Martin Custom Shop 000 12-Fret 42 Style, Italian Alpine Spruce, Flamed Koa Back & Sides

Spec’ing out Martin Custom Shop acoustic guitars is always an absolute pleasure for us. The results never fail to exceed our expectations in every way. The craftsmanship that comes out of their factory in Nazareth, PA is second to none, and there’s concrete proof of that in each build.

This 000 12-Fret 42 Style is one of our favorite Custom Shop guitars we’ve designed with Martin to date. We could not have hoped for a better wood pairing for both looks and done with this one. On top we have Italian Alpine Spruce with incredibly straight grain, which makes it a monster of a sounding board. Beneath it, scalloped Sitka spruce X-bracing connects it with the rest of the body, gripping on just enough to keep it together and allowing for the ultimate amount of vibration and transference, so each note can resonate with impeccable intonation and rich sustain. Highly flamed Koa was the choice for our back and sides, complimenting the top but adding some warmth and focused mid-range to the guitar’s overall EQ. Koa is almost always visually captivating, but these particular pieces of the Martin 000 12 fret custom guitar are noticeably more striking than the rest, and when you take into consideration the rest of the aesthetic, the flame could not be a better match in this vintage styled guitar.

A 12/4 Genuine Mahogany neck with a modified low oval profile feels just right with this smaller 000 body, with its curvature so closely mimicking the palm of a hand. The Black Ebony fingerboard is as dark as the night sky, decorated with Select Abalone inlays in the form of Golden Era Style 42 Snowflake Design. Highly flamed Koa binding matches the back and sides, and helps direct attention towards a gorgeous center piece – the Black Maple Fiber rosette. Its slotted headstock with the infamous “CFM” block inlay is a fine crown atop this one-of-a-kind acoustic, and the 18:1 ratio side mounted Grover tuning machines keep the strings taught and ready to play whenever the moment strikes.

Overall, this little Martin 000 12 fret Koa inspired by the 42 style is a museum worthy Martin that will never be replicated just the same. The playing experience feels like a dream, and the sounds it makes are that dreams beautiful soundtrack.

Shop more Martin Custom Shop Guitars:

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