By: Brady Lavin
Photos by Faraz Chaudry
At this year’s Summer NAMM show in Nashville, Tennessee, C.F. Martin & Co., known for building world-class acoustic guitars since all the way back in 1833, were showing off some of their new models. While tradition and a commitment to quality are their trademarks, there is no reason Martin can’t be innovative and constantly introduce new products, like their new line of ukuleles, which were featured prominently at their booth.
While ukes are fun and enjoying unprecedented popularity right now, Martin’s guitars are really the meat, providing countless players around the world with great tone and playability. After President and CEO Chris Martin regaled us with a story of a horrible interview that involved a photoshoot where he was asked to be shot making out with a guitar, Martin new guitar guru Chris Thomas showed us around the booth, giving us the scoop on Martin’s new additions coming out this year.
Martin DRS1 Acoustic-Electric
The DRS1 is the first solid-wood, full-size guitar that Martin has ever manufactured at their plant in Mexico (Chris assured us that they would NEVER move production of any Martin guitar to Mexico from their plant in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.) It was developed specifically for the Mexico plant, which up to now has only produced the Backpackers, travel guitars, and recently the X Series of guitars that feature HPL (high-pressure laminate) bodies.
Because of it’s Mexico plant origin, the DRS1 will go for about $699 on the street, making it a great bargain for a Martin solid-wood guitar. It comes with Fishman Sonicore pickup/preamp system, ready to be plugged in and sound awesome right off the bat.
Chris Thomas showing off the new DRS1
DC-15E Dreadnought Cutaway Acoustic-Electric
Martin is reintroducing the DC-15E back into the 15 Series of acoustic-electrics, with a couple of cool modifications. This is an all-solid mahogany guitar with vintage tuners, and it has a very discreet magnetic pickup and tone/volume knobs that you can see close up below (where Chris Thomas’s finger is placed):
New additions to the DC-15E Dreadnought Cutaway
000CDG Doug Greth Acoustic-Electric Nylon Cutaway
The 000CDG is the first stock model nylon string guitar in several years from Martin. ribute to Chris Martin’s late brother Doug Greth. It’s made of all solid FSC-Certified mahogany and features the Fishman F-1 Analog preamp with a dual source magnetic pickup, scaled down to be as unobtrusive as possible.
000CDG Doug Greth
OMM John Renbourn Signature
Made with rare Madagascar rosewood and an Italian alpine spruce top, the John Renbourn signature is the ultimate fingerstyle guitar. Designed with an easily-playable, long scale wide neck, Martin also combines workmanship with artistry with striking star-shaped fingerboard inlays. It’s just a beautiful guitar that Renbourn is reportedly really excited about.
OMM John Renbourn Signature
JSO! and J12SO! Sing Out Pete Seeger
The exclamation point is not my addition, but actually a part of the model numbers of these two Pete Seeger signature models. Modeled after Pete’s custom guitars made by Liverpool luthier G Stanley Francis and later Connecticut luthier Bruce A. Taylor, the 6-string and 12-string versions look striking and sound amazing.
JSO! Sing Out Pete Seeger Signature
Look for these models in the next couple months, except the DRS1, which is already out. Don’t buy any DC 15E models you find around now, as they are not the updated version with the new pickup and discreet tone and volume knobs. And thanks to Martin for continually innovating, bringing fresh ideas and consistent playability and quality to the world of acoustic guitars!
