowboy to donate the instrument to the Martin Museum. Fletcher agreed andthat’s where it resides to this day, displayed just a few feet from it’sfirst cousin, the Gene Autry D-45 (No. 1).

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N E W P R O D U C T S

NEW ADDITIONS TO

OUR LINEUP OF

Great Ukuleles!

The Martin Standards of Tone and Workmanship Prevail

C1K & T1K UkulelesMartin has been building the world’s finest ukulelesfrom as early as 1916, including the smallest Soprano,the original model, to the larger Concert in 1925 and the Tenor uke in 1929. Both the concert model and tenor models have long been prized for their full-bodiedvoice and greater volume. These new C1K concert andT1K tenor models feature tops, back, sides and head-plates of solid Hawaiian Koa, a wood native to Hawaiiand a favorite of island players. Both ukes feature solidSitka braces, genuine mahogany blocks, and applieddovetail neck joints in the Martin tradition. Necks arecrafted of select hardwood and capped with a solidMorado fingerboard; the concert has a 15” scale length,the tenor a 17” scale. Bridges are also of solid Morado,with white Tusq saddles. Open-geared nickel tuners withwhite buttons ensure precision. Finished in high qualitysatin lacquer. Padded bag included. Two beautiful exam-ples of why Martin is still the name in superior qualityukuleles.

“As far as inanimate objects being friends, I think that is righton the list. My Martin ukulele is a work of art. It’s going to livelong after me.” —Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam, Ukulele Songs

T1K

C1K

M038(Gatefold)x_Layout 1 1/26/12 2:13 PM Page 1

Clock key mechanism for adjusting guitar necks onMartin’s earliest guitarsmanufactured in New York

Imagined Martin family portrait, Circa September 1833—at thetime of the Martins’ transatlanticjourney to the New World

Map pointing toMarkneukirchen, themain town in Germany’smusical instrument-making region

Embellished originaldrawing of C. F. Martin’sresidence inMarkneukirchen, Saxony (Germany)

The sailing ship Columbia

carries the Martins across theNorth Atlantic during the spectacular Leonid Meteorshower and arrives in New YorkHarbor November 6, 1833

Imagined rendering of C. F. Martin store front at 196Hudson Street, New York

Depiction of a wooden guitarmold used to hold the sides ofa Martin parlor guitar duringglue up of the top and back.

1 • PANEL ONE 2 • PANEL TWO

Rendering of the Martin familyhome and guitarmaking shop in Cherry Hill, Pennsylvania. Circa 1839-1859.

Portrait of Andrew Jackson,president of the United Stateswhen the Martin family arrived in New York in 1833

M038(Gatefold)x_Layout 1 1/26/12 2:14 PM Page 2

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Over 175 Years of Guitar Building Excellence

OM -21 NEW!Martin’s OM (Orchestra Models)guitars have always been veryspecial to fingerstyle guitarists,especially this new OM-21 with itscomfortable 1-3/4” wide neck at thenut and highly responsive 1/4”scalloped Sitka top braces. Elegant inits simplicity, this new version offers atasteful upgrade of solid black ebonyfingerboard and 30’s style “belly”bridge with genuine bone saddle andnut, all adding to the rich resonance ofthis guitar. What’s more, we’vereplaced the standard OM neck with aslimmer “Performing” Artist” modifiedlow oval profile tapered neck, andwider 2-3/16” bridge string spacing forfaster, more comfortable playing. Thesolid Sitka spruce top, withhand-inlaid 28 stylerosette, is joined to abody of premiumsolid East Indianrosewood bound intortoise colored 18 style binding.Delmar tortoise colorpickguard, nickelopen-gearedtuners withButterbeanknobs, andpolished glosslacquer withaging tonercomplete thisbeautifulinstrument.Delivered to you in thenew Martin 433 archtophardshell case. If you’re a finger picker, this new OM-21 isthe one to pick.

D-18 NEW!Since its introduction in 1935, the D-18has been the workhorse of the Martin steelstring acoustic line. More plain and lesscostly than its D-28 rosewood cousin, the D-18 has none the less established its owntonal identity – balanced, crisp midrange,definitive bass, and bright clear treble; afavorite of innumerable bluegrass, blues andcountry performers, as well as discerningstudio musicians – because it is a greatperforming and recording guitar. Over theyears, the D-18 has seen numerouspermutations – the D-18V and D-18P – aswell as variations in bindings, rosette,fingerboard & bridge woods, bracingpatterns and pickguards. And now, thenew D-18 brings togetherthe best features of all ofthese great D-18s intoone superb soundingand playing guitar. Onthe traditional side, backsand sides are still craftedof solid genuineMahogany, joined with asolid Sitka spruce topwith forward-shiftedscalloped “X” bracing.The fingerboardand 1930s stylebelly bridge arefashioned ofsolid blackebony as werethe originals.

What’s new? Alightning fast modified lowoval profile neck with a 1-3/4” nut width and slimmer 2-1/8” taper at the 12th fret. It’sthe same neck featured on our innovative Performing Artistseries guitars, with the same wide 2-3/16” bridge stringspacing, too for greater player comfort and accessibility upand down the neck. The new D-18. The perfect blend of pastand future – and great guitar to start the New Year!

M038_Layout 1 12/12/11 3:49 PM

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NAMM ShowSpecials


2012 Martin Show Special Guitars:The DCPA Koa & GPCPA Koa They don’t get any more beautiful – or morebeautiful sounding – than these spectaculardovetail flamed Koa Performing Artist guitars.And with only a total of 30 instruments –combined – being offered to dealers at the 2012NAMM Show, they don’t get any rarer, either. Herewe’ve chosen two of our most popular cutaway models inthe Performing Artist series, the classic Dreadnought andthe Grand Performance, and crafted the backs and sidesof premium Hawaiian flamed Koa, a resonant tonewoodindigenous to the Hawaiian islands. Koa has long been byfavored by native Hawaiian musicians for guitars andukuleles, as well as discerning players and collectorsworldwide. Martin, in particular, has built various sizedinstruments of Koa from as early as 1850. The tops are ofprized solid Adirondack Spruce, as are the scallopedforward-shifted “X” braces in the “Golden Era” fashion. Thebodies are bound with solid Madagascar rosewood; thetop is inlaid in the 42 style with an elegant blue Pauapearl rosette. The backstrip is 45 style marquetry. Bothguitars feature our fast and comfortable Performing Artistmodified low oval mahogany neck with ebony

fingerboard, andwide 2-3/16” stringspacing on theebony PerformingArtist belly bridge. And thecrowning touch: both guitars are equipped with the new Fishman® F1 Aura + onboard electronics system, theultimate in acoustic realism and projection, as well aspickup versatility. Waverly gold tuners with Ivoroidbuttons complete the package. Orders for the DCPA Koa &GPCP Koa will be taken solely from dealers in attendanceat the 2012 NAMM Show in Anaheim, California.

NEW TOOLSfor

GREAT TONE

GPCPA Koa

DCPA Koa

M038_Layout 1 12/13/11 10:59 AM

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DCPA1 Madagascar Rosewood & GPCPA1 Madagascar Rosewood These two very special dovetail Performing Artistguitars reflect the best of Martin innovation, expertcraftsmanship and selection of superior tonewoods –all in one. As PA series models, Dreadnought andGrand Performance, they include a unique slimtapered fast neck for exceptional player comfort inall positions, a smaller and lighter PA “belly” bridgefor greater tonal response, and increased stringspacing for easier finger picking. They alsoinclude the new state-of-the-art Fishman® F1Aura + onboard electronics system that deliverstriking acoustic realism and projection.Plugged in or pure acoustic, these are greatsounding guitars – and with good reason. Thetops are solid Adirondack spruce, pearl inlaid inthe 41 style, and driven by 5/16” Adirondackscalloped braces, forward-shifted in the “Golden Era” Xpattern. The back, sides, and headplate are MadagascarRosewood, selected for its beauty and close acoustic and visual resemblance toBrazilian Rosewood. Solid black ebony is used for the fingerboard and bridge.Details include grained Ivoroid bindings, Delmar beveled tortoise color pickguard,special “alternative torch” inspired position inlays, gold enclosed tuners, bone nutand saddle. The most distinctive Performing Artist production models to date.

Fishman® F1 Aura + The Fishman® F1 Aura + features a newsimplified and intuitive Easy Mode allowing youto quickly get a feel for the tonal possibilities ofthe system while providing the most importantfeatures. The Easy Mode offers three custom-blended Aura Image presets, tone control, andthe option of using the undersaddle pickuponly. For the real tone-tweakers, we’ve retainedthe original Performance Mode as well, givingyou full access to the powerful 3-band EQs,compressor and automatic anti-feedback of the F1 Aura +.

PerformingArtist Series

DCPA1MadagascarRosewood

GPCPA1MadagascarRosewood

M038x_Layout 1 1/26/12 12:17 PM

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Martin introduces an exciting new tonewood called Siris.

DCPA4 Siris & GPCPA4 SirisWith these two newPerforming Artists guitars,Martin introduces an excitingnew tonewood called Siris,adding even more tonal colorand variety to the PA series. Sirisdelivers excellent bass responsereminiscent of East Indian rosewood, aswell as a clear midrange and treble making it anexcellent guitar wood for recording and for playing live. Lighter in color yet denser than rosewood, it produces a slightly longer sustain thanrosewood. Siris is typically dark orange, contrasting beautifully with theSitka Spruce tops, tortoise colored pickguards, grained Ivoroid bindings and special East Indian rosewood center wedge on both guitars’ 3-piecebacks. The DCPA4 Siris and the GPCPA4 Siris are 14-fret cutaway guitars, andhave fast, comfortable Performing Artist profile necks, Hybrid “X” scalloped topbracing, black Richlite fingerboards and bridges and Fishman® F1 Analogonboard electronics. GPCPA4 Siris

DCPA4 Siris

M038_Layout 1 12/12/11 3:50 PM


The GPCPA4 Sapele is constructed withFSC® Certified tonewoods harvested fromecologically sound and responsibly managedforests. The fingerboard and bridge are built with FSC®Certified Richlite®.

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GPCPA4 SapeleFirst introduced in 2010, the GPCPA4 is an extraordinary Martin – a big Grand Performance cutaway with a fast, comfortable Performing Artist Series high performance neck. But this brand new version –the GPCPA4 Sapele – is extra special. It’s built with FSC® Certified tonewoods harvested from ecologically sound and responsibly managed forests. This includes African sapele back and sides, mahogany front and rear blocks, cherry side strips, Spanish cedar ribbons and European spruce Hybrid “X” scalloped bracing. The top is FSC® Certified recycled Sitka spruce, produced from old bridge timbers in Canada.Even the fingerboard and bridge are crafted of FSC® Certified Richlite® material. Highpolished gloss top finish, with tasteful Cherry red toned back and sides. Fishman® F1Analog electronics are included with volume and tone shaping capabilities, onboard digital tuner and phase control. Quite apackage. Quite a guitar.

M038x_Layout 1 1/26/12 1:29 PM

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DCPA5K and GPCPA5K Advanced guitar design meets high-tech guitar construction! The result:two highly affordable PerformingArtist guitars with excellent tone,playability and durability. Backand sides of the cutawayDreadnought and GrandPerformance models are madeof a high-pressure wood fiberlaminate (called HPL) with Koa grain and texture photo-imbedded. The top is solid Sitkaspruce braced with Martin’s Hybrid “X”scalloped bracing system, renowned for itsresonance, clear treble and distinct bass. The Performing Artist Profile neck isslim and fast and comfortable, made of tough Stratabond® multi-layeredwood laminate. Performing Artist bridge and fingerboard are black Richlite.Chrome enclosed tuners with large buttons and Fishman® F1 Analog onboard electronics included. A terrific value with great tone andenvironmentally friendly.


The DCPA5K and GPCPA5K are Performing Artist guitars with excellent tone, playabilityand durability.

GPCPA5K

DCPA5K

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Road Series

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Special Edition

DRS2The latest of Martin’s hard-working,great sounding Road Series guitars,the new DRS2 delivers a unique blendof durability and concert-qualitysound and projection. The top iscrafted of solid Sitka spruce andbraced with Martin’s A-Frame (X1)bracing. Back and sides are selectsolid Sapele, similar in look andtonal qualities to itsclose cousin,mahogany. Asbeautiful as it looksand sounds, theDRS2 is a seriousworking musician’sguitar built for onthe road durabilitywithout sacrificeof tone. Theneck isconstructedof a multi-layeredwoodlaminatecalledStratabond™that perfectlysimulates naturalquartersawn wood grain. The fingerboard and bridge

are crafted of black Richlite, amazingly similar in look,weight and resonance of ebony. A Fishman®Sonitone sound reinforcement system completesthis very road – and stage – worthy Martin.

000C NylonIn response to the many Martin playerswho chose the limited edition 000CDG,built in memory of Chris Martin’s latebrother, Doug Greth, we haveexpanded upon this unique “crossover”instrument with the new 000C Nylon. It istruly a hybrid instrument, combining featuresof a traditional Martin steel-string guitar withthose associated with a classical nylon stringguitar. The top is crafted of solid Sitka spruceand braced with a unique A-Frame “X” bracesystem. Yet this bracing system is equallyresponsive to lighter nylon strings, withoutinhibiting tone or volume. The 12-fret, lowprofile neck features an 18” radius arched(versus flat) fingerboard like a steel string,but with a classic width, 1-7/8” at the nut and2-5/16” at the 12th fret. The bridge is in theclassic style with tie block and drop insaddle. Bridge string spacing is awider 2-5/16” as well. Even the000C’s headstock is unique –square tapered like thetraditional Martin steelstring style, but slotted toaccommodate classicalnylon strings. Each guitar isfitted with onboard Fishman®F1 Analog electronics, too.The result? A versatile,great sounding andplaying guitar, nomatter whether youplay acoustic oracoustic electric... or both.

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D-28M Limited Edition CelebratesThe Enduring Music and Legacy of The Mamas and The Papas

The appointments on the D-28M Mamas and ThePapas Custom Artist Edition emulate a circa 1960sD-28: black/white/black top purfling, black/whiteback purfling, grained Ivoroid binding and heelcap,“checkerboard” backstrip, mother of pearl dotposition markers, chrome Grover® Rotomatic tuners,tortoise-colored pickguard, polished gloss lacquerfinish and vintage-inspired aging toner on the top.Extra flash comes in the form of a Style 45 abalonepearl rosette, and abalone pearl-topped bone bridgeand end pins.

The guitar’s crowning glory is – appropriately –on the polished black ebony headplate. Above the nut, sheltered by the familiar gold old-style“C. F. Martin & Co. Est. 1833” decal logo, is asilhouette of The Mamas and The Papas,beautifully inlaid in mother of pearl. Derivedfrom a photo by Henry Diltz, the inlay capturesthe group in full performance mode.

In the early 1960s, the four musicians whobecame The Mamas and Papas were a long wayfrom pop music stardom, though all wereinvolved in the East Coast folk music scene. John Phillips was a member of the Journeymen.Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot sang with theMugwumps. After the Journeymen broke up,John Phillips, his wife Michelle Phillips andMarshall Brickman formed the New Journeymen.Marshall eventually left the band, but went on toco-write Oscar winning screenplays with WoodyAllen, and he co-wrote the book that became therecord-breaking play “The Jersey Boys.”

Marshall Brickman was replaced by DennyDoherty and soon Doherty introduced hisbandmates to Elliot. The four began harmonizingto the pop songs John was writing and perfectedtheir sound during a Caribbean vacation together

The starting point for The Mamas and the Papas’fresh pop sound was the folk music all fourmembers played before they got together as agroup. Songwriter and leader John Phillips’ well-worn Martin Dreadnought often provided thestrummed rhythmic underpinning on which TheMamas and Papas’ band instrumentation andvocals were layered. The combination proved tobe genius, and even today The Mamas and thePapas “sound” is instantly recognizable.

To celebrate the group and its place in popmusic history, C. F. Martin introduces a very

special D-28M Mamas and The Papas Custom Artist Edition. Limited to just

100 instruments, this new Custom Artist Edition features rare tonewoods,handsome appointments and a unique headstock inlay to honor these musical trailblazers.

John Phillips’ vintage Martin D-28provides the inspiration for this CustomArtist Edition. The tonewoods and topbracing are a stellar combination thatapproximates those of MartinDreadnoughts from the early 1930s.Back and sides are rare Madagascarrosewood, similar in appearance andtone to the now endangered Brazilianrosewood. The top is Carpathianspruce, comparable in power andbrilliance to Adirondack spruce, andequally responsive. Advanced “X”

5/16” scalloped bracing provides rich,resonant tone. The 1 11/16” (at the

nut) low profile neck with diamondvolute is genuine mahogany, while the

fingerboard and belly bridge are black ebony.

L I M I T E D E D I T I O NL I M I T E D E D I T I O N

In the 1960s, The Mamas and the Papas were at the epicenter of a musical earthquakethat began in Southern California and sent shockwaves across the country. Combininggreat songwriting, unique arrangements and lush harmonies, the group had six “Top10” singles and four “Top 5” albums from 1965 through 1967, a feat that made them oneof the few groups to challenge the Beatles during that era. While The Mamas and thePapas’ original lineup of John Phillips, Cass Elliot, Denny Doherty and Michelle Phillipslasted just four years, several of the songs they created – including “California Dreamin’,”“Monday, Monday,” “Words of Love,” and “Twelve Thirty” – have stood the test of time.

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(This story should sound familiar; they laterturned it into a hit single, “Creeque Alley”).Eventually the four traveled to Los Angeles, where they auditioned for Dunhill RecordsOwner/Producer Lou Adler. Adler signed them tohis label immediately and two days later, thegroup had a name: The Mamas and the Papas.

Released in 1965, The Mamas and The Papas’first single failed to garner much notice. However,the second single, “California Dreaming,” co-written by John and Michelle Phillips, reachedNo. 4 on the charts. The group’s debut album, IfYou Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, was releasedin early 1966 and rose to No. 1, quickly followedby the single “Monday, Monday,” which also hitNo. 1 and later won a Grammy Award for “BestContemporary Group Performance.”

While The Mamas and The Papas’ personallives became increasingly turbulent over the nexttwo years, their music continued to flourish; theyrecorded three additional albums – The Mamasand The Papas, Deliver and The Papas and TheMamas – that went “Top 20” and in turn yieldedseveral “Top 20” singles.

In 1968, bitter infighting between memberscaused the group to disband. Due to contractualobligations, they reunited briefly in 1971 to makethe People Like Us album and then went theirseparate ways. Cass Eliot had a flourishing solocareer that was cut short by her death in 1974.John Phillips continued to write songs, and bothhe and Denny Doherty performed and recordedas solo acts. In the 1980s and 1990s, theyoccasionally reunited to tour as members of the

Photo by Henry D

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New Mamas and Papas. John Phillipsdied in 2001; Denny Doherty died in2007. Michelle Phillips enjoyed asuccessful acting career and today isthe last surviving original memberof the group.

Despite the group’s short history, TheMamas and The Papas’ musical legacy remainsundiminished; the group was inducted into theRock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and received aGrammy Hall of Fame Award in 2001. In 2003, IfYou Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears was ranked127 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500greatest albums of all time.

Delivered in a hardshell case, eachD-28M Mamas and The PapasCustom Artist Edition guitar bears aspecial interior label featuring the“sun ray” graphic from the RouletteRecords label, on which some of TheMamas and The Papas’ singles werereissued in the 1970s. Each label ispersonally signed by former Mamasand The Papas member MichellePhillips and numbered in sequencewith the edition total. Beginningimmediately, authorized C. F. Martindealers will accept orders for the D-28M Mamas and The PapasCustom Artist Edition until all 100guitars in the edition are allocated:participating Martin dealers willthen be posted on the C. F. Martin website:www.martinguitar.com.

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S A M P L E

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L O N D O N A C O U S T I C G U I TA R S H O W

Acoustic guitar aficionados attending The LondonAcoustic Guitar Show were treated to presentationsthat showcased America’s favorite musical instrumentbrand and featured musical vignettes by legendaryand influential guitarists Stefan Grossman and John Renbourn.

The presentation was given by Dick Boak, archivist for MartinGuitar, who offered a graphical and interactive history of the 178-year-old guitar company. In addition, Dick displayed severalimportant examples in the evolution of Martin acoustic guitars.The presentation focused on the development of the modern

acoustic guitar, Martin’s historical contributions to the definitiveacoustic guitar design, artist signature model collaborations, andan in-depth explanation of specific guitar shapes, sizes andtonewoods that lend themselves to particular musical genres. JohnRenbourn and Stefan Grossman, legendary acoustic fingerstyleinnovators, demonstrated the tonality of an assortment of Martininstruments, including their own Custom Signature models.

Martin’s UK distributor, Westside Management, was a primarysponsor of the show and the host for the concert stage thatfeatured a stunning live performance by Renbourn and Grossman.

Dick Boak’s presentation provided a template and provingground for potential future presentations throughout the UnitedStates, Europe and Japan.

THE LONDON ACOUSTICGUITAR SHOWSaturday and Sunday, September 10-11, 2011Olympia Conference Center, London

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Rachel Sermanni is an emerging songwriter from thesmall village of Carrbridge in the UK Highlands. Sheperforms with her D-18 and is gaining popularity, both asa soloist and with an assortment of talented friends.

> Gabrielle Aplin is a self-taught; self-promoted touringsinger, pianist, guitarist and internet sensation withmillions of hits! With beautiful vocals and a raw talent forsong writing, Gabrielle is evolving as the most in demandonline music artist.

Stefan Grossman, Dick Boak and JohnRenbourn are captured following theirwell-attended presentation on the“Evolution of the Acoustic Guitar.”

< Stefan Grossman and John Renbourn livein concert at the inaugural London AcousticGuitar Show.

Chris Woods combines elements of hand tapping anddrumming on his Martin guitar. Blended with echoplexedfingerpicking and etherial vocals, he’s invented a uniquesound. See his full profile on page 44.

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M A R T I N O W N E R S C L U B

Record Number of MartinOwners and Music Fansconverge on Nazareth, PaEach year, enthusiasts from across thecountry and around the globe converge onNazareth for MOC Day, and every year, theMartin Owners Club has brought togethermore entertainment, vendors and artists thanthe year before. This included performancesby bluegrass legend TJ Casey (“Cowboyfrom the Soul”); ABC’s “Dancing with theStars” dancer/choreographer and solomusician Mark Ballas; singer/songwriter,ukulele mistress and one half of Garfunkeland Oates, Kate Micucci (also known for herroles in “Raising Hope,” “Scrubs,” “FourKings” and “Malcolm in the Middle”); theSleepy Man Banjo Boys - America’s favoriteBluegrass band that happen to be kids; and rising star and contestant on NBC’s“America’s Got Talent” Blake McMurray.

Martin District Sales Manager Dave Evans joined virtuosobluesman and Martin artist Craig Thatcher for a dueling dueton the main stage.

“Dancing With The Stars’” choreographer,dancer, solo musician, and Martin AmbassadorMark Ballas performed to a record crowd ofnearly 3000 Martin enthusiasts.

Attendees had the opportunity to personallysample a wide assortment of Custom Shopand new model Martin guitars.

Comedian, TV personality andukulele master Kate Micuccireturns uke-in-hand to herhome town of Nazareth, PA.

Brothers Johnny, Robbie and Tommy Mizzone, a fast risingbluegrass trio, graced the stage as the amazing Sleepy ManBanjo Boys.

Inlay art in process as seen onthe day-long deluge offactory tours.

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Attendees were treated to the “Porsche Experience,” sponsored by Knopf Porsche and PorscheCars North America, who displayed new models in the center of the day’s festivities.

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The UMGF Celebrates 10th Martinfest

T.S. PHILLIPS

The first weekend of August 2011, some 200 members of theUnofficial Martin Guitar Forum converged on Nazareth tocelebrate their 10th Annual “Martinfest” with special guestsGrammy® Award winning guitarist Laurence Juber, andMartin’s illustrious archivist Dick Boak.

Events on Friday included tours of the Martin factory andplaying historic guitars from the Martin Museum. Saturday,they performed on various stages at “Martin on Main,” thestreet fair co-hosted by the UMGF and the Nazareth Chamberof Commerce, which was capped off with Laurence Juber’s free,unplugged, acoustic concert at the historic Moravian church.That evening, LJ sat in on an all-night jam at the hotel with hisOMC-LJ Pro signature model and gave a workshop on alteredtunings and composition at the scenic Nazareth Boro Park onSunday afternoon.

The UMGF returned to the Boro Park on Monday for openmics, impromptu song circles, and Dick Boak’s informal talk,highlighting milestones from his 35-year career at C. F. Martin& Co. Boak’s tenure under three different Mr. Martins spans anera of remarkable growth, evolution and innovation that offersfertile ground for reminiscence. The audience was spellboundby his vivid firsthand account of famous Martin players andtales of the dedicated craftspeople that make their belovedguitars, workers whose names are as revered by the UMGF asthe big stars who play them.

Martinfest is all about the love of music made on Martinguitars. From an all-original 1930 OM-28 to a D-45 StephenStills to the latest offering in the Performing Artist Series, themain activity was admiring and playing each other’s Martins.

Dick was not to beleft out, andbrought along hiscustom 12-fret000-42, madefrom figuredBrazilian rosewoodand Adirondackspruce. It was builtin a time beforeMartin was in thehabit of offeringvintage replicas. The slotted headstock sports the “AlternativeTorch” inlay that was designed in 1902 but never appeared on amodern Martin until this guitar. Boak’s 000 was stellar, evenamong that constellation of other splendid Martins.

What began as a small group of Martin fans conversing onthe Internet has grown to over 16,000 registered UMGFmembers worldwide, from back porch pickers to majorrecording artists. Many travel thousands of miles to make theannual pilgrimage to Nazareth. Dick Boak has been to eachMartinfest and was the obvious choice to speak at the tenthanniversary. In many ways, Dick has helped to extend andpreserve what makes its legendary guitars so very special. InDick’s words, “It’s all about the tone.” That is a sentimentechoed by the membership of the UMGF. Visit them on line at http://theunofficialmartinguitarforum.yuku.com

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Unbridled and enthusiastic members of the Unofficial Martin GuitarForum gathered for their 10th annual Martinfest at The NazarethBorough Park. Fingerstyle guitar master Laurence Juber is in the frontrow with his flamed maple OMC LJ Pro cutaway Custom Artist model.Can you find anything but Martin guitars in this photo?

www.theunofficialmartinguitarforum.yuku.com/

U M G F

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P H I L LY F O L K F E S T 2 0 1 1

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Martin has been involved with the Philadelphia Folk Festival since itsinception in 1962 and Martin has been an underwriter and primarysponsor of the main stage, constructed in 2001, for the past decade.This year, the festival celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a greatlineup that featured many Martin players including Tom Paxton(upper right) and Arlo Guthrie (lower left), David Bromberg and Jorma

Kaukonen. Fred Oster (lower right) and Catherine Jacobs of VintageInstruments in Philadelphia have helped run the Martin booth in thecrafts area for many years. There was a constant flow of buddingperformers competing in a guitar playing contest that culminatedlate on Sunday afternoon with a special concert and awardpresentation. Come join us at the 51st!

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M A R T I N I N S P I R E D

GuitArt by Terre RocheThe GuitArts tell the story of a character Terry Roche inventednamed “Spaceman.” He shows up in many of the famous RocheSisters setlists over the years. Terry collected a setlist for everyRoches’ show ever performed and each one has an elaboratedrawing. The GuitArts were an extension of the setlists,chronicling the adventures of “Spaceman.”

The Musical Mind Brenden Hackett of Martin’s Researchand Development Department hasengrossed himself in the study of musicover the past 28 years. In his job, he ischallenged to understand how soundreally works and how the mind actuallyprocesses music. While attending theIthaca College School of Music, Brendenwas graced by some of the best professorsin Music Theory and History but he

never had exposure to lingering questionsregarding tone. That all changed inAugust of 2011 when he attended the bi-annual conference for The Society of Music Perception and Cognition. "The SMPC brings together the NorthAmerican music cognition researchcommunity and also draws severalresearchers from overseas,” says Ani Patel,Senior Fellow at The Neurosciences

Institute in San Diego. NAMM sponsorsthis rapidly growing field of researchwhich looks into music’s affect on thebrain, how it’s processed and the benefitsof musical study, of which there are many.Brenden’s participation in this conferencewill enhance the R&D Department intheir quest to continually improve thetonal texture, clarity and projection ofMartin guitars.

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M A R T I N B A C K PA C K E R S

Trail FriendJeremy Wilson and his Martin Backpacker® hiked the AppalachianTrail in 2010 and the Pacific Crest Trail in 2011. His on-line trailjournal (trailjournals/picker.com) lists the Martin Backpackerguitar as his “best friend on the trail...could not imagine hikingwithout it.”

He was given the trail name “picker” on the Appalachian Trail,because he carried and played his guitar when camping. It broughthours of joy to others and to himself.

While attempting a stream crossing this year, Jeremy wassnatched by the “stream” and went completely under,Backpacker and all. Swimming underwater he made it safely tothe other side as the Backpacker got heavier and heavier. Stillplayable but in great need, he sent his beloved Backpacker torest at home. In the meantime, Jeremy acquired a newBackpacker for his next adventure!

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Mark LaVigne and The CoyotesThe picture above shows Mark LaVigne with hisBackpacker in Fredericton, New Brunswick, afterconducting a media relations workshop there.

LaVigne is a member of the band, The Coyotes. Tocheck out their first CD of original songs “Out of theWoods”, visit their website. www.thecoyotes.ca

Learning From One AnotherJoe Wheeler is volunteering on the edge of the GobiDesert, in southern Mongolia, teaching English withthe Peace Corps. It means so much to have a guitar —not just any guitar, but a Martin — with him duringthis life-defining experience.

Above is a picture of Wheeler during a family visit. He has been teaching English and guitar lessonsto the eldest son, Tsenguun. Soon the tables will turnas Tsenguun will be teaching Wheeler how to play the“moriin hur” (horse fiddle shown in the photograph).

Fateful CompanionAndy Shull is an elementaryschool music teacher at H.B. Rhame Elementary, inRichland School DistrictOne, Columbia, S.C. Heconsiders this gig semi-retiredafter a 25 year stint as a highschool and middle schoolband director. He also playssociety gigs on horns andguitar, and directs his Church music. In 1975, a road gig with Jackie Wilson landedhim in Lake Tahoe California, where he purchased a 1953 Martin D-18 for $500.

It has been his fateful companion since, and just happens to have been made theyear he was born. It is highly featured on his original inspirational CD, “I StillBelieve” ([email protected]).

Andy found a need for another Martin with the elementary and church gigs. “I settled on the Martin DC-1E (cutaway). It reminds me so much of my D-18,but with outstanding onboard electronics. While it doesn’t have that vintageripeness yet, it speaks only as a Martin can, and the price was right. The DC-1Esounds so good that our youth pastor, who plays a top end Canadian made guitar,has said his next purchase will definately be a Martin.” The oustanding first gradeclass pictured has just completed an original antibullying song and video.

Rabbit and RoseBackpacker inspired sculpture byartist and sculptor Barbara Kozero.

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M A R T I N R E M E M B E R S . . .

Liz Meyer On August 26th, 2011, American songwriter, LizMeyer, once a vital member of the Washington, DCacoustic music community, lost her battle with cancer.She was an avid bluegrass singer, songwriter and anactive participant with the European BluegrassAssociations and the European version of the World ofBluegrass. Since 1985, Liz Meyer was based inAmsterdam, Netherlands and her songwriting is oftenmore well-known there than her own recordings. Ofcourse, the songs are excellent and “Blue LonesomeWind” was the featured title cut on an album byAuldridge, Bennett & Gaudreau, and another song,“Bad Seed” is featured on a recent Laurie Lewis andTom Rozum album. Liz maintained a worldwide fanbase, and used Martin Guitars exclusively.

Honeyboy EdwardsDavid “Honeyboy” Edwards, the “Last of the Great Mississippi DeltaBluesmen” passed away on August 29, 2011.

Honeyboy was born June 28, 1915 in Shaw, Mississippi.Honeyboy was one of the last living links to Robert Johnson, and oneof the last original acoustic Delta blues players. He was a livinglegend, and his story was truly part of history. He was the real deal.

Honeyboy has written several blues hits, including “Long TallWoman Blues”, “Gamblin Man” and “Just Like Jesse James.”

Honeyboy’s life was intertwined with almost every major blueslegend, including Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Big Joe Williams,Rice “Sonny Boy Williamson” Miller, Howlin’ Wolf, PeetieWheatstraw, Sunnyland Slim, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Big Walter, LittleWalter, Magic Sam, and Muddy Waters.

The photo above was taken at the Paramount Blues Fest in Grafton, WI in September of 2007. He is playing a Martin DC-16RGTE.

Roger HendersonA loyal Martin player’s voice has been forever silenced.Roger Henderson, a singer/songwriter on the Washington,DC acoustic scene from the early 1970s, passed away inthe early evening hours of July 29th, 2011 after battlingcancer for several months. Roger was one of the area’s mostpopular voices, and he wrote “A Penny To My Name”which was recorded by the late Eva Cassidy and releasedafter her death in 1996. Roger leaves behind his family,including a daughter who is planning on following in herfather’s musical footsteps, and lots of good friends in hishometown. He will be missed by many and will not besoon forgotten. (Len Jaffe)

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Terry Clements Guitar wizard Terry Clements died February 20, 2011after suffering a stroke ten days earlier. He was 63, and was Gordon Lightfoot’s lead guitar player on hisalbums and concerts for almost forty years.

Terry was among the most affable and friendlymusicians you would ever want to know, and he leftbehind his family and many close friends and fans. Itgoes without saying that he will be remembered for histalent, humor, and humanity. He is missed by many,and will not be soon forgotten. Shown here with hisMartin D-18.

Johnnie Wright Johnnie Wright, a country music pioneer who guided the careerof his wife, Kitty Wells, died at his home in Madison,Tennessee on September 27, 2011. He was 97.

Wright remembered WSM going on the air in 1925 andheard the first broadcast of Uncle Jimmy Thompson, an eventthat would evolve into the Grand Ole Opry. Later he started hisown career and married Wells, the first woman to breakthrough as a star in country music, in 1937.

Wright came to fame as a member of the country duoJohnnie and Jack, which recorded hits such as “Ashes of Love,”’’I Get So Lonely,” ’’Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight” and“Poison Love” in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Wright changed the spelling of his name to Johnnie after itwas misprinted on a record, then began a solo career with a No. 1 hit “Hello Vietnam,” later featured in the 1987 movie“Full Metal Jacket.”

Wells and Wright had three children: two daughters, Ruby andCarol Sue and a son, Bobby, who also was a singer and actor. He

played the part of Willie, a Tennessee moonshiner, on the TV series“McHale’s Navy.” Wells was known as “the queen of countrymusic” after she became the first woman solo singer to have aNo. 1 country record, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky TonkAngels,” in 1952. The couple’s 74th anniversary would havebeen Oct. 30.

Wright remained a loyal Martin player throughout his career.

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Kitty and Johnnie at the 2002 NAMM in Nashville introducing theKitty Wells Signature Edition “Honky Tonk Angel.”

L-R: Johnnie Wright, Kitty Wells and Jack Anglin.

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A R O U N D T H E W O R L D

Chris Woods Chris Woods is taking UK audiences by storm.Described by Play Music Magazine as changingthe perceived boundaries of the acoustic guitar,his shows are mesmerizing. Acoustic Magazineconveyed his playing as a ‛tour de force oforiginal technique’ but Chris isn’t all aboutbeing a virtuoso - his use of percussion, tappingand slapping is simply a tool in creatingemotive and creatively stunning compositions.Live shows are delivered with endearing andvisual stories that bring each piece to life. Using an array of ear bending tunings to createsounds that are out of this world, Chris uses a000X1 Martin. The tough construction giveshim the scope to move from drop B tunings to everything inbetween effortlessly and withconfidence. Every part of the guitar is used to its full extent, Chris had this to say, ‛whenusing so much of the guitar, and in such avariety of ways the guitar has to work hard

for you - you need tobe confident theconstruction and toneis flawless, that’s whyI’m a Martin player.’Rhythm is the drivingforce behind Chris’music, but not onlyin a percussive way.Groove is at the heart of every note.Describing his style as ‛slap groove’ youcan be sure everythingyou hear is infectious and memorable.Currently touring the UK and withappearances at the 2012 NAMM show andMusikMesse 2012, he is performing relentlessly.www.chriswoodsgroove.co.uk

Mark Michaels Mark started the NewYork Ukulele Schoolin 2007. Musician andeducator with over 25years of experienceand equally adept onukulele, guitar andbass, Mark has beeninvolved in musiceducation since the70’s and wasinstrumental indeveloping onlineinstruction for guitar and piano in the ’90s. He hasbeen featured in Newsday, Billboard, The HartfordCourant and Variety, leading the life of a journeymanmusician. In 1979 he produced and composed the #12hit dance single, “Umbrella Man,” and Billboard’sreview called him “sharp…concise…a mastermind!”

Double D’s UK Don Payne and Dave Mann make up the duo Double D’shailing from the County of Surrey, England. This pair hasbeen picking together since 1959. They are pictured abovewith their D-41 Special, D-45 (#9 of 50), D-40 and a 000-28EC Eric Clapton Sunburst Signature Model.

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C. F. Martin 000-42ECJM Eric Clapton Japan Edition 2011 It would be an understatement to say that Eric Clapton is “big in Japan.” His popularity there isunprecedented and certainly in line with the extremeenthusiasm that Japanese guitar players hold for Martin guitars. T. Kurosawa & Co., Ltd., Martin’s sole distributor in Japan, has shown tremendoussupport for all eight Eric Clapton Signature Editionmodels offered to date, and in November of 2011,Kurosawa took a step further by becoming a keysponsor of Eric Clapton’s Japan 2011 Tour.

Coinciding with this significant sponsorship, T. Kurosawa & Co. initiated an agreement with EricClapton and C. F. Martin & Co. to produce a special000-42ECJM edition, limited to only 100 specialinstruments. The model is inspired by the 1939 000-42that Eric used for his Grammy award-winning MTVUnplugged live performance in 1992. Constructed

with a premium grade Adirondack sprucesoundboard and beautiful Madagascar

rosewood back and sides, the 000-42ECJM bears the original Style 42headstock and fingerboardappointments, closely replicatingthe 1939 model. Each guitar bearsan interior label, personally signedby Eric Clapton and numbered in

sequence with the edition total. Theedition is being made solely for

distribution in Japan by Kurosawa.Included as extra premiums with

each guitar are a specially createdEric Clapton tour jacket, a laser-

etched wooden plaque thatserves as a certificate of

authenticity, a deluxecommemorative pouchcreated by the reveredPorter Classic of Japan, and a Custom Shop deluxe case with Eric Clapton’sembroidered signature.

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P. O. Box 329, Nazareth, PA 18064-0329(610) 759-2837 • www.martinguitar.com

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

US POSTAGE PAIDLEHIGH VALLEY PA

PERMIT # 334

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