Martin Guitar to Introduce New Models at 2007 Summer NAMM

by Staff.

Martin Guitar has announced that it will unveil a number of new models at the upcoming Summer NAMM Show in Austin, Texas. The new guitars include Signature models, a limited edition, and stock models. Featured among the new Signature names are Travis Tritt, Robbie Robertson, Stephen Stills, and, the Kingston Trio. The 000X Hippie Limited Edition commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love. Among the new stock models to be introduced at Summer NAMM are the OM Negative, OM-28 Marquis Madagascar, D-28 Marquis Madagascar, D-42 Cambodian Rosewood, MC Adirondack 1, M-36 Grand Auditorium, DCX1E Tawny Satinwood, DCE Black, and the Martin OMCRE that features Babicz Design’s patented “Continually Adjustable Neck,” invented by company founder Jeff Babicz.

TRAVIS TRITT HONORED WITH IMMACULATE HDC-40 EDITION

QUOTE: “I’m so thrilled with my new signature model. Everything is exactly right on the guitar the first time through! In most of my business dealings, that kind of professionalism and attention to detail is unheard of. Thanks to everyone at Martin for making this exquisite guitar happen!”- Travis Tritt

How can it be that C. F. Martin & Co. has never made a Travis Tritt Signature Edition – until now? Quite frankly, all of us here at Martin are baffled as well. Travis is a major country music star with five “No. 1” hits, 20 “Top 10” hits, 14 albums – half of which have gone platinum or multi-platinum – and two Grammy awards to his credit, has loyally loved and played Martin guitars for most of his career and even ordered a truly spectacular Martin custom D-45 when he and fellow country artist Marty Stuart were traveling together on their 1996 Double Trouble tour, yet somehow a namesake Martin Limited Edition didn’t materialize at that time.

Fortunately, Travis is a patient man and patience has its rewards. To celebrate Travis Tritt’s 25th anniversary in the music business, Martin is pleased to announce the HDC-40 Travis Tritt Limited Edition guitar.

The HDC-40 Travis Tritt Limited Edition blends a unique body configuration and rare tonewoods for superb playability and sound. The classic Dreadnought shape receives a rounded cutaway with the thinner “000” depth - exceptional premium tonewoods include an Adirondack (red) spruce top matched to 5/16” Adirondack braces – back and sides of rare Madagascar rosewood – special modified low oval neck with diamond volute carved from genuine mahogany.

Many of the appointments on the HDC-40 Travis Tritt Limited Edition are drawn directly from Travis’s personal custom D-45. The Style “45“ rosette, like the original, has a center ring of beautiful pearl herringbone. The polished and beveled black pickguard features a floral inlay in abalone pearl. Most spectacular of all is the genuine ebony fingerboard, featuring a colorful version of the Vine of Harmonics (created by Martin Artist Relations Manager Dick Boak) inlay in abalone pearl, mother of pearl and composite, culminating in Travis Tritt’s signature in mother of pearl between the 18th and 19th frets.

The HDC-40 Travis Tritt Limited Edition comes studio and stage-ready with factory-installed Martin Gold Plus® Natural 1 active electronics. Each instrument is delivered in a fitted Martin hardshell case.

Every HDC-40 Travis Tritt Limited Signature Edition guitar bears an interior label personally signed by Travis Tritt and numbered in sequence with the edition total. Authorized Martin dealers will begin accepting orders until the cutoff date of September 24, 2007, after which the edition quantity and the names of participating dealers will be posted on the Martin website, www.martinguitar.com.

“The Band’s” Robbie Robertson Honored With Twin Flamed Hawaiian Koa Signature Guitars

“I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin’ about half past dead.” As written by Robbie Robertson and performed by the Band, the opening lines of “The Weight” rank among the most evocative in all of rock. The song is a spiritual journey, but the story behind the song is one of a Martin guitar providing musical inspiration of a most unusual kind.

While the Band was living in Woodstock, New York in 1967, Robertson began writing “The Weight” on his D-28, but struggled to come up with lyrics. At some point he looked into the guitar’s soundhole and saw the word “Nazareth” (along with the rest of the C.F. Martin logo) stamped there. It became the focus of the song’s opening verse and the rest of the lyrics quickly fell into place. He has said looking inside the guitar “gave” him the first line of the song.

Martin guitars have remained a constant element in Robertson’s music. His favorite Martin is a unique 1919 00-45K, the only Koa 00-45 ever produced. To honor Robbie Robertson and his contributions to American music, C. F. Martin is proud to introduce two guitars based upon and inspired by this exquisite instrument: the 00-42K and 00-42K2 Robbie Robertson Signature Editions.

These strikingly beautiful guitars feature Martin’s traditional short-scale 00 12-fret design, spectacular solid tonewoods: backs and sides of rare Hawaiian flamed Koa and tops of either rare Italian Alpine spruce – for warmth and power – on the 00-42K or Hawaiian flamed Koa – for clarity and punchiness - on the 00-42K2.

Style 42 abalone inlay around the top and fingerboard, a Style 45 abalone inlaid rosette, black/white fine line purfling around the sides, back, end piece and heelcap accent grained ivoroid bindings and fittings throughout. A colorful Style 45 mosaic embellishes the back. A flawless polished gloss finish allows the body’s stunning tonewoods and appointments to shine.

Carved from genuine mahogany, the modified V neck, with its diamond volute, slotted tapered headstock and square slots, is true to the original. The handsome polished Madagascar rosewood headplate bears the Martin “Torch” inlay first seen on Style 45 Martins from the 1920s and early 1930s. Waverly™ open geared tuners with engraved bronze plates and ivoroid buttons, and the “C. F. Martin” pressure stamp on the back of the headstock, add to the vintage vibe. The black ebony fingerboard showcases Style 45 snowflake position markers. A black ebony pyramid bridge. Like the guitar that inspired them, the 00-42K and 00-42K2 Robbie Robertson Signature Editions come sans pickguard.

The 00-42K and 00-42K2 Robbie Robertson Signature Editions are limited to 100 guitars each, with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each guitar going to Robertson’s chosen charity, the American Indian College Fund, an organization that supports Native American college students, and tribally run colleges and universities, throughout the United States.

Delivered in a Geib™-style hardshell case, each of these Signature Edition guitars bears an interior label personally signed by Robbie Robertson and numbered in sequence with the edition total. Authorized C. F. Martin dealers will accept orders for the 00-42K and 00-42K2 Robbie Robertson Signature Editions beginning immediately and continuing until the editions are fully subscribed. Martin then will post the names of participating dealers on its website, www.martinguitar.com.

Small-Bodied 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition Revives A 12-fret Martin Masterpiece

Martin has been Stephen Stills’ acoustic guitar of choice for more than 40 years of music making, both in concert and in the recording studio. But perhaps the fullest measure of Stills’ passion for Martins is the guitars the public doesn’t see or hear – the dozen or so Martins in his collection that he plays for personal enjoyment and inspiration.

One of those guitars is a vintage Martin 0-45. Produced between 1904 and 1939, it is a very rare instrument; only 158 were made. This exquisite jewel may rank as a “forgotten” masterpiece. Unlike the guitars that inspired the Martin D-45SS and 000-45S Stephen Stills Signature Editions in 1998 and 2005 respectively, his vintage 0-45 has been a private pleasure, so we were surprised when he suggested Martin base his third Signature Edition on it.

As with his previous Signature Editions, Stills worked closely with Martin to refine the details of “his” 0-45 to accurately capture the character of the original. The new Martin 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition is a truly spectacular instrument, both in looks and in sound.

The beauty of the 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition begins with the classic 12-fret “0” design, superb solid tonewoods throughout, back and sides crafted from beautiful Madagascar rosewood, a top of Adirondack spruce – just like the original, short scale modified V neck with elongated diamond volute and slotted square, tapered headstock is carved from genuine mahogany.

The appointments closely approximate the original 0-45s. The Style 45 rosette features colorful abalone pearl, flanked by wood fiber inlays. The top, sides and back perimeters also showcase abalone pearl inlay, accented by wood fiber inlays. Style 45 mosaic backstrip and genuine ebony pyramid bridge and the absence of a pickguard.

The headstock features a Madagascar rosewood headplate, inlaid with “C. F. Martin” in Golden Era® Style 45 block abalone pearl letters and Waverly Irving Sloane side-mounted tuners with open gears.

Style 45 snowflake position markers inlaid in abalone, culminating in Stephen Stills’ signature in mother of pearl between the 17th fret and the end of the fingerboard. The nut, uncompensated saddle, bridge and end pins are all crafted from fossilized ivory. A flawless polished gloss lacquer finish throughout, complemented by vintage toner. Factory installed electronics are available as an option.

In keeping with the tradition established by the Martin D-45SS and 000-45S Stephen Stills Signature Editions, the 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition is limited to no more than 91 special guitars.

Protected in a heavy-duty Geib style vintage series hardshell case, each 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition guitar bears an interior label personally signed by Stephen Stills and C. F. Martin IV, and numbered in sequence with the total in the edition. Authorized Martin dealers will begin taking orders for the 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition immediately. As the edition begins to be subscribed, Martin will post the names of participating authorized Martin dealers on its website at: www.martinguitar.com.

New 000-18 Norman Blake Signature Edition - A Mahogany Version Of Unique 12-fret Neck/14-fret Body Design

There are few musicians that can be instantly recognized by their first name alone and a smaller number yet by simply hearing a few notes. Norman Blake is such a musician. He has blazed the path for many fans of acoustic music to discover the fine art of flat-picking through rare song gems, highly original compositions and solid instrumental playing.

Martin is very pleased to once again partner with Norman in the creation of the Norman Blake Special Signature Edition 000-18 guitar.

The Norman Blake Special Signature Edition 000-18 guitar shares many of the same appointments as the previous models as well as the comfort of a “000” size body and the world-famous Martin tone. the 000-18 Norman Blake Special Signature Edition will feature the standard “000” (14-fret) body with a 12-fret neck, Italian Alpine Spruce top, a “00” model Golden Era style rosette (decreased soundhole size), back and sides of genuine mahogany, body and top finished in a polished high gloss, and the top is left natural with no aging toner added to the finish.

The neck is satin-finished and crafted from genuine mahogany. The genuine black African ebony fingerboard is adorned with long-pattern abalone diamonds and squares. The headstock is the Martin traditional solid square design (an alteration from the previous two models which featured the slotted style) with an East Indian rosewood headplate, large size Golden Era® decal, C. F. Martin & Co. stamping on the back and premium Waverly #4073 nickel-plated tuners with ivoroid butterbean knobs. The guitar is protected in a custom-sized vintage Geib style #532C hardshell case. Electronics are optional at an additional cost, though left-hand versions are available at no extra charge.

Each 000-18 Norman Blake Special Signature Edition will be personally signed by Norman Blake, numbered sequentially (without total) and sold on an ongoing basis. Authorized Martin dealers will begin accepting orders for the new Norman Blake Special Signature Edition 000-18 immediately. Specifications and details can be found on the Martin website at: www.martinguitar.com.

The Kingston Trio 50th Anniversary - Commemorating The Life Of Dave Guard With A Special 12-fret 00-21

Has it really been 50 years since The Kingston Trio changed everything about popular music – and the entire acoustic guitar industry along with it?

C. F. Martin was nearly 125 years old when The Kingston Trio was formed in Palo Alto, California in 1957. It was the rise of The Kingston Trio that really established Martin as “America’s Guitar,” the premier steel-string acoustic guitar. You see, The Kingston Trio wasn’t just a musical group. It was a phenomenon, as influential in its time as The Beatles would become in theirs.

Because the Trio was fiercely loyal to Martin and played virtually no other brand of guitar, every Kingston Trio album cover was a de facto advertisement for Martin guitars. Soon the Company found itself overwhelmed by demand. At one point, Martin was three years behind in backorders.

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of The Kingston Trio and in collaboration with Kingston Trio leader Bob Shane, Martin is proud to present a very special limited edition Kingston Trio 00-21 in memory of Dave Guard.

In creating the 00-21 Kingston Trio model, Martin has gone back to the early 00-21 patterns to closely replicate Dave Guard’s guitar, but with a few important variations for improved tone and playability.

The back and sides are crafted of premium East Indian rosewood. The back is joined with the traditional checker-board backstrip. Highly-prized Italian Alpine spruce is used for the top, a small maple bridgeplate is used per the original specifications.

As a very special “anniversary” touch, the 00-21 Kingston Trio Edition model features an ebony belly bridge with long bone saddle and black bridge pins with white inlay. 12-fret adjustable modified V-shaped neck of genuine mahogany, a square tapered slotted headstock with old styledecal logo and Premium Waverly/Sloane side-mounted tuning machines. The fingerboard is fashioned from black ebony (another special “anniversary” feature) and vintage-style abalone slotted square markers.

The instrument is finished in our highest grade polished nitrocellulose lacquer, with aging toner added to the top for an elegant vintage look.

Only 100 of these exquisite 00-21 Kingston Trio instruments will be offered. Each will bear an interior label personally signed by original Kingston Trio member and co-founder Bob Shane and C. F. Martin IV. A second label bears a photo of the Trio during the Guard years, showing Dave with his 00-21 and commemorating his musical life.

Each instrument will be delivered in a Geib “Cabernet” vintage-style hardshell case.

The 000X Hippie Limited Edition - On The 40th Anniversary of The Summer of Peace & Love, A Groovy Martin With A Whole Lotta Love!

Ahhh, the summer of 1967. For music and hearts and hopes for world peace, it was an epochal time. From Golden Gate Park to Central Park to London’s Hyde Park, a cultural, musical and artistic revolution was in full tilt, the effects of which are still felt today.

To commemorate that extraordinary period, Martin has once again teamed up with artist Don Oriolo, owner and steward of Felix The Cat, to create an equally extraordinary Limited Edition, the Martin 000X Hippie guitar. a colorful montage of guitar top and headstock graphics including flowers, doves, peace and yin & yang symbols, hands clasped in peace and, of course, the iconic “hippie chick” with psychedelic locks.

As revolutionary as the period it celebrates, the Martin 000X Hippie features a “000” body size, built with cutting-edge Martin “X” technology. The top is crafted from high-pressure laminate (HPL), Sitka spruce braces with back and sides of HPL material. Bridge and fingerboard are crafted of black Micarta, nut and saddle are made of Corian and Tusq. The adjustable, 14-fret Strataply neck featuers a long 25.4” scale modified low profile, Gotoh “Cosmo Black” precision tuning machines.

Each of these limited edition guitars will be hand numbered on a special interior label and will come in a mustard yellow “Durahyde” hardshell case with orange plush interior.

Peace, brothers and sisters.

NOTE: (Don will also create a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted 000X Hippie instrument for Martin at the Summer NAMM Show in Austin, Texas.)

MARTIN GUITAR INTRODUCES NEW STOCK MODELS AT 2007 SUMMER NAMM IN AUSTIN, TX

Two Stunning Orchestra Models Offer Positive and “Negative” Player Options

OM Negative

As a followup to the popular HDN Negative issued in 2002, this striking Limited Edition OM Negative offers similarly reversed appointments in an Orchestra Model format. Features include a polished black lacquer body finish in sharp contrast with the ivory coloration of the fingerboard, bridge, headplate and pickguard. Style 45 snowflakes mark the fingerboard positions, an abalone torch is inlaid in the headplate, abalone inlay circumscribes the rosette, and bold herringbone trims the perimeter of the top. To complete the negative motif, black bindings with reversed black/white inlays demarcate the edges of the top, back, sides, fingerboard and headstock.

OM-28 Marquis Madagascar

Like the original OM-28 constructed for plectrum banjoist Perry Bechtel in 1939, this OM-28 Marquis is a Style 28 Orchestra Model crafted with pre-war Golden Era® appointments and tonewoods that include Adirondack red spruce for the soundboard and genuine black ebony for the fingerboard and bridge. Unlike several previous Marquis Series instruments, this special model utilizes Madagascar rosewood (as opposed to East Indian rosewood) for the back, sides and headplate. Madagascar rosewood is prized for its tone and beauty, having attributes that closely resemble Brazilian rosewood.

Beautiful Alternatives To Brazilian Rosewood Rival The Originals Upon Which They Are Based

D-28 Marquis Madagascar

Like the OM-28 Marquis Madagascar model, this premium Dreadnought guitar is crafted with pre-war Golden Era® appointments and tonewoods that include Adirondack red spruce for the soundboard and genuine black ebony for the fingerboard and bridge. The only exception is that the Brazilian sides, back and headplate typically seen on rosewood Golden Era® models are replaced with select Madagascar rosewood. Prized for its tone and beauty, Madagascar rosewood – selected for the back, sides and headplate – shares attributes that are analogous to Brazilian rosewood.

D-42 Cambodian Rosewood

The D-42 Cambodian Rosewood NAMM Show Special features Cambodian rosewood for the two-piece back, sides and headplate, an Adirondack spruce soundboard, gold-plated open-geared Gotoh tuning machines with vintage “X coating,” and a 1930s style ebony belly bridge. Like Madagascar and Amazon rosewoods, Cambodian rosewood is comparable in both beauty and tone to Brazilian rosewood. Limited to no more than 30 unique instruments, orders will only be accepted from Martin dealers in attendance at the Austin NAMM Show.

New M Models Provide Perfect Stage Ready Acoustic Tools On The Road Or In The Studio

MC Adirondack 1

The MC Adirondack 1 is a Grand Auditorium cutaway (“0000” shape with “000” depth) designed for versatility of playing style and exceptional tonal responsiveness. Crafted with solid Spanish cedar for the neck, sides and back, this guitar is extremely light in weight, and accordingly it yields tremendous clarity, complexity and power. The soundboard is bookmatched from prized

Adirondack red spruce, trimmed with fine herringbone and inlaid with a single ring abalone rosette. The modified low oval neck (1 3/4” width at the nut) features Martin’s new two-way adjustable rod. Ebony is selected for the fingerboard, headplate and bridge. The body is lacquered to a polished gloss and offered without a pickguard.

M-36 Grand Auditorium

Originally introduced in 1978, Martin is proud to restore the M-36 back into the stock model lineup. Like the recently reintroduced M-38 (its two-piece back counterpart), the M-36 with its three-piece rosewood back has long been prized in performing and recording circles. M models combine the larger “0000” shape with a thinner “000” body depth to yield notes that resonate, then dissipate – allowing for new notes without excessive overtones – resulting in a tonal balance that is less prone to feedback and thus highly useful on stage and in the studio.

Alternative & Sustainable Materials - Reduce Impact Upon Wood Resources

DCX1E Tawny Satinwood

Following on the success of the DX1 Tawny Satinwood model introduced in January of 2007, the DCX1E Tawny Satinwood adds a cutaway and Fishman Classic 4T electronics to create an attractive, functional, stage-ready guitar. This 14-fret Venetian cutaway Dreadnought blends the attractive figured woodgrain pattern of Tawny Satinwood high pressure laminate (HPL) back and sides with a solid Sitka spruce top. The rosette is inlaid with a unique Art Deco design, laser cut from contrasting East Indian rosewood, maple and koa. Style 45 maple hexagons are inlaid with inset koa diamonds into a rosewood fingerboard. A hardshell case is optional.

DCE Black

This latest addition to Martin’s environmentally responsible series of Sustainable Wood models is the first Martin guitar to be offered with American poplar for the back and sides. Light in weight with a warm responsive tone, the DCE features a durable polished gloss black finish. This 14-fret Venetian cutaway comes stage ready with Fishman’s new reduced profile 4-image Aura Pro electronics system with an onboard tuner. The greater majority of the wood utilized in the construction of this guitar originated in forests managed in a sustainable and ecologically responsible manner.

C. F. Martin & Co. and Babicz Design Team Up To Combine Traditional Performance With Contemporary Features - New Orchestra Model Cutaway Enables Quick Self-Adjustment Of Neck Action

For as long as there have been guitars, musicians have dreamed of owning instruments with action (the distance between the strings and frets) that could be instantly adjusted for comfort and genre; from low for fingerstyle to medium-high for flatpicking. Now this dream has become reality with C. F. Martin’s introduction of the OMCRE, a guitar created in collaboration with Babicz Design Limited.

The Martin OMCRE features Babicz Design’s patented “Continually Adjustable Neck,” invented by company founder Jeff Babicz. His “floating” neck design allows the player to quickly and accurately adjust the action with an Allen wrench, without altering the neck angle. The adjustment can be made in seconds, without detuning the guitar or changing the saddle.

“We are extremely excited about the Martin/Babicz collaboration,” comments Jeff Babicz. “To have Martin – the most prestigious guitar brand in the world – use my adjustable neck invention really makes a statement about the design and Martin’s commitment to instrument performance.”

To allow players to take full advantage of the adjustable neck, C. F. Martin has designed the OMCRE to excel in a broad range of styles. The comfortable “OM” body and long (25.4”) scale provide big, balanced tone, while the rounded cutaway offers full fretboard access. The premium solid tonewoods likewise optimize versatility; a Carpathian spruce soundboard – the first time Martin has offered this exciting tonewood – for clarity and dynamic range, and back and sides of East Indian rosewood for warmth and projection.

The OMCRE’s appointments are an intriguing combination of tradition and cutting edge. The Style 28 rosette, herringbone top purfling, vintage-toned top, HD zig-zag backstrip, Gotoh open-geared tuners, and ebony fretboard and pyramid bridge are classic Martin. The ebony headplate, combination of bone nut and compensated TUSQ saddle, and especially the revolutionary Fishman® Aura Pro on-board electronics system, push the envelope in form and function.

Each Martin OMCRE is delivered in a vintage-style hardshell case. The OMCRE debuts on July 27, 2007 at the Summer NAMM (National Association of Music Merchandisers) Show in Austin, Texas, and authorized Martin dealers will begin taking orders on that date. Specifications and further details can be found on the Martin website at: www.martinguitar.com.

Every Martin OMCRE is equipped with the revolutionary ‘Continually Adjustable Neck’. This allows the musician to set the string height action at any time, ‘on-command’, to suit any playing style desired. Simply insert the provided 3/16" Allen key into the trap plate. Turn the Allen key clockwise to raise your string height (slide action), or turn counterclockwise to lower your string height (electric action).

Images of the new models will be available on Modern Guitars on or about July 27, 2007.

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