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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE MARTIN GUITAR COMPANY • VOLUME 22 • JANUARY 2007

Bold Ideas & Proven Traditions Merge At MartinExciting New Acoustic Guitars Introduced At Anaheim NAMM Show

The Sounding Board

D-7 Roger McGuinn Special Edition Ditson 111 “Dreadnaught” Doobie-42 Tom Johnston Signature Edition

FeLiX III “Tie Dye” Limited Edition

Special Edition CSN Gerry Tolman Tribute

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Dear Sounding Board Readers,Since our new Martin Guitar Museum and Visitors Center has

opened, we’ve had several grand openings and open houses: employeesand their families, friends of the Company, our vendors, members of themusic media, Nazareth neighbors, dignitaries of the Lehigh Valley, theMartin Club of Japan, overseas distributors, Martin Owners Clubmembers, Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum (UMGF) members – the listgoes on and on. Most recently, an Artist Relations open house featuredlive musical performances from a host of Martin friends that includedjazz guitar great Joe Beck, the Grammy Award winning duo of CathyFink and Marcy Marxer, above, left to right Renaissance vocalist AnnieHaslam with legendary folk musicians Judy Collins and Tom Paxton.

It was particularly special to have Tom and Judy with us. When ourSycamore Street factory first opened in 1964 (42 years ago!), Tom andJudy christened the new facility with an unforgettable performance onthe loading platform. So now we’ve all come full circle! The only thingmissing was the live baby elephant that my father had brought in, I thinkto reinforce the fact that we weren’t using ivory any more.

On a sad note, as we were about to go to press with this issue,when we learned of the passing of our good friend and publicist, RonnieLippin. For the past twelve years she has contributed so much to ourcompany and to us personally with her great character, enthusiasm andstyle. We will certainly miss her.

Sincerely,

C. F. Martin IV

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The Sounding Board™

Volume 22 • January 2007P U B L I S H E D B Y

The Martin Guitar CompanyP. O. Box 329, Nazareth, PA 18064

Phone: (610) 759-2837 Fax: (610) 759-5757

www.martinguitar.comE D I TO R

Dick Boakeditor@martinguitar.com

C O N T R I B U TO R S

C. F. Martin IVMarshall Newman

Len JaffeNick Colesanti

Bill BushChris Thomas

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

John Sterling Ruth PhotographyJohn Woodland

Scott Follweiler, Jack Houser,Donna Hunter & Lisa Sturm

© 2007 C. F. Martin & Co., Inc. Nazareth, PA 18064 USA.

17MM03 All rights reserved.

The Sounding Board™ is availablefor free from your local authorizedMartin dealership. You will also findrecent Sounding Board issues on ourwebsite in downloadable PDF format.Typically, issues are published in Januaryand July of each year.

If you wish to be assured of receivingfuture issues of The Sounding Board, werecommend that you consider maintainingan active membership in The MartinOwners Club. If you wish to be includedon our temporary recipient list, pleasemail your request with complete nameand address to:

The Sounding BoardThe Martin Guitar Company

P. O. Box 329Nazareth, PA 18064

You may request a complimentary copyof our Martin catalog by writing to theabove address or by calling the Martinswitchboard at (610) 759-2837.

Printed On Recycled Paperin the USA

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In Memory Of Ronnie Lippin

1947-2006Our publicist

and very special friend.

LETTERS

Dear Mr. Martin,As you can see, my daughter and I

are having a great time and one of youracoustics is making it sound all thebetter. I own two of your guitars now. Iwent to school with your sisterGeorgeann and I promised her whenwe were in college together that when Istarted performing in public, I woulduse Martin guitars. I kept my promise.Thanks for helping me realize some ofmy own personal goals. Martin guitarsare the best!

Bill ZweitzigCyberspace

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Dear Mr. Martin,I am writ ing to tel l you how

delighted I am with my new MartinCustom Shop J-41 Special Jumbo guitar.I absolutely LOVE it!

The birth of this guitar – indeedwhether or not it was to be born at all –was a labor of love. The entire processconsumed a year. I think that because Itook so much time with this decision,put so much effort into it, waited solong for it to be built, imagined what itwould be like, anticipated its arrival…because of all of this, I think I appreciateit all the more than I would have had Isimply bought a guitar off the wall.

I just can’t believe how nice thef inished guitar is – an Adirondackspruce top, Waverly tuners, an alternatetorch on the headstock – in short, thewoods, the expert craftsmanship, andthe meticulous attention to each detailshine through at every turn. It’s obvioushow much pride your craftspeople takein their work and the guitar is only goingto get better and better with time! I’llnever part with this one… ever!

I also play a Martin D12-28 and my5 year old son (Mikey) plays an LX BlackLittle Martin. We’re huge Martin fansand charter members of the MartinOwners Club.

Did I tell you, my friends are reallyjealous? Sincerely,

Michael A. MutzChicago, IL

Dear Friends at Martin,I just wanted to let you know my

new 000-40 signature model guitarshave been a huge hit over here inEngland with the guitar loving folks in myimmediate circle. Thank you for ensuringsuch a fine instrument. Hope all is well inNazareth. Ever....

Mark KnopflerUK

Dear Mr. Martin,I'm currently stationed in Baghdad

with the 101st Airborne Air AssaultDivision. When I deployed I bought aMartin to take with me so I could keepmy musical chops fresh and write somenew songs. Even after all this guitar hasbeen through – the 120 degreetemperatures, dust, sand storms andmany other diversions, my Martin stillplays great. The sound is so warm andlush. It truly is a great guitar!

Thank you so much for making sucha high quality product.

SSG Joseph E. Radebaugh101st AirborneIraq

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Dear Mr. Martin,I thought you’d appreciate seeing

this photo of a very early (circa 1927)Dreadnought guitar made by Martin forthe Oliver Ditson Company. It wasplayed Hawaiian style by “The FourAristocrats,” but only three are shown.

John WoodlandMinneapolis, Minnesota

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C. F. Martin & Co. Receives Nine Prestigious Player’s Choice Awards From Acoustic Guitar Magazine

Best Dreadnought Guitars Best Mid-Size Flattops Best Small-Bodied Guitars

12-String Guitars Jumbo Acoustic Guitars Acoustic-Electric Guitars

Nylon String Guitars Steel Strings Nylon Strings

Presented by Acoustic Guitar Magazine, the prestigious Players’ Choice Awards for 2006 were given to the companieswith the most votes in each category. Each category consists of gold, silver, and bronze award winners. C. F. Martin & Co. haswon nine awards in the categories listed below.

Player’s Choice Awards are voted on by the people who are out there using the products and making music, not doled outby the editors or “experts in the field”. This being the case, the awards go to product lines in most instances, and not toindividual products. v

MARTINSTORIES

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HD-14 !Back in 1978, Bob and Ellen Shores of Getzville,

New York visited Martin during their honeymoon trip tothe Poconos. In the 1833 Shop, Bob (an ardent Martinfan and amateur luthier) purchased a rejected MartinHD-28 “half guitar.” Over the years, he has used it as awall decoration, an idea box, a toy box, a desk recyclingbin and a tool box. But more recently after finding adiscarded Martin neck from a trash can, Bob decided tocomplete the half guitar into something that plays!

With a 19.1” scale length, the instrument tunes wellabove standard pitch to either G (Terz) or A (Requinto)giving it a crystalline tone. People seem to love the guitarmore for its unique appearance, but it does sound quitegood. When people see Bob’s creation, of course theyask if he got it at a “half price sale!” He calls it the HD-14because it is half of an HD-28! v

Relieving The TroopsWe receive many photographs of Martin guitars being enjoyed

by our soldiers in Iraq. It provides a much needed relief. The abovephoto shows an unnamed lieutenant playing for worship serviceson FOB (Forward Operating Base) Courage in Mosul, Iraq. Thephoto was provided by Chaplain Major Gordon Furbay, formerpastor of the Nazareth Moravian Church, which is just a mile fromthe Martin factory. Chaplain Furbay, who has also served in Iraq,wanted Martin employees to know that they are doing their part tosupport the troops during a difficult time. v

Guitar CampSinger-songwriter and Martin lover David Roth furnished this

mostly Martin photo taken at one of his guitar instructional camps.Since emerging from a nationwide field of several hundredsongwriters to open the 1987 Kerrville, Texas Folk Festival as itsNew Folk winner, the Chicago native has gained national attentionfor his unique songs, moving stories and powerful singing. v

Pork DukesAfter 30 years as icons of the British punk scene,

brothers Vilos and Horendus Styles of the infamous“Pork Dukes” visited the Martin Factory (along with bassplayer Vince Santini) for an impromptu performance inthe lobby during their world tour. v

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Philadelphia Folk Festival 2006The annual Philadelphia Folk Festival always has plenty of

surprises. This year Jackson Browne was joined by DavidLindley to wow the Saturday night crowd (see photo on page31). The incredible Roches returned to the stage playing theirMartin guitars, and the legendary David Bromberg performedwith his M-42 Signature Edition. Amazingly, when the rafflewinners were announced on Sunday night from the MartinStage, all the winners were present. They are: (left to right) LoriFoster, Martin’s Dick Boak, David Marks and Bill Uhlig. v

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at the Philadelphia Folk Festival

Raffle Winners

Lefty & RightyHans Philipps wanted to buy a nice guitar for his wife

Eva for her 61st birthday. The search began. Hans foundmany fine guitars, but none suited Eva’s needs since she’s aleft-handed player. He knew he wanted to buy a Martin sohe special ordered one from his local Martin dealer. Astime drew nearer to the delivery date, Hans decided toorder one for himself as well. Both guitars arrived on thesame day and the couple posed with Larry Barnwell,Martin District Sales Manager from the Pacific Northwest.

Hans, who is 73, immigrated to the US from Germanyafter WWII. Eva, originally from Vermont, is now 63. Theyplay together every day and have entertained “down at theSenior Center.” Recently they relocated to Sequim,Washington out on the Olympic Peninsula where theyhope to find some kindred souls to play music with. Whenasked how they were enjoying their guitars, Hans replied,“The real appreciation goes to the folks at Martin. We arevery pleased to have these two guitars. After choosing onefor Eva, I couldn’t resist buying one for myself!” v

Remembering Barry RinkerFriends and family of long time Martin coworker Barry

Rinker gathered on a lovely summer day at the NazarethBorough Park to plant a tree in his honor and memory.Among his many jobs at Martin, he managed the back halfof Martin guitar production as well as the shippingdepartment. Pictured are (left to right) Dale Unger, DickBoak, James Luzader and Tom Hoffman. v

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Saving Sitka SpruceC. F. Martin Supports Greenpeace Music Wood Campaign

In August of 2006, Martin’s Director of Supply Chain ManagementNick Colesanti joined Rob Stangelini of Fender, Dave Berryman ofGibson and Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars on a one week trip to theTongass National Forest, part of the Southeast Alaska Temperate CoastalRainforest.

Scott Paul and Larry Edwards, of trip sponsor Greenpeace, led thegroup on a week-long tour of old growth, second growth and newlyharvested areas of the rainforest to see the short and long term impactsof clear-cutting practices.

This trip is one in a series that constitutes Greenpeace’s MusicWood campaign. Each trip targets a specific tree species used by themusic industry. This trip focused on Sitka spruce, a main constituent ofthe Tongass National Forest. Sitka spruce is used by all of the musiccompanies in attendance for soundboards (tops) and braces on acousticguitars.

In many instances the Sitka spruce trees used for guitar tops areover 300 years old, over 5 feet wide and over 200 feet tall. The supplyof these trees continues to dwindle as they are felled during the clear-cutting process for use in construction or disposable pulp and paperproducts.

A highlight of the trip was a meeting with the Board of Directors ofthe Sealaska Corporation; an Alaskan native-owned, regionalcorporation that is the largest single land owner in southeast Alaska.During this meeting, the methods of and the reasons for continuedclear-cutting of the rainforest were discussed. In the end, Sealaskaagreed to consider the pursuit of certification through the ForestStewardship Council (FSC). This certification would help insure that partof the southeast Alaska Temperate Coastal Rainforest is harvested in asustainable manner and that the mighty Sitka spruce will be around formany years to come.

Martin Guitar is proud to join with its friends in the music industryto help preserve the world’s rainforests for future generations. v

Participants in the Greenpeace Music Wood Campaign to encouragesustainable logging practices – left to right: Larry Edwards, Scott Paul,Nick Colesanti, Rob Stangelini, Bob Taylor, and Dave Berryman.

Martin Booth at IBMA

IBMA 2006The International Bluegrass Music Association

held their annual conference this year in Nashville,Tennessee. Bob Fehr, Sally Fehr and Cyndi Fritzrepresented Martin and set up the booth you seeabove, displaying many of the new productsintroduced at the Austin NAMM Show. Manycelebrity country stars attend the IBMA, amongthem Rhonda Vincent, Marty Stuart and VinceGill . It ’s a great place to network with thebluegrass community, within which Martin playssuch a vital role. v

Luck Of The DrawIn 1960, Pete Kupillas of Whitney Point, New

York, wandered into a music store and bought thisslightly damaged but great sounding D-18 for awhopping $90. He later found out that the storehad mis-marked the guitar. It was supposed to havebeen marked at $290. The dealership kept theirend of the bargain though. Pete has taken goodcare of the guitar over the last 46 years. Hedefinitely got more than he bargained for! v

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A Proud SurpriseChaplain Steve Barstow was met with quite a surprise on

January 10th, 2006 – the day that he was promoted to the rankof Lieutenant Commander. That’s also the day that his wifeDeanne, and his family and friends in Yakima, Washingtonpresented him with a new Special Edition DVM Veteran’s model.The guitar turned out to be the perfect gift for someone who hasunselfishly helped so many others. His pride and gratitudecertainly show! v

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Tony Talks MartinAnthony (Tony) Nightingale visited Martin in

November of 2006 to tour the factory and new museumfirst hand and to interview Dick Boak of Martin’s ArtistRelations department. Tony is a long standing andpopular talk show host, interviewer and disc jockey inEngland, with a variety of blues-oriented shows airing onmultiple stations including the BBC. He’s also the proudowner of a Martin Backpacker as he loves to take it outon motorcycle trips.

If you find yourself in the UK, you’re most likely tohear Tony on TRUST AM 1278 or PRIORY FM. You’ll alsofind his written articles in Blues Matters magazine. v

Guitarmaking At Peter’s ValleyMartin’s Danny Brown is pictured above teaching his

one week summer course in acoustic guitar making atThe Peter’s Valley Craft Center in Layton, New Jersey.Danny was assisted by Thomas Monaster, a professionalphotographer and guitar enthusiast. Eight studentsworked for eight days to each complete a guitar (sanslacquer). Peter’s Valley offers courses in a variety ofmediums from ceramics to weaving to fine metals andwoodworking. For more course information go to:www.pvcrafts.org. v

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BE PART OF ITmartinguitar.com

BE PART OF ITmartinguitar.com

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Members of the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum (www.umgf.com) once again descended upon the town of Nazareth for theirannual MartinFest. Forum members were treated to special factory tours, the new Martin Museum, free guitar restringing, aspecial welcoming address from C. F. Martin IV, lots of guitar playing and of course the now traditional free lunch!

MartinFest 2006 musical performances included a Sundayafternoon special appearance at Nazareth Borough Park byThe Kingston Trio. Trio members (above, left to right) RickDougherty, Bill Zorn and George Grove stayed over for a specialtour of the new Martin Guitar Museum and Visitors Center.

Sunday evening at the park featured a Martin sponsoredevening acoustic concert by fingerstyle guitar virtuosoLaurence Juber (left), who sampled many tunes from his newand highly acclaimed instrumental CD “I’ve Got The WorldOn Six Strings.” As icing on the cake, Laurence offered aspecial interactive instructional clinic to Forum guitarenthusiasts on Monday afternoon. v

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New Flavors For LX Little Martin® guitars

Four fun colors have been added to the Little Martin XSeries guitar lineup, providing four new tools for musicalexpression. The LX Red, Blue, Purple and Pink guitars affordthe same portable durability offered in the highly successfulLXM model that was introduced in July of 2003.

With a shape inspired by the comfortable 0 Size 14-fretTenor Martin models with a 23” scale length, these colorful LXguitars are the perfect choice for traveling or practicing. Kidslove them too since they are perfectly sized for student use.Unlike the often brash sound of many beginner or travelguitars, the tone of the LX models is surprisingly warm andprojective – colorful if you will!

As for durability, the outermost HPL surface of the body isprotected with a mar-resistant coating to keep each guitar lookingpristine for years, and a quality protective gig bag with C. F.Martin & Co. logo embroidery is included at no extra charge. v

Blueberry, Cherry, Plum and Raspberry !

LXPink

LXPurple

LXRed

LXBlue

One look at this colorful new Felix guitar and you’ll swear you’reback at Woodstock. Or San Francisco. Or wherever you imagine your-self groovin’ in the “far out” sixties.

The graphic approach for this spectacular little guitar, the third andnewest in Martin’s series of Felix Limited Edition LXM guitars, is thecreation of artist Don Oriolo, the son of Felix The Cat originator, JoeOriolo. Don and his merry band of artists have spun dozens of Felixdesigns but Dick Boak, Martin’s resident old-hippie and Martin ArtistRelations Director, said this one “really moved me, man.”

Don Oriolo himself is no stranger to the San Francisco flower powerscene of the mid-60s. “I was going to school in the Bay Area right in themiddle of that whole era,” says Don. “We were all ‘Dead Heads’ (fans ofthe Grateful Dead, the legendary SF band) and regulars at the Fillmore. Alot of Dead Heads loved Felix; he’s really a rock n’ roll character with hischeeky personality. We thought the tie-dye approach was a natural forFelix. It’s like he’s dancing at a Fillmore light show.”

Since our issue of the Felix I in 2004, the demand for these impishlittle cat guitars has grown to gigantic proportions. Collectibility issynonymous with Martin guitars and Felix memorabilia of any kind, soour Felix the Cat series has become especially coveted by both playersand Felix fans alike. This colorful tie dye design provides the perfectaccent – and centerpiece – to its two black-white-red predecessors.

While the Felix guitar is a fun and wonderful novelty, it is first andforemost a real Martin guitar. And as with all Martin guitars, tone,

playability and quality are integral to its design. The body is a compact 0 size, similar to our traditional

tenor design. It is the same size as our standard LittleMartin guitar. An adjustable, modified low profile 14-fretneck (23” scale) was selected for easy playability. GotohCosmo Black tuning machines with embossed C. F.Martin logo are chosen for precision and appearance.

The Felix III makes use of Martin’s highly advanced X technology, with textured HPL (high pressure laminate)one-panel back and sides. The top, also of durable HPLmaterial, is reinforced with style Sitka spruce cross braces.

Fingerboard and bridge are crafted of black Micarta, anexcellent and environmentally friendly alternative to

ebony. Nut and compensated saddle are shaped fromblack Corian and Tusq material, respectively.

The colorful Felix graphics, custom designed forthis special edition, are carefully applied to the topand the headplate and then coated for protectionand durability.

Each guitar label will bear the imprintedsignature of Don Oriolo with the Felix graphic,serial number and patent number.

The Felix III comes with a premium black travelgig bag, embroidered with a Felix design (talk about

letting the cat out of the bag!)Beautiful. Durable. Great sounding. Environmentally

friendly. This little Felix guitar really is, well, very far outindeed!

Felix the Cat and MartinIntroduce A Very Cool Guitar

From A Very Cool Cat !

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The FeLiX III Tie Dye

Limited Edition

Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young)Honor Gerry Tolman’s Memory With Unique CSN Dreadnought

The CSN Gerry Tolman Special Edition Tribute isa classic Martin Dreadnought – as functional as it isbeautiful. Premium solid tonewoods throughout –East Indian rosewood back and sides, Engelmannspruce top and genuine mahogany neck – combinewith forward-shifted 5/16” scalloped top bracing forrich, powerful tone. Bold herringbone purflingaround the top, Style 45 rosette with a center ringof select abalone, fine black/white purfling aroundthe sides, back and end piece, Style 45 multicoloredmosaic back strip and grained ivoroid bindingproject graceful, timeless elegance.

The 1-3/4” low profile neck features a diamondvolute, solid, square tapered headstock and nickelGotoh tuners with butterbean knobs. But it is thepolished African black ebony headplate and Africanblack ebony fingerboard, both framed with ivoroidbinding inset with f ine black/white inlay, thatprovide the canvas for this guitar’s most spectacularcraftsmanship. The headstock displays the familiararched C. F. Martin & Co. logo in luminous motherof pearl and the CSN logo beneath in vibrantabalone pearl, bordered with mother of pearl. Inlaysof Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s personal logoscomprise the position markers: David Crosby’s“schooner” at the 5th fret, Stephen Still’s “Southern

Cross” at the 7th through 9th frets,Graham Nash’s “winged heart” at the

12th fret and Neil Young’s “brokenarrow” at the 15th fret. A cat’s eyeinlay at the 17th fret completes thefingerboard markers.

Adding to this Special Editionguitar’s unique look is the Africanblack ebony belly bridge with asingle point at the bottom andpyramid wings. This rarely offeredbridge, its matching black ebonybridge pins topped with abalonedots, and the vintage-st ylebeveled and polished tortoise-color pickguard complementthe “old Martin” amber ofthe top. The f lawlesspol ished gloss lacquerbody f inish, sat in neckfinish, and bone nut andcompensated saddle keepthe focus on beaut y,

function and great sound. Each Martin CSN Gerry

Tolman Special Edit ionTribute features a special

“CSN” commemorative laser-etched neck block, an interior label

For 20 years, Gerry Tolman was the behind-the-scenes heart and soul of Crosby, Stills & Nash. Hetook over management of the group during a verydifficult time and enabled it to reclaim its reputationand re-emerge as a major force in popular music.Under his gentle encouragement, CSN reunited withformer bandmate Neil Young from time to time tocreate additional magic as only those four can. He alsomanaged the solo careers of Stephen Stills and GrahamNash, helping both showcase their musical identitiesindependent of the band. He worked very hard for thosewhose careers he guided: facilitating a variety of projects,seeing that everything went smoothly, and keepingeveryone relaxed and professional. He was a very specialguy and a true gentleman, and he died much too soon,killed in a car accident in California on New Year’s Eve,2005.

Tolman had always been very supportive of Martin’srelationship with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and GrahamNash, and we were stunned by his passing. We wanted tohonor this gentle man in some tangible way and so theidea of a Crosby, Stills & Nash Martin guitar in tribute toGerry Tolman, with a portion of the proceeds going to theTolman estate to fund college for his two children, washatched. Graham Nash loved the idea and brought Crosbyand Stills onboard, the threesome agreeing to allowMartin to use the intertwined “CSN” logo –designed by the late Phil Hartman,whose talent as a graphic designerequaled his talent as an actor andcomedian – on the headstock. Thepersonal symbols from theirindividual Signature Edition guitars –Crosby’s “schooner,” Still’s “SouthernCross” and Nash’s “winged heart,”would be used as position markers onthe fingerboard.

Two prototypes were built, oneof which was brought backstage at aCrosby, Stil ls, Nash and Youngconcert last summer for thethreesome’s approval . Nei lYoung saw the guitar, heardthe plan and decided he alsowanted to be involved. Younghas a long-standing policy ofnot l icensing his name toor endorsing commercialendeavors of any kind, but forthe CSN Gerry Tolman guitar,he opted to allow Martin to usehis iconic “broken arrow”symbol as a position marker, toshow solidarity with his bandmates intribute to their associate and friend.

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In Memory

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Tolman1953-2005

David Crosby’s‘Schooner,’Stephen Still’s‘Southern Cross,’Graham Nash’s ‘HeartWith Wings’ and NeilYoung’s ‘Broken Arrow’ gracethe fingerboard of the CSNGerry Tolman Tribute guitar.The headstock bears the CSNlogo designed by actor,comedian and graphic artist Phil Hartman. Gerry Tolman (at right) was a great friendand associate of the band.

plus a second tribute photo label of GerryTolman. Guitars in this Special Edition aredelivered in a Geib style hardshell case; left-handed instruments may be ordered at noadditional charge, while factory-instal ledelectronics are an extra-cost option. AuthorizedMartin dealers will begin taking orders for theCSN Gerry Tolman Special Edition Tributeguitar immediately and participating dealerswill be posted on the C. F. Martin & Co. website:www.martinguitar.com. v

following the Battle of Jutland, the largest navalengagement of the Great War.

Despite the grand launch, the Dreadnaught guitardidn’t create much of a stir and few were sold. By 1921the entire unique Ditson line of guitars wasdiscontinued, leaving the Dreadnaught model officiallyextinct. The Ditson Company remained one of Martin's

largest accounts, ordering regular Martin guitars andukuleles by the hundreds as the 1920s roared on. Afterreceiving requests from some New York vaudevillemusicians, including "Wizard of the Strings" Roy Smeck,Hunt began to special order individual Dreadnaughtsfrom the discontinued line.

Beginning in 1924, the Martin Company made adrastic, although unseen change to the guitar. All of theearly Ditson guitars, like the few Martin guitars of the1910s designed for steel strings, were constructed with afan-brace pattern designed by Frank Henry Martin. Bythe 1920s it had become evident that by regulating thestandard Martin X-brace pattern for steel string usage,the instruments performed superior to the previous fan-braced pattern. Thus, the two most celebratedinnovations that C. F. Martin & Co. is credited for — theDreadnought body and the X-braced pattern — werejoined together in 1924 for the first time. The guitar

remained only a tiny sideline to Martin's totalproduction, available solely through the

Chas. H. Ditson store. Only 18 X-bracedDreadnaughts were shipped between1924 and 1930.

The Oliver Ditson Empire was anearly victim of the Depression, closingdown by 1931. Harry L. Hunt left thecompany in the fall of 1930, going onto open the posh Lyon & Healy HarpSalon at New York’s distinguishedSteinway Hall. The demise of Ditsonleft Martin free to market theDreadnaught to other dealers. Martinrecords show a sample “DitsonDreadnaught” with rosewood backand sides shipped to powerhousejobber Chicago MusicalInstruments, in April 1931. CMIsaw potential, and orderedfour Dreadnaughts, two inmahogany and two inrosewood. Designated theD-1 and D-2, these instru-ments were now branded

“Martin” and carried thecompany’s standard trim and

other newer Martin featurescreated around the time: the belly

bridge, teardrop pickguard and

Reviving The Original 12-fret “Dreadnaught”C. F. Martin Proudly Reissues The Ditson 111

“The idea [for the guitar] came from a dealer bythe name of Harry L. Hunt, who was manager of theDitson store in New York… Mr. Hunt also suggestedthe name ‘Dreadnaught,’ because it was in the newsthose days.”

Christian Frederick Martin IIITranscribed from a talk given at Symposium 85June 1985, Lafayette College, Easton, PA

The Martin Dreadnought has remained the dominantacoustic guitar design for nearly a century, known the worldover as the quintessential flat top. While most any guitarplayer will instantly recognize a Dreadnought, very few haveever encountered an original 1916-1930 version as only ahandful are known to exist. The guitar was originally madeexclusively for the Charles H. Ditson Company of New Yorkat the request of its manager, Harry L. Hunt. During thisperiod Ditson was the grandest music retailer in New York,the undisputed center of the music business. Hunt wasinvolved in all aspects of musical marketing and had workedclosely with C. F. Martin & Co. since 1893. He was a gildedage imperial businessman, progressive thinker and greatadvocate of high quality instruments. Still, Hunt’s most lastingcontribution from his 67 years in the music trade proved tobe his involvement in the creation of Martin’s most famousguitar, the Dreadnought.

Early in 1916, Hunt requested anexclusive line of professional ukuleles andsteel string guitars for his store to bebranded under the firm’s parent name,The Oliver Ditson Company. Hespecified an unusual wide-waistedbody shape unlike anything Martinhad previously made. By February1916, Martin began shipping the newinstruments to the New York Ditsonstore. Months later, Hunt requestedthat the Ditson shape be expandedinto a special large-bodied guitarnamed the “Dreadnaught,” given adesignated order number byMartin as “Ditson’s Style 111.”On July 19th 1916, under FrankHenry Martin’s direction, 23year-old Martin apprenticeJohn Henry Deichmanpatterned the now infamousDreadnaught design.

The name Dreadnaught,commonly spelled with an “a”by Americans at the time,referred to the era’s largest andmost powerful battleships. Theword loomed in the public’simagination in the summer of 1916

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celluloid binding. Seeing commercial potential in this nearly extinctdesign, Martin decided not to offer CMI an exclusive and began toship out samples of the newly renamed D-18 and D-28 to manyother accounts across the country. The rest of course, is history…

In honor of Harry L. Hunt’s involvement with Martin and hisrole in bringing the world the Dreadnaught guitar, we are proud toonce again offer the Ditson Dreadnaught model. A 1929Dreadnaught, located at our new museum, and a 1924 model wereminutely examined to utilize specific features of the original. The1924 model is the earliest known X-braced Dreadnaught andfeatures a factory-installed pre-teardrop shape celluloid pickguardspecially ordered by Hunt, which has been recreated for this model.Like the original, the new D-111 features genuine mahogany backand sides, an Adirondack spruce top, Brazilian rosewood headplateand binding, ebony pyramid bridge, ebony fingerboard withgraduated position markers at the 5th, 7th and 9th frets and a 1-7/8” nut width. The exact details of Ditson’s unique single ringwood rosette have been recreated. Special three-in-line Waverlytuners on the slotted headstock are true to the original look andfeel. The original “Oliver Ditson Co., Boston, New York” stampcreated in 1916 was retrieved from the Martin archives and used onthe back of the headstock and centerstrip inside the guitar.

With the resurgence of interest in 12-fret guitar designs and therich complex tone they create, the D-111 is definitely a model to beseen and heard. The unique voice of the Ditson Dreadnaught hasrarely been experienced over the last 80 years, but at last, thisspectacular sounding and historically important guitar is now onceagain available as a Special Edition from C. F. Martin & Co. v

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Frank Henry Martin (left), Martin shop foreman JohnDeichman (above right), and Harry L. Hunt of the CharlesH. Ditson Company (below right), collaborated on the nowlegendary Dreadnaught design first introduced under theDitson name in 1916 and under the Martin name in 1930.

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“On special order we make a still larger guitar, known as theDreadnaught, for the Chas. H. Ditson Co. of NY... We do not sellthis guitar direct to the trade, but will refer you to Ditson's if youare interested.... “

Frank H. Martin Correspondence – June 1929

He played in several bands, slowly gathering the playersthat would become the Doobie Brothers.

The Doobie Brothers’ 1971 self-titled debut albumwent “Teflon” (Johnston’s word) but its second,Toulouse Street, established the group as one of rock’sbest. Five “top ten” albums followed, including someof the greatest ”Best of” compilations ever assembled.In 1977, Johnston left the group to recover from a

serious medical problem and after recovering, stayedaway due to creative differences. Finally, in 1987, heand the Doobie Brothers regrouped for a short tour insupport of Vietnam veterans and rediscovered theirmusical magic. In the years since, the group hasrecorded a hit single, “The Doctor,” released sevenimpressive albums and toured regularly, thrilling old fansand garnering new ones.

The Martin Doobie-42 Tom Johnston Limited Editionfeatures a solid Engelmann spruce top reinforced with5/16" scalloped braces for tone and power, and solidEast Indian rosewood back and sides. The low-profileneck is carved from genuine mahogany and measures acomfortable 1-11/16" at the bone nut. The polishedheadplate is made from East Indian rosewood, whilethe 25.4” scale length fingerboard and belly bridge arecrafted from black ebony. The belly bridge holds acompensated bone saddle and has a string spacing of2-1/8”, perfect for both strumming and fingerpicking.

The guitar’s top is decorated with pearlherringbone around the perimeter and

fingerboard extension, and a Style 45rosette, also with a center ring of pearlherringbone. On the headplate,replacing the block letter Martin logonormally found on a D-42, is the large“Old Style” Martin gold logo decal abovethe familiar Doobie Brothers wingedinsignia, inlaid in mother of pearl andabalone. The gold Waverly tuners withbutterbean knobs and Style 45snowflake position markers aretraditional, but nestled at the 12th fretis an eighth note inlaid in selectabalone. Johnston requested thisnonstandard inlay be placedsideways, so when the guitar is inplaying position the note appearsupright, as it would on a musicalstaff. The wings of the bridge bearmirror images of the “OK” handsymbol, as seen on the Doobie’sChoice album cover; inlaid in

mother of pearl. “I wanted thedesign to be nice and clean, while

expressing my personality,” saysJohnston, “and I really wanted for the

audience to be able to see that eighth note.”

For many, the Doobie Brothers provided thesoundtrack for the 1970s. The group’s catchy,rocking, instantly recognizable sound evokes goodtime memories even for those who weren’t oldenough to hear their radio hits – “Listen to theMusic,” “Rockin’ Down the Highway,” “BlackWater,” “Takin’ It to The Streets,” and “China Grove”.As guitarist, singer and songwriter on most of theDoobie Brothers’ chart-toppers, Tom Johnston had ahuge role in the group’s early success and is once againits guiding force. The band has reunited, featuring thecore of the original lineup, and is back recording andplaying rock and roll as only the Doobie Brothers can.

While primarily an electric guitarist, Johnston haslong had an affinity for Martin acoustics. His personalcollection includes a 1962 00-18 and a 1975 D-45. The00-18 has served as a songwriting tool for many classics,most recently “People Gotta Love Again,” from theDoobie’s 2000 CD Sibling Rivalry. This guitar also can beheard on his first two solo albums, Everything You’veHeard Is True (1979) and Still Feels Good (1981). Tocelebrate Tom Johnston’s nearly four decades of finemusic and to provide inspiration for even more, C. F.Martin is pleased to introduce the Doobie-42 TomJohnston Limited Edition.

The Martin Doobie-42 Tom Johnston SignatureModel is based on the D-42, one of Martin’s mostbeautiful deluxe Dreadnoughts. Along withhandsome St yle 42 st yl ing, theDoobie-42 Tom Johnston Modelcombines f ine tonewoods andunique Doobie Brothers-inspiredappointments, making it a treat tohear, see and play.

Tom Johnston’s own playingbegan in his hometown of Visalia,California, where an early interest inthe rhythm and blues of Litt leRichard, Bo Diddley and JamesBrown inspired him to get his firstguitar at age 12. He played arange of st yles – from rock,blues, and soul to Mexicanwedding music. Whileattending San Jose State,Tom played acoustic folkblues and traditional flat-picking st yles to makemoney for living expensesand for the “pure pleasureof playing acoustically forhours.” This is where the“chunka chunka” rhythmstyle found on songs such as"Nobody,” "Listen to the Music,"and “Long Train Runnin" were born.

You Can “Listen To The Music” on the Doobie-42 Limited Edition Tom Johnston Signature Model

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Bound in grained ivoroid throughout and protected by apolished and beveled tortoise-color pickguard, the MartinDoobie-42 Tom Johnston Limited Edition is finished in full gloss;vintage toner on the top lends a classic patina. Factory-installedelectronics are available as an extra-cost option; left-handinstruments may be ordered at no additional cost. The guitar willbe shipped in a unique hemp cloth-covered 545 Geib style casewith tobacco-color lining. Each Doobie-42 Tom Johnston LimitedEdition guitar bears an interior label personally signed by TomJohnston, and numbered in sequence.

Johnston could not be more pleased with the guitar. Hesays, “This guitar project is very exciting; first because Martinasked me to work with them to create it — a distinct honor —and second because I’ve played the newer D-42s and theysound great. Martin has been making high quality guitars fordecades, and they are played by almost every top act you canthink of. It’s so exciting to be considered a part of that.” v

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The body of the exquisite Doobie-42 is trimmed withdelicate herringbone pearl, while the headstock bears theDoobie Brothers winged logo. Bridge wings are alsoinlaid with the “OK” hand sign in mother of pearl.

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Roger McGuinn has certainly become a key proponent of thedouble G 7-string concept that he initiated with his firstHD-7 Limited Edition in 2005, as can be seen by thecollection of Martin 7-strings in his home studio!

Virtually all of the critical playability and tonal aspects thatmade the initial HD-7 Roger McGuinn Signature Edition sospecial are captured here on the more affordable D-7 model.The presence of one extra string adds exponentially morepower to the core rhythm and G-string lead than one canever imagine. Appointments on this model are simple andtasteful without adding extra cost. A modified diamond andsquare inlay pattern, laser cut from maple, adorns thefingerboard, plus a single ring herringbone rosette decoratesthe scalloped Sitka spruce soundboard.

pearl. The fingerboard and belly bridge also are blackebony, the former accented only with short pattern“diamonds & squares” position markers.

As can be divined from his Custom Edition guitarand his music, Kenny Sultan values tradition. Hebegan playing guitar as a child and quickly gravitatedto the blues of T-Bone Walker and Lightnin’ Hopkins.

In 1979, while studying for a degree in Music/Ethnomusicology at University of California at SantaBarbara, he met harmonica and guitar player Tom Ball.The two quickly bonded over their love of acousticblues and their musical partnership – now more than25 years old – has yielded eight albums. Their latest,2005’s Happy Hour, is an unusual concert album thatfeatures tours of Europe and steady gigs around theirhome base in Santa Barbara, and studio work that hasbeen featured on everything from the memorable“Levi’s 501 Blues” commercials to the movie“Walkabout.”

In 2001, Kenny released West Coast Blues, his firstsolo album; a second solo album, Guitar Blues,followed in 2002. Widely respected as a blues guitarteacher, he also released four instructional videos andpublished five instructional books, including the KennySultan–Guitar Blues DVD in 2004 and its companionbook, Guitar Blues, in 2005.

Kenny loves his work and shows no signs ofslowing down. “Tom and I have a new duet

album due out in 2007 and I have alsowritten a new instructional book, BluesTricks, Turnarounds and Endings, thatwill be published soon,” he observed.“In addition, I’ve been asked to playon an album of Cole Porter guitar

instrumentals, produced by the samepeople who did Pink Guitar, the CD of

Henry Mancini music that won aGrammy.” Add a ful l schedule ofconcerts, teaching and session work,

and he is one busy musician.The Martin 000-18 Kenny Sultan

Custom Edition is outfitted withWaverly nickel open-gear tunerswith butterbean knobs, a polishedand beveled acetate nitratelaminate vintage-style pickguard,bone nut and compensatedbone “drop-in” saddle, andplain black ebony bridge pins

and end pin to approximate thevintage character of Kenny’s 1936

000-18. Vintage-appropriate darkstain on the mahogany and Martin’s

flawless polished gloss finish allow thebeauty of this new classic to shine.

000-18 Kenny Sultan Sunburst Custom EditionPays Tribute To California’s Premier Bluesman

Kenny Sultan has played ragtime, old time andeven folk during his career – both as a solo artist andwith musical partner Tom Ball – but his true passionis acoustic blues. For more than 25 years, he hasshown an uncanny talent for taking various bluesstyles – from Chicago and Kansas City to Delta andPiedmont – and making them his own. A notedteacher, consummate performer, and unsung hero ofcountless soundtracks and commercials, he and his bluesare accessible, engaging and downright fun.

Over the years, Kenny has accumulated an impressivecollection of small-bodied Martin guitars from the 1930sand 1940s, including one that has become his favorite: a1936 Martin 000-18 Sunburst. He bought it more than 20years ago and it has been his primary instrument forconcerts and recording. When approached regarding anamesake Martin guitar, Kenny was quick to suggest amodern version, but one with a definite “old school”character.

“I really pushed to get it as close to the original aspossible,” he noted. “We added a few eye-catchingappointments, but the new guitar duplicates all of theessential elements that make my vintage 000 great.”

The 000-18 Kenny Sultan Custom Edition is a beautythat sounds and plays as good as it looks. The solidpremium tonewoods include back and sides of rarefiddleback mahogany, a top of Adirondack spruceand a neck carved from genuinemahogany. Scalloped 1/4” widthAdirondack spruce top braces givethis guitar impressive tone, withuncommon power and clarity for itssize.

The rosette features a single ringof herringbone pearl inlay flanked byblack/white/black fine line inlays.Traditional tortoise-color binding isaccented by multiple black/white fineline purf l ing on the top andblack/white purfling on the back.But the real showstopper is theunique “Kenny Sultan Sunburst”top. Narrow and dark aroundthe perimeter, and quicklyfeathering to amber, it –complemented by theother appointments – looksspectacular.

The solid, squaretapered headstock on the1-3/4” (at the nut) modified Vneck features a headplate ofpolished ebony, a stunningbackdrop for the “C. F. Martin &Co.” logo inlaid in beautiful mother of

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Delivered in a Geib-style hardshell case, each Martin000-18 Kenny Sultan Custom Edition guitar bears an interiorlabel personally signed by Kenny Sultan and numbered insequence without total. Left-handed guitars may be orderedwithout additional cost and factory-installed electronics arean extra-cost option. Authorized Martin dealers will beginaccepting orders for the open-ended 000-18 Kenny SultanCustom Edition immediately and participating dealers willbe posted online at the C. F. Martin & Co. website:www.martinguitar.com. v

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What Is A Custom Edition?Custom Editions are specially made in small

batches through the Martin Custom Shop and areindividually numbered and personally signed by theartist, but are not typically limited to a finite quantity.You may order any of the above Custom EditionMartin guitars through your authorized Martin dealer.For specifications, photographs and prices, go to theweb at www.mart inguitar.com and cl ick onArtists/Custom Editions. v

Kenny Sultan

For more than two decades, bluesman Kenny Sultan hasbeen an ardent player of Martin guitars with many 0, 00,000 and Dreadnought-sized vintage models in his arsenal.Kenny is shown above with his prized 1936 000-18 Sunburstthat provided the inspiration for his custom edition.

through the soundhole, so there’s no need to put abig hole in the side of the guitar.”

Other appointments give the OMC JacquesStotzem Custom Edition an understated beautyall its own. Richly colored solid East Indianrosewood is matched to a top of premium solidSitka spruce with 1/4” width scalloped bracing.

The top, back and sides feature tortoise-colorbinding: the top is accented by Style 18 five-plyblack/white purfling and an Old Style 18 rosette,while the sides and back showcase black/whitepur f l ing. A white/black/white backstrip andtortoise-color end piece framed with black/whitepurfling complete the body appointments.

Carved from genuine mahogany, the neck istopped by an East Indian rosewood headplate, arich backdrop for the familiar gold C. F. Martin &Co. old style decal. Gotoh nickel open-gearedtuners with butterbean knobs provide smoothtuning and a bit of vintage flair. The tortoise-colorheelcap is accented with black/white inlay tomatch the body purfling.

An African black ebony belly bridge, matchingpearl dot-topped ebony bridge and end pins,bone nut and compensated bone saddle, and apolished and beveled OM teardrop tortoise-colorpickguard complete the elegant look. Polishedgloss finish on the body and neck allows the

OMC Jacques Stotzem CustomEdition’s beauty to shine.

L ike his namesake gui tar,Jacques Stotzem expresses himselfbest in music. A native of Verviers,

Belgium, Stotzem was inspired tolearn guitar at age 16 when he saw

a television appearance by Americanblues guitarist Stefan Grossman.

Within two days he had acquiredhis first guitar and an instructional

book by Grossman. Entirelyself-taught, he soon movedbeyond the basic books to learnharmony and composition, inorder to play the melodicand lyrical fingerstyle musiche was creating in his head.

He re leased his f i rstalbum, “Last Thought beforeSleeping,” in 1982, while still

in his early 20s. A series ofwell-received solo albums – the

tota l i s now 12 – fo l lowed. In

OMC Jacques Stotzem Custom EditionPays Tribute To Belgium’s Premier Fingerstylist

With the dynamic range, subtle timing andharmonic complexi t y that d ist inguish h isplaying, Belgian guitar ist Jacques Stotzemcreates a fingerstyle landscape both intriguinglyfami l iar and absolute ly unique. A st y l i st icchameleon whose original compositions delveinto blues, jazz, folk and even rock & roll, Stotzemtranscends easy classification, but his polished andemotionally powerful playing has garnered fans inEurope, the United States and beyond.

In 25 years of recording and performing, Stotzemhas owned his share of Martin guitars. As he recalled,“The first was an M-38. Later I got a 000-28. In 1993 Idiscovered the OM-21. That model offered me thelong scale ideal for my style of playing, the right bodys ize and my preferred combinat ion of wood:rosewood body and Sitka spruce top.”

His fondness for the OM-21 – among the plainestguitars in Martin’s Standard Series - is so strong thatwhen Martin asked him to design a guitar that wouldbear his name, Stotzem based it on that model. “Ivery much like simple guitars with good woods, butvery few decorations,” he said. The Martin OMCJacques Stotzem Custom Edition is such a guitar, butwith custom details that will please many players.

The OMC Jacques Stotzem features Martin’srounded cutaway for easy access tothe upper f rets . Instead of thestandard 1-3/4” wide OM neck,this Custom has a 1-11/16” widelow profile neck, with a diamondvolute at the base of theheadstock. Special tall – but notjumbo - frets grace the plain blackebony fingerboard. Fishman EllipseBlend electronics provide vir tual“plug and play” amplification.

“The whole idea is to makeplaying easier,” Stotzem noted. “Ireally need a cutaway for someof my concert repertoire and Ifind the narrower neck widthmore comfor table at theupper frets. I like medium-high frets and have them onall my guitars. I’m a big fanof F ishman pickups andchose the E l l ipse Blendbecause the combination ofmic and bridge pickup producesa very powerful yet very naturalsound, plus the controls are accessible

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Belgian fingerstylist Jacques Stotzem in his studio with theprototype of his OMC Custom Signature model.

A long-time fan of Martin Orchestra Models models,Jacques Stotzem is performing here with one of hisfavorite Martin models – an OM-21.

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The OMC Jacques Stotzem Custom Edition is factoryequipped with the Fishman Ellipse Blend soundreinforcement mic/pickup system.

addition to composing and recording, he became a regularon the concert and festival circuit, showcasing his musicfrom Europe and Great Britain to the United States, Japanand China.

Early in 2006, Stotzem released his latest album,“Colours of Turner,” a brilliantly adventuresome and verywell-reviewed duet recording with bassist André Klenes. Healso headed back on the road, with a concert schedule thatincludes appearances in France, Great Britain, Taiwan,Germany and Belgium.

Delivered in a molded hardshell case, each OMCJacques Stotzem Custom Edition guitar bears an interiorlabel personally signed by Jacques Stotzem and MartinChairman C. F. Martin IV, and numbered in sequence.Authorized Martin dealers will begin accepting orders forth is Custom Edi t ion immediate ly and the names ofparticipating authorized Martin dealers will be posted onthe C. F. Martin & Co. website, www.martinguitar.com. v

Jacques Stotzem

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With the release of his seventh studio album, “Both Sides ofthe Gun,” Ben Harper continues his signature mix of rock,soul, and folk, while also venturing into new territory. In May of 2006, he revisited his Australian roots for a performance at The Sydney Entertainment Centre with The Innocent Criminals, where he showcased his Martin HD-28VE.

John Mayer highlights his new album “Continuum”

and his popular song “Stop This Train” with his Martin OM-28JM Signature Edition

at a recent performance with his band.

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Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam performs with his Vintage 00-15 at Neil Young’s 20th Annual

Bridge School Benefit Concert at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in

Mountain View, California. Also performing was Dave Matthews

playing his DM3MD Signature Edition, and of course Neil Young

with his prized D-28.

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Loudon Wainwright III, armed with only his D-18, his voice and his personality,

continues to stir audiences with his singular songwriting and his

wry stage humor.

Virtuoso guitarist Steve Bargonetti is currently featuredplaying an assortment of stringed instruments for theBroadway show, The Color Purple. He’s shown aboveappropriately with his “holographic purple” MartinConcept J. Steve is certainly no stranger to Broadway,having performed in Two Gentlemen of Verona,Caroline or Change, The Full Monty, Starlight Expressand Cats. He has played guitar with such notables asEric Clapton, B.B. King, Jeff Beck and Johnny Cash andhis debut album was produced by Quincy Jones whoheralded him as a musical talent to watch. v

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Davey Graham

Legendary British folk guitarist Davey Graham has recentlyperformed some UK shows using his new Martin D-28. Inventor ofthe DADGAD tuning in 1962, Davey has been cited as a majorinspiration by many influential players including Paul Simon, BertJansch and Jimmy Page. Davey is greatly enjoying his return to public performance and an album of new material is due forrelease in early 2007. For further details, visit his web site at:www.daveygraham.moonfruit.com. v

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The ever prolific folk singer, songwriter and novelistDar Williams performed with her prized 0-45JB JoanBaez Signature model at the 2006 Four Corners FolkFestival in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. v

SteveBargonetti

Two-time Grammy Award winning singer/songwriters Cathy Finkand Marcy Marxer held a gala party for fellow friends and musiciansthat stepped up to the plate to buy their respective CustomSignature model Martin guitars. In the top row, (left to right) areJohn Beins, David Weaver, Steve Kaeser, Joe Uehlein, DaveRichardson and David Eisner. In the bottom row (left to right) areDan Malks, Steven Kaeser (Steve’s father), Cathy Fink, MarcyMarxer, and Carolee Rand. The gathering was held at Cathy andMarcy’s home in Maryland. After the brief photo session, a bigMartin jam session ensued with great music, great food, and a largedose of Martin guitar happiness! v

Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer

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As the son of John Lennon, the much beloved Beatle, and avant-garde musician Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon was a celebrity before hehad even begun his recording career. That may be the reason whyhe didn't choose straight-ahead pop as his musical vocation, like hishalf-brother Julian did. Instead, he cleverly positioned himselfbetween pop and experimental. Following upon his first album“Into The Sun,” Sean has now released a second album called“Friendly Fire.” Although the album features piano on many of thetracks, he loves to perform with acoustic guitar accompaniment, asis evidenced by the above photo taken at The St. James’s Church atPiccadilly, a section of London, in November of 2006. He is playingan all mahogany vintage Martin 00-17. v

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Sonic Youth

Lee Ranaldo of the post-punk/rock group Sonic Youth performedon his 000-18 at Mr. Smalls in Millvale, PA in August of 2006. Thatsame week, Lee visited the factory and impressed everyone with hisvast knowledge of Martin history. After seeing the current modellineup, Lee exclaimed: “There are really just too many great Martinguitars to choose from!” v

The legendary Jackson Browne l it up the 2006Philadelphia Folk Festival with a Saturday eveningperformance on his Martin D-41 Sunburst. v

Steve White

Bluesman Steve White of San Diego has developedquite a unique sound and expressive percussive style.He performs with a Martin HD-28V in a low tuning,with a slap-string right hand technique and a slide on hispinky. He’s developed considerable popularit y inEurope as well as the USA. For more information onSteve, go to: www.stevewhiteblues.com. v

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Buddy MondlockHe makes his home in Nashville

these days, and singer/songwriter BuddyMondlock, whose tune, “The Kid”, hasbeen recorded by people like Peter, Paul,and Mary and super-folk group Cry, Cry,Cry, has depended on his Martin D-35since his early days of performing as partof the vibrant Chicago folk scene. After arecording and touring collaboration withArt Garfunkel a couple of years ago,Buddy is now back on the acousticcircuit. Get all his touring informationfrom www.buddymondlock.com andcheck out his Martin when you hear him.(Len Jaffe) v

Donal LeaceDonal Leace has been a mainstay

on the acoustic circuit in theWashington, DC area since the 1960’s.He was the “resident opening act” ofthe famous Cellar Door nightclub formany years because he had anapartment at one time directly abovethe club! Over the years, he has alsocollaborated with the legendary

Greg TrafidloSolo or with his group, Virginia

native Greg Trafidlo depends on hisspecially decorated Martin D-18 tocompose his latest parody or perform inconcert. Originally from Chicago, Greg isactive in various musical enterprises,including teaching at the SwannanoaGathering every year. Greg has a numberof recordings available on his website,www.gregtrafidlo.com. Don’t miss himwhen he’s in your neighborhood! (Len Jaffe) v

Hal BrunoMany folks will remember Hal Bruno

as television’s political analyst for ABCNews for many years. During the 1970s,Hal led a bluegrass group based in theWashington, DC area made up of peoplefrom the electronic and print mediacalled… what else?. . .”The InformedSources!” Now retired from the newsbusiness, Hal still enjoys playing hisMartin D-76 every chance he gets! (Len Jaffe) v

Lynne Taylor DonovanVancouver singer, songwriter and

guitarist Lynn Taylor Donovan continuesto exert a significant impact on theinternational music scene. Mostrecently, Lynne has won the BritishJukebox Award for Female Performer ofthe Year. This is a first for her. Lynnewon a special award in 2004 for beingthe first artist to have the top threesongs in the British Jukebox chart at the same time but, this one is really special.It is voted on by fans across England.

Lynne has been recording andperforming with her Martin J12-16GTas can be seen above in her recentpress photo. For more info, go to:www.lynnetaylordonovan.com. v

Roberta Flack on several projects.Recently retired as the DramaDepartment co-chair at the DukeEllington School For The Arts, Donal nowteaches courses at his alma mater,Howard University, and continues toperform on a limited basis. Using Martinguitars exclusively since his earliestmusical endeavors, Donal’s guitar ofchoice today is a sunburst-top D-28.Read all about Donal and pick up hisnewest recordings through his website:www.donalleace.com.

Donal says: “I have, and have hadseveral good guitars in my life. I enjoyplaying them. However when I need thesound of warmth and depth, when I wanteasy action, clarity and dependability,and ‘when the deal goes down,’ I alwaysuse my 1964 Martin D-28. It allows meto do what I need to do. Martin works!”(Len Jaffe) v

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David MallettMaine-based singer, songwriter and

guitarist David Mallett has been using aspecially made Martin D-18 for the lastcouple of years, and it has fulfilled everywish he ever had for a guitar. Davidstarted his career with a vintage D-18,and after sampling some other brands fora few years, he moved up to a D-41 forquite a while before finding his currentinstrument. You can hear his guitar work,songs and vocals on his newest release,“Midnight On The Water,” available atwww.davidmallett.com. (Len Jaffe) v

Adam LevyAdam Levy is best known for his

steady gig as the featured guitarist inNorah Jones’ Handsome Band. Heplayed on her breakout 2002 disk “ComeAway with Me” and on her 2004 follow-up “Feels Like Home” that features “InThe Morning,” a song that he penned.Many other artists have recorded Adam’ssongs as well.

He is an ardent Martin player and isoften seen performing with his 000-18Golden Era model. He also is a regularcontributor to Acoustic Guitar Magazine.The best way to hear his songs is straightfrom the source. His third solo CD is“Loose Rhymes--Live on Ludlow Street”(See CD Reviews). For Adam’s webpage, go to: www.adamlevy.com. v

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Art PodellArt Podell of the original New ChristyMinstrels (1962-1966), performed at theHaugh Per forming Arts Center inGlendora, California in November of2006 with his Shawn Colvin SignatureEdition Martin Guitar. He's playing withthe newly reformed Christy Minstralsgroup that includes founder RandySparks, Barry McGuire, etc. They'll berecording a new CD and touring both theUS and Europe in 2007. v

Klavs AndreassenKlavs Andreassen of the Danish

duo “Det Lysner” sent us this proudphoto with his new lef t -handedherringbone Martin HD-28. The guitarinspired his song “Goodbye and GoodRiddance,” about quitting smoking,which has been an inspiration to Klavsas well as his many fans. v

John Michael Talbot and Tom Booth – Dueling D-42sJohn Michael Talbot (left) has been at the heart of Contemporary Christian

music since its beginning. He has shared his message through music to manymillions worldwide and still maintains an active ministry through concert tours,recordings, books and videos. He founded and directs the Brothers and Sisters ofCharity at Little Portion Hermitage, an integrated monastic community in the OzarkMountains of Arkansas. His fellow bandmate and long time guitar virtuoso TomBooth (above right) shares his spiritual passion as the Associate A&R Director forSpiritandSong.com – a contemporary music publisher and record label. BothMichael and Tom love the heavenly tone of their matching Martin D-42s! v

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The Light Crust DoughboysThe Light Crust Doughboys were/are a legendary

Texas western swing band formed in 1931 by Bob Wills,Milton Brown and W. Lee (Pappy) O'Daniel. The bandachieved its peak popularity in the years leading up toWorld War II.

In addition to launching the careers of Wills, Brownand O'Daniel, it provided a venue for many of the bestmusicians in the western swing genre. It was initiallyformed to promote the products of a flour mill, hencethe name. These photos, sent to us from Doughboyhistorian Art Greenhaw, indicate that the group wasquite fond of their Martin Dreadnought guitars. As asinger, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, ArtGreenhaw furthers the legacy as the current leader ofthe world's longest-running country band. v

K. J. DenhertK. J. Denhert calls her music Urban Folk and Jazz, though it is

rooted in Funk and R & B. Armed with her 00CXAE acoustic-electric Martin guitar, K. J., accompanied by her band The NY Unit,have a regular standing-room-only gig at The 55 Bar in NY's WestVillage. K. J. has also performed in such legendary rooms as TheBitter End, The Bottom Line, Fez and The Living Room. She hasopened for Roberta Flack, Kenny Rankin, Tuck & Patti, Phil Roy,GQ and Loudon Wainwright. She appeared at The Bottom Line'sprestigious Nightbird series and headlined for a 6-day stint at theBlue Note in Las Vegas. For seven years, she toured the US, Asiaand Europe, shredding it up as a lead electric guitarist in a periodshe describes as “seven years in Spandex!” v

We’re About 9We're About 9 is a Washington, D.C. based trio that is focused

on complex songwriting and big wall-of-sound harmonies. Theytake turns on lead vocal (all sing on every song) and accompanytheir voices with Martin acoustic guitars and electric bass.

If you get out to folk festivals, you are likely to have seen, andprobably won't have forgotten this trio. Guitarists Pat Klink andBrian Gundersdorf are complemented by bassist Katie Graybeal.They exploded onto the folk circuit in 2003 with an unequivocalbuzz, a load of festival appearances, and a relentless arsenal ofcharm, energy and intelligence. Find more at: www.wa9.org. v

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A Kurosawa TributeSteve Carletti, Vice President of Marketing & Sales for C. F. Martin & Co., presented Mr. Tsunesaburo Kurosawa (above)

with a very special custom-built guitar in honor of his 50th Anniversary in the musical instrument business. Mr. Kurosawabegan his long career as an apprentice classical guitar builder in Spain in 1956. Returning to Tokyo, Japan, Mr. Kurosawastarted T. Kurosawa & Co., Ltd., an unequalled musical instrument distribution and retail organization which is one of the finestin the world. T. Kurosawa is the proud distributor for Martin guitars in Japan.

The special guitar (full view depicted on the back cover) is a highly-pearled Dreadnought model, built with premium-gradeMadagascar Rosewood back and sides. The top is Italian Alpine Spruce bordered in Blue Paua. The black ebony fingerboardfeatures an extremely intricate vine pattern designed and hand-inlaid by David Nichols of Custom Pearl Inlay in Malone, NewYork. The vine pattern continues under the nut and onto the Madagascar Rosewood headplate where it surrounds theKurosawa company crest. v

Big In Japan !In September of 2006, a large and

enthusiastic group of VIP guests from Japanlanded at Newark Airport and boarded a bus forNazareth, where they spent several daysabsorbing the people, sights and sounds of theMartin factory, in particular the tour and the newmuseum. Visitors included key Martin dealers inJapan plus staff members of Martin’s distributorT. Kurosawa & Co, Ltd.

Accompanying the group was one of Japan’smost talented acoustic musicians – singer,songwriter and guitarist Makoto Saito (holdingguitar at left). He performed at a special dinnerfor the group and was joined by Martin’s DickBoak for a heartfelt version of Bob Dylan’s “JustLike A Woman.”

Thanks to the efforts of these fine people,Martin guitars enjoy unprecedented popularityin The Land of the Rising Sun! v

Laurence Juber –I’ve Got The World On Six StringsThis amazing CD features Laurence'sfingerstyle arrangements of some of themost famous songs ever written byHarold Arlen, including “Over TheRainbow,” “Ac-cen-tu-ate The Positive”and “If I Only Had A Brain.” Recordedwith LJ’s evolving array of signaturemodel Martin guitars, this CD is anacoustic guitar lovers dream. LJ’s website is: www.laurencejuber.com v

The New Cars – It’s Alive!“Just What I Needed”, “My Best Friend’sGirlfriend”, “Shake It Up”, and “CandyO” are just a few of the smash hits thatThe New Cars have brought back to lifeon their new live album. Original Carsmembers Greg Hawks and Elliot Easton(with his HD Elliot Easton CustomEdition), are joined by the legendaryTodd Rundgren on vocals, The Tubes’Prairie Prince on drums and KasimSulton on bass. v

John Mayer - ContinuumJohn Mayer’s third solo album is atestament to both his pop ability and hisgenre-bending mix of blues, soul andR&B. Filled with the brilliant sound of hismany Martin Guitars (signature OMJMand OM-28JM included), Continuumfocuses on John’s amazing voice andstrong song-writing ability. Hook afterhook, it is clearly evident why thisyoung musician has soared to suchheights and stayed there. v

Maury Meuhleisen – GingerbreadSongwriting partner and lead man toJim Croce, Maury Muehleisen recordedthis solo album in 1970, three yearsbefore the tragic plane crash thatdevastated the music world. Recordedwith his D-18 and D-35, this collectionof original songs brings back that heart-warming feeling of the seventies.Maury’s sister Mary has tirelessly keptMaury’s legacy alive. There’s more atwww.maurymuehleisen.com. v

The David Grisman ExperienceDavid Grisman has been pushing thelimits of bluegrass music for nearly 50years. With this collection of standardsand originals, he tips his hat to some ofthe greats of this much celebratedgenre. Grisman continually adds to alegacy that he helped to build.Spotlighting Jim Nunally (one of Martin'snewest clinicians) playing his prized1946 D-18, this high profile jam is amust for your bluegrass collection. v

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Dedicated In DenmarkTore Dencker of Arhus, Denmark sent this shot

of his two Martin guitars. He and a friend did anoutdoor photo shoot for their website and theimages came out so well, they were encouraged tosend this one which is their favorite of the batch.The guitar in the front is a 2002 SP000-16R. The out-of-focus one in the background is a 2005 D-28. v

Scott KeyBased near Scranton, PA, Scott Key and The

Stolen Band are on the rise! Pictured here with theirMartin Backpacker Mandolin (John Wood), B-1E(Mike Edmunds), DM (Brendan Quinn), and D-28(Scott Key), they pose proudly for their debut albumartwork. This band is a dream come true for Scott,who does not let the fact that he was born with fourpartial limbs get in the way of his fronting the band.Using a self -made apparatus consisting of awristband, shoehorn and guitar pick, Scott rests hisD-28 on his lap (Hawaiian Style) and picks for hours.A true inspiration to all of us! v

Brett Dennen – So Much MoreJohn Mayer and Dave Matthews agreethat Brett is not your average new kidon the block. Armed with his 000-40Graham Nash Signature model andjoined by Martin Signature artist KebMo on slide, this CD plays like agreatest hits collection. From salsagrooves to acoustic ballads, each song isuplifting and inspirational. Hope like thisis rarely found in contemporary music.More at: www.brettdennen.com. v

Adam Levy – Loose RhymesWriting, playing guitar and touring withNorah Jones as his “day gig,” AdamLevy has stepped into the spotlight onthis, his third highly-acclaimed soloeffort. Recorded live at The Living Roomin New York City, the songs on this CDare lyricly brilliant and instrumentallyadvanced. The cuts are reinforced withhis arsenal of 0, 00, and 000 sizedMartin guitars. Hear more atwww.adamlevy.com. v

Country Joe – Natural ImperfectionsWoodstock icon Country JoeMcDonald offers a new approach toending war with this soothing collectionof meditative instrumentals. The voiceof his 1934 0-17 is a ghostly narrator onthis sonic journey through nature, spaceand time. Carrying the torch of hope,Joe continues the pursuit of justice andpeace in a much needing world. BernieKrause provides the soundscapes. Learna more at www.countryjoe.com. v

Bob Seger – Face The PromiseIt has been more than ten years sinceBob Seger’s last album or tour, but hispopular American anthems have neverfaded. With his signature vocal rasp,lucid lyrics, and rocking rhythms, Bobdelivers this new material with his usualpassion. Now touring America with hisSilver Bullet Band and a stage rack fullof Martin 000C-16RGTE Auras, BobSeger has reappeared and proven that“Rock and Roll never forgets!” v

J. J. Cale & Eric ClaptonThe Road To EscondidoThe chemistry between J. J. Cale andEric Clapton is immediately evident inthe soulful riffs that wail effortlessly onthis new release. Pictured on the coverwith his 000-28EC, Clapton brings hisacoustic to life on his contribution tothe disc, “Three Little Girls,” a tendertribute to his daughters. Guestappearances include John Mayer, TajMahal, and the great Albert Lee. v

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Before departing for a tour of England and Europein the fall of 2006, the ever-prolific Roger McGuinnperformed at the Chastain Park Amphitheatre inAtlanta, Georgia with his HD-7 7-string andD-42RM 12-string (shown above) Martin SignatureEdition guitars. With overseas touring, it hasbecome increasingly difficult to fly on airlines withguitars. That was one of the primary considerationsin the development of the 7-string models, as Rogerwanted to travel with one guitar that would serve asa “Swiss Army Knife” of instruments. v

Not Your Average JoeJazz virtuoso Joe Beck treated guests at the

October 2006 Martin Guitar Museum Open Houseto tunes on his new Martin Alto archtop. Thisrevolutionary guitar has a split signal pickup thatenables the two bass strings to be sent to one ampchannel and the four treble strings to another,allowing for a remarkably complex sound. Thisunique model should be available shortly forquotation through the Martin Custom Shop. v

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Backpacking The DolomitesMatthew Yager bought a Martin Backpacker last March and took it on

a climbing trip to the Italian Dolomites as well as a rigorous high altitudetrek in Nepal (above and at right).

Matthew feels that “the Backpacker is the only quality guitar that issmall enough and light enough to be a practical carry-on for such trips.”He has been making expeditions like this since April of 2004, and being anenthusiastic guitarist, he initially tried toting a full size guitar along. Thatdidn’t work so well. Since he got his Backpacker, it’s been much easier. “Itis also a great conversation starter,” he says, “since the locals are alwaysextremely curious about it!” v

Mount WhitneyMartin Owners Club Member Don Lawson

took his Backpacker to Mount Whitney inCalifornia – the highest point in the contiguousUnited States. He’s shown above jamming at12,000 plus feet and below – putting on themiles along the Whitney Trail. v

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Backpacking IcelandHeinz Zapp from Leuterhausen, Germany has been playing Martin

guitars for many years. When his “wanderlust” takes him out into thecountryside with his friends or family, he always travels with his MartinBackpacker. This past August, he had the fortune to see the amazingglaciers, rushing rivers and volcanic landscapes of Iceland (above). Hemade a special point to play his Backpacker every day! v

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D-45KurosawaCustom

Custom Shop

This one-of-a-kind Custom D-45 was specially made forMr. Tsunesaburo Kurosawa, who founded T. Kurosawa& Co., Martin’s distributor in Japan (See Page 35).

See The 000-18

Kenny Sultan Custom Edition

(Page 24)and

The OMC Jacques StotzemCustom Edition

(Page 26)

Custom ArtistEditions

Blues guitaristKenny Sultan