C . F . MARTIN & CO .
“ WHILE WE ’ RE DISCUSSING WAYS OF NARROWING DOWN THE OPTIONS , IT CAN ALSO BE ARGUED THAT VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE .”
Teel also acknowledges that there are times when he picks up a different model and different songs just seem to flow out of it . “ It happens with different body sizes and shapes ,” he says . “ Their different tonalities inspire in different ways . Dreadnoughts , of course , have more bass associated with them . Likewise , rosewood has a deeper tonality than mahogany . A Grand Performance model on the other hand is akin tonally to the sound of a Dreadnought , but with less bass response . When we get into small-bodied guitars like an OM or 00 , they may not be as loud , but they are very sweet — ideal for fingerstyle players . And if you ’ re into blues , the 000 with its short scale — the Eric Clapton model , for example — will be very appealing . And lastly , the new SC body shape brings its unique tonal quality to the mix . It ’ s particularly well-balanced across the range , encouraging the player or songwriter to explore different musical directions .”
There ’ s no question that each guitar can inspire in its own way . That said , while we ’ re discussing ways of narrowing down the options , it can also be argued that variety is the spice of life . Perhaps the best way to eliminate option anxiety is to eliminate the anxiety . In other words , acquire more Martins ! Scott Sasser tells us , “ It ’ s like the golfer who has a bag full of different clubs — each club is optimized for different kinds of shots . You ’ re not going to drive with a putter , right ? There are different clubs in the bag for a reason . Each has a specific purpose . The same can be said of guitars . A typical Martin collector / enthusiast may gravitate to a particular body shape , but they enjoy exploring tops , backs , and sides , each of which imparts distinct tonal qualities . Conversely , others may appreciate the immediacy of the sonic differences available via a palette of body shapes . Each approach to adding sonic variety is credible , and each collection may serve very different purposes for the
FROM LEFT : SC-13E Special Burst , GPC-X2E Macassar , 00-28 Modern Deluxe
proud owner .”
Teel adds that the experience is not unlike that of the electric player ’ s relationship with different effects pedals , each providing a different color on the sonic palette , whether it ’ s a compressor or distortion , a chorus or a flanger . “ The Martin enthusiasts ,” Teel says , “ are collecting different body shapes and tonewoods to expand their acoustic frontiers . They may start off with one club in the bag , but over time wind up with bag full of Martin clubs .”
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