You have played several Martin guitars over the years — the Paul Simon signature model you mentioned , the Eric Clapton signature model , and now you have your own signature model Martin guitar . What does that mean to you , and what did you want to see in this unique model of your own ? It would be difficult to be hyperbolic about how much this means to me , because it means that much . Because it means so much to me , I knew we had to nail this . I wanted to create the guitar that I want to play for the rest of my life . And I was so grateful that the Martin team allowed me to be totally uncompromising in my vision . I basically took all of my favorite aspects of the Paul Simon and the Eric Clapton and combined them , and then added some personal touches . I wanted to keep the aesthetic very clean with specific special touches that reflected my personal connection and spoke to the quality of the guitar , but for this guitar to be all about the sound and the feel — the feel in the hand and against the body . That ’ s why the neck shape is so unique . I still remember the moment I picked up the Paul Simon for the first time and knew instantly it was the guitar for me because of how the neck fit in my hand . I hope people experience that with my signature edition . The body size and shape is so “ wieldable ,” if that makes sense . I move a lot on stage — I ’ m really physical when I play music — and my guitar becomes an extension of me . The size and shape of my signature edition mean that I can maneuver the way I need to and the guitar doesn ’ t impede me , whilst still producing a warm , resonant , gorgeous tone that sounds fantastic , both acoustically and through a PA . It ’ s really hard to explain in words just how incredible this guitar sounds . The materials and construction are uncompromising , and the sound reflects this .
You had a chance to visit the C . F . Martin guitar factory and see the museum . What was that experience like ? They say “ never meet your heroes ,” but , in this case , I did and it was more wonderful than I ever dreamed . These luthiers are the best in the world . The process is so meticulous , so care-full and so pure . The skill is intimidating . I was also really impressed and excited by how many female luthiers are involved in every Martin guitar that comes out of the factory . These women know how to handle their tools !