{"id":3751,"date":"2018-02-26T13:26:07","date_gmt":"2018-02-26T13:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.guitarvillage.co.uk\/?p=3751"},"modified":"2022-06-14T12:04:12","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T12:04:12","slug":"martin-dreadnoughts-influence-on-popular-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/martin-dreadnoughts-influence-on-popular-music","title":{"rendered":"C.F. Martin &#038; Co. \u2013 The Dreadnought\u2019s Influence On Popular Music"},"content":{"rendered":"<h5><b>From Humble Beginnings&#8230;<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><a style=\"color: #339966;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.martinguitar.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>C.F. Martin &amp; Co.<\/strong><\/a> was founded way back in 1833 by Christian Frederic Martin and is one of the longest running family-owned businesses in America. Current chairman and CEO, C.F. &#8216;Chris&#8217; Martin IV, is the great-great-great-grandson of founder Christian, and the ethos of the company is the same today as it was in the beginning&#8230;to build guitars of the highest quality using only the finest materials. Few companies have had such an impact on their respective industries as Martin has with their guitars. It is perhaps unsurprising then, that Martin acoustic guitars have been seen in the hands of \u2018guitar heroes\u2019 on stages the world over for decades. Often imitated but rarely equalled, Martin guitars are the quintessential acoustics, known for their mellow tones and exceptional playability.<\/p>\n<h5><b>A Legend is Born<\/b><\/h5>\n<p>The <strong>dreadnought<\/strong> shape is arguably the most recognisable of all acoustic guitar shapes and it was first introduced by <strong>Martin Guitars<\/strong> in 1916. Named after the large battleships, the dreadnought was the largest acoustic guitar available at the time and it produced a broad and loud sound, making it a popular choice for strummers and fingerpickers alike. Since then, most acoustic guitar manufacturers have produced dreadnoughts of their own, each one reminiscent of the original Martin design.<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">A Word From Chris: The Dreadnought Centennial<\/h5>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uLHNapBLSVw\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h5><b>The Classics<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3754 size-full alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/content.guitarvillage.co.uk\/images\/2018\/02\/Gene-Autry-Martin-D-45.jpg\" alt=\"Gene-Autry-Martin-D-45\" width=\"1000\" height=\"918\" \/>The <strong>D-28<\/strong>, arguably the most famous of Martin\u2019s dreadnought guitars, is widely regarded by players and luthiers to be THE classic dreadnought acoustic guitar. Featuring a deep bass response as well as a bright top end, the D-28 was welcomed with open arms by musicians on its release in 1931 as it offered a much fuller and \u2018bigger\u2019 sound than other guitars available at the time. The D-28 has gone through various changes through the years but the core features remain the same today.\u00a0 With a solid Sitka spruce or Adirondack red spruce top and a solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, the D-28 is arguably the most imitated acoustic guitar of all time. The list of professional players who have played a D-28 goes on and on. Some notable names include <strong>John Lennon<\/strong>, <strong>Paul McCartney<\/strong>, <strong>Elvis Presley<\/strong>, <strong>Eric Clapton<\/strong>, <strong>Johnny Cash<\/strong>, <strong>Jimmy Page<\/strong>, <strong>Neil Young<\/strong>, <strong>Chris Cornell<\/strong>, <strong>Noel Gallagher<\/strong> and <strong>Chris Martin<\/strong> (of Coldplay fame, not related to C.F. \u2018Chris\u2019 Martin) to name but a few!<\/p>\n<p>At the top of Martin\u2019s Dreadnought range sits the <strong>D-45<\/strong> which was first introduced in 1933 as a custom build for Cowboy star <strong>Gene Autry<\/strong>\u00a0(pictured) who wanted the \u201cbiggest, fanciest Martin he could get!\u201d\u00a0 The D-45 was based on a D-28 but with luxury ornamentation, or \u201cthe 45 designation\u201d as Martin called it.\u00a0 Features included Brazilian rosewood back and sides (now critically endangered) and an abalone rosette and fret inlays. Many other \u2018singing cowboys\u2019 followed suit shortly after and ordered their own D-45s for use on the silver screen. Production of the D-45 was discontinued after only 91 units in 1942 due to wartime restrictions on materials so if you are lucky enough to be in possession of a D-45 from this era, you could be sitting on a small fortune! The D-45 would not be seen in production again until 1968.<\/p>\n<h5><b>Hail to the King<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-3755\" src=\"https:\/\/content.guitarvillage.co.uk\/images\/2018\/02\/Elvis-Martin-D-28.jpg\" alt=\"Elvis-Martin-D-28\" width=\"1091\" height=\"1240\" \/>C.F. Martin &amp; Co\u2019s influence on popular music goes back a long way but 1954 is the year that holds perhaps the most significance. An up and coming star who would go on to become known simply as \u2018The King\u2019, burst on to the scene with his trusty Martin, and popular music would never be the same again. A young <strong>Elvis Presley<\/strong>\u00a0could be seen playing a 1942 <strong>D-18<\/strong>, which was used on all of his famous Sun Sessions, and later, a tooled leather covered D-28. Such is the significance of Martin\u2019s dreadnought range of guitars on popular music that it\u2019s hard to imagine how different things might have been without them.<\/p>\n<h5><b>Out of this World<\/b><\/h5>\n<p>1990 saw C.F. Martin and Co. complete their 500,000<sup>th<\/sup> guitar, an <strong>HD-28<\/strong> which was signed by all of their employees and now proudly displayed on Martin\u2019s factory tour route. A few years later in 1994, Martin would literally break more ground by \u201cboldly sending a guitar where no guitar had been before\u201d with a miniature Backpacker \u2018Space Guitar\u2019 being sent in orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia!<\/p>\n<h5><b>Eric Clapton<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><strong>Eric Clapton<\/strong> is a name that has always been synonymous with Martin acoustic guitars, particularly the D-28 and D-45 models, and in 1995, C.F. Martin &amp; Co. released the first in an ongoing and highly successful range of Eric Clapton Signature models including the smaller <a style=\"color: #339966;\" href=\"\/products\/martin-000-28ec-eric-clapton-signature-natural\"><strong>Martin 000-28EC<\/strong><\/a> model. Clapton can be seen playing a 1939 000-42, as well as many other Martin guitars, for the majority of his now legendary <strong>MTV Unplugged<\/strong>\u00a0performance, further proving his love for the Martin brand. This particular 000-42 would later be sold at auction in 2004 for $791,500, the highest price ever paid for an acoustic guitar.<\/p>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\">Eric Clapton &#8211; Unplugged (Full Concert)<\/h5>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0WNX_0wGBCc\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nSince the 1990s, Martin has honoured more than 100 artists with signature models including <strong>Johnny Cash<\/strong>, <strong>Eric Clapton<\/strong>, <strong>John Lennon<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Ed Sheeran<\/strong> and most recently <a style=\"color: #339966;\" href=\"\/products\/martin-limited-edition-d-45-john-mayer-natural\"><strong>John Mayer<\/strong><\/a>. The recent Ed Sheeran range of \u2018mini guitars\u2019 has inspired a whole new generation of young musicians to pick up a guitar, learn a few chords and start writing songs, which is no mean feat in a day and age where electronic, computer based music is all the rage.<\/p>\n<h5><b>Here\u2019s to the Future<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-3756\" src=\"https:\/\/content.guitarvillage.co.uk\/images\/2018\/02\/Ed-Sheeran-Martin.jpg\" alt=\"Ed-Sheeran-Martin\" width=\"1000\" height=\"646\" \/>C.F. Martin\u2019s history certainly makes for interesting reading, but not one to rest of their laurels, Martin are always looking to the future. With the availability of precious tonewoods becoming more and more limited, guitars manufactures have been forced to explore alternatives and Martin are no different.\u00a0<a style=\"color: #339966;\" href=\"\/categories\/guitars\/acoustic-guitars\/martin\/x-series\"><strong>Martin\u2019s X Series<\/strong><\/a> of guitars feature <strong>HPL<\/strong> (High Pressure Laminate) tops, backs and sides which sound great but at a more affordable price, and Richlite fingerboards which is a fantastic alternative to the increasingly endangered\u00a0ebony. Whether you\u2019re looking for your first \u2018proper\u2019 acoustic guitar or you\u2019re playing arenas night after night, Martin has got you covered! Martin acoustics are quite simply, the standard to which every other acoustic is compared.<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"color: #339966;\" href=\"\/martin-guitars\"><strong>Click HERE to see the full range of Martin Guitars available at Guitar Village&#8230;<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Humble Beginnings&#8230; C.F. Martin &amp; Co. was founded way back in 1833 by Christian Frederic Martin and is one of the longest running family-owned businesses in America. Current chairman and CEO, C.F. &#8216;Chris&#8217; Martin IV, is the great-great-great-grandson of founder Christian, and the ethos of the company is the same today as it was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[830],"tags":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3751"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3751"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67040,"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3751\/revisions\/67040"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/guitarvillage.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}