THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE MARTIN GUITAR COMPANY • VOLUME 2 • JANUARY 1997

C. F. Martin & Co. is proud to announce a major collaboration with

one of the most significant recording artists and songwriters of our time,

Paul Simon. The OM-42 Paul Simon Limited Edition Guitar will be

introduced at the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, and will

begin to appear in stores in mid–1997.

The OM-42PS guitar was designed to meet Paul Simon’s exacting

requirements for tone, size, and action. Paul personally participated in the

development of the prototypes which led to the final OM-42PS

specifications. He preferred the smaller “OM” body size combined with

the long (25.4”) scale length which proved to be particularly applicable to

his fingerstyle technique and his desire for a strong yet balanced tone.

The OM-42PS is tastefully appointed with tortoise colored bindings

throughout. Hand-crafted entirely with solid woods, the sides and back are

constructed from select grade East Indian rosewood, and the top is

bookmatched from quartersawn Sitka spruce.

PAUL SIMON COLLABORATES WITHMARTIN IN DEVELOPMENT OF OM-42LIMITED EDITION SIGNATURE MODEL

™

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

1997 marks the 40th Anniversary

of the founding of The Kingston Trio,

one of America’s most beloved and

enduring musical groups

To commemorate The Kingston

Trio’s lasting contribution to folk and

acoustic music, and in gratitude for

their unswerving loyalty to Martin

instruments throughout the years, C. F.

Martin & Co. is proud to offer a special

Kingston Trio Limited Edition consisting

of 40 sets of three instruments each.

Each set includes a special

Kingston Trio D-28 guitar, a custom 0-

18T Tenor guitar, and a Vega long neck

banjo—the instrumentation used by the

Trio.

In addition, an extended edition of

the Kingston Trio D-28s will be offered

after all 40 Limited Edition sets are

ordered by the dealers.

Each instrument in the Kingston

Trio Limited Edition Set features special

mother-of-pearl inlays of “The Kingston

Trio” located between the 11th and the

14th frets, plus the anniversary

C. F. MARTIN HONORS THE KINGSTON TRIO WITH40TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION INSTRUMENTS

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 9)

Bob Shane, Dave Guard, and Nick Reynolds of the original Kingston Trio in 1957.

®

TheSoundingBoard

CHRIS’S COMMENTSCHRIS’S COMMENTS

Dear Martin Enthusiast,

Welcome to the second issue of our newsletter. I

want to thank you for your enthusiastic response to the first

issue. “The Sounding Board” is available from any

authorized Martin dealer. Let your dealer know that you

wish to be notified when new issues are published.

It’s NAMM Show time again and we are introducing

several new models. Our collaborations with Paul Simon

and The Kingston Trio acknowledge the incredible effect

that these performers have had on music and the acoustic

guitar business.

Two other new models that my co-workers and I are

proud to introduce are the CEO-1 and the Martin Stauffer

steel string 00-12 fret.

The CEO-1 is a fancy, affordable solid wood limited

edition Dreadnought. It features scalloped braces and our

patented “A-frame” neck block. Cosmetically, it is enhanced

with a pearl rosette, herringbone top trim, and one of my

personal favorites... hexagon outline inlays on the

fingerboard and bridge wings.

The Stauffer is reminiscent of the original guitars built by

my great, great, great, grandfather during the 1830’s in New

York City. Our 1997 version is designed to function using

steel strings and is a modern version of a very historically

significant style.

There is always so much going on around here, I never

have enough time to explain it all. Remember to come and

visit us and take a tour of our shop. We are very proud of

what we do and we would love for you to see what we do

first hand.

C. F. Martin IVChairman & CEO

Martin Guitar Company

The Sounding Board™

VOLUME TWO • JANUARY 1997

P U B L I S H E D B Y

THE MARTIN GUITAR COMPANY

P. O. Box 329, Nazareth, PA 18064-0329

Phone: (610) 759-2837

Fax: (610) 759-5757

E-mail: info@mguitar.com

E D I T O R I A L

Dick Boak

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

C. F. Martin IV

Diane Ponzio

Ric Forero

S P E C I A L T H A N K S T O

Paul Simon

Mark Silag

Vaughn Hazell

Roger Sadowsky

The Kingston Trio

Bill Bush

Robert Estell

David M. Pierce

Ruth Rowe

Stan Kita

P R I N T I N G

The Martin Print Shop

© 1997 C.F. Martin & Co., Inc., Nazareth, PA 18064 USA. All rights reserved. PRINTED IN U.S.A.

2

100% Recycled

100% De-InkedPaper

Christian “Chris” Frederick Martin IV

Chairman and CEO, Martin Guitar Company.

®

LETTERSLETTERSDear Mr. Martin,

Thank you for creating the

excellent and affordable DM.

In the mid-1970’s, I purchased a D-

35 for $750. Unfortunately my D-35

and I parted company in 1979 when I

extricated myself from a cult that I had

gotten involved with. I left with only

what I was wearing at the time. That

guitar is the only possession that I

regret leaving behind and I have pined

after it for years.

A late friend gave me another

brand guitar and thanks to his

generosity, I have at least had a guitar

to play over the ensuing years, but I

never forgot the feel and sound of that

Martin.

Re-establishing myself took time.

The price of a good used D-35 (let

alone a new one) had climbed out of

my reach and I assumed that, owing to

the expenses of my adult respons-

ibilities, a Martin guitar would remain

unattainable for years to come.

That all changed recently when I

allowed myself to venture into a local

music store. I stood gazing wistfully at

a display of Martin guitars. Not wishing

to inflict further frustration upon

myself, I did not bother to look at the

price tags. Perhaps reading my posture

and expression, the co-owner of the

store reached into the case, handed

me a DM, and invited me to sit and

play it.

It was like playing a little piece of

heaven. It played “like butter”. Its tone

was so clear and sweet. It possessed an

excellent dynamic range and beautiful

fidelity. Like a true gourmet dish, in

which the ingredients come together in

a symphony of flavors, but each

individual flavor is still distinguishable

amidst the totality of the experience,

so it was with this guitar. Each note of

every chord rang sweet and true.

Delicious harmonies, yet distinct.

As I was admiring the precise

craftsmanship of the guitar, the store

owner spoke up and told me what he

would be willing to sell it to me for. I

Your NameAddressCity, State, ZipCountry

Dear Mr. MartinC. F. Martin & Co.P. O. Box 329Nazareth, PA 18064-0329 USA

PlaceStampHere

3

We Would Love ToHear From You!Send Your Letters To:

gulped. It was a little stretch, but I could

afford it.

A happy man, I brought that Martin

DM home and played it for my wife to

be. “Yes”, I smiled and assured her,

“we’ll still be able to take that

honeymoon in Mexico.”

Thank you for creating this

wonderful and affordable guitar while

remaining true to your lineage of

excellence.

Sincerely,

David M. PierceMagalia, California

Dear Mr. Martin,Recently, a small article appeared

in Mature Outlook Magazine about me

and my Martin guitar. In the article, I

explained that my Martin D-18

Dreadnought guitar is the best

purchase I have ever made. I bought it

for $100 in 1943 and today, it is valued

at more than $5,000. It is worth much

more than that to me though. It was my

great companion during World War II.

It opened doors for me in foreign

homes. I used it to entertain the troops,

and it helped me meet my wife. It was

even picked up and strummed by Sir

Winston Churchill at Casablanca. As a

result of that small magazine article, I

received three phone calls from fellows

who I served with in the war. I hadn’t

heard from them in 48 years! I still play

my Martin often. Thanks for many

decades of enjoyment.

Sincerely,

Robert EstellEscondido, California

Dear Mr. Martin,I wanted you to know how pleased

I was to have had my “Kentucky Guitar”

CD on Martin’s on hold music. I

received many favorable comments and

orders for my tapes and CDs. Many

people asked about what guitars I was

using on the album. Most of my songs

were recorded with my MC-28 Cutaway

which is pictured on the cover. My new

album, “Irish Guitar”, is recorded with

my J-40 Jumbo, as well as the MC-28. If

anyone else is interested in my music,

I’ve included my address.

Sincerely,

Pat KirtleyMainstring MusicP. O. Box 135Bardstown, Kentucky 40004Phone (502) 348-6360

Its a long way from Casablanca and Winston

Churchill, but Bob Estell still performs with

his harmonica and his 1943 D-18, often at

retirement homes where he can do the most

good.

Dear Mr. Martin,I just wanted to express my

gratitude and complete satisfaction

with your guitars. I own a M-38, a J-40,

and have recently purchased a D-45. I

have not yet heard a guitar that can

compare with the excellent balance

and projection of the treble and bass

tone qualities. I tend to “beat up” my

guitars over the years and they just

keep on going. I hope to have a

collection of various rare Martins some

day, but until then, I am most satisfied

with the “new” line of Martins. Keep up

the good work!

Sincerely yours,

Jason M.Houston, Texas

®

4

NEW MODELSADDED TO

POPULAR “1 SERIES”

C. F. MARTIN®

ESTABLISHES NEW“ROAD” SERIES

MARTIN® CONTINUESOFFEROFSPECIAL

SP-16 MODELGUITARS D-40 OFFERSELEGANCE & TASTEAT LOWER PRICE

Marty Stuart & Travis Tritt took a

break from their busy “Double Trouble”

touring schedule to stop in at the

Martin factory for a special tour. In

particular, Marty wanted to personally

see how the HD-40MS Limited Edition

Marty Stuart Signature guitars were

progressing.

Marty was personally responsible

for the unique fingerboard inlay designs

and for the unprecedented concept for

“herringbone pearl”, which adorns the

rosette of this model. The HD-40MS

was introduced at the Nashville

Summer NAMM Show and the edition

of 250 instruments has since sold out to

dealers.

These two country music greats

had a great time during their visit, and

after their tour they both sat down and

ordered some very special Custom

Shop Martin models that are sure to

show up on stage in the near future.

Look for the one’s that sound really

good! ❖

Although there have been many

variations of Style 40 Martin

instruments throughout the years, this

designation currently refers to the

specific appointments developed for

the newer Martin J-40 Jumbo models.

The ornamentation of these models

features a highly colorful abalone pearl

rosette, abalone hexagon fingerboard

inlays, abalone CFMartin letters in the

headstock, bound fingerboard and

headstock, and gold tuning machines.

This tasteful and ornate

combination of features was borrowed

for the successful Figured Woods

Editions which were offered in Quilted

Mahogany, Flamed Walnut, and

Quilted Maple. The D-40 Dreadnought

is the newest addition to Martin’s

Standard Series of acoustic guitars. ❖

Martin is unveiling many new

additions to the popular and affordable

“1 Series” line of acoustic guitars.

The new J-1 model of fers

“1 Series” appointments in the tight-

waisted Jumbo size. The new 0000-1

uses the Jumbo or “Grand Auditorium”

shape (formerly referred to as “M”)

with a shallow body depth, making it

perfect for stage and studio use.

The small bodied 000C-1 features a

The extreme success of Martin’s

new DM model, which was initially part

of the “1 Series” line of guitars, has

prompted the introduction of a new

and separate series of instruments

called the Martin “Road Series.”

In addition to the original DM

model, this new series includes the new

DCM Dreadnought cutaway, the DM-

12 Dreadnought 12-String, and the

small-bodied 000M.

The “Road Series” guitars now

represent the lowest priced Martin

models on the market with suggested

retail prices beginning at $899. ❖

Travis Tritt, Marty Stuart, C. F. “Chris” Martin IV and Martin Artist Relations Manager, Dick

Boak, on tour at the Martin factory. Marty visited to check out the progress of his HD-40MS

Marty Stuart signature model.

C. F. Martin has announced the

continuation of its limited “Special 16

Series” acoustic guitars. A maximum of

2,500 mixed “SP” models will be

of fered during 1997. These

instruments combine enhanced

aesthetics with the use of solid woods

on the top, back, and sides. Many of

the unique technological advances

developed in Martin’s innovative and

patented “1 Series” guitars are

incorporated in the “16 Series” line of

guitars. Enhanced visual appointments

include a highly colorful abalone pearl

rosette, style 45 back strip, modified

snowflake fingerboard inlays, 4-point

snowflake bridge inlays, polished gloss

lacquer body, and gold plated tuning

machines.

Among the “SP” models offered

are the SPD-16T and SP000-16T which

feature solid mahogany back and sides

The SPD-16TR, SP000-16TR, SPDC-

rounded Venetian cutaway. This model

is also offered as a 000C-1E dedicated

acoustic electric model, which features

an onboard preamp with slider EQ. The

acoustic electric option is also offered

with the new DC-1E Dreadnought

cutaway model.

The Martin acoustic bass has

resurfaced in the form of the new

Jumbo shaped B-1 model. ❖

MARTY STUART ANDTRAVIS TRITT VISITMARTIN FACTORY

New

New

5

CLAPTON 000-28ECGETS RAVE REVIEWSAND BIG DEMAND

The Eric Clapton 000-28EC

Signature Model Martin Guitar,

introduced as a stock model at the

Nashville Summer NAMM Show in July

of 1996, has been immensely popular

with both dealers and players. More

than 1000 of these special Vintage

Series guitars have been ordered in a

short six month period, with no sign of

tapering demand. In addition, three

major magazines, Guitar World, Guitar

Player, and Acoustic Musician, have

given this model extremely high ratings,

with Acoustic Musician giving an

unprecedented perfect score in all

categories.

The reason for the popularity? The

000-28EC certainly looks great, but

perhaps Eric Clapton hit it on the

button when he said, “This is the best

sounding acoustic guitar I’ve ever

played!” ❖

Eric Clapton said it best: The 000-28-EC is

simply “the best sounding acoustic guitar I’ve

ever played!”

SP000C-16TR

Martin Style 15 guitars were first

introduced in 1935. These instruments

appeared after the depression with

very simple appointments. They were

intended to appeal to musicians that

wanted the tone and quality

construction of a Martin instrument,

without the higher cost associated with

decorative bindings, herringbone,

abalone pearl, or other fancy trim.

C. F. “Chris” Martin IV, CEO of

Martin, has had a long standing affinity

for the old Style 15 instruments, which

has culminated with the introduction of

the mahogany topped D-15. At press

time, the retail price was not

established, but we anticipate this

model to become the lowest priced

guitar in the Martin lineup. ❖

14 DAY WAIT YIELDSGREAT PLAYING LOW

ACTION GUITARSWe want to remind everyone that

after final inspection and stringing,

each Martin guitar is put on the shelf

(like a fine bottle of wine) for a 14 day

waiting period. This allows each

instrument to settle in under string

tension. After this period, the guitar is

reinspected and adjusted to insure that

every new Martin guitar plays “like

butter.” This process is producing

instruments that are consistently

outperforming all other brands! ❖

16TR cutaway and SP000C-16TR

cutaway models feature East Indian

rosewood back and sides. All of the “16

Series” models incorporate Martin’s

new extra low profile neck, designed

for easy playability, player comfort, and

fast action.

The “16 Series” models were

conceived to provide high quality all

solid wood guitars at affordable prices.

❖

ALL SOLID WOODSFOR NEW D-15

MAHOGANY TOP

New

6

PAUL SIMON OM-42(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

The perimeter of the pearl rosetted soundboard has been

painstakingly inlaid with highly colored Style 42 abalone

pearl top inlay. At Paul Simon’s specific request, the

adjustable neck is sleek and low with a comfortable

111⁄16” neck width at the nut, but with the

slightly wider “OM” neck width as

you move up toward the twelfth

fret. A Style 45 pearl inlaid C. F.

Martin headstock is bound in

tortoise and fitted with the

highest quality vintage style

ivoroid button Waverly® nickel-

plated open-geared tuning machines.

A genuine ebony tortoise bound fingerboard

features the original Style 42 snowflake pattern in abalone

pearl, with Paul Simon’s signature delicately inlaid in

mother of pearl between the 19th and 20th frets. A

deluxe five-ply vintage series Geib® style hardshell

case has been designed to house this special guitar.

The edition will be limited to 500 guitars for sale

worldwide. The edition size of “500” was taken from

“Suite 500”, Simon’s office address within the classic

“Brill” building on Broadway in Manhattan. The

interior label of each instrument will be numbered in

sequence (i.e. 1 of 500, 2 of 500, etc.) and will be

personally signed by Paul Simon and C. F. Martin IV,

Martin’s Chairman and CEO, and the 6th generation of

Martin family members to manage the esteemed guitar

firm.

In general, both Paul Simon and C. F. Martin &

Co. steer clear of product endorsements. As a

result, both wished to develop a special guitar

that would help fund a charity of particular

interest to Paul Simon. Paul is the co-founder

of The Children’s Health Fund, the nation’s

largest health care program for homeless

children, so choosing a charity was easy.

Paul Simon is acknowledged to be one of

this century’s finest singer/songwriters and

performers. While other musicians crank

out quantity, Paul Simon has labored with

the highest standard of perfection in the

details of his writings and recordings,

which stretch from the late 1950’s to the

present. And it shows. His lyrics are

nothing short of poetic, and his

compositions are meticulously layered

without the feeling of being over-

produced. Of course, he is widely known

for the legendary partnership of Simon &

Garfunkel, but after their breakup in the early 1970’s, it was

Paul’s talent that emerged in album after album of award

winning and memorable material. From his first solo release

in 1972 titled simply “Paul Simon” to his 1990 release of

“Rhythm Of The Saints”, Simon’s work has

bridged the gaps between poetry,

music, and art. Perhaps Paul’s

most interesting endeavor was

his controversial Grammy

award winning release

”Graceland”, a project that

influenced and inspired the

“World Music” movement, and set

the stage for dozens of new musical genres.

After an initial New York meeting to discuss limited

edition possibilities with Martin’s artist relations

manager Dick Boak, Paul Simon traveled to Nazareth

with his son Harper (also a great guitarist) to try out

the complete array of Martin guitar sizes, shapes, and

styles. After several hours of playing, Paul zeroed in

on two sizes: the “M” (Grand Auditorium) and “OM”

(Orchestra Model). Martin built four initial

prototypes for Paul to try: two “OM” models and

two “M” models. For his particular playing style and

touch, Paul loved the clarity and balance of the

“OM” size. He paid particular attention to the feel of

the neck, opting for a custom variation of the

typically wider “OM” neck width. In respect to

appointments, Paul felt that as a limited edition or

collectable, the model should be ornate but tasteful,

easy to amplify, and perfect for use on stage

and in the studio. Two final OM-42PS

prototypes were built for Paul’s approval

prior to unveiling at the NAMM Show.

Paul has been writing the score

for the Broadway musical entitled “The

Capeman”, due to open in New York in

the fall of 1997. As with all of his projects,

he has focused an intense creative energy

on the score. The word around

Broadway is that the music is

extraordinary, setting a new

standard by which musicals will be

judged. It is interesting to note that

the two acoustic guitars being

used in the show are the initial

prototypes from the limited

edition. ❖

“Paul Simon has labored with the

highest standard of perfection in the

details of his writings and recordings.”

“...the model should be ornate but

tasteful, easy to amplify, and perfect

for use on stage and in the studio.”

1997

Paul

Simon

OM-42PS

Signature

Model

7

MARTIN GUITAR SERIAL NUMBERSYEAR LAST#1898 83481899 87161900 91281901 93101902 95281903 98101904 99881905 101201906 103291907 107271908 108831909 110181910 112031911 114131912 115651913 118211914 120471915 122091916 123901917 129881918 134501919 145121920 158481921 167581922 178391923 198911924 220081925 241161926 286891927 344351928 375681929 408431930 45317

1931 495891932 525901933 550841934 586791935 619471936 651761937 688651938 718661939 740611940 767341941 800131942 831071943 867241944 901491945 936231946 981581947 1034681948 1082691949 1129611950 1179611951 1227991952 1284361953 1345011954 1413451955 1473281956 1532251957 1590611958 1655761959 1710471960 1756891961 1812971962 1873841963 1933271964 199626

1965 2070301966 2172151967 2300951968 2419251969 2560031970 2716331971 2942701972 3133021973 3338731974 3533871975 3718281976 3888001977 3996251978 4078001979 4199001980 4303001981 4364741982 4396271983 4461011984 4533001985 4605751986 4681751987 4762161988 4839521989 4932791990 5033091991 5124871992 5226551993 5352231994 5516961995 5704341996 pending

Frequently AskedQuestions, Part I:

Q: Can you tell me what year my

Martin guitar was made?

A: Yes! That’s the most frequently

asked question that we hear. Clip the

card below on the dotted lines. The last

guitar serial number for each year is

listed from 1898, when Martin serial

numbers were first initiated, through

1995. Prior to 1898, we can closely

estimate that 8000 Martin instruments

were made. By the way, we update this

card annually. ❖

C. F. MARTIN IVOFFERS FIRST

“CEO’S CHOICE”

2 NEW STAUFFERCOMMEMORATIVELIMITED EDITIONS

C. F. Martin & Company is pleased

to announce the introduction of two

Martin “Stauffer” Limited Edition

guitars for 1997. These are the first

“Stauffer” models to be made since the

mid 1800s, when C. F. Martin Sr.

developed the now legendary Martin

“square” headstock shape. The Martin

“Stauffer” Limited Edition 00-40 and

the 00-45 models pay tribute to the 12-

fret guitars made by C.F. Martin Sr.

during the early years of the company.

These graceful guitars had an unusual

shaped headstock with all tuning keys

on one side. This feature was borrowed

from Johann Stauffer of Vienna, for

whom Mr. Martin had worked for a

time as a shop foreman.

The 00-45 is appointed with highly

colorful abalone pearl inlay around the

perimeter of the top, sides, back,

rosette, and “tongue” of the finger-

board. The headstock bears the Martin

decal logo, delicately inlaid in genuine

mother-of-pearl.

The 00-40 features abalone pearl

inlay around the rosette. The headstock

bears a small old style decal logo.

Features common to both models

include grained ivoroid bindings, Style

45 snowflake fingerboard inlays, “ice

cream cone” shaped neck heel, black

ebonized neck finish, a unique

As part of C. F. Martin’s 1997

Limited Edition offering, Martin CEO

and Chairman Of The Board, C. F.

“Chris” Martin IV has selected

specifications and appointments for

two special CEO’s Choice Limited

Edition guitars. It was Chris’s intent to

create instruments that would deliver

great tone, tasteful but elegant orna-

mentation, and perhaps most

importantly, provide an excellent value

to the customer.

To meet Chris’s high tonal

expectations, solid woods have been

chosen for both models. The CEO-1

utilizes solid genuine mahogany for

the back and sides, which delivers a

strong clean treble response with a

clear powerful bass. The CEO-1R

utilizes solid East Indian rosewood,

which produces a richly resonant and

warm bass response.

Features common to both models

include an abalone pearl rosette, fine

pattern herringbone top trim,

scalloped bracing, style 45 back inlay

strip, genuine ebony fingerboard and

bridge both inlaid with hollow

“hexagon outline” inlays, gold

enclosed tuners with ebony buttons,

N-20 style black bindings with black

white side inlay, tortoise color

pickguard, C. F. Martin IV’s signature in

pearl above the last fret, an interior

label signed by C. F. Martin IV, and a

vintage “Tweed” hardshell case. ❖

“pointed” belly bridge with pyramid

wings, vintage top toner, fossilized ivory

bridge pins, nut and saddle, and unique

gold plated tuning machines with

variable length posts to accommodate

the special headstock shape.

A specially made replica of the

original wooden “coffin” case will be

supplied with each of these special

instruments.

The edition will be limited to 100

instruments total: 25 will be constructed

with rare pre-CITES Brazilian rosewood

and designated as 00-45 Stauffers, and

75 will be constructed of East Indian

rosewood and designated as 00-40

Stauffers. Each guitar will bear an

internal edition label individually

numbered in sequence and signed by C.

F. Martin IV, the sixth generation of

Martin family members to manage the

company. ❖

The original Stauffer headstock shape, shown

here, provided inspiration for this year’s

special Martin/Stauffer editions.

✁

NewNew

8

MARTIN MANDOLIN SERIAL NUMBERS1925 125201926 133591927 138331928 141701929 146301930 148921931 152901932 154761933 155281934 157291935 158871936 161561937 164371938 165801939 167471940 169571941 172631942 174051957 229851958 231111959 232621960 235121961 236631962 239381963 241391964 243391965 244391966 245641967 246391968 248391969 24989

1970 250391971 251391972 252891973 253391974 256791975 258951976 26045

#259996-260020 are 1976 also

1977 261011978 261011979 261121980 261561981 262151982 262251983 262471984 262541985 262631986 262731987 262791988 262811989 262811990 262911991 262971991* 509122

After 1991see guitar #’s

for all mandolins.

YEAR LAST#1895 231896 1121897 1551898 3591899 5771900 8001901 8811902 11711903 13481904 15071905 16691906 20261907 23571908 25101909 27861910 30981911 34311912 38471913 41621914 44621915 47671916 50071917 57521918 63701919 72371920 87611921 96271922 101961923 110201924 11809

Frequently AskedQuestions, Part II:

Q: Can you tell me what year my

Martin mandolin was constructed?

A: Yes! Clip the card below on the

dotted lines. The last serial number for

each year is listed for mandolin

production until 1991. After 1991,

mandolins are included with guitar

serial numbers on this card’s flip side.

C. F. Martin & Co., in conjunction with Kief

Music Company of Surrey, British Columbia,

co-sponsors The Canadian Country Music

Association’s annual Humanitarian Award.

This year’s award was presented to Joan

Kennedy (above), who has done significant

charitable work for The Children’s Wish

Foundation of Canada.

ALTERNATE TUNINGS

Nazareth PikeWords & Music by

Dr. Russell J. Rentler, M.D.

I was going through Pennsylvania one day

When I met an old man who had these words to say:

Take the Nazareth Pike boy, and you will see

The place where dreams are made, it’s where you want to be.

So I took this man’s advice, and started walking forth

The Martin Guitar factory, it was just a few miles north

My backpack it felt heavy, but I just didn’t care

I kept on walkin’ up the road to who knows where

Chorus:

Take the Nazareth Pike boy and you will see

It will always take you to where you’d rather be.

Then I stumbled into a postcard kind of town

With little kids a playin’ and flowers on the ground

And on the outskirts of this little town there stood that factory

The birthplace of the most beautiful guitars you would ever see.

(Repeat Chorus)

I dreamed that I could get a job building the Martin Guitar

But another fate did own me, I guess I’d gone too far

That’s how the story ends my friend, they call me an M.D.

But that place on Nazareth Pike is where my heart would rather be.

(Repeat Chorus)

© 1996 DR. RUSSEL J. RENTLER, M.D.

There are dozens of ways to tune

the guitar. The most popular alternate

tunings are called “open tunings”,

where the strings are tuned to an open

chord such as D Major (D-A-D-F#-a-d)

or G Major (D-G-D-G-b-d).

Another interesting tuning,

generally referred to as “High Strung”

or “Nashville” tuning, is often utilized in

recording studios to achieve an

extremely clean treble or high end

sound. This sound, similar in some ways

to a twelve string guitar, tends to

balance out the often overpowering

bass response in guitar recordings.

One easy way to explain

“Nashville” tuning is to imagine a set of

strings for a 12-string guitar. If you were

to select the thin or high octave string

from each pair, and put the other strings

aside, then string an instrument with

these higher strings, this would yield

standard (E-A-D-G-b-e) tuning, but the

bass strings are now tuned an octave

above standard pitch.

It is perfectly acceptable to try a

12-string set as described in the

previous paragraph, but you will no

doubt find the gauges much too light

and slinky. At Martin, we have

experimented with the gauges and have

come up with the two following options

for what we would refer to as a Light

Gauge “Nashville” Tuning Set. Note

that only the .024 string is wound and

that the G string can either be an

octave above pitch (.008) or at standard

pitch with an unwound string (.019).

Light Gauge “Nashville” Tuning

E .024w .024w

A .017 .017

D .013 .013

G .008 or .019

B .012 .012

e .010 .010

Paul Simon uses this tuning often,

most notably on the title cut from his

album, Graceland. Listen to this track

carefully. It will surprise you.

For you Backpacker owners out

there, “Nashville” tuning really sounds

great on small instruments. ❖

9

years “1957-1997” inlaid above the

last fret. The letter style of these inlays

is reminiscent of 1950’s “pop art.”

The Kingston Trio D-28

Dreadnought guitar features a solid

square tapered headstock with a

Brazilian rosewood headplate and

Martin’s “old style” scroll decal logo.

The back and sides of the body are

constructed of select, bookmatched

East Indian rosewood. Grained ivoroid

is utilized for the bindings and trim. The

solid spruce soundboard utilizes 5⁄16”

height scalloped X-bracing, shifted

forward to a position approximately 1”

from the soundhole. Both the bridge

and the fingerboard are hand-crafted

from genuine ebony. Fingerboard

position markers are 1950’s-era Style

28 mother-of-pearl dots. The bridge is

fitted with a long (or “through”) saddle

fashioned from genuine bone, as is the

hand-cut nut. Tuning machines are

Martin’s vintage style open-geared

variety, finished in gold, with gold

“butterbean” knobs. Bridge and

endpins are white, inlaid with tortoise

colored “redeye” dots. A hand-beveled

and polished tortoise colored

pickguard is used to simulate the old,

under-the-finish application.

The custom 0-18T Tenor features

back and sides of genuine mahogany,

select Sitka spruce soundboard with

Style 18 rosette, tortoise bindings,

beveled pickguard, gold vintage tuners

with “butterbean” knobs, and mother-

of-pearl Kingston Trio anniversary

inlays. One interesting custom touch is

that genuine ebony is utilized for the

fingerboard and bridge.

The Vega® Long-Neck Folk Model

banjo is specially made and warranted

for this commemorative issue by the

Deering Banjo Company of Lemon

Grove, California. The extra long 25-fret

neck, which facilitates easy key

changes to suit the vocalist, was

originally suggested to Vega by Pete

Seeger. It was later popularized by

Dave Guard and John Stewart of The

Kingston Trio and soon became the

“workhorse banjo” of virtually every

major folk group.

Specifications for the Kingston Trio

Limited Edition Vega® Long Neck Banjo

are similar to the original Fairbanks No.

2 Tu-Ba-Phone XL models made by

Vega of Boston. Metal parts are nickel

plated. The fingerboard is ebony, bound

in white, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl

dots. The Vega “star” is inlaid at the 5th

fret and scaled down “The Kingston

Trio” and “1957-1997” inlays are

utilized to match the D-28 and the 0-

18T models of the commemorative set.

(It is interesting to note that C. F.

Martin & Co. once owned the Vega

Banjo Company in the 1970’s and

produced Vega banjos here in our

Nazareth facility along side our guitar

production. Martin sold the brand in

the early 1980’s, and it was

subsequently acquired by Deering, the

current owner.)

Each instrument in the Kingston

Trio Limited Edition Set is individually

numbered in sequence (i.e. #1 of 40,

#2 of 40, etc.) and each set

instrument’s label will be personally

signed by Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds,

and George Grove, as well as former

member John Stewart. C. F. Martin IV,

Martin’s chairman and CEO, will also

sign each label.

The Dreadnought and Tenor guitars

are offered with a Geib™ style deluxe

Vintage hardshell case. The Vega Long

Neck Banjo comes with Deering’s high

quality hardshell case.

Extended OfferingWhen all 40 Kingston Trio Limited

Edition Sets have been ordered by

dealers, an extended edition of

Kingston Trio D-28 guitars will be made.

These guitars will be limited to orders

taken prior to October 30, 1997.

Specifications for these guitars will be

identical to the Kingston Trio D-28

model offered as part of the set except

that the interior labels will be

individually numbered without total (i.e.

#1, #2, #3, etc.) and each instrument

will be personally signed by Kingston

Trio founder Bob Shane and C. F.

Martin IV.

KINGSTON TRIO(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

“They were the catalyst to an entire social and culturalphenomenon that affected

our musical tastes, our social conscience, even how we dressed

and talked.”

The Kingston Trio:

Biography SynopsisThe original Kingston Trio was

formed in 1957 by Bob Shane, Nick

Reynolds, and Dave Guard while the

three were attending college in the San

Francisco area. Using only acoustic

guitars and banjos, they literally

revolutionized popular music,

reawakening America to its own rich

heritage, paving the way for a broader

acceptance of bluegrass, blues, country

and other indigenous American musics.

But the trio did more than that.

They were the catalyst to an entire

social and cultural phenomenon that

affected our musical tastes, our social

conscience, even how we dressed and

talked. The Trio’s release of “Tom

Dooley” in October of 1958, marked

the beginning of the “folk music revival”

and set the stage for Bob Dylan, Joan

Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary (to mention a

few) and the entire protest music

movement of the 60s.

In 1961, after two Grammys and

numerous gold records, Dave Guard left

the group and John Stewart was

introduced, maintaining the Trio’s

enormous success until 1967 when the

Trio disbanded.

In 1972, Bob Shane reformed The

Kingston Trio with George Grove and

Roger Gambill, and for the next decade

the Trio again traveled the world playing

sold out audiences. The untimely death

of Roger Gambill in 1985 brought Bob

Haworth briefly into the group, followed

by the return of original member Nick

Reynolds.

Today, The Kingston Trio is

composed of Bob Shane, Nick

Reynolds, and George Grove. Their

trademark three-part harmony and crisp,

melodic sound keeps them touring 35

weeks a year, including concerts with

more than 20 major symphony

orchestras.

And they still do it all on Martin

guitars! ❖

D-28KT

MARTIN® STRINGS

Rory BlockPerformer

When your powerful blues drivespeople to their feet, you play stringsthat stand up to it too. Blues is gritty,powerful music. You really need to layinto the strings. The only strings thatcan stand up to the way Rory Blockplays are Martin Strings. She usesMartin mediums. In her own words,“They work wonderfully for me. I playvery hard and get the least amountof buzzing with the Martin med-iums.” When it’s time to restring yourinstrument, use Martin Marquis®,Martin Strings, Martin PhosphorBronze, or Martin Cryogenic. After all,the best string with the best!

The People Who Use Them

Martin Thinline 332 Plus™ Acoustic Pickup

The 332 Plus™ is a new pickup

system for acoustic guitars developed

by Fishman Transducers®. The

complete system includes a ceramic

under the saddle pickup (Thinline

332®) and a specially designed

miniature onboard preamp. The heart

of the system is a miniature circuit that

is housed in a slightly elongated

shielding cap on the back end of the

jack. The board uses state-of-the-art

surface mounting components. It is an

all discrete transistor circuit design.

The unit features:

• New onboard Active Jack™ preamp

• Improved ease of installation

• Low noise

• Frequency response: 20Hz - 20kHz

with THD of less than .1%

• Extremely low current consumption

for long battery life

• Warm, balanced acoustic response

without distortion

Active Jack™ Pre-amp for Martin Thinline Pickups

The Active Jack™ , developed by

Fishman Transducers®, is a new pre-

amp system for acoustic guitars that

already have Martin Thinline 332® or

other brands of ceramic pickups

installed. The heart of the Active Jack™

system is identical to the one utilized

with the above Thinline 332 Plus™ the

only difference being that this version,

intended for retrofitting, does not

include a pickup. ❖

The new Martin Thinline 332 Plus™

includes an Active Jack™, a battery mount,

and a pre-wired battery connecter. The

Active Jack™ can be purchased by itself if

you want to do an “active” upgrade to your

existing pickup.

Thinline 332 Plus™

Look for new Martin SP™ Strings

at your local music store. They’ll

turn gold into magic.

10

New

New NEW MARTIN®

ACOUSTIC PICKUPS

RUMPLESTILTSKYN SPINNING “MAGIC”

AT C. F. MARTINThis is no fairy tale! OK, so there’s

no legendary imp working here with

an ancient spinning wheel and a pile of

straw. But the exciting story is that C.F.

Martin & Company has developed a

new line of acoustic guitar strings that

are as good as gold, but you don’t

need to speculate on precious metals

to enjoy them!

The new Martin SP™ Studio/

Performance Series strings are made

from an ultra-high quality steel core

that resists breaking and corrosion

better than other strings. If you look

closely, you’ll see that the core wires

and the plain strings are plated with a

smooth, acoustic bronze finish.

Available in 80/20 Acoustic Bronze,

these new strings outperform other

brands. They stay bright, have long-

lasting, superior tonal qualities, and

look absolutely beautiful on your

favorite guitar.

Our high technology winding

operation has long since replaced

hand-operated spinning wheels and

our quality is no myth. We work hard

to put the magic in your fingers. Try a

set of the new Martin SP™ Studio/

Performance Series strings.

These strings are so new, you

might have to educate your favorite

dealer about them! Ask them to order

you a few sets today!

BACKPACKER®

GUITARSWhere Have They Been?

BACKPACKER®

QUADROPHENIAPreston Gratiot hails from

Camarillo, California. He has the

only “herringbone” Backpacker

that we know of. He dropped

the instrument while hiking and

as a result, he had the

herringbone trim custom

installed to eliminate the dent.

Preston strings his Backpacker

with “high strung” or “Nashville”

tuning (See Page 8). He does a

lot of traveling as well.

Preston was recently out

running the mining trails

between Durango, Silverton,

and Telluride when he stopped

at “Four Corners” to photo-

graph his Backpacker in Utah,

Colorado, Arizona, and New

Mexico, all at the same time.

OK, if you want to get technical,

the instrument is only in three

states, the strap is in Arizona. ❖

INLINE BACKPACKERSCOAST TO COAST !Bill McIntosh inline-skated coast to

coast across America, over four

mountains and hundreds of “large hills”,

across the Mohave desert, through

swamps in three states, and days through

barren wildernesses. He jumped in three

oceans and slept on the side of the road

in eight states. And he did it all with his

Backpacker slung across his shoulder!

Why did he do it? He is marketing

products for the inline skating industry

across the world and supporting a

number of charities in the process,

including The Foundation Enhancing

Education & Literacy which helps

underprivileged children. ❖

– In Outer Space Aboard The Space Shuttle,

– To The Summit Of Mount Everest,

– To Both The North and The South Poles,

– On A Safari In Africa,

– Coast To Coast On Inline Skates, and

Across The Continent Of AsiaOn A Bicycle.

Where Ever You’re Going, You Really Can Take A

Backpacker Along With You!

We Want To Hear Your Backpacker Story.

Mail to: “The Sounding Board”

c/o Martin Guitar Company

Box 329, Nazareth, PA 18064-0329

HAVE BACKPACKER®

WILL TRAVELScotty Stets of Fall River, MA,

traveled extensively around Europe

with his Backpacker, which he has

affectionately named “Yvette.” He

wailed for the ghosts at Warwick

Castle north of London, he yodeled at

the ruins of the Marquis de Sade’s

chateau in the foothills of the French

alps, his vocals venerated the stormy

beaches at Normandy, he crooned at

the “upside down scallops” of the

Roman aqueducts in Lisbon, and in the

photo above, he serenaded the spirit of

Hamlet at Shakespeare’s legendary

birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. “To

strum or not to strum?” No question

here. Scotty chose to strum!

Scott’s dad, Stanley J. Stets Jr.,

loves to belt out Hank Snow tunes on

his old D-41, so it’s a family thing.

Scott is planning more excursions

and wants to know whether there are

any places that the Backpacker should

go that it hasn’t already been to? Have

any ideas? In the patriotic tradition, he

exclaims: “I have not yet begun to

Backpack!” ❖

Scotty Stets serenades the spirit of Hamlet at

Shakespeare’s legendary birthplace in

Stratford-upon-Avon.

Bill McIntosh, looking like a member of the

foreign legion, takes a rest in the middle of the

Mohave desert.

11

Pho

to b

y D

avid

Silv

a

Pho

to b

y S

ash

a D

. M

oo

re, Santa

Fe, N

M

▼

At Last, A Guitar DesignedSpecifically For Women

B Y D I A N E P O N Z I O

OUR MISSIONThe Women And

Music Program will

Successfully Educate,

Encourage,

Acknowledge, and

Promote Women’s

Involvement with

Guitar Playing Through

the Continuous

Development of

Guitar Related Projects.This Mission was adopted by

The Women & Music Committee

of the Martin Guitar Company on June 20, 1996.

Before the turn of the century,

the majority of guitar players

were women. They embraced

“Parlor Style” music, which they played

on small bodied, gut-string guitars.

Many lithographs and paintings from

the late 19th century show these

women enjoying such instruments.

Things certainly have changed. The

majority of players are now male. As a

result, lithographs featuring active,

guitar-playing women have been

replaced by ads showing passive bikini-

clad models who obviously serve

merely as virility tokens for the male

players. Images of women musicians

are rare. Was it international affairs,

styles of music, or cultural trends that

drove women fretless?

There is a case to be made that

guitar makers have neglected over 50%

of their potential market in their

advertising strategies. Ironically, though,

the movement in popular music today

is centered on the singer-songwriter,

many of whom are, in fact, women...

women GUITARISTS. In an interesting

inverse parallel trend, it is notable that

from the 1920’s until the present, guitar

bodies have gotten bigger, while the

number of women players has gotten

smaller. Perhaps it’s time for the musical

instrument industry to alter its

marketing strategies and give some

attention to ergonomics. Women can

and should be lured back to the

fingerboard.Recently, a voluntary group of

Martin employees got together to think

about these issues. The demographics

of the group were unprecedented; 80%

were women. They represented literally

every facet of the Company’s

endeavors from making strings and

bridges to headstocks and braces. I was

fortunate to participate in this exciting

group as we sought to acknowledge

women’s role in the music world today.

Our job was to develop some ongoing

programs and to try to determine what

kind of Martin guitar most women

would like to play.

Anatomically speaking, it’s rather

obvious that the Dreadnought can be a

little uncomfortable for many women.

In a survey conducted with several

hundred female Martin owners, it was

determined that a smaller-bodied, tight-

waisted guitar was more desirable. But

all of us are committed to sound. The

distinctive Martin sound, now most

common in Dreadnoughts, has

galvanized musical culture for almost

two centuries. Could we come up with

a guitar that sounded big, but played

comfortably...one with great action, a

perfect thin neck, and elegant but

simple appointments?

It’s a thrill for me to have been a

part of a group that designed an

instrument that a linebacker could love

as well as any of my peers - the “00”

Deep Body. In playing several

prototypes, we all fell in love with the

Mahogany model. The sound was

spectacular. The slotted headstock,

because of its increased downward

pressure on the nut, gives an even

bigger sound that the scalloped braces

and Dreadnought depth already insure.

And the tight waist provides wonderful

tonal balance, yielding a versatile guitar

that packs a punch!

It’s a proud moment for The Martin

Guitar Company to be among the first

companies in the instrument business to

publicly acknowledge women players

by stepping out boldly. By getting input

from women and allowing for their

ideas, Martin has designed a specific

model perfect for them. Now, that

wonderful new instrument is on the

market. And because of its enhanced

sound capabilities, it’s an instrument

that men will crave, too. This is a great

guitar for anyone to be proud of and for

everyone to love playing. ❖

Diane Ponzio, pictured above, is a New York

based singer-songwriter and guitarist. She

travels world-wide with C.F. “Chris” Martin IV

performing her songs as part of a

presentation about the Martin guitar. She has

released two CDs.

OUR MISSION

B