Martin is releasing two new Joe Bonamassa signature acoustic guitars inspired by his treasured 1937 Martin 00-18 shade-top.
The 00-18 Joe Bonamassa ($3,999.99) and 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa ($1,299.99) are available now from Martin dealers and at martinguitar.com.
Although he’s widely known as one of the foremost blues-rock guitarists today, Bonamassa is an acoustic player as well. He purchased the shade-top from John Shults at True Vintage Guitar, “who found it in Ohio and bought it from the original owners family,” Bonamassa revealed in a June 15 Facebook post. “Price tag of 45 dollars still on it.”
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The new Martin guitars include a handcrafted Nazareth-built model and a more accessible version produced at Martin’s Navojoa, Mexico facility. Both feature a custom 1937-style sunburst and carefully replicated top wear based on Bonamassa’s original guitar, capturing the appearance of an instrument that has spent decades making music.
This collaboration is Bonamassa’s second with Martin, following on his 2024 Martin 000-45 Joe Bonamassa Limited Edition.
“If you told me when I was a kid that I’d be sitting here in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, with not one, but two signature guitars, I’d be like, ‘You’re out of your mind,’” Bonamassa said.
“This is the high-water mark for me, because you’re going, ‘It’s a Martin!’”
Handcrafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, the 00-18 Joe Bonamassa pairs a solid spruce top with genuine mahogany back and sides for a warm, clear, and responsive voice. Its compact 00 body offers balanced tone and comfortable playability equally well suited to blues, folk, fingerstyle playing, and songwriting.
Golden Era scalloped X-bracing delivers an open, dynamic response, while faux tortoise binding, the custom 1937-style sunburst, and replicated top wear faithfully reflect the appearance of Bonamassa’s original pre-war instrument. A Golden Era Modified Low Oval neck profile with a standard taper provides a comfortable vintage-inspired feel.
Bonamassa brought an early prototype into the studio and compared it directly against his original 1937 Martin.
“When we put the mic in front of it, my producer said, ‘I like that one better,’” Bonamassa recalled of the Nazareth-built model.
Each 00-18 Joe Bonamassa includes a hardshell case.
Crafted in Martin’s Navojoa facility, the 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa pairs a solid spruce top with solid sapele back and sides for balanced tone, warmth, and focused projection. Its custom 1937-style sunburst and visually replicated top wear mirror the distinctive character of Bonamassa’s original guitar. Scalloped spruce X-bracing supports a responsive acoustic voice, while a Performing Artist neck with a high-performance taper offers smooth, approachable playability.
The model also features Martin E1 electronics with volume, tone, and phase controls, along with a built-in chromatic tuner, making it equally at home onstage, in the studio, or around the house. Bonamassa personally tested the onboard electronics in live performance before approving the final production model.
Each 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa includes a softshell case.
