THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE MARTIN GUITAR COMPANY • VOLUME 2 • JANUARY 1997 C. F. Martin & Co. is proud to announce a major collaboration with one of the most significant recording artists and songwriters of our time, Paul Simon. The OM-42 Paul Simon Limited Edition Guitar will be introduced at the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, and will begin to appear in stores in mid–1997. The OM-42PS guitar was designed to meet Paul Simon’s exacting requirements for tone, size, and action. Paul personally participated in the development of the prototypes which led to the final OM-42PS specifications. He preferred the smaller “OM” body size combined with the long (25.4”) scale length which proved to be particularly applicable to his fingerstyle technique and his desire for a strong yet balanced tone. The OM-42PS is tastefully appointed with tortoise colored bindings throughout. Hand-crafted entirely with solid woods, the sides and back are constructed from select grade East Indian rosewood, and the top is bookmatched from quartersawn Sitka spruce. PAUL SIMON COLLABORATES WITH MARTIN IN DEVELOPMENT OF OM-42 LIMITED EDITION SIGNATURE MODEL ™ (CONTINUED ON PAGE 6) 1997 marks the 40th Anniversary of the founding of The Kingston Trio, one of America’s most beloved and enduring musical groups To commemorate The Kingston Trio’s lasting contribution to folk and acoustic music, and in gratitude for their unswerving loyalty to Martin instruments throughout the years, C. F. Martin & Co. is proud to offer a special Kingston Trio Limited Edition consisting of 40 sets of three instruments each. Each set includes a special Kingston Trio D-28 guitar, a custom 0- 18T Tenor guitar, and a Vega long neck banjo—the instrumentation used by the Trio. In addition, an extended edition of the Kingston Trio D-28s will be offered after all 40 Limited Edition sets are ordered by the dealers. Each instrument in the Kingston Trio Limited Edition Set features special mother-of-pearl inlays of “The Kingston Trio” located between the 11th and the 14th frets, plus the anniversary C. F. MARTIN HONORS THE KINGSTON TRIO WITH 40TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION INSTRUMENTS (CONTINUED ON PAGE 9) Bob Shane, Dave Guard, and Nick Reynolds of the original Kingston Trio in 1957. ® The Sounding Board
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE MARTIN GUITAR COMPANY • VOLUME 2 • JANUARY 1997
C. F. Martin & Co. is proud to announce a major collaboration with
one of the most significant recording artists and songwriters of our time,
Paul Simon. The OM-42 Paul Simon Limited Edition Guitar will be
introduced at the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, and will
begin to appear in stores in mid–1997.
The OM-42PS guitar was designed to meet Paul Simon’s exacting
requirements for tone, size, and action. Paul personally participated in the
development of the prototypes which led to the final OM-42PS
specifications. He preferred the smaller “OM” body size combined with
the long (25.4”) scale length which proved to be particularly applicable to
his fingerstyle technique and his desire for a strong yet balanced tone.
The OM-42PS is tastefully appointed with tortoise colored bindings
throughout. Hand-crafted entirely with solid woods, the sides and back are
constructed from select grade East Indian rosewood, and the top is
bookmatched from quartersawn Sitka spruce.
PAUL SIMON COLLABORATES WITHMARTIN IN DEVELOPMENT OF OM-42LIMITED EDITION SIGNATURE MODEL
™
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)
1997 marks the 40th Anniversary
of the founding of The Kingston Trio,
one of America’s most beloved and
enduring musical groups
To commemorate The Kingston
Trio’s lasting contribution to folk and
acoustic music, and in gratitude for
their unswerving loyalty to Martin
instruments throughout the years, C. F.
Martin & Co. is proud to offer a special
Kingston Trio Limited Edition consisting
of 40 sets of three instruments each.
Each set includes a special
Kingston Trio D-28 guitar, a custom 0-
18T Tenor guitar, and a Vega long neck
banjo—the instrumentation used by the
Trio.
In addition, an extended edition of
the Kingston Trio D-28s will be offered
after all 40 Limited Edition sets are
ordered by the dealers.
Each instrument in the Kingston
Trio Limited Edition Set features special
mother-of-pearl inlays of “The Kingston
Trio” located between the 11th and the
14th frets, plus the anniversary
C. F. MARTIN HONORS THE KINGSTON TRIO WITH40TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION INSTRUMENTS
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 9)
Bob Shane, Dave Guard, and Nick Reynolds of the original Kingston Trio in 1957.
®
TheSoundingBoard
CHRIS’S COMMENTSCHRIS’S COMMENTS
Dear Martin Enthusiast,
Welcome to the second issue of our newsletter. I
want to thank you for your enthusiastic response to the first
issue. “The Sounding Board” is available from any
authorized Martin dealer. Let your dealer know that you
wish to be notified when new issues are published.
It’s NAMM Show time again and we are introducing
several new models. Our collaborations with Paul Simon
and The Kingston Trio acknowledge the incredible effect
that these performers have had on music and the acoustic
guitar business.
Two other new models that my co-workers and I are
proud to introduce are the CEO-1 and the Martin Stauffer
steel string 00-12 fret.
The CEO-1 is a fancy, affordable solid wood limited
edition Dreadnought. It features scalloped braces and our
patented “A-frame” neck block. Cosmetically, it is enhanced
with a pearl rosette, herringbone top trim, and one of my
personal favorites... hexagon outline inlays on the
fingerboard and bridge wings.
The Stauffer is reminiscent of the original guitars built by
my great, great, great, grandfather during the 1830’s in New
York City. Our 1997 version is designed to function using
steel strings and is a modern version of a very historically
significant style.
There is always so much going on around here, I never
have enough time to explain it all. Remember to come and
visit us and take a tour of our shop. We are very proud of
what we do and we would love for you to see what we do
Extended OfferingWhen all 40 Kingston Trio Limited
Edition Sets have been ordered by
dealers, an extended edition of
Kingston Trio D-28 guitars will be made.
These guitars will be limited to orders
taken prior to October 30, 1997.
Specifications for these guitars will be
identical to the Kingston Trio D-28
model offered as part of the set except
that the interior labels will be
individually numbered without total (i.e.
#1, #2, #3, etc.) and each instrument
will be personally signed by Kingston
Trio founder Bob Shane and C. F.
Martin IV.
KINGSTON TRIO(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)
“They were the catalyst to an entire social and culturalphenomenon that affected
our musical tastes, our social conscience, even how we dressed
and talked.”
The Kingston Trio:
Biography SynopsisThe original Kingston Trio was
formed in 1957 by Bob Shane, Nick
Reynolds, and Dave Guard while the
three were attending college in the San
Francisco area. Using only acoustic
guitars and banjos, they literally
revolutionized popular music,
reawakening America to its own rich
heritage, paving the way for a broader
acceptance of bluegrass, blues, country
and other indigenous American musics.
But the trio did more than that.
They were the catalyst to an entire
social and cultural phenomenon that
affected our musical tastes, our social
conscience, even how we dressed and
talked. The Trio’s release of “Tom
Dooley” in October of 1958, marked
the beginning of the “folk music revival”
and set the stage for Bob Dylan, Joan
Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary (to mention a
few) and the entire protest music
movement of the 60s.
In 1961, after two Grammys and
numerous gold records, Dave Guard left
the group and John Stewart was
introduced, maintaining the Trio’s
enormous success until 1967 when the
Trio disbanded.
In 1972, Bob Shane reformed The
Kingston Trio with George Grove and
Roger Gambill, and for the next decade
the Trio again traveled the world playing
sold out audiences. The untimely death
of Roger Gambill in 1985 brought Bob
Haworth briefly into the group, followed
by the return of original member Nick
Reynolds.
Today, The Kingston Trio is
composed of Bob Shane, Nick
Reynolds, and George Grove. Their
trademark three-part harmony and crisp,
melodic sound keeps them touring 35
weeks a year, including concerts with
more than 20 major symphony
orchestras.
And they still do it all on Martin
guitars! ❖
D-28KT
MARTIN® STRINGS
Rory BlockPerformer
When your powerful blues drivespeople to their feet, you play stringsthat stand up to it too. Blues is gritty,powerful music. You really need to layinto the strings. The only strings thatcan stand up to the way Rory Blockplays are Martin Strings. She usesMartin mediums. In her own words,“They work wonderfully for me. I playvery hard and get the least amountof buzzing with the Martin med-iums.” When it’s time to restring yourinstrument, use Martin Marquis®,Martin Strings, Martin PhosphorBronze, or Martin Cryogenic. After all,the best string with the best!
The People Who Use Them
Martin Thinline 332 Plus™ Acoustic Pickup
The 332 Plus™ is a new pickup
system for acoustic guitars developed
by Fishman Transducers®. The
complete system includes a ceramic
under the saddle pickup (Thinline
332®) and a specially designed
miniature onboard preamp. The heart
of the system is a miniature circuit that
is housed in a slightly elongated
shielding cap on the back end of the
jack. The board uses state-of-the-art
surface mounting components. It is an
all discrete transistor circuit design.
The unit features:
• New onboard Active Jack™ preamp
• Improved ease of installation
• Low noise
• Frequency response: 20Hz - 20kHz
with THD of less than .1%
• Extremely low current consumption
for long battery life
• Warm, balanced acoustic response
without distortion
Active Jack™ Pre-amp for Martin Thinline Pickups
The Active Jack™ , developed by
Fishman Transducers®, is a new pre-
amp system for acoustic guitars that
already have Martin Thinline 332® or
other brands of ceramic pickups
installed. The heart of the Active Jack™
system is identical to the one utilized
with the above Thinline 332 Plus™ the
only difference being that this version,
intended for retrofitting, does not
include a pickup. ❖
The new Martin Thinline 332 Plus™
includes an Active Jack™, a battery mount,
and a pre-wired battery connecter. The
Active Jack™ can be purchased by itself if
you want to do an “active” upgrade to your
existing pickup.
Thinline 332 Plus™
Look for new Martin SP™ Strings
at your local music store. They’ll
turn gold into magic.
10
New
New NEW MARTIN®
ACOUSTIC PICKUPS
RUMPLESTILTSKYN SPINNING “MAGIC”
AT C. F. MARTINThis is no fairy tale! OK, so there’s
no legendary imp working here with
an ancient spinning wheel and a pile of
straw. But the exciting story is that C.F.
Martin & Company has developed a
new line of acoustic guitar strings that
are as good as gold, but you don’t
need to speculate on precious metals
to enjoy them!
The new Martin SP™ Studio/
Performance Series strings are made
from an ultra-high quality steel core
that resists breaking and corrosion
better than other strings. If you look
closely, you’ll see that the core wires
and the plain strings are plated with a
smooth, acoustic bronze finish.
Available in 80/20 Acoustic Bronze,
these new strings outperform other
brands. They stay bright, have long-
lasting, superior tonal qualities, and
look absolutely beautiful on your
favorite guitar.
Our high technology winding
operation has long since replaced
hand-operated spinning wheels and
our quality is no myth. We work hard
to put the magic in your fingers. Try a
set of the new Martin SP™ Studio/
Performance Series strings.
These strings are so new, you
might have to educate your favorite
dealer about them! Ask them to order
you a few sets today!
BACKPACKER®
GUITARSWhere Have They Been?
BACKPACKER®
QUADROPHENIAPreston Gratiot hails from
Camarillo, California. He has the
only “herringbone” Backpacker
that we know of. He dropped
the instrument while hiking and
as a result, he had the
herringbone trim custom
installed to eliminate the dent.
Preston strings his Backpacker
with “high strung” or “Nashville”
tuning (See Page 8). He does a
lot of traveling as well.
Preston was recently out
running the mining trails
between Durango, Silverton,
and Telluride when he stopped
at “Four Corners” to photo-
graph his Backpacker in Utah,
Colorado, Arizona, and New
Mexico, all at the same time.
OK, if you want to get technical,
the instrument is only in three
states, the strap is in Arizona. ❖
INLINE BACKPACKERSCOAST TO COAST !Bill McIntosh inline-skated coast to
coast across America, over four
mountains and hundreds of “large hills”,
across the Mohave desert, through
swamps in three states, and days through
barren wildernesses. He jumped in three
oceans and slept on the side of the road
in eight states. And he did it all with his
Backpacker slung across his shoulder!
Why did he do it? He is marketing
products for the inline skating industry
across the world and supporting a
number of charities in the process,
including The Foundation Enhancing
Education & Literacy which helps
underprivileged children. ❖
– In Outer Space Aboard The Space Shuttle,
– To The Summit Of Mount Everest,
– To Both The North and The South Poles,
– On A Safari In Africa,
– Coast To Coast On Inline Skates, and
Across The Continent Of AsiaOn A Bicycle.
Where Ever You’re Going, You Really Can Take A
Backpacker Along With You!
We Want To Hear Your Backpacker Story.
Mail to: “The Sounding Board”
c/o Martin Guitar Company
Box 329, Nazareth, PA 18064-0329
HAVE BACKPACKER®
WILL TRAVELScotty Stets of Fall River, MA,
traveled extensively around Europe
with his Backpacker, which he has
affectionately named “Yvette.” He
wailed for the ghosts at Warwick
Castle north of London, he yodeled at
the ruins of the Marquis de Sade’s
chateau in the foothills of the French
alps, his vocals venerated the stormy
beaches at Normandy, he crooned at
the “upside down scallops” of the
Roman aqueducts in Lisbon, and in the
photo above, he serenaded the spirit of
Hamlet at Shakespeare’s legendary
birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. “To
strum or not to strum?” No question
here. Scotty chose to strum!
Scott’s dad, Stanley J. Stets Jr.,
loves to belt out Hank Snow tunes on
his old D-41, so it’s a family thing.
Scott is planning more excursions
and wants to know whether there are
any places that the Backpacker should
go that it hasn’t already been to? Have
any ideas? In the patriotic tradition, he
exclaims: “I have not yet begun to
Backpack!” ❖
Scotty Stets serenades the spirit of Hamlet at
Shakespeare’s legendary birthplace in
Stratford-upon-Avon.
Bill McIntosh, looking like a member of the
foreign legion, takes a rest in the middle of the
Mohave desert.
11
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At Last, A Guitar DesignedSpecifically For Women
B Y D I A N E P O N Z I O
OUR MISSIONThe Women And
Music Program will
Successfully Educate,
Encourage,
Acknowledge, and
Promote Women’s
Involvement with
Guitar Playing Through
the Continuous
Development of
Guitar Related Projects.This Mission was adopted by