Whether you’re playing acoustic or electric, there’s a Studio1 Martin guitar. From the 15 series, which are budget-friendly, to their iconic models, they’re all made in the USA.
When CF Martin Sr arrived in New York in 1833, he brought his family’s Standard Series acoustic guitars. They became the foundation for modern flat-top acoustic guitars.
Body & Neck
Collectors and musicians consider twelve and fourteen-fret steel-string Martin guitars the highest quality. The 12-fret models from the 1920s to 1944 are more desirable than later 14-fret versions of the same size. The 14 frets 00 and OM models from 1945 to 1968 are also hot, but not as much as the pre-war models. The flat tops from 1950 to 1969 are not as collectible as the pre-war models due to changes in the bracing used on these guitars.
A guitar’s value depends on the body and neck, but the most crucial factor is how well it sounds. A good-sounding acoustic guitar will have excellent intonation, with all strings in tune up and down the fingerboard. The sound and tone of a Martin guitar will improve significantly if the original bridge saddle is left intact or replaced with a new, higher bridge. A low bridge saddle will decrease string “drive” across the guitar’s bridge, making the sound dull and less resonant.
The body of a vintage Martin guitar is usually made from mahogany, and the top is typically spruce. Other materials used include ebony for the fretboard, black or white binding and abalone diamonds or squares for the fret markers depending on the model year and style of the guitar. Most older Martins use hide glue, but after a few years of using aliphatic (white) polyvinyl acetate glue, Martin switched to yellow aliphatic resin (Titebond) in the mid-seventies.
The neck of a Martin acoustic guitar is very sturdy, and the original truss rods were adjustable. Most acoustic guitars have an oval-shaped, tapered neck, but some are round or V-shaped. The nut is a large dovetail joint that securely holds the strings. A few models of Martin acoustic guitars have a round nut with a dovetail joint, which is more comfortable for players who like to bend the strings.
All acoustic guitars built by Studio1 Martin guitar should be able to handle medium-gauge steel strings. However, it is essential to note that the earliest pyramid bridge guitars were made for nylon or gut strings and may require some adjustment when using steel strings. By the late 1930s, Martin had introduced a compensated saddle for belly bridges to help with intonation on nylon and gut strings. The saddles on belly bridge guitars are usually set back 1/8″ from the front of the bridge on the treble side and 3/16″ away on the bass side. This compensation was not implemented on all belly bridge models until April of 1968, and it was gradually phased in over the next few years to 1988.
Hardware
The hardware on a Martin is what makes it unique from other acoustic guitars. A typical Martin features a high-quality, high-mass saddle made from mahogany with white dot fingerboard markers. Most models also feature dark binding on the body and a nut made of bone or abalone (depending on the model). The bridge and sound hole also may be inlaid with various materials depending on the style of the guitar.
Using any string on a Studio1 Martin guitar is possible, but the most common are steel strings. However, some older Martins are not designed for steel strings and should only be used with light gauge strings, or they could damage the guitar’s soundboard. A conservative indication that a Martin was built for steel strings is the presence of a belly bridge, introduced in 1929 and only used on styles 18 and above.
Martin’s acoustic design has also been continually evolving over the years. Initially, they began with the 000-size guitar, which had 12 frets clear of the body, but Bechtel wanted 15 frets, so they squared up the slope shoulders on the body to add more string tension. It lowered the neck height at the end block and gave the guitar its famously bright tone.