John Mayer has two new signature guitars under his belt, partnering with Martin for his first-ever Road Series acoustic guitars.
Mayer and Martin go together like Mayer and PRS. You will rarely – if ever – see Mayer play an acoustic that isn’t made by Martin. He’s wielded everything from that one-off double-neck to a mystery small-bodied 12-string parlor guitar.
But as far as his Martin signature guitars go, they have always come at a premium. His most recent models – two Gray Sunburst Orchestra acoustics – were priced at $18,499 and $3,999. In 2018, his D-45 cost $14,999.
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So, the arrival of Martin’s first Road Series models will be welcome news to his fans. As per the Road Series’ remit, these bring Mayer’s go-to guitars to a more accessible price point while retaining the core features that make them what they are.
(Image credit: Martin)
That said, at $1,999, they sit at the very top of the Road Series price spectrum, above Joe Bonamassa’s 00-10E Retro and Shawn Mendes’ 000-10E. But they are the most affordable Mayer-endorsed acoustics to date. And with that $15k D-45 in mind, it looks like a great move from Martin.
The OM-13E and OMC-13E are largely the same model, save the cutaway found on the latter. Chiefly, both feature Engelmann spruce tops with an aging toner that promises a more vintage aesthetic vibe and a responsive, played-in character. Solid black walnut back and sides are joined by a scalloped spruce X-bracing.
(Image credit: Martin)
The neck offers a ‘Performing Artist’ neck profile – which is a standard taper that Martin uses – and is topped with an ebony fingerboard. There’s also an ebony bridge, faux mother-of-pearl inlays, and Mayer’s signature on the 12th fret inlay. Under the hood, you’ll find Martin E1 electronics.
So, yes, these look very nice, and at $1,999, these Road Series models are probably the most affordable Mayer acoustics we ever get.
Head over to Martin to find out more.
In related news, Martin recently celebrated the 80th birthday of Gram Parsons by releasing a limited recreation of his workhorse 00-21 acoustic.
