Meet Dick Boak and Richard Johnston to talk about the history of Martin Guitars

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Permalink Reply by Joe Zagerman on June 9, 2009 at 1:15pm

Hi Richard and Dick,

If each of you could design your "ideal" Martin guitar, what would it look like (size, tonewoods, bracing, appointments, etc.)?

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Permalink Reply by Richard N. Johnston on June 9, 2009 at 4:29pm

I like Style 18 Dreadnoughts, but not the 1930s ones that bring the big bucks. I prefer the ones from the mid-to-late 1940s, with the 1 11/16" neck but usually a fairly fat neck shape, and with top braces that are more tapered than later versions, but are not scalloped. I see so many fancy guitars working at Gryphon that although pearl bordering used to be appealing, I now prefer very simple appointments. I think the "less is more" rule applies to guitar decoration.
For sitting around playing for fun at home, I'd prefer an old size 1, 12-fret, from the earlier period of Martin's history. Most of these, although made for gut strings, will hold silk and steel strings because the top is smaller than an 0 size and so doesn't distort as much under steel string tension.

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Permalink Reply by Sandra Haas on June 9, 2009 at 1:33pm

About ten years ago, I was in a music store with a friend who was shopping for a new guitar. I saw a Martin that looked newer and interesting, so I tried it out. It was made entirely of Mahogany, was as light as a feather, and had the most incredible voice, both sweet and powerful, which really impressed me. Best of all was the price which, for a Martin, was amazingly reasonable. Stupid me: I didn't buy it on the spot, thinking that I really didn't need another guitar; unfortunately, I have spent the past nine-and-a-half-years searching for the guitar, since that music store went out of business shortly after we were there. Do you have any idea of the model to which I am referring so that I can at least ask for it with some degree of accuracy? Again, every part of this guitar was mahogany, from stem to stern, and it was extremely light. I emphasize this because I have seen other Martins made of Mahogany, but they are not the same as the one I seek.

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Permalink Reply by Richard N. Johnston on June 9, 2009 at 4:34pm

You didn't say what size guitar it was, but if if was very light it was probably a 00-15, which was introduced in 1998. Most of Martin's current Style 15 models are made of Sapele, as South American mahogany is in short supply. Sapele looks very much the same but it is heavier. You should be able to find a late 1990s 00-15, they sold quite a few of them.

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Permalink Reply by Dano & Trish Franco on June 9, 2009 at 1:53pm

I have 2 Sigmas and they play and sound as good as any equivalet PA made guitars. Are the Sigma dreadnought's top/soundboards solid or laminated? Just curious.

Dano Franco

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Permalink Reply by Richard N. Johnston on June 9, 2009 at 4:35pm

Martin marketed Sigma models with both sold tops and laminated tops, it depends on the model. But the backs and sides of all Sigma models were laminated, not solid.

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Permalink Reply by Cliff Meznarich on June 9, 2009 at 2:00pm

I have a 1934 0-17 and wanted to know if there was a certain type of mahogany they used at this time.
Thanks Cliff

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Permalink Reply by Richard N. Johnston on June 9, 2009 at 4:36pm

Martin's mahogany came from what was then called British Honduras (in South America), but it's now known as Belize.

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Permalink Reply by Dennis Wade Poague on June 9, 2009 at 2:01pm

Greetings from Brazil, I am a born again Lutheir..an old trippy hippy from Mississippi moved here 20 years ago. You wanna know about the rape of the forest for Rosewood and Mahogony ?? It´s all about $$ and corruption...needless to say the story hasn´t changed after 20 years..less wood and higher priced instruments. Last week I went to visit another lutheir here. He had a Martin that looked like it was made of plastic or backalite..God Awful atrocity to my sences..thankfully it was already in need of major repair since all the kerf had come loose or broke and the sides and top/back were loose. What kind of silly idiot decieds to put the name of Marin on such a piece of junk!! Lord have Mercy..is Martin going the way of GM !! What can we expect next from the Founding Fathers of American Luhiere? Sorry to rattle your cages but I have been suffering with this dilema ever since I saw the Guitar.. Will live in the past if this is a glimps of the future,,what can we expect next from Martin ?

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Permalink Reply by Yiannis Gougourelas on June 9, 2009 at 2:06pm

Where can i place an order for these books,please?
I live in Greece.

Regards,
Yiannis

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Permalink Reply by Teja Gerken, Senior Editor on June 9, 2009 at 2:16pm

Hi Yiannis,

The book is published by Hal Leonard, and I bet that you could order it through Amazon. I think Richard's shop, Gryphon Stringed Instruments, in Palo Alto, California, is also selling some autographed copies, which I bet he could send to Greece.

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Permalink Reply by michael on June 9, 2009 at 2:17pm

i got mine through amazon.
mikeB.

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