Only 25 of these have been made, and John Mayer is personally signing and numbering each one at Winter NAMM 2012.
This is a very limited edition based on specifications and design elements that John Mayer requested of Martin, using their 12-fret 00 body size.
Cocobolo wood, a strikingly beautiful member of the rosewood species, has been used for the sides, back, and head plate. The soundboard is book matched from Adirondack spruce, which is prized for crystalline clarity and powerful projection.
The slotted tapered headstock with hand-squared slots is equipped with premium Waverly Sloane bronze engraved side-mount tuning machines with ivoroid buttons. Style 45 vintage appointments are executed in rare richly-colored blue paua shell, with delicate snowflake fingerboard position markers. The ornate 1902 alternate torch design graces the headstock, also executed in blue paua.
It also has some features that Martin have never before used in one of their guitars. Style 45 top inlay typically circumscribes the tongue of the fingerboard as it extends toward the rosette. This new design provides for pearl edging along the sides of the fingerboard that extend directly with miter joints into the rosette. The inlay motif of the three-ring Style 45 rosette is perfectly continued as a matching inlay on the higher surface of the fingerboard, giving the illusion of complete contiguous circles.
The price hasn’t been announced yet – Martin will be listing the dealers it will be sold through after NAMM at martinguitar.com
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Donna – why so angry? This guitar looks gorgeous.
JM seems to be playing the fiddle rather than the guitar and all to support Martin Sales. There is nothing special about the guitar and to only release 25 it’s evident that Martin’s is trying to limit production for the sole purpose of price retention. I wish Martin would get their heads out of their Azzes and start building quality back into their guitars rather than try to inflate the price by creating rare wood propaganda and limited production models. I figure the 00-45SM without the JM sig is worth about 4K and about 4.5K with
Seriously? This looks like a beautiful instrument and your assessment of it and Martin is pretty far off.
it’ll be closer to 14k …….