Martin Guitars Debuts Retro Series at NAMM

Summer NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) kicked off in the Nashville Convention center yesterday (7/12) to a crowd of interested participants. The three-day event, which runs through Saturday (7/14), consists of business seminars and a trade show offering the latest innovations in music technology.

One major product debut came from the Chairman and CEO of C.F. Martin & Co. Guitars, Chris Martin, who held a special press conference to reveal a four guitar Retro Series. “We took the voice from vintage instruments and transplanted them in the Retro Series with overwhelming success,” said Larry Fishman, who teamed with Martin and Nashville’s Grammy Award-winning Producer Bil VornDick to create the series.

At Nashville’s Mountainside Studios they recorded a series of museum instruments in rare microphones ranging from the 30s to today. The acoustic and plug-in tone of the Retro Series instruments are based on these recordings.

Martin’s “tone-donor” guitars included a 1942 D-45; 1941 D-28; 1937 D-18; and a 1934 OOO-28 long-scale. The golden-era acoustics travels from the new instruments through specially designed F1 Aura + pickups, which use mathematical algorithms to electronically translate resonating tone for plug-in systems.

Martin’s modern “High Performance Neck” taper and modified low oval profile make these new instruments modern in playability while maintaining the vintage tone from years’ past.

The Retro Series includes D-18E, HD-28E, D-45E and an Orchestra Model 28E. Prices range from $3,399-$11,999.

Hunter Hayes was also on the NAMM floor visiting with interested Martin customers. Hayes, who played every instrument on his Atlantic Records self-titled debut album, is the newest Brand Ambassador for the company.

Additional exhibitors included Future Sonics Ear Monitors, Larrivee Guitars and Casio America.

On Saturday (7/14) the showroom floor is open to the public for $15 from 10 AM- 6 PM.