Martin has just announced another collaboration with Joe Bonamassa; this time, it is a pair of signature model guitars based on one of his 1937 models: the new 00-18 Joe Bonamassa and the more affordable 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa.
Contents – Martin Joe Bonamassa
Martin Pre-War
This is the second time Martin Guitars and Joe Bonamassa have released a model together, and these two new acoustic models are both based on his prized pre-war 1937 00-18 shade-top. First up is the more expensive 00-18 Joe Bonamassa, accompanied by the more affordable 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa.
00-18 Joe Bonamassa
First up is the flagship 00-18 model, which pairs a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides. Built for a warm, clear, and responsive voice, its compact 00 body offers a balanced tone tailored for blues, folk, fingerstyle playing, and songwriting. It comes with an ebony fretboard with old-style 18 inlays.
Pre-War details
To achieve its authentic pre-war appearance, the guitar features a custom 1937-style sunburst, faux tortoise binding, and meticulously replicated top wear that mirrors decades of use on Bonamassa’s original instrument. The luthiers at Nazareth, Pennsylvania, have really aimed to recreate the look, feel, and tone of that original guitar.
Under the hood, it uses Martin’s Golden Era scalloped X-bracing to deliver an open, dynamic response, while a Golden Era Modified Low Oval neck profile with a standard taper provides a comfortable, vintage-inspired feel.
This premium signature model isn’t cheap, but it is a wonderful-looking and sounding recreation of a vintage Martin acoustic. It includes a premium hard case in the price to keep it safe.
00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa
Then there is the 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa, which is built in Martin’s facility in Navojoa, Mexico, to help keep the costs down. This more affordable version comes with a solid spruce top with solid sapele back and sides. It comes in a1937 Joe Bonamassa Sunburst finish, which looks great on this model.
This version comes with the modern Performing Artist neck with a high-performance taper, supported by responsive scalloped spruce X-bracing. It is also stage-ready, outfitted with Martin E1 electronics that offer onboard volume, tone, and phase controls along with a built-in chromatic tuner.
It comes with a protective softshell case included in the price.
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