Anaheim - Martin Guitars have officially landed at the NAMM show and for the year of 2023
they have quite an impressive showing. It would be hard for other brands to compete with such a variety of instruments, but that is what the NAMM Show is all about after all.
We started our tour of the Martin booth by speaking with Mike who introduced us to a new product for 2023. The CJR-10E Acoustic short scale bass guitar. The bass comes in a standard dreadnought or cutaway model with your choice of the clear finish, or a beautiful sunburst.
The great thing about a short scale bass is that the smaller size will typically give you a deeper, darker, richer tone. Now, as a musician we all know that tone and sound come from the player more than the gear, but if you are looking for that nice fat low end, a short scale bass will help you get there.
There has long been debate amongst bassists as to when a song might require an acoustic bass, if ever. Many upright bassists will say that if an upright isn't an option, just go electric.
The reason behind this point of view is that the acoustic bass guitar will not have that upright sound, which is what most want in an acoustic setting. However, on the other side of the spectrum, the acoustic bass guitar also has a different sound than the electric.
Both sides have valid points. That being said, Martin has made an acoustic bass that sounds great, feels good, and is easy to transport.
The CJR-10E brings the best of both worlds to the gigging musician.
Next Mike introduced us to the D-18 Street King which is the typical dreadnought shape in a satin finish. However, what really shines in this instrument is the sound and comfort of the instrument.
One standout feature of the Street King is the relic style finish that is shown in our video interview. As we pointed out, the worn finish is reminiscent of Willie Nelson's "Trigger" which is in actuality a Martin N-20 guitar.
Handling the D-18 Street King made us want to strum through "Hands on the Wheel" which is an all time favorite from the Willie Nelson Catalog of music. Mike went on to tell us that historically the D-18 is more well worn than the D-20 models.
One thing to note on this model is that the finish is not a relic finish. It is in fact a digital microburst application which is a printed top.
Next we spoke with Martin Guitar CEO Thomas Ripsam who introduced us to the Martin CEO-10 guitar. The CEO model was started in the 1990's and is supposed to represent the vision of the CEO.
When asked to design the guitar Ripsam went with a Guatemalan Rosewood for the sides, back and fingerboard. The inlays were a floral design taken from a 1930 OM-45 Deluxe.
This beautiful model is limited to a run of 100 guitars. The best place to find this model is going to be on the Martin website itself.
Each guitar will be signed by Ripsam. These guitars are more than just an instrument, and at the same time more than just a statement piece.
This guitar is definitely a piece of Martin history that one will want to hold onto for years to come.
Martin Guitars brought their A game to the NAMM Show this year and their commitment to quality products has shown through. Each instrument is an example of quality craftsmanship that boasts a quality sound for players of all levels.
Watch our full interview below.
コメント