The Central American mahogany is the species used by Martin on the pre-World War II golden era instruments. This wood is of the same genus, but a different species than the South American mahogany most commonly used today. Where does Martin guitars get their mahogany?
"Big-leafed Mahogany, Swietenia macrophylla, also known as American Mahogany, is distributed from the south of Mexico throughout Central and South America to Bolivia and Brazil, including large portions of the Amazon Basin.
What kind of wood does Martin guitars use?
The most common top tonewood is Spruce. Martin uses a variety of different types of Spruce including Sitka, Engelmann, Adirondack, Red and Italian Alpine, each with their own distinct tonal characteristics.
Where does Martin get its wood?
The wood is quite valuable but the paper pulp industry buys and harvests Sitka spruce in the Pacific Northwest and sometimes they harvest trees that have no business being made into pulp.
What are Martin necks made of?
As mentioned above, your guitar has a neck of genuine mahogany, which has been Martin's neck wood of choice for over a hundred years.
Martin 000-15M Mahogany Acoustic Guitar Independent Review & Demo
What is a 00 Martin?
00 Guitars
Martin & Company that came up with it. The 00, or “grand concert,” takes us back to the 1850s. However, this particular design is known as the size “S.” The 00 guitar comes with a scale length of 24.9 inches. Its body depth is 4.1 inches, length is 18.9 inches, and width is 14.3 inches.
When did Martin stop using Brazilian rosewood?
Supplies grew extremely thin in the late 1960s, however, and Martin and others stopped using Brazilian rosewood in 1969, moving over to Indian rosewood, then other varieties. In 1992, Brazilian rosewood was added to the CITES treaty, strictly banning its exportation.
Is Rosewood better than mahogany?
Rosewood is much denser/harder and stronger than mahogany. This is why it is also used a lot for bridges and fingerboards.
Is the Martin 16 series solid wood?
Based on some of the more popular Standard Series models, the Martin 16 Series takes these designs and makes them more affordable and accessible. Featuring solid wood sound boxes, time tested bracing patterns and the same attention to detail found in every Martin guitar, they are a value that's hard to beat.
Is Martin Road solid wood?
Built in Martin's plant in Navojoa, Mexico, and featuring solid-wood builds of sitka, sapele and koa, with Fishman MX-T electronics throughout, the Road Series is positioned as a pro-quality range for gigging musicians whose appearance fee can't quite stretch to Martin's US-built models, which, if we are honest, is ...
What are Martin acoustic guitars made of?
The Martin 15 Series 000-15M acoustic guitar has a comfortable 000 body style with 14-fret neck and is built entirely of solid mahogany for warm, round tone with the increased articulation thanks to its smaller body.
What is sinker mahogany?
SINKER MAHOGANY WOOD. We call it “Sinker Belizean Mahogany”. The wood is Genuine Mahogany, Swietenia macrophylla, from Belize, basically the same texture and color as the sought after Honduras Mahogany, but it is unique because it has been submerged in the rivers of Belize for 75 to 150 years!
What is Sapele wood for guitars?
Sapele is a hardwood tonewood with fine grain. It offers a warm tone with sustaining lower-mids and pronounced high-end. Sapele is popular in the sides/backs of acoustic and hollowbody electric guitars but doesn't see much use in solid bodies, fretboards or necks.
When did Martin start using Sitka spruce?
In 1946, as supplies of their preferred sources of spruce dried up, and Martin had used the last smaller pieces to create four piece tops, Martin began switching to Sitka spruce from the Northwest.
Do mahogany guitars sound better?
Mahogany has a thick bottom end, a controlled high end, and a perfect midrange. It's a tonewood that perfectly balances all ranges of sound, which is why it's so commonly used in custom acoustic guitars. It suits most players and guitar body shapes, and provides the best sound.
Which wood is best for guitar body?
Spruce. This evergreen, found in northern temperate regions of the globe, is literally top choice: the ideal wood for the soundboard, or top, of an acoustic guitar. Its look — light in color, even in grain — is appealing though somewhat plain; what sets it apart is its beautiful tonal properties.
Are solid mahogany guitars good?
Mahogany top guitars are excellent for the person who loves to play chordal rhythm behind their own singing or someone else's. But mahogany top guitars sound terrific when finger-picked or flat-picked too. They provide less volume than spruce tops, but one can always use medium gauge strings for increased volume.
When did Martin switch to Indian rosewood?
C.F. Martin began looking for alternative woods in the mid-'60s, when Brazil briefly banned the export of unprocessed rosewood logs. The guitar-maker switched to East Indian rosewood as standard wood in 1969.
Is Brazilian rosewood better than Indian?
To most, Brazilian has better clarity in the bottom and a almost bell like tone in the trebles. Indian rosewood has become the general substitute for Brazilian rosewood. Generally speaking, this wood is not as attractive as Brazilian and It has a noticeably purple color and the grain markings are coarser.
Does Martin make guitars with Brazilian rosewood?
6-String Acoustic Guitar with Ebony Fingerboard. Made in the USA.
What Martin Guitar does Eric Clapton play?
No acoustic guitar is more famous or more coveted than this 1939 Martin 000-42 ($1 million), and it is available only through Robb Report's Ultimate Gift Guide. Eric Clapton played it during what may be the best known and most acclaimed of his performances over the past six decades.
What does Om mean in Martin guitars?
The Martin Orchestra body, (OM) is considered by many to be the ultimate fingerstyle guitar. Models of this style from the 1930s sell for tens of thousands of dollars. OMs are renowned for their power, excellent balance between treble and bass, and superb note definition.
What does 000 mean in Martin guitars?
000 = Auditorium. The 14-fret version introduced 1934 (see below.) 0000 = Grand Auditorium aka size M. Introduced in 1977 as a flattop guitar that uses the body shape from Martin's Size F archtop Jazz guitar from the 1930s.
