2022 Martin Custom 0-12 Fret, SS, Cedar, EIR
Small-bodied acoustics are extremely popular these days, particularly those with 12-frets clear and/or short string scales. The reason is simple; we older players find such instruments much easier and more comfortable to play. Small instruments also offer a unique tone palette that is all their own. Offered here is one such instrument, a lovely 0-12 Fret only recently built in the Martin Custom Shop.
This little sweetheart of a guitar was very carefully commissioned through Tall Toad Music of Petaluma, CA. This concert-sized guitar has a 12-fret neck combined with a short (24.9") string scale. It is small and easy to wrap your arms around and it is louder than you would expect.
To give it a particularly warm voice and a special look, a particularly gorgeous top made of western red cedar was hand-selected. The top is supported by scalloped 1/4" sitka X-braces. Cosmetic touches include a herringbone rosette and purfling along with figured Koa for the binding, endpiece and heelcap.
For the back and sides, the "darkest" straight-grained East Indian rosewood set that Martin could find was specified. This lovely set is combined with simple but beautiful Style 28 purfling and center strip.
The neck on this guitar is quarter-sawn mahogany and again, the "darkest" possible EIR was specified. It has a 'Modified V' carve with Martin's 'High Performance Taper'. The fingerboard is black ebony with 12 frets clear of the body. It has a 1-3/4" bone nut and 2-5/32" string spacing. 'Foden Style' abalone fingerboard inlays add a real touch of additional class to the guitar's look.
The guitar has a slotted square headstock with volute and an East Indian rosewood overlay with an inlayed abalone 'CFM' logo. The tuners are nickel Grover side mounts with 18:1 ratios. The pyramid style bridge is also black ebony with a long drop-in bone saddle. It has a gloss finish except on the neck which is satin. It comes in a premium 5-ply Martin badged case made by TKL. The detailed spec sheet is included in my photos in the event I missed anything vital.
Small guitars like this have a voice I and others sometimes refer to as "intimate" because while not particularly loud, it is a voice that speaks to you in ways that larger-bodied instruments cannot. For certain tastes and certain types of music, this is the sound you have to have; warm, succinct and "personal". Think Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, as just one example. The voice is unique and the small body is easy on the shoulder, the short scale is a touch easier to play and the 12-fret geometry puts the sound hole where it maximizes the guitar's power and tone. This one-off instrument has all these attributes and more in one beautiful and unique package. It plays with amazing ease, finger-picked or flat picked.
This lovely instrument comes to the buyer in "as new" condition with no flaws that my old eyes can find, even with magnification. The frets are flawless too, as is the case it comes in. This guitar is as clean as a "used" guitar can be.
Tall Toad sold this baby for $5,800 just a few months ago, but you can have this very special little instrument for a bunch less. A lovely little acoustic sure to bring years of musical pleasure. Make her yours!
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Refunds of the original purchase price less shipping and a 10% restocking fee may be requested within 48 hours of delivery. Exchanges within one (1) week of the original date of purchase may be made for an item of equal or greater value at the discretion of Capital Guitars. Where permitted herein, items must be promptly returned at the buyer's expense, in the same condition as received with all accessories and paperwork included. Sale items, purchases that are made via layaway, those involving trades and/or international shipping are considered final except upon an error by and at the discretion of Capital Guitars. All deposits are non-returnable. Our apologies, but we are a very small operation and returns are extremely time consuming and costly.