Martin Unveils Claire's Guitar at Summer NAMM
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(Click for a close-up) |
July 27, 2005
Claire Frances Martinmay be the seventh generation in
a guitar building dynasty, but as a cute-as-a-button baby, she
isn't thinking about the future yet. Still, birthright is birthright,
and C.F. Martin & Co. has decided to get its prospective
leader off to a good start by building her a first guitar. Little
and exquisite like its inspiration, Claire's Guitar celebrates
her arrival in spectacular style.
Like the Mini Martin the Company currently offers,
Claire's Guitar is a diminutive Size 5 guitar, with gracefully
rounded upper bouts, 12 frets to the body and a 21.4"
scale ideal for its traditional tuning: a minor 3rd (three
steps) above standard. However, Claire's Guitar is
the fanciest Size 5 C.F. Martin has produced in
more than 80 years, one destined to capture a
young girl's -- or a guitar connoisseur's -- heart.
Back and sides of rare CITES-
certified Brazilian rosewood are paired with a top
of premium Sitka spruce for warm, full resonance,
while unscalloped 1/4" top braces contribute clarity
and focus. The low oval neck with diamond volute is
carved from genuine mahogany, while both
fingerboard and bridge are crafted from black ebony.
These choice tonewoods are matched by equally
choice appointments. Both the Style 45 rosette and Style 41
top purfling feature beautiful inlays of Korean Awabi, a fine-
textured abalone with shimmering turquoise, pink and silver
highlights, flanked by mitered black/white/black line accents.
Both the top and back are bound in grained ivoroid, while a
colorful Style 45 backstrip bisects the bookmatched back.
The traditional C.F. Martin & Co. logo is inlaid in Korean
Awabi pearl on the Brazilian rosewood headplate, but
underneath, the "Est. 1833" has been replaced by Claire's
9/13/04 birth date inlaid in matching pearl. Adding to its
beauty, the solid headstock is fitted with gold Waverly tuners
with ivoroid butterbean knobs.
Created especially for this guitar, the fingerboard inlay of
diamonds, squares and snowflakes culminates in a tiny
footprint (think birth certificate) between the 17th and
18th frets. In keeping with the guitar's pearl
accents, its genuine bone bridge pins and endpin
are topped with Korean Awabi pearl dots. Both
the nut and long saddle are crafted from genuine
bone.
Aging toner on the top adds to Claire's
Guitar's timeless beauty, while polished gloss
finish on the body accentuates the beautiful
tonewoods and pearl inlays. The neck, featuring
Martin's new two-way adjustable rod, receives a
satin finish for playing comfort. In another bow to
tradition, this special guitar is available only as a pure
acoustic (without a factory-installed pickup system).
Only 100 of Claire's Guitar will be produced.
Delivered in a fitted Geib style case, each will bear
an interior label personally signed by Claire's dad (and
Martin Chairman) C.F. Martin IV and Claire's mom Diane S.
Repyneck, and numbered in sequence. Beginning
immediately, authorized C.F. Martin dealers will take orders
for Claire's Guitar. After the edition has been fully
committed, the names of participating dealers will be
available on the Martin website.
MSRP:
$6,999.00. For more information, visit their web site at www.martinguitar.com. | 
