Martin Guitar Masterpieces Book Review

By: Rick Landers

Since 1833 the Martin Guitar Company has pursued excellence in craftsmanship and mindfulness to tone. Few of their guitars, however, have captured the imagination of guitarists like Martin’s artist models, limited editions, and custom guitars.

Dick Boak’s coffee-table sized book, Martin Guitar Masterpieces, offers plenty to entertain and inform with his insider stories of the guitars that adorn the pages. There’s enough guitar eye candy to satisfy even the most knowledgeable Martin expert. The word lustful isn’t too far off the mark when describing the feeling you get as you turn the pages.

Opening remarks by guitarist Steve Miller and Chris F. Martin, IV, honor both the author and the Martin legacy. Miller notes the many contributions Dick Boak has made to the Martin brand while Chris’s remarks key in on the emergence of the Martin Signature models. Having been a part of the Martin family for over thirty years, Boak has been a major force working with Chris to keep Martin guitars an American tradition, as well as an international passion. Martin guitars are simply “The Standard” against which all acoustics are measured.

Readers will delight in this book. Virtually every page has a “Wow!” factor. From the Custom 01 model that adorns the discussion on the development of Martin’s custom shop guitars to the most recent elaborate custom jobs on display at the new Martin Guitar Museum in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. First out of block is the Perry Bechtel OM-28 that introduced the banjoist’s interest in a guitar with a 14 fret neck that became Martin’s first custom guitar.

One of the most celebrated cowboy singers, Gene Autry, ordered a 12-fret dreadnought during the ‘30s that became the benchmark instrument for Martin’s flagship D-45s. Autry’s guitar was ornamented with abalone-pearl inlay and mother-of-pearl script along the neck bearing Autry’s name. Today the guitar is on display at Gene’s western museum, but to catch a glimpse of him playing it astride his trusty steed Champion you’ll need to find a video of one of Gene’s classic westerns.

The soft burst of color on the Eric Clapton 000-42EC prototype and its conservative inlay are expressions of Clapton’s understated good taste. His signature is unobtrusively placed at the bottom of the fret board. Dick tells us about his collaboration with Clapton, as well as his quest to determine the right production run for the limited edition. He wanted a number that would reflect Clapton in some unique manner.

Clapton’s album 461 Ocean Boulevard supplied the answer with 461 guitars built. The company was uncertain about the sales possibilities for the model. But Dick Boak was on the mark and the 461 guitars sold out in a single day when it was introduced at the NAMM show.

Signature models made to honor the music contributions of Travis Tritt, Johnny Cash, Elvis, Joan Baez and others have their own special stories that Dick thoroughly relishes telling throughout his fine book. Even the Boak designed HDN “Negative” limited edition that was made with Bob Dylan in mind has its own history that places its conception when Dick was studying a photo negative of a guitar.

Chris Martin has made his own imprint on the Signature Martin guitar line by offering a percentage of sales to each artist’s favorite charity. Proceeds are given to Arlo Guthrie’s InterFaith Church Foundation, Amnesty International (Judy Collins), the Tide’s Center Foundation (Stephen Stills), the Rainforest Alliance (Sting), along with other special interest charities of the long list of artists involved in Martin Signature projects.

Younger guitarists have also been honored with Signature Martin’s including Dave Mathews, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, Beck and Babyface. Each model is based on the ideas suggested by the artists, Martin’s design team and builders, and of course Mr. Boak.

Martin Guitar Masterpieces ends with a series of discussions and color photos of very special guitars crafted to commemorate individuals, to honor Martin traditions, and to show how very special guitars can be, like the D-50 Deluxe Edition that retailed around $50,000. It sold out in days during the 2001 NAMM show in Anaheim, California.

Boak’s Martin Guitar Masterpieces closes with a discussion on the 2001 concept for Martin’s one millionth guitar. Serial Number #1,000,000 was yet to be crafted by the artisans at Martin Guitar, along with contributions from master inlay artists Larry Robinson and Dave Giulietti. The concept evolved to what is now a visually stunning “over the top” guitar that hangs in a very secure glass enclosure at the Martin Guitar Museum. It is as much a fine instrument as it is a bold statement of the love, beauty and passion we all share for our guitars.

In 2010, Dick Boak continues to serve as the head of artist relations and publicity for C.F. Martin and Company in Nazareth. His Martin Guitar Masterpieces is a masterpiece of its own and is a “must have” book for guitarists and, in particular, Martin Guitar enthusiasts.

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