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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE MARTIN GUITAR COMPANY • VOLUME 20 • JANUARY 2006

The Sounding Board®

Richie SamboraSignature Edition(s)

Story On Pages 22-23

FeLiX The Cat II‘Where’s Felix’ Limited Edition


POW MIACommemorative Edition


Andy Summers000C-28 Signature Edition


Roy RogersOM-45 Limited Edition(s)


Bellezza BiancaEric Clapton/Hiroshi Fujiwara


Special New Models And EditionsKeep Martin Fresh And Booming

�

Dear Sounding Board Readers,At the time I am writing this (November), we are putting the

finishing touches on the new Martin Visitors Center and Museum.The graphic panels are in place and we’re preparing the mountingbrackets to install more than 130 instruments from our collection.By the time you read this, everything will be completed and it’sgoing to be fantastic. We’ve waited a long time to be able to tellour story the right way!

The Visitors Center building itself was completed as autumnapproached, and everyone loves the new space. The 1833 Shophas been completely revamped, including a high-end player’sroom that we call The Pickin’ Parlor. Soon we will hang aboutthirty more instruments in a special area of the lobby for visitors tosample. After all, what’s a guitar company without guitars to play?

As you approach the new entryway, you walk across a Martinheadplate, then down a fingerboard through automatic “guitarist-friendly” doors into the lobby. The soundhole area is a circularreception desk, and the shape of a Dreadnought guitar is inlaid inmarble in the floor, complete with pickguard and bridge.

The photo above was taken at our display at the summerNAMM Show in Indianapolis. My daughter Claire had a terrifictime. As you can see, she actually became part of the display anddid a much better job promoting her Signature model thananyone else ever could!

I sincerely hope you can plan a trip to Nazareth sometime in2006 to visit our new Visitors Center and Museum, and to seehow Martin guitars are crafted. That’s my personal invitation. Whoknows? Maybe I’ll be your tour guide.

Sincerely,

C. F. Martin IV

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The Sounding Board™

VOLUME 20 • JANUARY 2006P 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 T O R

dick [email protected]

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

C. F. Martin IVMarshall Newman

Bill BushRonnie LippinDennis TengesChris Thomas

John Woodland Cindy McAllister

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

Sherry Rayn BarnettLen Jaffe

John Sterling Ruth

© 2006 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

CHRIS’S CORNERCHRIS’S CORNER

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LETTERS

Dear Mr. Martin,I would like to say bravo to the

DXK2 series guitar. They sound greatand are affordable for the man whohasn’t a lot of money. I can see a futurein the HPL guitars. You have made avery high quality instrument withoutlosing any of that sweet tone that theMartin is well known for.

I have had my DXK2 for almostthree years now. My brother-in-law likedmine so much that he got one forhimself. It sounds great and sustainsvery well. I’ve played mine daily and ithasn’t a mark on it. Other people willsoon take notice and be amazed at thesound quality. Keep up the great work.

R.D Bilderback Granite City, Illinois

Dear Mr. Martin,Our housekeeper in Maine is

married to a lobsterman, Normie, andhe recently bought one of the beautifulM3M Sir George Martin Studio Editionguitars. As you can tell from the picture,he is thrilled. He got it on his birthdayand his daughter made him a GeorgeMartin M3M birthday cake. Thoughtyou might get a kick out of it. All thebest,

John KurganAcadia, Maine

Dear Mr. Martin,I thought you’d l ike to see the

birthday cake I recently made for mymad, keen Martin enthusiast husband forhis 37th birthday. Although Paul isalready the very proud owner of anHD-28V, he is always talking about hisnext Martin. This one will have to do fornow! Sincerely,

Jo WayteForster, Australia

Dear Mr. Martin,My name is Peter Lindseman, and

I’m holding my father ’s well -wornMartin D-18 that belonged to JohnnyCash. My father had ordered a D-28from a local dealer in Toronto; butwhen he went to pick it up, he wasinformed that Johnny Cash had comeinto the store the day before andtraded a D-18 that he had for the D-28.My father ended up buying the D-18that Johnny traded in. That guitar evenhad Johnny’s autograph in it. Every timemy dad told people the story, no onewould believe him, even when theysaw the autograph.... so he removed it!

Peter LindsemanToronto, Ontario

Dear Mr. Martin,We were so thrilled to meet John

Mayer recently. He is a genuine talentand a warm human being who hasn’tlost the personal touch, as you can seeby this photo of John and my daughterMikaela. And, of course, he has greattaste in acoustic guitars!

Elisa Salmaggi New York, New York

Dear Mr. Martin,I thought I'd convert my 14-fret neck

to a 12-fret neck. Cut the wrong end.Oh well. Actually, I bought the headstockawhile back. It sat on my worktable untilI got the headstock lamp idea. I tracedthe base from a 1920 Martin uke, boughtsome tuners, got the lamp fixings from alamp store, got the shade, strung it upand voila. A headstock lamp!

Brant WeatherfordCyberspace

Dear Mr. Martin,While I was in the Army I was blessed to be with

quite a few guys who played guitars. I had alwayswanted to learn but never seemed to have the time.While I was in Vietnam, there was a guy who played aD-18. I loved the sound, and he taught me a couplechords. I didn't have my own guitar though, so I didn'tstick with it.

I am now at a point in my life where I want to learn.I was shopping for a guitar and came across the DVMmodel. I came home and told my wife, “I will own thatguitar.” About a month later, she gave me a gift of #97.During this time, I had read an article on just what theMartin employees had to go through to produce thiswonderful tribute to our veterans. This is a fantasticsounding guitar. I love playing outdoors, and living inthe mountains of Vermont provides me with greatplaces to play. The picture above was taken on top ofMount Killington.

Again, thanks to all of the Martin employees forsuch a great guitar. Sincerely,

Scott WarrenKillington, Vermont

Dear Mr. Martin,This photo is taken on what used to be my house in Gulfport,

Mississippi, after Hurricane Katrina leveled it along with many, manyothers. Although I lost everything, my Martin guitars and photoswent with me to the hospital where I worked the night before thestorm. (A person has to have their material priorities in order!)

I have a wonderful 1951 000-28 and 1975 D12-28, but my OM-28 John Mayer is my main playing guitar and probably myfavorite. I am primarily a fingerstylist, and the Mayer model is perfectfor that, yet extremely versatile. It is my opinion that Martin'sconsummate quality and playability are as good as ever, so please,keep it up!

If you talk to John Mayer, tell him to please get back down herefor a show. His New Orleans 9/27 concert was obviously cancelled,and my tickets are somewhere in the Gulf! Sincerely,

Dale LatimerGulfport, Mississippi

Dear Mr. Martin,I’m the proud owner of an OM-28 John Mayer

Limited Edition Martin. I bought this instrument throughmy local music shop and was impressed to hear it wasthe first of its kind brought into Australia. I made thedecision to purchase the OM-28JM after playing avintage OM-28 in the shop, being overwhelmed by the clarity and depth of such a small instrument. TheOM-28JM was very similar but with an Engelmannspruce top, which added to the presence. Upon itsarrival I was nervous but excited about what it mightsound l ike, and I certainly was thri l led. It hasunbelievable tone and is perfect for the fingerpicker. It’salso great on stage through a large PA or for recordingat home. It gets better every day! I can’t wait to hearand play it in 20 years time. I’ve attached a photo of merecording with my OM-28JM guitar. Best Regards,

Chris TulkCanberra, Australia

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The Martin Guitar© 2005 Edward G. Campbell

He came to America, left Germany. Around 1833. Started making Martin guitars before long. They were in a league all their own. Others copied things he'd done. But his flat tops ranked second to none. Got mine in ‘76. A D-35 that still kicks. Like a good wine gets better with time. Describes this axe of mine. Jam up and jelly tight. C.F.M. plays music right. Really hard to put down. Because of its fantastic sound. There's the best. Then the rest. Never settle for nothing less. Than a legend from Nazareth, PA What else can I say.

Dear Mr. Martin,I was recently in a very serious accident. I had

just picked up my Martin HD-28 from my localMartin dealer in Ephrata where it had undergonesome final adjustments. I had placed it in the seatin its hardshell case and started on my way homewhen I was T-boned on Route 322. After flippingmy truck several times and hitting my head onthe windshield, I had a 5-1/2" gash on my head.Upon returning home from the hospital a daylater, I pulled the Martin out of the mangledtruck, then out of the case, and I found that theonly damage it had sustained was that the low Estring was out of tune. I am enclosing a picture ofthe truck for you to see how amazing it is thatthe guitar survived intact. Sincerely,

Nathan HorstEphrata, Pennsylvania

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Dear Mr. Martin,I enjoyed my visit to the Martin factory immensely and was delighted

that there was so much interest in my Martin D-18 guitar. I bought it fromE. R. Plesz in December of 1943 at Bogue Field, North Carolina, for $25. Itwas in near perfect condition. My guitar shipped out with me to the PacificTheater in December of 1944. My guitar and I survived my tour of duty inHawaii, Ulithi, Okinawa, Manila, then back to Okinawa where the guitarwas put in the LST hold with our seabags and withstood one of the worsttyphoons ever in that region. After a five-month tour in Tientsin, China, Ireturned to my home in Virginia, and I’ve kept the guitar close by eversince. The pickguard has been replaced to cover pick wear, and I’m afraid Irefinished the back with marine varnish, but the guitar still plays and soundsas good as ever. For the $25, I think 60 years of play represents a prettygood deal. Thank you!

Franklin G. LeeFairmont, Virginia

Retired Martin employee of 38 years, Gerry Altemose (left), attended areunion with his World War II shipmates of the destroyer USS Hunt inSeptember of 2005. A Martin Backpacker® was raffled at the gathering, andthe lucky winner was Mary Lou Cambert of Columbus, Ohio. The reunionpromoted fellowship among those that served on the vessel. �

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Tore DenckerTore Dencker is studying in Aarhus, Denmark to become

a teacher. While not buried in the books, he is an avidmusician, adept at both the trombone and the guitar. Hewrites and performs his own songs as well as coveringmaterial by artists like James Taylor, Paul Simon, Sting,Stephen Duffy and Paul McCartney. He loves his Martin D-28 and boasts that “Its sound is beyond compare!” �

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Spook HandySinger/songwriter/guitarist Spook Handy of New

Brunswick, New Jersey, has been picking, strumming andwriting tunes on his sunburst Martin D-35 for over 20 years.Many of his spiritually laced and politically edged songs havefallen into the repertoire of other performers, most notablythe legendary Pete Seeger. In 2004 he was named Best FolkArtist in the 16th Annual Makin’ Waves Awards presented byJersey’s Courier News and Upstage Magazine. He’s shownabove performing for a captive audience of school kids thatreally appreciated a break from the three Rs. �

MARTIN STORIESNazFest

Members of the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum (UMGF)once again made their annual pilgrimage to Nazareth forMartinFest in August of 2005. In addition to special tours ofthe factory and a catered lunch for all, this year’s eventfeatured a huge exhibition of guitars on the second floor ofMartin’s newly constructed Visitors Center and Museum. �

Annie WenzWith five CD releases to her credit and

an aggressive touring schedule, AnnieWenz is a poet on the road. A multi -instrumentalist , she accompanies heroriginal compositions on acoustic guitar,percussion instruments from all over theworld, Native American and indigenousflutes and piano.

More recently she has traveled with theGerman American Folksinger Tour (DAFT).Because she’s always on the move, sheadded an LXM Little Martin to her repertoire.At lef t , photographer Jayne Tooheycaptured this great shot of Annie hitting thebackroads on her motorcycle. The shoulderstraps on the Little Martin’s gig bag make iteasy to bring a guitar along. Check out therear view mirror! �

Tore Dencker

Photo

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John BaboianGuitarist/composer John Baboian has been on the faculty at

esteemed Berklee College Of Music in Boston for 25 years. Hisdiverse work and compositions in jazz, swing, classical, blues, rock,R&B, Latin and ethnic music genres can be heard on TV showsfrom “All My Children” to HBO's “The Sopranos.” He has playedwith Frankie Avalon, Connie Francis and many other legendaryperformers. John's first solo CD is called “The Be-Bop Guitars...AndMore!” Shown here with his CF-1 Martin American Archtop model,John has been doing some Martin clinics in the New England area.For more info, check his website at www.bebopguitars.com. �

El McMeenA longtime Martin player and advocate, fingerstyle

master El McMeen recently fell in love with one of themore obscure NAMM Show Special Martin models, anOM-42QMII with quilted maple back and sides and anItalian alpine spruce top. With scores of CDs to hiscredit, the prolific McMeen recently headed back intothe studio with this guitar (and possibly a Martin koacustom) to record a new CD of spiritual music,anticipated for release sometime in 2006. �

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by Tim Po

rter

Tom Carr of Erie, Pennsylvania visited the factory in the fall for atour and to show us his new tooled leather guitar cover – a closereplica of an original made for Rickie Nelson in the 1960s. �

Joe BeckDuring a career spanning five decades, jazz virtuoso

Joe Beck has recorded with an incredible array of artists,composed music for TV and film, and has been honoredfive times with NARAS’s Most Valuable Player Award.Joe was so impressed with the Martin American ArchtopCF-1 model that he bought one and has been doingMartin clinics around the country. Learn more about Joeat his website: www.joebeckmusic.com. �

Guitars In The ClassroomJessica Baron Turner (right), founder of the ever-expanding and

effective Guitars In The Classroom (GITC) program, is shown herewith her Martin herringbone D-28. Jessica’s award-winning booksand recordings have inspired children in musical programsthroughout the nation.

GITC has directly addressed the task of bringing music intopublic elementary and middle schools by of fering regularclassroom teachers free guitars, music education, song leadership,and music integration lessons through regionally based programs.GITC operates independently of school districts. However, school

The Charvel TwinsInf luenced by a wide variet y of

musical styles, Bob and Rick Charvel (thetwin sons of electric guitar maker WayneCharvel) have developed a distinct andrecognizable sound that continues toamaze audiences. Their super-chargedlightning-fast instrumental CDs showcasetheir mastery of classical, jazz, fingerstyle,flatpicking, blues, gospel and swing styles,but also include many of their originalcompositions. Their virtuosity is furtherenhanced by their choice of acousticguitars. As is clearly and proudly displayedon the cover photograph of their CD, RickCharvel performs with a Martin DMDreadnought, while his brother Bobprefers the smaller-bodied cutaway 000C-16GTE. For more information aboutthe remarkable Charvel Twins, or to get copies of their many CDs, books and videos, visit their website at:www.charveltwins.com. �

The Charvel Twins

districts are welcome to support and participate in the process of establishing a GITC program that serves their teachers. GITChelps teachers make learning at school especially fun and creative by teaching them to play guitar, sing, lead children in song,and give them ways to integrate music into daily studies and activities.

A recent GITC program was initiated in Tuscon by Doug Bowers with guitars generously furnished by local businessmanand guitar enthusiast Bert Williams. The teachers (shown above) are using LXM Little Martin guitars in their classrooms. This is agreat program. Perhaps readers of this publication might have ideas about initiating such a program in their respective localcommunities. Check out the many possibilities on line at: www.guitarsintheclassroom.com. �

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Walter Lambert 1929-2005Affectionately known around the plant as “Wally,”

Walter Lambert worked in Martin’s fretting department(and many other departments for that matter) for anunprecedented 54 years and 7 months. He was one ofthe last employees to have worked in the old NorthStreet plant prior to the construction of the newerSycamore Street facility in 1964.

Saddened by the passing of his wife, Walter joinedher in July of 2005. His joviality, master craftsmanship,longstanding experience and love of his fellow workerswill certainly be missed. Below he is shown proudlydisplaying his 50 year Martin ring in 2000. �

Guitars For Hope Public Arts ProjectBuffalo Bills Hall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly and Buffalo

radio station WNED President and CEO Donald K. Boswell haveinitiated a collaborative project designed to celebrate music, artand hope in Western New York. Officials from Kelly for Kids,Hunter’s Hope and the WNED Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival havejoined forces to create Guitars for Hope, a public arts project thatwill benefit all three organizations.

Modeled after Buffalo’s highly successful Herd About Buffaloproject and Cleveland’s Guitarmania, Guitars for Hope engageslocal artists and national celebrities to create and inventivelytransform fiberglass molds of oversized Martin Dreadnoughtguitars into works of art.

C. F. Martin & Co. joined the project and helped to design thesix-foot fiberglass acoustic guitar mold, fashioned after the MartinD-28 guitar. Models were constructed by Merlinworks ofEtobicoke, Ontario.

Fifty of the art guitars will be a part of the project, which isscheduled to culminate with a gala auction event during the 2006WNED Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival.

Artist Todd Dawes, a long-time friend and associate of JimKelly, traveled from his home in Florida to work on and contributethe initial piece of guitar art. His design incorporates an eaglecarrying a “Support Our Troops” ribbon and an American flag.The flag on the painting morphs into an actual flag attached to thebase of the guitar artwork. It also utilizes lightning bolts for stringsand a Liberty Torch.

Martin hopes to carry the idea further by initiating a charitableproject either local to the Nazareth area or on a broader nationalscale with Martin dealers. Stay tuned! �

Guitars For Hope

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Eric’s Special CaseIn a 2004 Vanit y Fair Magazine

interview, Eric Clapton was asked “If youcould choose what to come back as,what would it be?” and he replied: “AMartin OM-45!” This deluxe case wascommissioned in collaboration with TomDougherty of TKL Cases to house theguitar Eric was referring to – his customOM-45 made in 2001. Apparently Ericlikes the case as much as the guitar, as itgraces the cover of his new CD “BackHome.” �

Living The Creative LifeMorning, Noon and Night is an

enthralling look into the creative mindof beloved singer/songwriter/guitaristJudy Collins, a woman known for hersongs, books and watercolors. In thisbook, Judy carefully describes herapproach to the creative process,breaking down each day of that processinto morning, noon and night. It offersreaders an insight into how they canremain creative throughout the entireday. As Judy says, “Creativity is naturalto all of us.” �

Rik PalieriFolksinger/songwriter/guitarist/

storyteller/master of ceremonies andauthor Rik Palieri was picked to assistGene Shay as co-MC of this year ’sPhiladelphia Folk Festival (above). Whilethe bands were in between sets, Rikkept the audience enthralled with storiesand short performances on his MartinD-42. During the year, he tours a gooddeal and is a regular participant with theGerman American Song Festival, morecommonly know as the DAFT Tour. (SeePage 13) �

Al Boden In the spirit of Skiffle king Lonnie

Donegan, Al Boden (often joined by hisband of “Organic Hillbillies”) has beenperforming his unique mixture ofbluegrass, old time music and humor fornearly four decades throughout thehillsides of Great Britain, up Birminghamway. He owns eight Martin guitars andloves them all, but gravitates toward theD-41 that he’s owned for 32 years forhis many performances. “Once seen,never forgotten!” �

The Organic HillbilliesThe wacky but musically talented

band of “Organic Hil lbi l l ies” thataccompany Al Bode goes by first namesonly: Al, of course, on guitar, harmonicaand vocals, Robert and Rita on duelingfiddles, Jean the Tea-Chest Queen onwashtub bass, Janet on washboard andPete on banjo, guitar and vocals. �

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Birth Of The DreadnoughtHappy to be holding their new

Martin guitars and ukuleles purchasedfrom the Chas. H. Ditson store in NewYork, the “Four Aristocrats” (above)smile after signing with the Vitaphonelabel in 1926. Pictured here (secondfrom left) is one of the earliest X-bracedDreadnoughts Martin produced. TheNew York Ditson store was the exclusiveand original home to the Dreadnoughtguitar, which it co-created and named,from 1916-1930.

John Woodland and Peter Kohmanhave been doing extensive research onthe development of the Dreadnoughtfor their upcoming book “The Birth OfThe Dreadnought.” In the process theyhave uncovered many fascinatingdocuments, photos and instrumentsfrom the early 1900s pertaining to theunusual collaboration between FrankHenry Martin, Harry Hunt (of the Chas.Ditson Company) and John Deichman(foreman of the Martin factory at thattime). This trio is credited with theDreadnought’s design and development.

John Deichman is perhaps the mostmysterious of the three. He maintained astrong influence at the company fornearly forty years. He is pictured belowin a rare family photo. �

Dottie RamboDottie Rambo, recording artist and

undisputed queen of gospel music,began writing songs at the age of eightnear her Morganfield, Kentucky home.Her talent soon received widespreadrecognition, resulting in many invitationsto sing in churches and at various publicfunctions. The demand became soheavy that she left home to embarkupon a full-time career of singing andcomposing music. A long-time Martinplayer and legendary songwriter, Dottiehas published more than 2,500 songsand has crafted tunes for the likes ofElvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton,Jerry Lee Lewis and Whitney Houston toname a few. She’s photographed abovewith her Martin M-38. Learn more atwww.dottierambo.net. �

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers“Bend It Like Beckham” actor

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is also a talentedsinger and musician, having performedhis own vocals in “Velvet Goldmine.”More recently he appeared in CBSNetworks' mini Series “Elvis.” Heborrowed the replica Elvis D-18 and casecover from the Martin Museum to addauthenticity to his performance. �

Tia SprocketTia Sprocket played drums with

Ministry and toured with LusciousJackson before recording her debut EPwith Hank Williams III in Nashville. Amulti-instrumentalist performer, she hasshared the stage with the Pretenders,Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt. Shealways loves to “lose herself” with theguitar as she’s doing here with her well-worn Martin DM. Check out her site at:www.myspace.com/tiasprocket �

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landTed NugentVeteran rocker and outdoorsman

Ted Nugent warms up before a showwith his Martin RealTree™ SpecialEdition guitar. In spite of his camouflageguitar with matching hat and shirt, hestill stands out in a crowd! �

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May I ask you a personal question?Do you have....ahem....gas?A friend of mine has gas so bad that it's wreaked (no pun

intended) absolute havoc on his home life and strained hismarriage to the breaking point.

By “gas” I’m referring, of course, to Guitar AcquisitionSyndrome, a mental affliction which strikes literally thousandsof otherwise sane men and women worldwide every year.

Now if you don’t believe that guitar acquisit ionsyndrome (or “collecting” as it’s politely called) qualifies as aSchedule One Neurosis, then you are simply deludingyourself --- which, incidentally, is one of the classic symptomsof the disease.

As a service to Martin players, I’d like to review a few ofthose symptoms with you here.

Uncontrollable Urges. People with gas want every niceMartin they see --- and they want it now. They just can’tcontrol themselves. After awhile, it's not enough to own oneclean example of, say, a pre-war D-28. They want a D-28from every single year since 1934 to the present. Or theywant every limited edition model. Or every 000-18 built in1950. It’s always one-of-every-something. I've seen this sameobsessive/porker behavior manifested among collectors ofElvis whiskey decanters.

Delusional Thinking. Gas often causes a completeclouding of rational thought processes. For example, gassufferers often delude themselves into thinking they aremaking an “investment” which somehow justifies cashing in alife insurance policy or little Billy’s college fund to make thedown payment on a 1941 D-45. Now that might be a verysmart investment. But gassers know deep down that theyhave absolutely no intention of ever selling that D-45 -- at anyprice. Funny, you never run into this kind of “investor” downat Charles Schwab.

Paranoia. This usually occurs very late at night after anespecially costly or unusual purchase. Lucky you. You'veliterally stumbled onto this cream-puff 1959 D-28 at the fleamarket with a stunning German silver spruce top. Not ascratch on it; looks almost new.Sure, it was a stretch to buy itfrom the geezer in the oldstation wagon, but, hey, howoften do you run across abeauty like this? At 2 AM youbolt upright out of a soundsleep, eyes wide open, sweattrickling down your face, aburning question screaming inyour mind: why DON’T yourun across a beaut y l ikethis??!!!!! Did Martin really useGerman silver spruce tops in1959? Come to think of it, haveyou ever seen a Martin with aGerman si lver spruce top?Would you know what aGerman silver spruce top even

looks like? Is it a re-top?!! Is it a real Martin?!! It’s the middleof the night so you can’t call anybody at Martin who mightactually know. Maybe somebody is working late at thefactory. Should you call? Nighty nite.

Excessive Prevarication. A fancy word for lying -- and oh,can gassers lie! The examples are rich and inventive:• “I don’t really want the guitar for myself. I'd like to donate

it to the orphanage to, hopefully, bring some small measure of joy to the little children.”

• “No, honey I did not buy another guitar.”• “Heck, I can buy it from Gruhn for half that price!” • “Heck, I can sell it to Gruhn for twice that price!”• “No, honey, I did not buy another guitar.”• “No, honey, I did not buy another guitar.”

Lying is usually accompanied by all sorts of devious behavior, including: • Shipping a secretly-purchased guitar to a friend’s house

so that you can later sneak it into your house under the cover of darkness without your spouse ever knowing it.

• Disguising checks sent to Gruhn Guitars, Mandolin Brothers and Elderly Instruments by making phony or cryptic check stub entries: “George’s Garage: Transmission Part #19230042;” “Mandolin Appreciation Society: Lifetime Membership;” “Home For The Elderly: Generous Donation.”

• Telling the family you’re “going trout fishing” --- in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. (You’re fishing, alright, but it ain‘t for trout.)

• Giving your wife a $22,000 Gene Autry D-45 Limited Edition as an “anniversary gift.”Other Symptoms. Gas sufferers exhibit so many bizarre

symptoms, it would take the AMA years to document and classify them all. Here’s a sampling: • Sniffing guitar soundholes.• Actually measuring to see if the X-brace crosses exactly

one inch from the soundhole in vintage reissues. • Hoarding old Martin catalogs as if real guitars were

actually folded into the pages. And on and on and on it goes.

Isn’t having gas wonderful?! �

Bill Bush is an advertisingwriter/producer and musicjournalist whose articles haveappeared in Guitar Player, Frets,Flatpicking Guitar, AcousticGuitar, Pennsylvania Heritage,The Guitar Player Book (GrovePress), Artists Of American FolkMusic (Quill Books), and linernotes for EMI/Capitol Records,Folk Era, and Bear FamilyRecords. He's had (gas) for years.

This art icle is an editedversion of the original thatappeared in Flatpicking GuitarMagazine.

• A Delicate Subject Rarely Discussed •by Bill Bush

Guitar Acquisition Syndrome

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Other presenters addressed the circumstances and conditionsof guitarmaking in the region at that time. The GrandOpening concluded with a musical concert and celebrationby the German American Song Festival known in Germany asthe Deutsch Amerikanisches Folksänger Treffen on Tour

(DAFT). Performers includedAnnie Wenz, Rik Palieri, LowryHamner and Frank Matheis ofthe USA with Robert Williams,Martina Höfer and Wilfr iedMengs of Germany.

This initiative was inspiredby a DAFT Tour concert in Juneof 2003 held in the courtyard ofthe Musical Instrument Museumin Markneukirchen.

In cooperation withWorldStrings Promotion inPhoenix, Arizona, and LauraRecords in Eisenberg, Thuringia,a group of folk singers fromboth Germany and the UnitedStates came together for aconcert tour throughout variousGerman states. Sounding BoardVolume 17 featured an articleabout this special event.

Among the goals of theexhibit coordinators, ProfessorAndreas Michel and BerndHäber, was to restore anappreciation for Martin inMarkneukirchen and to open anew chapter in the book ofGerman-American relationships.It has long been their desire toestablish Markneukirchen as anattraction for musicians andlovers of guitarmaking from allover the world. The exhibitionhas drawn fans of Martin guitarsto the birthplace of C. F. Martin,Sr. and has educated visitorsabout the great diversit y oftraditional musical instrumentmaking in Saxony today.

Martin is especially thankfulto the town of Markneukirchenand to the exhibit organizers forthe great honor.

For everyone in Nazareth,the Markneukirchen heritage isviewed with great reverence.Finally their emigrated son hasreturned with honor to hisbeloved homeland. �

In 1833, the guitarmaker Christian Frederick Martin lefthis hometown in Markneukirchen, Germany and began hisjourney to America. At that time, nobody even remotelysuspected that this decision would lead to the foundation ofthe world’s most respected maker of acoustic instruments.Today not many know of the30-year dispute that promptedhis departure, a dispute that hadnot been addressed or rectifieduntil now.

On October 11, 2005 theexhibition “Christian FriedrickMartin and the Guitar Makingin the Vogtland in 1800-1833”opened, documenting the art ofguitarmaking in Saxony and theconflict between Martin and theViolin Maker's Guild. Theexhibition reunites the legacy ofC. F. Martin with his homelandafter more than 170 years.

In collaboration with thefaculty of “Making of MusicalInstruments” at the WestSaxony College at Zwickau andC. F. Martin & Co. in Nazareth,Pennsylvania, displays for thefirst time in Germany, the rootsand career of the youngguitarmaker and later founderof the Martin Guitar Companyin one coherent presentation.The exhibit shows a number ofhistoric guitars that representthe traditions of guitarmaking inSaxony at the beginning of the19th century as well as a varietyof historic and current designsof Martin’s instrument makingtradition.

In addition, the opening ofthe exhibition was accomp-anied by a presentation andthorough investigation of thehistoric dispute betweenMarkneukirchen’s cabinetmakers and the Violin Maker’sGuild. Katherina Muck of AMIin Munich – the Martindistributor for Germany – gavean in-depth talk about C. F.Martin, Sr.’s transition fromGermany to America followedby a general overview ofMartin’s many contributions tomusic and American culture.

Martin’s Return To MarkneukirchenAfter 172 Years, An Emigrated Son Is Reunited With His Homeland

Top: A view of the Musical Instrument Museum inMarkneukirchen. Middle: Exhibit coordinators BerndHäber (left) and Professor Andreas Michel with KatherinaMuck of AMI in Munich, the Martin distributor forGermany. Bottom: One area of the extensive display ofinstruments and photo panels at the museum.

13

Singer. Musical innovator. Movie star. Televisionpioneer. Roy Rogers was an American original whosetalent and honesty shined in a career that spannedmore than 60 years, and his legacy continues to shinetoday, eight years after his passing.

For most of his fabled career, Roy Rogers played avery special Martin guitar. Roy’s 1930 OM-45 Deluxe –one of only 14 made – featured a unique floral inlay onthe pickguard. Roy cherished this guitar throughout his life.Today it is a featured exhibit at the Roy Rogers-Dale EvansMuseum in Branson, Missouri.

To commemorate the legacy of Roy Rogers, the mostpopular and enduring of all the cowboy stars, C. F. Martin &Co. introduces the OM-45 Roy Rogers Limited Edition guitar.This spectacular guitar recreates Roy's own OM-45 Deluxeand will be available in two versions: one with back, sidesand headplate of rare pre-CITES Brazilian rosewood, ofwhich 14 will be built to match the number of originalOM-45 Deluxes Martin produced in 1930, and a secondwith back, sides and headplate of East Indian rosewood,limited to 84 instruments. The edition total of 98 guitarsmemorializes 1998, the year of Roy's passing.

Born Leonard Slye, Roy Rogers was raised in rural Ohiowhere he played mandolin and called square dances at localgatherings. In 1930, he moved to California, working jobs asvaried as highway construction and peach picking to paythe bills. He learned to accompany himself on guitar and in1931 appeared on “Midnight Frolic,” a radioshow featuring amateur talent broadcaston KMCS in Inglewood.

Roy’s radio appearance netted hima place in the Rocky Mountaineers,the first of several groups with whichhe sang and played during the nexttwo years. In late 1933, he joined forceswith Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer tofound the Sons of the Pioneers. Thegroup’s solid harmonies, fine originalmaterial (including “Cool Water” and“Tumbling Tumbleweeds”) and –with the addition of brothers Hughand Karl Farr – impressiveinstrumental chops made it aseminal force in popularizingWestern Swing. By 1936, theSons of the Pioneers werefeatured on radio showsdistributed throughout theUnited States, were recordingfor Decca and OKeh, andwere appearing in westernmovies.

In 1937, Roy Rogersauditioned for Republic Pictures asa possible replacement for singing

cowboy Gene Autry and was signed to a moviecontract. The next year he played the lead role in“Under Western Stars.” The film was a hit and RoyRogers suddenly was a movie star.

Over the next 14 years, Roy became the “King ofthe Cowboys,” appearing in more than 80 westernsas well as keeping a packed schedule of radio,concert (with the Sons of the Pioneers) and

personal appearances. After his first wife Arlene died in1946, leaving him with three small children, Roy fell inlove with Dale Evans, his co-star in several pictures.The two were married in late 1947. Roy and Daleexpanded the family with children of their own andwent on to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

After co-starring with Bob Hope in “Son ofPaleface,” Roy tackled a new medium: television. TheRoy Rogers Show premiered on NBC in 1951 andremained a Sunday night favorite for six years. DaleEvans co-starred in the show and also wrote its themesong, “Happy Trails.”

In his later years, Roy devoted himself to business,investing in real estate and establishing a chain of RoyRogers Restaurants in the 1980s. He also founded theRoy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum near his home inApple Valley (precursor to the current museum inMissouri) to showcase a lifetime of show businesskeepsakes and often greeted visitors personally. He

was the first person to be elected to theCountry Music Hall of Fame twice, first

in 1980 as an original member of theSons of the Pioneers and again in1988 in recognition for his owncontributions to country music.

The OM-45B Roy Rogers Brazilianand OM-45 Roy Rogers Limited

Editions feature impressive MartinGolden Era® specifications throughout;only the variet y of rosewood

dif ferentiates the two. The top is crafted with rare premium

quality Adirondack spruce andsupported by 1/4" scallopedAdirondack spruce braces. Thelong scale, 1-3/4" (at the nut)genuine mahogany neckshowcases the Golden Era®

modified-V neck profile, solidsquare tapered headstockand elongated diamondvolute. A black African ebonyfingerboard and matching

1936 style black African ebonybridge add to the classic vintage

character. Style 45 abalone pearl accents

OM-45 Deluxe Edition Pays Tribute To “King Of The Cowboys” Roy Rogers

14

border the top, back and sides. The top and rosette abalone inlays areflanked by traditional black and white dyed holly wood line inlays; the backand sides inlay are flanked by wood fiber line inlays. Top, back, sides,headstock and fingerboard are bound with grained ivoroid, with the lattertwo also inset with mitered wood fiber inlays. Grained ivoroid is alsoutilized for the heelcap and endpiece. Additional vintage touches includeOld Style 45 multicolored mosaic back strip, linen side reinforcementstrips, fossilized ivory nut and through saddle and Old Style fossilized ivorybridge pins and endpin topped with 4mm black pearl dots.

The beveled and polished tortoise-color teardrop pickguard bears arecreation of the floral abalone inlay unique to Roy Rogers’ original OM-45Deluxe. Also true to original OM-45 specifications, the bridge wings boastsnowflake inlays and the headstock features the classic antique Martintorch inlay. The Golden Era® Style 45 snowflake pattern graces thefingerboard, with Roy Rogers’ signature inlaid between the 19th and 20thfrets. Gold Waverly tuners with butterbean knobs, subtle amber shading onthe top and polished gloss finish throughout complete the OM-45 RoyRogers Limited Edition’s vintage look. Although this guitar is not availablewith electronics, left-handed instruments may be ordered with noadditional charge.

Protected by a heavy-duty Geib-style hardshell case, each OM-45BRoy Rogers Brazilian Limited Edition and OM-45 Roy Rogers LimitedEdition guitar bears a special “sheriff’s star” interior label personally signedby Roy Rogers’ son, Roy “Dusty” Rogers, Jr., and Martin Chairman, C. F.Martin IV. Each label will be numbered in sequence with the total of thatversion of the Limited Edition. After orders are taken for the entire edition,Martin will post the names of participating Martin dealers on its website,www.martinguitar.com. �

An early promotional photograph of Roy Rogers(above) shows Roy with his OM-45 Deluxe (Serial#42125). One of only 14 made, lucky Roy boughtit in a pawn shop for $30! Today, the pricelessinstrument (shown below) resides at the RoyRogers and Dale Evans Museum in Branson,Missouri. The Commemorative Edition OM-45BRoy Rogers guitar in Brazilian rosewood (left) is aclose Golden Era® replica of the original.

15

Black To WhiteEric Clapton And Hiroshi Fujiwara Create The Bellezza Bianca

Polished gloss white finish on the body and neck providethe perfect “canvas” for Bellezza Bianca’s strikingappointments. The distinctive rosette of “slotted diamonds”

inlaid on a black background first seenon Bellezza Nera looks even better on Bellezza Bianca. Fine patternherringbone purfling encircles the top and divides the back. Cream-colored grained ivoroid binding trimsthe top, back and side edges, with fine black/white/black line purflingaccenting the back and sides. Thegrained ivoroid endpiece is likewiseaccented with black/white/black inlay. A beveled and polished blackpickguard continues the black andwhite theme.

Like the Bellezza Nera, BellezzaBianca’s bound and polished blackAfrican ebony headplate showcasesthe “alternative torch” inlay – a designcreated for one of the first Martin00-45s in 1902 – in vibrant abalonepearl and special sterling silver-platedmini tuners with sterling silver-platedbuttons. The bound black Africanebony fingerboard, highlighted bymitered black/white line inlay, bears

Martin Style 45 snowflake position markers from the 1st tothe 17th fret, and “Bellezza Bianca” in script between the19th and 20th frets.

To assure superb tone, Bellezza Bianca is fitted with a bonenut and compensated bone saddle. Carved from black Africanebony, the belly bridge comes equipped with black ebonybridge pins inlaid with abalone pearl dots; a matching pearl-

inlaid ebony endpin is also included.Fitting for such a unique white

guitar, each Bellezza Bianca isdelivered in a distinctive white Geib st yle case with white plush lining and features a special white interior label signed by Eric Clapton, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Martin ArtistRelations head Dick Boak and MartinChairman C. F. Martin IV. C. F. Martindealers and distributors will acceptorders for the Eric Clapton/HiroshiFujiwara Bellezza Bianca LimitedEdition until March 20, 2006.

After the ordering period concludes,the size of the edition and the namesof participating Martin dealers will belisted on the Martin website at:www.martinguitar.com. �

In the summer of 2004, C. F. Martin introduced theBellezza Nera, a spectacular black 000 guitar with silveraccents collaboratively designed by British guitar legend EricClapton and Japanese fashion andmusic trendsetter Hiroshi Fujiwara. Itproved to be a huge hit: a total of 476of these visually and sonically inspiredguitars were produced, among themost popular l imited editions inMartin history.

In the 18 months since theirmasterpiece debuted, these twocreative forces have barely sloweddown to savor its success. Fujiwarabrought out new clothing andaccessory designs for both Tabletop™by Hiroshi Fujiwara and Unsqueaky,™and released two albums: “ClassicDub Classics,” a very contemporarytake on classical music, and“Untitled,” a selection of post-modernblues featuring Eric Clapton. Claptoncontinued his exploration of bluesmaster Robert Johnson with hisCD/DVD “Me And Mr. Johnson”(featuring the Bellezza Nera on theCD cover), released “Back Home,” a relaxed, upbeat album of rock andpop, and reunited with former Cream bandmates Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce for a triumphant series ofreunion concerts in London (documented on DVD and CD)and New York.

Clapton and Fujiwara also finished work on their nextguitar collaboration for Martin; a sister instrument to theBellezza Nera, but in creamy white, with a touch of black andpearl for dramatic effect. As beautifulas its predecessor in appearance andtone, this stunning 000 guitar couldonly be called Bellezza Bianca(“White Beauty”).

The twosome opted for a uniquecombination of solid tonewoods togive the new model a sound asdistinctive as its look. The BellezzaBianca features a top crafted frombookmatched Engelmann spruce,treasured by players and guitarbuilders alike for its clear, full toneand outstanding balance. Scalloped5/16" top braces enhance the top’sdynamic range. Bigleaf flamed mapleback and sides contribute brighttimbre and impressive projection. The1-3/4" (at the nut) modified V-shapeneck with diamond volute is carvedfrom genuine mahogany.

16

Thrilled with the outcome of their beautifulblack “Bellezza Nera” design collaboration,Eric Clapton and Hiroshi Fujiwara wished toexplore a similar model in white. Like JohnLennon’s ivory lacquered piano, the BellezzaBianca emerges with beauty and purity.

Composite Photo of Eric Clapton by Roy Kidney

17

Bellezza Bianca Bellezza Nera

18

Scalloped “Hybrid” bracing enhances the full timbreof this tonewood combination. Body appointmentsare also similar, with a Style 45 rosette featuring acenter ring of colorful paua shell, bold herringbonearound the top, black/white back purfling aroundthe back, grained ivoroid binding throughout, an HDSt yle zigzag back str ip and a tradit ional OMteardrop pol ished and beveled tor toise-colorpickguard.

The Spanish cedar neck with diamond voluteis carved with playing comfort in mind, combining 1-11/16" width and low profile shape for easyfretting. The East Indian rosewood headplate sportsMartin’s Old Style decal in silver rather than thefamiliar gold (another nod to the OM-28JM JohnMayer Signature Edition) and nickel Gotoh open-geared tuners with butterbean knobs. The blackAfrican ebony fingerboard highlights 1/8” mother ofpearl position markers at the 5th, 7th (two), 9th,15th and 17th frets, a unique 12th fret positionmarker of two dots flanking a slotted square, andJohn Mayer’s signature inlaid in mother of pearlbetween the 19th and 20th frets.

Style 45 white bridge pins and endpin areinlaid with abalone dots. The black African ebonybridge is fitted with a compensated TUSQ saddle,

which combines with the factory-installedMartin Gold Plus Natural electronics

for accurate, natural ampl i f iedsound. Adding to the beauty of thisinstrument is the flawless finish;vintage toner on the top, polishedgloss nitrocellulose lacquer on thebody and polished gloss on theheadplate.

To provide a touch of hispersonal st yle to the OMJM JohnMayer Special Edition guitar, John

Mayer has created a unique artdeco-inspired monogram, which

is embroidered on the specialvintage Geib Style hardshellcase. Each guitar in th is open series bears an interiorlabel imprinted with thesignatures of John Mayerand Martin Chairman C. F.Martin IV, and individuallynumbered in sequence.

The Martin OMJM JohnMayer Special Edition guitar

will be available soon fromauthorized C. F. Martin dealers

and distributors worldwide, listedat: www.martinguitar.com. �

Back in 2002, John Mayer burst onto thenational music scene with hits like “No SuchThing” and “Your Body is a Wonderland.” Thefollowing year, when Martin introduced the OM-28JM John Mayer Signature Edition, people whohad heard of John Mayer – and even those whohadn’t – were enchanted by the guitar. Its quickneck, ultra-responsive Engelmann spruce top,silver-color line inlays and accents at the bridge andheadstock, and unique fingerboard inlay proved aspopular as the musician who designed it. The sizeableedition of 404 instruments sold out completely.

Fast - forward to the present. The release ofMayer’s “Heavier Things” album in late 2003 resultedin two more hit singles, “Bigger than My Body” and“Daughters,” the second of which won Grammys for“Song of the Year” and “Best Male Pop Vocal of theYear.” Touring in 2004 took him to Australia, Europe,Canada and across the United States and included amemorable performance at the Crossroads GuitarFestival.

In 2005 he joined forces with bassist PinoPalladino and drummer Steve Jordan to create theJohn Mayer Trio, playing electric blues in a series ofsold-out shows: the two-night stand at the House ofBlues in Chicago was recorded for “The JohnMayer Trio Live in Concert,” an albumreleased in November. He also tooktime out to per form at benef itconcerts for Hurricane Katrinarelief in Atlanta and New York.

In l ight of John Mayer ’sexpanding reputation and fanbase, the number of OM-28JMJohn Mayer Signature Edit ionguitars produced began to lookawfully small. So, C. F. Martin & Co.asked John Mayer i f he wouldcreate a second namesake guitar, one with many of thesame attributes as his first, butone that would be moreaffordable and more widelyavailable in the tradition ofthe wildly popular Martin000-28EC Eric Clapton. Hewould and he did: TheOMJM John Mayer SpecialEdition.

Like its predecessor,the OMJM John MayerSpecial Edition features atop of Engelmann spruce andback and sides of East Indianrosewood for warm, rich tone.

Simple BeautyThe John Mayer OMJM Special Signature Edition

19

Photo

by Lorenzo

Bevilagua/C

NN

On September 3, 2005, Eric Clapton performed the song “Broken Hearted” from his album “Pilgrim” live on Larry King’s 3-hour Special in support of Victims of Hurricane Katrina. Eric invited John Mayer to back him up, and both performed withtheir Signature Model Martin acoustics. After the performance, Eric donated his 000-28EC (that he and John signed) to theHigher Ground Hurricane Relief Fund’s Charity Auction. The closing bid on the guitar was $42,300.

While maintaining the same size, shape and tonewoodselection as the first edition OM-28JM model, this newSpecial Edition OMJM sheds the aluminum headplate andbridge inlay and simplifies the fingerboard positionmarkers, yielding an exceptional professional OM at amore affordable price. The vintage Geib style case featuresan embroidered John Mayer designed monogram with hisinitials “JMC” for John Clayton Mayer.

20

From the sonic textures of the Police to the jazzycontemporary sound of his solo work, Andy Summersis a guitar innovator. Rock, classical, jazz, Brazilian,and just about everything in between. If it can beplayed on an acoustic or electric guitar, Summers hasplayed it and in doing so has expanded its horizons.

In recent years, and particularly after many acousticguitar tours in Brazil, an acoustic guitar with thecapability of “plugging in” became one of his primaryinstruments. With considerable experience of the problemsand nuances of getting an acoustic guitar to come across inlive performances, the proposal by C. F. Martin to create anAndy Summers Signature Edition was welcome. To build aguitar that plays well, overcomes the classic problems ofgetting an acoustic guitar amplified and has an appearancethat is singular in design, Andy worked closely with Martin’sDick Boak. The Martin 000C-28 Andy Summers SignatureEdition shows how he and Martin met this challenge. It is anextraordinary guitar in every way.

The 000C-28 Andy Summers Signature Edition featuresa top with a unique black/white “chevron checkered”binding, while the back showcases a Style 45 multicoloredback strip with distinctive black fiber borders. Accenting thesoundhole is a triple-ring rosette with a central ring of fineherringbone. The back and sides are bound in ivoroid, thelatter with mitered black/white fine line purfling. In a saluteto Martin history – and because the combination looks soelegant – a black African ebony pyramid bridgegraces the top, but a pickguard does not.

Up the neck, the solid, squaretapered headstock combines Martin’santique pressure stamp on the backwith an ivoroid-bound, black/white mitered black African ebonyheadplate inlaid with the Lotus flower,the Buddhist symbol of purity, on thefront. The matching ivoroid-bound andmitered black African ebony fingerboardis inlaid in mother of pearl withBuddhist “Mudra” (hand gesture)position markers at the 5th, 7th, 9th,12th and 15th frets, the yin/yangsymbol at the 17th fret and AndySummer’s signature betweenthe 19th and 20th frets.

Exquisite premium solidtonewoods add to the beautyof this guitar and contribute toits superb tone. The top iscrafted from Italian alpinespruce, renowned for warmth,balance and impressive dynamicrange, and matched to 5/16”scalloped bracing for cleardefinition. East Indian rosewood backand sides add outstanding projection. A

one-piece neck of genuine mahogany contributesstructural strength and stability.

Several design elements make the 000C-28 AndySummers Signature Edition a player’s delight. Theshort 24.9” scale, 1-3/4” (at the nut) neck withmodified low oval profile and low action allow foreasy fretting, even on difficult chords. The 000cutaway body insures full fingerboard access andplaying comfort both sitting and standing (a

chrome strap button is installed at the neck heel).Waverly open-geared nickel tuners with butterbeanknobs contribute smooth, precise tuning. The factory-installed Fishman Ellipse™ Blend electronics with amic/under-saddle pickup combination and on-boardcontrols allows effortless amplification.

The crowning touch to the 000C-28 AndySummers Signature Edition is the finish. Polishedgloss lacquer finish on the guitar’s body highlightsboth the elegant appointments and the golden aging-toned top. The headplate likewise features a glossfinish, while the neck receives a satin finish.

Moving to London in his late teens, AndySummers spent the late ‘60s honing his guitar skillswith a variety of London-based groups includingZoot Moneys Big Roll Band, Dantalions Chariot, theSoft Machine and Eric Burdon’s New Animals. Hislove and relationship with the guitar after this periodcontinued with four years of classical guitar study atNorthridge University in California.

Subsequent to this period, Andyreturned to London and within threeyears joined up with StewartCopeland and Sting to form “The Police.” With this classic andlegendary group, Andy achievedworldwide prominence and became

one of the most copied guitarists ofall time. The group enjoyed countlessnumber one records around the

world, several Grammys andnumerous awards, eventually

selling upward of eighty millionrecords. Andy won the numberone spot in Guitar PlayerMagazine for five years in arow and eventually wasinducted into the GuitarPlayer Hall of Fame. InMarch 2003 the group wasalso inducted into the Rockand Roll Hall of Fame.

Even before the Policeended, Summers began taking

his guitar in new directions,recording two jazz/world music

albums with King Crimson guitarist

Guitar Innovator Andy Summers Honored With Unique 000 Signature Edition

Robert Fripp. He spent a brief period scoringsoundtracks for motion pictures like “Down andOut in Beverly Hills” and “Weekend at Bernie’s”before embarking on a solo career with “XYZ,” analbum released in 1987. Successive albums (13 inall) allowed him to combine jazz and world musicin his own signature style. These also includetributes to Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus,and collaborations with Victor Biglione of Brazil,John Etheridge of the UK and Ben Verdery, theNew York classical guitarist with whom heperformed at Carnegie Hall in March of this year.Touring consistently on a worldwide basis,Summers keeps an active profile. His most recentrelease is “The X Tracks,” a compendium of the besttracks from the past few years. In addition to hismusical endeavors, Summers is a fine photographerand published author. His most recent book, “LightStrings: Impressions of the Guitar,” written withRalph Gibson, was published in 2004. St. Martinspress will release his autobiography “One TrainLater” in October of 2006.

Delivered in a Geib-style hardshell case, eachMartin 000C-28 Andy Summers Signature Editionguitar bears an interior label personally signed byAndy Summers and Martin Chairman C. F. MartinIV and is numbered in sequence with the editiontotal. Authorized C. F. Martin dealers will beaccepting orders for this guitar until March 20,2006. After the order period, Martin will post thenames of participating Martin dealers on its websiteat www.martinguitar.com. �

21

“With thisMartin edition, I

wanted to createa special guitar that

completely sat isf ies mydemands as a performer.With the appointments andinlays, I wanted to express

my personal sense of art ,spirit and taste. I’m thrilled

with the result and thinkyou will be too!”

Andy Summers

22

As lead guitarist and principal songwriter for BonJovi, Richie Sambora has reached the pinnacle ofrock and roll success. Among the most enduringbands of the past 20 years, Bon Jovi has sold morethan 100,000,000 albums, packed stadiumsthroughout the world and built a worldwide followingfor its mix of powerful, tuneful rock anthems and bigballads.

But beyond the stage lights, Richie Sambora has showna more eclectic musical persona. His two solo albums,“Stranger in Town” and “Undiscovered Soul,” are rich withemotion and introspection and range beyond rock toinclude blues and acoustic. Acoustic guitars are essentialtools in his songwriting, and he usually reaches for one ofthe numerous Martins he owns. Two of his favorites are a1902 parlor guitar and a rare 1930 OM-45. He also has afondness for 12-string acoustics and often plays one induet appearances with lead singer Jon Bon Jovi.

When Richie discussed ideas for a namesakeSignature Edition with C. F. Martin, he suggested a double-neck 6-string and 12-string guitar but finally agreed twoguitars would be better than one. While the MartinOMC-41 Richie Sambora and MC12-41 Richie SamboraSignature Editions draw their inspiration from his vintageOM-45, these spectacular, stage-worthy guitars have astyle all their own.

The body sizes he selected: an OM for the 6-stringand an M (0000) for the 12-string, each with arounded cutaway, offer balanced toneand outstanding access to the upperfrets. The premium solid tonewoodschosen also show a connoisseur’sappreciation for tone: tops of Italianalpine spruce for bri l l iance andrichness, and backs and sides ofMadagascar rosewood, the tone-woodconsidered by many to be closest inappearance, projection and clarity tonow-rare Brazilian rosewood.

Appointments selected (and ina few cases created) for theseguitars are equally stunning. TheStyle 41 top inlay and Style 45rosette, both in select abalone,stand out against the top’sunique vintage tobacco(yellow to brown) “Sambora”sunburst. Top, back, headplateand fingerboard are bound ingrained ivoroid, and all but thetop feature inset black/whitef ine l ine inlays. The grainedivoroid end piece and heelcaphave identical black/white fine lineaccents. The distinctive pyramid belly

bridge with Stauffer point is carved from blackAfrican ebony. A black polished and beveledpickguard protects the top.

Unique inlays highlight both the black Africanebony fingerboard and headplate. Beginning atthe 1st fret and continuing to the 17th, smallabalone hexagon position markers on thefingerboard are bordered with exclusive mother

of pearl, which are in turn accented on both sidesby delicate black line inlays. Richie Sambora’s inlaidsignature appears between the 19th and 20th frets.The headplate showcases an exclusive “heart andcross” Martin torch inlay in abalone and mother ofpearl inspired by a bracelet designed by RichieSambora’s wife, actress Heather Locklear.

A low profile neck – 1-11/16" for the 6-stringand 1-13/16" for the 12-string – with diamondvolutes at the base of the headstock and the Martinstamp on the back combines a modern feel withclassic appearance. Gotoh gold tuning machineswith small knobs, and a bone nut and compensatedTUSQ saddle provide smooth tuning and preciseintonation. The bridge pins and endpin arefashioned from fossilized ivory and topped bycolorful pearl dots.

As is evident from his Signature Edition guitars,Richie Sambora is a musician whose influences andcreativity run deep. A native of New Jersey, helearned to play guitar after hearing Eric Clapton.

He also admired the playing of JimiHendrix, Jeff Beck and the Beatles,and integrated subtle elements oftheir styles into his own. By theearly 1980s, he had played with aseries of groups, toured with Joe

Cocker, been called to auditionwith KISS and worked as a studiomusician.

Around the same time, singerJon Bon Jovi recorded “Runaway”

with a band of studiomusicians, and the singlebecame a local hit. Recordcontract in hand, he soonjoined forces withdrummer Tico Torres andkeyboard player DavidBryan to create the core ofBon Jovi. Richie Samboratalked his way into an

audition after hearing thatBon Jovi was looking for a

new guitarist. He became thelast member to join the band.

Bon Jovi refined its rock sound

Richie Sambora Hits The Stage With Two Elegant Martin Signature Editions

23

with two modestly successful albums. Then, in 1986,came “Slippery When Wet,” which sold more than ninemillion copies and produced three hit singles co-writtenby Richie Sambora: “You Give Love A BadName,” “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “WantedDead or Alive.” The band quickly movedfrom small venues to stadium shows.“New Jersey,” Bon Jovi’s 1988 album,continued the winning streak, producingtwo more hit singles: “Bad Medicine” and“I’ll Be There For You.”

The 1990s were a decade ofconsiderable turbulence for Bon Jovi, but theband recorded three albums and continued toplay big shows. In 2000, it returned to the topwith the album “Crush” and its singles “It’s MyLife” and “Thank You for Loving Me.” It hasbeen full speed ahead for Bon Jovi in the newcentury, with a memorable performance at theConcert for New York City, a five-CD boxed set“100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t be Wrong,”and the recent release of the album and hitsingle “Have a Nice Day.” Bon Jovi kicked off aworld tour in November of 2005, with RichieSambora supplying the guitar magic.

The Richie Sambora Signature Editions arebeautifully finished in polished gloss lacquer.Stage-ready, both the 6-string and the 12-string come factory-equipped with MartinGold+Plus Natural 1 electronics and a goldstrap button. Also included is a special vintageGeib-st y le hardshel l case wi th greencrushed velour interior.

Each Martin OMC-41 andMC12-41 Richie SamboraSignature Edit ion guitarcomes with an interiorlabel personally signed byRichie Sambora and C. F.Martin IV. In addition, eachguitar will be individuallynumbered in sequence withthe edition total. The editionsize of either model will notexceed two hundredinstruments.

Authorized Martindealers wil l begintaking orders for theOMC-41 and MC12-41 Richie SamboraSignature Edit ionsimmediately. The namesof participating dealerswill be posted on theMartin website at:

www.martinguitar.com. �

24

years and was very proud of both his service to ourcompany and to our country. He was a UnitedStates Marine Corps Sergeant from 1963-1967 whoserved in Vietnam from 1964 to 1965, and his namewas inscribed on the wall of honor for deceasedveterans from Pennsylvania's Lehigh andNorthampton counties. The eight stars on the flagsymbolize Barry's unexpected death on the 8th day

of the 8th month (August) 2002. The POW MIA theme is further exemplified in

the fingerboard with additional mother of pearlinlays: P O W from the 3rd to 5th frets, a small five-pointed star at the 6th fret, M I A from the 7th to 9thfrets, double tear drops at the 12th fret, a single teardrop at the 15th and 17th frets and the Prisoner ofWar ribbon is suggested in colored pearl betweenthe 19th and 20th frets. The Prisoner of War Medaland ribbon were issued only to those United Statesmilitary personnel who were taken prisoner andheld captive after April 5, 1917.

Delivered in a specially designed United Statesflag-themed case with black hardware, each MartinPOW MIA Dreadnought Special Edition bears aninterior label signed by Martin Chairman and CEOC. F. Martin IV and is numbered in sequence. Inaddition, a stainless steel bracelet will be sent to theoriginal owner upon completion of the Martin

warranty. POW MIA bracelets were firstworn during the 1970s to draw

attention to the prisoners andmissing in action during theVietnam War. They were engravedwith the name, rank, service, lossdate and country of loss. Thebracelet accompanying this guitarwill be engraved as follows:

“UNTIL THEY ALL COME HOME”C. F. MARTIN & CO., INC.

A portion of the proceeds fromthe sale of each POW MIA guitarwill be donated to the NationalAlliance of Families for theReturn of America's MissingServicemen and Women.The mission of this group isto account for all prisonersof war that were left behindat the end of World War II,the Korean War, the ColdWar, the Vietnam War, the

Persian Gulf War I and thePersian Gulf War II.

Orders for the POW MIADreadnought Special Edition are

One of the most difficult things to do is tosay goodbye to a loved one, a friend, or anyoneelse who has been a special part of your life inone way or another. Can you imagine what itmust be like for a family to not know the fate of aloved one?

“To those we have lost, you are not forgotten” isthe theme that inspired a small group of Martinemployees to design an instrument dedicated to thefamilies of American servicemen and women whowere held in captivity or are still missing in action - thePOW MIA Dreadnought Special Edition Model.

This classic 14-fret Martin Dreadnought is craftedof premium, solid tonewoods - mahogany back andsides and Sitka spruce top with scalloped "hybrid"bracing. The body is finished in elegant black polishedlacquer.

To contrast the black top, the soundhole issurrounded with a single ring of standard paua shellinlay. White Boltaron binding is used to outline andprotect the top and back edges; the side inlay consistsof thin black-white-black fiber. A Style 45 thick blackmosaic backstrip joins the two-piece back.

The POW MIA modif ied low oval neck iscomprised of genuine mahogany with a 1-11/16" neckwidth at the nut. Neck appointments include a blackCorian nut matched by a black Micartasaddle and a black ebony belly bridgewith abalone inlaid black bridge pinsand endpin. In addition, the solid,square-tapered headstock is fittedwith Gotoh chrome tuners withlarge knobs.

The truly touching appointmentsof the POW MIA DreadnoughtSpecial Edition relate to the block,headplate and black ebonyfingerboard. The laser engravingon the block reads “POW MIAAll Gave Some, Some Gave All.”In addition, the POW MIA flagwith the slogan “You Are NotForgotten” is displayed belowthe raised silver foil “C. F.Martin & Co.” logo on theblack ebony headplate. Aneagle with a waving, eight-star flag is inlaid in motherof pearl at the 1st fret ofthe fingerboard. This eaglewith f lag design wascreated by Martin employeeMatthew Rinker as a lastingtribute to his father BarryRinker. Barry Rinker was adedicated Martin employee for 35

POW MIA Edition Honors Sacrifice For America“To Those We Have Lost, You Are Not Forgotten.”

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being accepted immediately, and the guitarswill begin to appear in stores during thespring of 2006. In addition, detailed viewsand a participating dealer l ist wil l be posted on the Martin website at:www.martinguitar.com

The POW MIA Dreadnought SpecialEdition serves as an extraordinarycomplement to the DVM DreadnoughtVeterans Special Edition Model. While ithonors American servicemen and womenwho were captured and imprisoned, it alsorepresents our commitment to the familiesof those who are still missing. These braveservicemen and women deserve to returnhome with honor and dignity. �

In Memory Of Barry Rinker 1943-2002The POW MIA project pays special tribute to Barry Rinker, a United States

Marine Corps Sergeant and Vietnam veteran. In addition to being a devotedhusband, father, and grandfather, Barry was a highly valued and lovedcoworker at Martin for 35 years, having worked in many positions including hispositions as Shipping Manager and Plant Manager for Martin production whenhe passed away in 2002. His guitar manufacturing expertise, his dry sense ofhumor and his passion for Penn State football will forever be missed at C. F.Martin & Co., Inc. �

Above: A special stainless steel bracelet will be sent to the original owner of eachPOW MIA Special Edition Guitar upon completion of their Martin warranty. POWMIA bracelets were first worn during the 1970s to draw attention to the prisonersand those missing in action during the Vietnam War. They were engraved with thename, rank, service, loss date and country of loss. Below: Each POW MIA SpecialEdition Guitar includes a specially designed United States flag-themed case withblack hardware The special case was made in collaboration with Tom Doughertyof TKL cases, who is also a veteran of the Vietnam War. �

Whether you’re a cat lover or not, this beautiful littlefeline is the purrrrfect guitar for players, collectors andFelix fans.

That Wonderful Cat Teams Up With Martin For Another Wonderful FeLiX Limited Edition Guitar

Due to the overwhelming success of our first Felix The CatLimited Edition guitar, Martin is proud to introduce a second – andtotally different – Felix The Cat Limited Edition.

This new special version of Martin’s Little Martin LXM features allnew Felix The Cat graphics from the studio of Don Oriolo, renownedartist, composer, arranger and son of Felix’s co-originator, Joe Oriolo.

It also includes an assortment of Felix “case candy” including aspecial red “laughing Felix” pick backed with the distinctive C. F. Martin &Co., Felix The Cat and Don Oriolo logos. In addition, a colorful miniaturecomic book is included featuring Felix’s band (“Felix & The Cats”) on thecover playing both of the Martin Felix Edition guitars.

In keeping with Felix’s keep-em-guessing personality and penchant fortricks, Don and fellow artist Jen Henning have created a hilarious “Where’sFelix! “ motif for the top graphics. Over 100 miniature Felix figures invarious poses are depicted, but with only one Felix holding a red Martinpick (and good luck finding it!). A “laughing Felix” on the black headstockunder the C. F. Martin & Co. scroll logo completes the graphics.

Each guitar comes with its own high quality black travel gig bag withembroidered Felix logo. And, each guitar is personally signed by Don Orioloand Martin Chairman and CEO C. F. Martin IV.

The overall result is a striking and irresistible companion to the first Felixedition. Fun. Colorful. And if it’s anything like its predecessor, verycollectable. The first edition of 756 guitars sold out quickly, and the Felix II,limited to no more than 625 guitars, is expected to do the same.

Since the early 1900s when he first pawed his way into the homes andhearts of kids everywhere, Felix The Cat has remained one of the mostenduring and endearing cartoon characters in history. To his legions offans worldwide, however, Felix is more than a nostalgic piece ofAmericana – he’s an attitude, a philosophy of fun and sly wit,a faithful friend who can always be counted on for achuckle and a surprise.

We think he’s the perfect spokescat for one ofMartin’s most fun and versatile instruments.

The Felix II Little Martin combines a compact “0”tenor–shaped body with an adjustable, modified low oval14-fret neck and a 23” scale. And while it is an ideal guitarfor travel, practice or student use, it is still very much aMartin in tone and quality, built with state-of-the-arttechnology and materials.

The top, back and sides are constructed of blackHPL (high pressure laminate) materials for durability;the top and back are reinforced with Sitka sprucebraces for tone. The easy to play neck isconstructed of Stratabond multi -ply woodlaminate and features a black Micartafingerboard, bridge, nut and saddle. QualityGotoh “Cosmo Black” tuning machinesimprinted with the CFM logo are used to holdthe genuine Martin phosphor bronze strings(absolutely no cat gut is used). �

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The FeLiX II

Little MartinLimited Edition

Where’s FeLiX? Back At Martin, Of Course!

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The Ballad of C. F. Martin ©2005 by Nigel Foote

In eighteen thirty-threeChristian Frederick MartinMade his first guitar in New York townAll the way from SaxonyWith a wife, young son, and daughterHe made the best of what the family found

And he made guitars in the back room ofThe old shop on Hudson StreetNo violin was ever more of a masterpieceBut December brought memories Of Christmas trees in GermanyAnd tears fell to the snow that Christmas Eve

In six years they moved awayTo Nazareth, PennsylvaniaBought some acres up on Cherry HillAnd the Country roads and lanesReminded them of MarkneukirchenAnd the people of a place from whence they came

And he made guitars that made his father proudThat they carried the family nameThough others tried, they never sounded quite the sameAnd a young man worked by his sideIn shavings of Spruce and RosewoodAnd the mystery and secrets of the grain

And the wind in the PineStill sings beneath my fingersTo a moon that sails an Ebony skyAnd through each Grandson in lineYour memory lingersThrough the hands that make these instruments shine

In '59 they moved to townSettled down on North and Main StreetsBuilt a factory and followed their peaceful waysWhile the war around them ragedAnd the chain-gangs moaned and holleredAnd Lincoln won the freedom of the slaves

And you made guitars that now sing true and loudTo the words of the poet's penSinging, Freedom, Oh Freedom Over MeAnd the folksongs of our timeFrom the Woodstock generationWere born of your guitars and are blowing in the wind

On a cold February morningIn Nazareth, PennsylvaniaWord got 'round that the old man's hand lay stillAnd the townsfolk came a callingAlong with the undertakerAnd they lay you down amongst the Daffodils

And he made guitars that made his father proudThat they carried the family nameThough others tried, they never sounded quite the sameAnd though the years have rolled awayYou have cast your light for othersFor upon these strings, your spirit sings today.

Each Felix II Limited Edition will be delivered in a durablegig bag with an embroidered Felix emblem, a collector’sedition pick and a miniature Felix The Cat “Unplugged”comic book. Part of the fun of “Where’s Felix?” is findingFelix’s hidden pick on the soundboard graphic.

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New Golden

Era®

and Marquis®

Special Editions

000-18 Golden Era® 1937This fine Golden Era® model closely replicates Martin’s

classic 000-18 model of the 1937 time period. The 000-18Golden Era model combines premium grade genuinemahogany back and sides, an Adirondack red sprucesoundboard, 1/4" scalloped Adirondack spruce bracingcontoured in the Golden Era style, tortoise colored bindings,interior linen reinforcement side strips and a laminatecellulose nitrate tortoise colored pickguard with vintagecoloration. The 000-18 Golden Era guitar is offered with eithera natural finish or with a 1935 Style sunburst top at anadditional charge. �

000-18Golden

Era1937

D-45Marquis

Dreadnought

D-45 Marquis®

The D-45 Marquis is a Style 45 14-fret Dreadnoughtcrafted with pre-war Golden Era appointments and woodsthat include Adirondack red spruce for the soundboardand genuine black ebony for the fingerboard and bridge.Like all Marquis series instruments, East Indian rosewood isutilized for the back, sides and headplate.

D-45 Marquis guitars feature St yle 45 abalonebordering, grained ivoroid bindings, vintage snowflakefingerboard inlays, fossil ivory nut and saddle, Waverly®

gold tuners with butterbean knobs and an abalone inlaidGolden Era Style 45 headplate. �

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TraditionalTributes

and Bold

CustomShop

Designs

Arts and CraftsAfter visiting the famed Gamble House, Greene and

Greene’s architectural masterpiece in Pasadena, California,Chris Martin was inspired to pay tribute to the Arts and Craftsmovement with this special herringbone Dreadnought.Constructed with rare solid flamed mahogany back and sidesand a heavily bearclawed Sitka spruce top, this Arts andCrafts Edition, limited to no more than 100 special guitars,combines a ginko leaf fingerboard inlay motif inlaid in goldmother of pearl, a herringbone rosette, a unique “leatherlam”pickguard, triple rosewood “bowtie” dovetails on the backand a Stauffer-style pointed pyramid bridge. �

Arts and CraftsLimitedEdition

OMCArtingerCustom

OMC Artinger CustomThis one-of-a-kind Custom Orchestra Model was made in

collaboration with Pennsylvania-based luthier Matt Artinger. Itbreaks away from Martin tradition on several fronts, featuringan elliptical soundhole, an assymetrical bridge, a uniquevariation of hollow hexagon inlays for the fingerboard, a softlycontoured armrest on the lower bass side bout, a side port, ascalloped nut, and flamed koa trim throughout. The sides andback are bookmatched from East Indian rosewood, and thetop of bear-clawed Adirondack spruce is bordered with aband of abalone pearl. Stay tuned for future out-of-the-boxcollaborations with this gifted instrument maker. �

Two New

16 SeriesAura

Equipped Jumbo

Cutaways

JC-16MEMapleWithAura

Electronics

JC-16RERosewood

WithAura

Electronics

JC-16ME Aura (Maple)This Jumbo cutaway addition to the 16 Series features a

polished gloss lacquered body, European flamed maple backand sides and a solid Sitka spruce top. The fingerboard andbridge are crafted from striped Macassar ebony. EachJC-16ME is equipped with the acclaimed Fishman onboardAura™ sound reinforcement system. The Aura™ is capable ofblending your choice of six acoustic sound images with theMartin Gold Plus under-the-saddle transducer. �

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JC-16RE Aura (Rosewood)Like its maple counterpart shown at left, the JC-16RE Aura

features a polished gloss body, a solid Sitka spruce top and afingerboard and bridge crafted from striped ebony. The keydifference is the selection of East Indian rosewood for theback and sides, yielding a warm, resonant tone. Each JC-16REcomes with Fishman’s onboard Aura™ for unequaled studioquality sound. Aura™ features include programmable digitalEQ, feedback control and chromatic tuning. �

New Bass and

6-StringAcoustic Electric

Cutaways

00C-16GTAEThinbodyAcoustic Electric

Bass

XC1TCutaway

With Ellipse

Electronics

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XC1T Ellipse CutawayDesigned by Martin’s Women and Music Group, the new

XC1T blends the attractive figured wood grain pattern of“Tawny Satinwood” high pressure laminate back and sideswith a solid Sitka spruce top. This 14-fret 000 cutaway isrosetted with a unique inlay, laser cut from contrasting EastIndian rosewood, maple and koa. With an onboard FishmanEllipse™ Blend system and a light-weight zero gravity case, thisstage model is perfect for the musician on the go. �

00C-16GTAE Acoustic Electric BassCrafted with solid mahogany back and sides and a Sitka

spruce soundboard, this new addition to Martin’s line ofacoustic basses blends a thin 00 cutaway body for playercomfort with the specially calibrated onboard Fishman®

Pref ix Pro Bass sound reinforcement system. Simplyappointed with a bold herringbone rosette, black bindingsand a gloss lacquered top, the 00C-16GTAE bass is ideal foron-stage use. �

"American Pie" by Don McLean ©1971, renewed 1999 by Songs of Universal, Inc. on behalf of itself and Benny Bird Co., Inc./BMI. Used by permission. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. ©2005 C. F. Martin & Co. martinguitar.com

I can’t remember if I cried

When I read about his widowed bride

But something touched me deep inside

The day the music died

– an eight-minute twenty-seven-second farewell, written on a D-28, 1971

AMERICA’S GUITAR®

Music history. Martin history.®

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Martin’s New Clapton’s Choice StringsC. F. Martin and Company is proud to introduce a new

line of acoustic guitar strings, Clapton's Choice PhosphorBronze. The Clapton's Choice Phosphor Bronze guitar stringshave a distinctively clear, warm tone with a hint of brightnessthat can highlight the subtleties of any player's style. Live or inthe studio, these strings deliver the kind of performanceexpected by Eric Clapton.

These new strings, available in light and medium gaugedsets, were inspired by guitar legend Eric Clapton, who hasworked with Martin on six signature guitars. The first EricClapton limited edition was the 000-42EC. Introduced in1995, all 461 guitars sold out within days. Since then, Martinand Clapton have collaborated on the 000-28EC (1996), the000-42ECB (2000), the 000-28ECB (2002), the Bellezza Nera(2004) and the Bellezza Bianca (2006).

Playing these exquisitely crafted Martin guitars, Claptonnoted the superior strings that Martin manufactures for itsinstruments. The Clapton's Choice Phosphor Bronze guitarstrings are the result of this long-term successful partnershipbetween the largest and most respected manufacturer ofacoustic guitars in America and one of the world's greatestguitarists.

The Phosphor Bronze Light, MEC-12 Light, is ideallysuited for auditorium, orchestra models and other smallerbody sized guitars and fingerstyle playing. The PhosphorBronze Medium, MEC-13 Medium, is excellent for largerbody guitars (like the Dreadnought) and popular for flatpicking and strumming. These two new 6-string sets have asuggested retail price of $13.75 each.

Clapton's Choice Guitar Strings are available through allauthorized Martin Guitar dealers. �

“When I play acoustic guitar, whether in a studio or on stage,

these Martin strings are my choice. They deliver the sound that I demand.”

Eric Clapton

This quirky Martin ad from the early 1970s poked fun at guitarendorsement with a fictitious super-musician Bobby JoeFenster. Sorry folks. While it was a great deal while they lasted,there are no more posters available – not even for a dollar.Quite collectable though!

Tim Teel, Ed Golden and Bert Germick of Martin made theirseasonal trek to visit Rob Ketch (left) and Larry Fishman (right)of Fishman Transducers of Wilmington, Massachusett s.Fishman is the industry leader in sound reinforcement, and thetwo companies closely confer on new product ideas.

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Kid Rock and Jerry Lee LewisOn October 24, 2005, Kid Rock and Jerry Lee Lewis

relaxed backstage with a Martin herringbone HD-28V on the first day of “I Walk the Line – A Night for Johnny Cash,”

held at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles.

Dave Matthews and Trey AnastasioOn September 20, 2005, Dave Matthews

and Trey Anastasio teamed up with their Martin Signature models in support of Katrina Relief for thefundraiser “From the Big Apple

to the Big Easy” held at Radio City

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Bronx In BlueSome people think I grew up on Rock & Roll. Not so! When I was a kid,

there was no Rock & Roll. In the early 50s – late at night – I’d tune in toWheeling, West Virginia (WWVA) and listen to The Blues, Howling Wolf’s HowMany More Years, Jimmy Reed’s Bright, Lights, Big City. After school, I’d runhome to catch the last half hour of the Don Larkin Country Show comin’ out ofNewark. I was a Hank Williams junkie. For me, putting country and bluestogether – that’s what I call Rock & Roll. Black music, filtered through an Italianneighborhood, comes out with attitude. Rock & Roll. Yo! The Music on Bronx

In Blue was the undercurrent of everysong I did: Runaround Sue , TheWanderer, even the foot stomping onRuby Baby I got from John Lee

Hooker’s Walkin’ Boogie. Though I’ve beencarrying these blues and country gems around in my

head for the last fifty years, I recorded this CD in two days.No tricks. No musicians. No vocal overdubs. Just me, my

trusty 000C black Martin, my baby 00-21and the Hurdy Gurty man on percussion.

Yes, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, inthe spirit of the “Early Fathers of the Blues”

cheering us on, with their blessing, we Rock!Take a listen.

Art Garfunkel and Paul SimonOld friends Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon joined fellow celebrities in a concert benefitting Katrina Relief in New York City. As always, Paul performed with his OM-42PS Signature model Martin.

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Sally BarrisWith songs recorded by Lee Ann Womack, Kathy

Mattea and Martina McBride to her credit, Nashville-basedsinger and songwriter Sally Barris writes, records and tourswith her vintage Martin HD-28. You can pick up Sally'snewest album, “Little Voice,” directly from her website,www.sallybarris.com. (Len Jaffe) �

Chuck SuchyA full-time cattle farmer in Mandan, North Dakota,

singer/songwriter Chuck Suchy (pronounced SOO-key) hasrecorded several albums of original material using hiswonderful Martin D-18. Check out Chuck's recent release,“Evening In Paris” at www.chucksuchy.com. (Len Jaffe) �

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Bill DanoffBill Danoff, who wrote “Afternoon Delight” for the

Starland Vocal Band and co-wrote “Take Me Home, CountryRoads” that made the late John Denver a star, works thesedays with a Martin Alternative X Grand Concert. Bill's latestcompact disc is “I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado,” analbum of the twelve songs he wrote that Denver recordedover the course of his career… and they sound great on thatMartin! www.billdanoff.com. (Len Jaffe) �

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Jack LawrenceJack Lawrence, who's been playing guitar with the great

Doc Watson for more than twenty years, counts on severalMartin guitars in his collection, including this D-18 given tohim by the legendary musician himself. Hear Jack's excellentsolo work on his newest album, “I Don't Need The WhiskeyAnymore.” Find it at: www.jacklawrence.com. (Len Jaffe) �

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Four CornersMartin guitars were abundant at the 10th

Annual Four Corners Folk Festival in PagasaSprings, Colorado, held from September 2ndthrough the 4th, 2005. Clockwise from above:Bluegrass legend Del McCoury with his vintageD-28, Tony Furtado with his 00-17, Jon Stickleyof the Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band with his D-18, Rick Moore with his DC sunburst cutawayperforming with Mollie O’Brien and Rob Miller ofSweet Sunny South with his D-28. �

Music HistoryMartin History

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Guitarist Shawn Watkins of the popular acoustic band Nickel Creek joined hisbandmates Sara Watkins (on violin) and Chris Thile (on mandolin) at AmoebaMusic in Los Angeles. Shawn owns a number of Martin guitars that he uses forrecording, including an 0-17T tenor, a vintage D-18, plus the Brazilian rosewood000-28 he’s playing in the above photo.

Geoff Muldaur has been producing great music for decadesaccompanied by his pride and joy – a lovely 1935 00-40Hmodel. Stay tuned, as Geoff is working with Martin on a specialcustom mahogany version of this 12-fret 00.

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An avid collector and player of many Martin guitars, rockerPatti Smith per formed at WXPN's “All About the MusicFestival” at Wiggins Park in Camden, New Jersey, in July of 2005with her 000-18.

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Rising star Madeleine Peyroux soothes heraudiences with serene and quiet songsfrom her hit album “Careless Love” onwhat appears to be a vintage mahogany-topped Martin 00-15.

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DishwallaRodney Cravens and JR Richards (left) of the rock

band Dishwalla recently wrapped up sessions for their newself-titled studio album. JR has been performing andrecording radio promos prior to his Dishwalla concerts withhis Ellipse equipped HD-28VE Martin. Rodney has alsobeen performing with Martin guitars. The band recentlystopped by the Martin factory for a factory tour, to samplesome new guitars and pose in front of their touring van forthe above photo. By the way, Rodney is second from theright in the front row. �

Ray LaMontagneNew Hampshire born Ray LaMontagne has

been receiving a lot of deserved attention lately.After graduating from high school, he had no ideawhat he wanted to do. Four years later, whileworking long hours in a Lewiston, Maine, shoefactory, he was inspired when he heard StephenStills on the radio doing a song called “Tree TopFlyer” from the “Stills Alone” album. That songchanged his life!

Ray quit his job and started learning thesongs of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bob Dylan, JoniMitchell, Neil Young, Ray Charles and OtisRedding. Over a period of years he taught himselfto sing “from the gut.”

In the summer of 1999, LaMontagnerecorded his first demo — a collection of 10songs. There was a little theater in town thatwould bring in folk acts. He brought his tapedown to the owner, and soon Ray started gettinggigs opening for people like Jonathan Edwardsand John Gorka. It wasn’t long before Ray wasdiscovered and signed by Chrysalis Publishing.They recorded his debut album “Trouble” that hasreceived wide acclaim. Ray’s record label is ATORecords – the same label as John Mayer andDave Matthews – so he’s in good company.Throughout his career, he’s been a Martin player,performing and recording with his J-40 Jumbo andD-35 Dreadnought Martin guitars. Check outRay’s website at: www.raylamontagne.com. �

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40

David Gray – Life In Slow MotionThis is David Gray’s eighth album. Hisfourth album White Ladder was sooverwhelmingly good that it’s beenhard for him to top. Here Davidexplores new territory, abandoningpast introspection and sparsity for moreinstrumentation and production. It’sdone well though, and there are manyjewels here to be discovered, includinga good bit of fine acoustic guitar workwith his 000C Custom model. �

Marty Stuart – Badlands Of The LakotaWhile many country artists are strugglingto define themselves, Marty Stuart hitsthe nail on the head twice in 2005: firstwith with his brilliant gospel tribute“Soul’s Chapel,” and now with“Badlands,” a heart felt dirge andappropriate commemoration of theNative American Lakota Sioux tribe’speril and tragedy. Marty’s knowledge ofthe Lakota is personal and genuine, andso is the music he presents here. �

The Rowan Brotheres – Now & ThenThe Rowan Brothers have been thrillingaudiences since the early ’70s. Withtheir latest release, and without the helpof brother Peter (except for somebackground vocals), Chris and Lorin,have put together an invigorating doubledisc laced with Martin acoustics – onewith all new material and one with ’70ssongs – featuring the likes of JerryGarcia, Bill Kreutzmann, Jim Keltner andothers. �

Tone Poets – Various ArtistsThis long awaited Acoustic Disc releaseadds to David Grisman’s series of TonePoem compilations designed toshowcase great instruments. Thisparticular one is special to us becausethe sole guitar used to record thealbum is a 1933 Martin OM-45,considered by many to be the ultimatein workmanship, scale and balancedtone. Blended with a Loar mandolin,these instrumentals shine. �

Bob Dylan Live From The Gaslight – 1962This rare remastered live recordingfrom Dylan’s most prolif ic andformative era is refreshing, mostlybecause of its surprisingly refined levelof guitarmanship and vocal musicality.It’s so refreshing to hear the sparsityand clarit y of Dylan’s MartinDreadnought – a perfect complementfor this young artist. Who ever knewwhat a legacy he would create. �

Neil Young - Prairie WindNeil Young’s new acoustic CD Prairie Wind

was written and recorded in Nashville in the dayspreceding Neil’s surgery for a brain aneurysm inApril of 2005. The good news is that the surgerywent very well, and Neil has made a full recovery.

The Prairie Wind CD has been receiving ravereviews from all camps, and we certainly must addour accolades. The songs are fresh and clear –perhaps reminiscent of Neil’s acoustic orientedreleases such as “Harvest” and “Harvest Moon.”

When you open up this new CD, you will finda booklet of lyrics. One of the best songs on thealbum (we are prejudiced) is called “This OldGuitar.” (See lyrics on opposite page.) Facing thelyrics is a photograph of Neil’s vintage D-28. This isthe same D-28 that was formerly owned by HankWilliams, Sr.

Though Neil has opted to not collaborate (atthis time) on a Martin Signature Edition, this song isperhaps even a greater and more sincere testamentto his love of and preference for Martin guitars. �

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Bright EyesI’m Wide Awake It’s MorningConor Oberst of Omaha, Nebraska, putout his first solo cassette when he was13 years old. He’s 20 now, and he’swritten hundreds of songs for dozens ofmajor bands. Armed with his Martin 000and his captivating vocal style, he hasaccomplished much at a young age. Hisprimary focus has been his acousticband Bright Eyes. This CD includesspecial guest EmmyLou Harris. �

Diane Ponzio – In The MiddleAs usual, Diane Ponzio’s originalsongs are intelligent, melodic andsoulful, featuring delicious acousticguitar, great vocals, in-the-belly bassand tasty percussion. Diane's websitechronicles her longstanding history asa clinician and advocate for Martin,lists her touring schedule, offers easilydownloadable bio information, photos,reviews and a full discography. Checkit out at: www.dianeponzio.com. �

Bluegrass InvasionRecorded in 2002, this collection of mostlytraditional bluegrass covers the Martinguitar mastery of Gerald McCormick (withhis D-45) paired with Martin clinicianRichard Starkey (playing his ClarenceWhite D-18). Mark MacGlashan’smandolin, Gordon Reid’s fiddle, HaskelMcCormick’s banjo and WilliamMcCormick’s string bass complete thistalented and lively mix. �

Paul McCartney Chaos And Creation In The Back YardThis is a surprising effort, even for PaulMcCartney whose Sgt. Pepper’s tune“When I’m Sixt y-four” is soon tobecome a reality. Naturally our favoritesongs are the acoustic ones, and Pauluses his Martin D-28 on six of thethirteen CD/DVD cuts. While its hardto compete with the vast collection ofBeatles masterpieces, this album is oneto add to your collection. �

Eric Clapton – Back HomeFollowing this past summers’s historicand heralded Cream reunion, this isEric Clapton’s first album of originalmaterial in nearly five years. As always,Eric’s guitar playing is stellar. He’sjoined by John Mayer, Billie Preston,Steve Winwood and a tight all-starband. One of the many high points isthe cover of George Harrison’s “LoveComes To Everyone.” For Slow Handfans, this is a must. �

This Old GuitarWords and Music by Neil Young

This old guitar ain’t mine to keepI’m takin’ care of it nowIt’s been around for years and yearsJust waitin’ in its old case

It’s been up and down the country roadsIt’s brought a tear and a smileIt’s seen its share of dreams and hopesIt never went out of style

The more I play it, the better it soundsIt cries when I leave it alone Silently, it waits for meOr someone else I suppose

This old guitarThis old guitarThis old guitar

This old guitar has caught some breaksBut it’s never searched for goldIt can’t be blamed for my mistakesIt only does what it’s told

It’s been a messenger in times of troubleIn times of hope and fearWhen I get drunk and seein’ doubleIt jumps behind the wheel and steers

This old guitar ain’t mine to keepIt’s mine to play for a whileThis old guitar ain’t mine to keepIt’s only mine for a while

This old guitarThis old guitarThis old guitar

From the album Prairie Wind Reprise Records - Used with permission

© 2005 Silver Fiddle Music

Neil Young

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There are few hobbies that bring out obsessive compulsivebehavior more quickly, with more potentially disastrousconsequences, than vintage guitar collecting.

There seems to be a peculiarly strong compulsion amongmany collectors to clean, buff, drop-fill, reset, reseat, replicate,adjust, spiff-up or otherwise “fix” venerable old guitars whenthey really should be left alone. Trust me on this, I know.

Certainly there is a need for legitimate repairs such as neckresets to restore playability, or sealing of cracks, or evencomplete restorations that save an instrument from totaldestruction.

What I’m referring to is the “diddle-ingaround” genre of home repair, the “let’s-get-out-the-old-bottle-of-Meguiar’s-and-make-this-baby-shine-again” category, orthe “this-neck-has waaaay-too-much-bow;where’s-the-Allen-wrench” school ofamateur adjustment.

Basically, there are three majortrouble areas — f inishes, actionadjustments and, my favorite,“miscellaneous.”

Finishes — Take a hard look at your90 year-old grandmother. Those arefinish checks. Granny has earned themfor surviving 90 seasons of hot andcold, dry and wet, and she’s proudof them — gives her character.Now, you wouldn’t slap a dollop ofMirror Glaze #7 on the old girlwould you? So why do it to an oldguitar? I once took a positivelystunning 1948 D-28 that had abuild-up of what I thought was“grime” and attempted to clean itup with a mild polish. Well, itwasn’t grime. It was old, softenedfinish, and the reaction to the polishwasn’t pretty. You see, there are noinconspicuous places on a guitar to test finishreaction; and once you start polishing, you just keep going untilyou’ve screwed up the entire guitar. Something else. Polishing isnot cleaning. Even on stable nitrocellulose lacquer, polishingremoves finish along with grime. Old finishes are usually thinand brittle (like Granny), so the potential for real instrumentdevaluation real fast is extremely high. Shellac finishes? Iwouldn’t even breathe on them. And, if you are attempting dropfills on an old guitar without having years of experience, youshould be drop-kicked right in the seat of the pants. Want ashiny, flawless finish? Get a new guitar.

Action Adjustments — All guitars, regardless of age, requireadjustments for action. Tops rise and fall, necks bow in and out.Vintage guitars without adjustable truss rods, namely Martins,may eventually require neck resets to restore playability. Butdon’t be in such a big hurry. A neck reset is an extremelydelicate operation — and who performs the operation makes all

the difference in the world. Experts like T.J. Thompson and DaveMusselwhite are soooo good at neck resets that their work isvirtually invisible; you’d never know the neck had been off theguitar. There are lots of repair people who are just as good, butyou’d better know who they are first — before they fire up thesteam kettle and blister the finish off Uncle Ed’s old D-45. Lots ofneck resets are accompanied by bridge replacements, and I’mnot so sure I like that. “Well, the bridge has been cut down toolow — and it’s warped,” is the usual justification for replacement.Yeah, well that bridge is also original; and no matter howaccurate the replica bridge, it’s still a replica and devalues the

instrument. You have to decide whether theimprovement in tone/action of a newbridge trumps originality. If it were me, I’dtell the repair person you want the neckreset to the original bridge if at allhumanly possible. The experts can do it,no sweat.

The real problem comes withadjustable truss rods.

Today, anybody with an Allen wrench,socket wrench, nut driver or screwdrivercan devalue a vintage (or new) guitar witha simple twist of the wrist. It’ll strip the

truss rod nut and threads lickety-split.Neck adjustments are supposed to be

made in baby steps, quarter turns atmost. That squeaking sound thatyou’re hearing isn’t a mouse. It’san over-tightened truss rodhemorrhaging under thefingerboard. Incidentally, Allenwrenches can chew up theedge of a soundhole betterthan anything I’ve ever seen.

Miscellaneous — Here’s anarea rich in possibilities. How

about installing saddles so high theyact like a catapult for the bridge? Or

using a reamer to “fit” bridge pins and strapbuttons so they rattle around in the hole, completely nullifyingtheir purpose? Oiling the fingerboard and bridge with a quart oflemon oil leaves a nice patina.

And, of course, “super glue” opens up a whole new field ofhome repair adventure — welding fingers together, ruiningfinishes and creating a “repair” that cannot be corrected withoutcomplete disassembly of the instrument.

I guess that the best advice I can give to a do-it-yourselfdiddler is to read up on guitar repair first. Then re-readeverything say, oh, a hundred times. Dan Erlewine’s GuitarPlayer Repair Guide is an excellent reference source, as is DonTeeter’s The Acoustic Guitar (Volumes 1 & 2) and IrvingSloane’s classic book Guitar Repair.

What finally cured me of the compulsion to tinker withexpensive, collectible guitars was a traumatic experience thatoccurred several years ago.

“Fixing” Vintage Guitarsby Bill Bush

43

This is a true story.I had just purchased a 1992 Martin D-45S

Deluxe, an exquisite piece of art inlaid with heartabalone on virtually every border of the guitar. Itliterally glowed greens, reds and blues like anornate Tiffany Christmas tree. I couldn’t look at itenough.

Pouring myself a second glass of wine oneevening, I settled back on the sofa and held theguitar out at arm’s length to admire it. By turning itever so slightly, the abalone would change colors inthe light. Nice touch, went well with the glow fromthe wine. Then the unthinkable happened. Idropped it. On a brick floor. On its head.

Against all odds, the neck did not break, oreven crack. Instead, the back corner of theheadstock was flattened like a pancake. Fourmonths and $480 later, my D-45S Deluxe camehome from the Martin Repair Department, andyou’d never know it had suffered a nasty blow.

When you are the recipient of a miracle such asthis, you realize that guitar repair is an art form, ahighly refined skill best left to the experts. And I amforever grateful to the Martin Guitar RepairDepartment for this revelation.

If you must involve yourself in do-it-yourselfrepair, go to Home Depot and check out thekitchen remodeling section. It’s cheaper.

Trust me on this, I know. �

Bill Bush is an advertising writer/producer andmusic journalist whose articles have appeared inGuitar Player magazine, Frets magazine, The GuitarPlayer Book (Grove Press) and numerous liner notes.He no longer diddles.

Bill Bush

Chris Rowan of The Rowan Brotherskindly shared this beautiful and emotivephoto from the cover of his new solo CDSwim, recorded in large part with hisprized 1967 Martin D-18. He paid $325 forthe guitar back then, played it hard on recordings and per formances for more than 35 years, and of course it’spriceless to him now. He’s on the web at:www.chrisrowan.com. �

44

Belgium’s guitar virtuoso Jacques Stotzem, shown above with hisMartin OM-21, has made many friends in the world of acoustic music,and it’s no wonder. Beyond his technical mastery, he has the gift ofcomposition. He’s also prolific. To date, Jacques has recorded eightinstrumental albums and is a popular guest at all of the importantfestivals and trade shows in Europe and the USA.

Inspired by the fingerstylist Stefan Grossman, Jacques beganstudying the guitar at the age of 16. Quickly surpassing commonfingerpicking styles, he developed his own unique sound that fusesrock, blues and jazz. Currently he’s been collaborating with Martin onthe development of a Custom Signature model that suits his veryspecific demands. Hopefully, you’ll read about it in Volume 21! �

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Vince Hockey, our good friend and expert repair technician in theUnited Kingdom, had the good fortune to personally deliver the #1M3M Studio Edition guitar to Sir George Martin at the legendary AirStudios in London. Everyone that meets Sir George is struck with thesame observation. He is an extremely warm, down to earth, witty andbrilliant individual that has not let his status and fame overpower hishumble good nature. The purpose of the M3M Studio Edition projectwas to create an instrument ideally suited for the recordingenvironment. The resulting guitar is indeed that, but a much, muchgreater satisfaction has come from this special project! �

A Civil WeddingFred Hocker of Kallhall, Sweden, purchased the

Martin guitar shown above in 1980 when he was acollege student. It is a Size 2 with Brazilian rosewoodback and sides and a Spanish cedar neck. MikeLongworth identified it as possibly a style 22 variant,most likely made in the 1850s.

Despite its age and a few repairs to cracks in thetop and back, it still has an excellent sound. WhenFred moved to Texas in 1984, he sold it to a localMartin dealer and immediately wished he’d kept it.

After he married in 1991, his wife conspired withhis brother and mother to track it down. Remarkably,they found it, bought it back, and gave it to Fred as aChristmas present. Fred’s brother is an avid Civil Warre-enactor. When he asked Fred to play at his period-dress wedding, this guitar of course seemed theperfect choice.

The photograph above shows Fred and his wifeEmma with the Martin in the tintype taken by a periodphotographer. The little guitar had enough presence tofill a large church, and it still sounds remarkable today.Fred pampers this antique, deferring mostly to his lessdelicate 00-21 and M-38 Martin models. When hedoes play it, the amount of music that comes out ofthis little wooden box amazes him, as does the efforthis family made to reunite him with it. �

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During the course of his extensive touring,Laurence Juber has been peppering his schedulewith Martin clinics, both in Asia as well as thestates. Here he was photographed at a MedleyMusic clinic in Philadelphia with one of the firstOMC-28M Laurence Juber Custom Edition guitarsconstructed with Madagascar rosewood back andsides and an Adirondack spruce soundboard. �

Allentown Morning Call photographer Don Fisher met up with Dick Boakof Martin’s Artist Relations department to pick up instrument #2 of theMike Longworth Commemorative Edition D-45. Don played a big role inhelping with this guitar project. His great photograph of Mike appeared inThe Sounding Board Volume 18. The photo was also used as the interiorlabel for the guitar. You can see it in the soundhole. As Mike’s closefriend, Don’s participation was especially meaningful. �

Mark Glaze (right) from Johnson City,Tennessee, stopped by the factory on his way to abluegrass festival in New York to show his guitar toChris Mart in (center) and Vice President ofCorporate Operations, Greg Paul. Mark’s guitar isone of the very early original 1939 D-28Dreadnoughts of which he is quite proud. Thoughit is precious, Mark still loves to play it and takes itout to festivals for late-night picking. After all,that’s what it’s for!

This is the first photograph taken of ChrisMartin in front of the new Martin Visitors Centerand Museum. �

While touring in Australia, former Highwayman, acclaimed actor andsinger/songwriter/guitarist Kris Kristofferson visited with Greg Cooper ofJacaranda Music in Sydney. Greg is holding one of the D-18 Golden EraMartin guitars and Kris, who is often seen with vintage Martin acousticguitars, is especially fond of D-18s. Thanks to Greg, we got in touch withKris after the tour to discuss what he likes best about specific models inthe hope that he might collaborate with Martin on a Signature Editionguitar project. Stay tuned to see if that develops. The original countrymusic supergroup, The Highwaymen, was made up of Kris Kristofferson,Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson – the latter two of whichhave already been honored with Signature editions �.

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Iraq-packerSpc. (Specialist) Zachary Johnson of the

25th ID(L) US Army Division is a soldierwho loves Martin guitars. When he went toIraq, he took a Martin Backpacker® withhim. He’s prett y emphatic that hisBackpacker was one of the only things thathelped him keep his sanity in the box. In hisown words: “If I had to spend a year in thedesert without a musical outlet, I probablywould have cracked. Your Backpacker wasthe perfect thing for me to have over there.”

The best attributes of course are theportability, playability and sound. The photoabove is Zack playing off-duty in Iraq. Hisdream is to own a herringbone HD-28, butfor now the Backpacker does the trick. Aseveryone knows, it’s not easy over there,and it’s nice to know that a small diversionlike a guitar can provide much neededrelease. �

Backpacker Stories

We’d love to hear your

Backpacker Stories!Send your photos and stories to:

The Sounding BoardP. O. Box 329, Nazareth PA 18064or to: [email protected]

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San Joseph River ExpeditionOn their latest adventure in August of 2005, Rob Lyon and Colin Doherty

left their homes in the San Juan Islands in their Toyota Four Runner stuffed tothe gills with fly tackle, camping and kayaking gear, the Backpacker® guitars anda pair of ocean-going kayaks strapped to the roof.

Pointing their headlights north, they headed for the extreme northwesterncoast of British Columbia's rugged Vancouver Island. It was rumored to be a bigyear for Coho salmon, and they spent the better part of a month paddling insearch of them (with great success, we might add). Not only did they have agood chance at some first class saltwater salmon fly fishing, but they had thecoast entirely to themselves.

The northwest coast of Vancouver Island is an uncivilized, unpopulatedchunk paradise that requires a small, seaworthy boat that can be carried uponto the beach. While most fly fishing takes place in the boats, Ron and Colinfished from the shore as well. The best places for this are beaches fronting onsurf with close running salmon or bays with schooling fish. After long exhaustingdays in rough water, there is nothing better than pitching camp and cooking thefresh fish of the day.

Colin is a young biologist and budding photographer. Rob is a seasonedsportsman, explorer and prolific author. They are both musicians and as with allof their expeditions, they found considerable solace strumming their MartinBackpackers around the evening fire as salmon fillets sizzled on the grill. �

47

The 1830 ShopMartin Owner’s Club member Hiroyuki Sato

of Chiba, Japan, wrote to tell us of a Japanese sakebrewery, Koshigoi near his house in Chiba, Japan.Hiroyuki likes Koshigoi sake almost as much as helikes his Backpacker. He’s impressed with their signbecause Koshigoi was established in 1830, threeyears BEFORE C. F. Martin, Sr. set up shop inAmerica, and they even have an “1830 Shop!” �

Pop-Apart BackpackerMartin Owners Club Member Ed Rossi is pictured above with his

Alternative II Resonator cutaway (at left), which for some reason hecalls his “Pit-Bull” rather than the traditional “Hound-Dog.”

But perhaps of greater interest is the contraption he’s holding. Edbought a Backpacker in 2000; and although he loved its portability, hefound it somewhat difficult to play. He found that it wanted to rollaround – even with the strap attached. Not wanting to relegate theinstrument to wall hanger status, Ed began thinking out a solution to theproblem. He felt that the Backpacker could benefit from a larger bodyin order to make it more stable while sitting and playing in his favoriteeasy chair, but he didn’t want to modify (cut, drill, add or delete) anypart of the guitar. Voila, the “Lego” concept came into play, and theresult is a neat “pop-apart” support which maintains the Backpacker‘sportability, but most importantly, gets it off his wall.

Ed deployed a piece of 1/4” plywood, a pattern traced from a smallbodied guitar, some pegs and supports, a small bungee cord, felt andfreedom of expression with paints and lacquers. The finished piece isshown below. �

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Index To New ProductsLimited Editions Page #000-ECHF Bellezza Bianca (Eric Clapton) . .16-17 000C-28 Andy Summers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20-21 OM-45 & OM-45B Roy Rogers . . . . . . . . . . .14-15 OMC-41 Richie Sambora (6-string) . . . . . . .22-23 MC12-41 Richie Sambora (12-string) . . . . . .22-23 POW MIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24-25 Arts and Crafts Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 FeLiX II (Where’s Felix?) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26-27

Special EditionsD-45 Marquis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 000-18 Golden Era . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28OMJM John Mayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18-195K Ukulele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back CoverXC1T with Ellipse Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31OMC Artinger Custom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

New Stock Model MartinsJC-16ME Aura (Maple) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 JC-16RE Aura (Rosewood) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 00C-16GTAE Acoustic Electric Bass . . . . . . . . .31

New Martin Strings“Clapton’s Choice” Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

The Long Anticipated Return OfMartin’s Most Prized 5K Ukulele

The making of Martin ukuleles in Nazareth was put on hiatusin 1997. Now after eight years, Martin is proud to begin freshwith this faithful Soprano-sized recreation of our most prized5K model. This premium ukulele features heavily flamedHawaiian koa for the top, back, sides, headplate and bridge, asolid dovetail fit mahogany neck and a bound pointed ebonyfingerboard inlaid with the traditional snowflake pattern.Grained ivoroid binding with abalone inlay trims the perimeterof the top, back and rosette, and the traditional Style 5Kpattern graces the headstock. A masterpiece of hand-sculptedbeauty and tone, the Martin 5K is considered the Holy Grail ofukuleles among top collectors and players worldwide. �

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