Small-Bodied 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition Revives A 12-Fret Martin Masterpiece

Jul 28, 2007

Martin has been Stephen Stills' acoustic guitar of choice for more than 40 years of music making, both in concert and in the recording studio. But perhaps the fullest measure of Stills' passion for Martins is the guitars the public doesn't see or hear - the dozen or so Martins in his collection that he plays for personal enjoyment and inspiration.

One of those guitars is a vintage Martin 0-45. Produced between 1904 and 1939, it is a very rare instrument; only 158 were made. This exquisite jewel may rank as a "forgotten" masterpiece. Unlike the guitars that inspired the Martin D-45SS and 000-45S Stephen Stills Signature Editions in 1998 and 2005 respectively, his vintage 0-45 has been a private pleasure, so we were surprised when he suggested Martin base his third Signature Edition on it.

As with his previous Signature Editions, Stills worked closely with Martin to refine the details of "his" 0-45 to accurately capture the character of the original. The new Martin 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition is a truly spectacular instrument, both in looks and in sound.

The beauty of the 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition begins with the classic 12-fret "0" design, superb solid tonewoods throughout, back and sides crafted from beautiful Madagascar rosewood, a top of Adirondack spruce - just like the original, short scale modified V neck with elongated diamond volute and slotted square, tapered headstock is carved from genuine mahogany.

The appointments closely approximate the original 0-45s. The Style 45 rosette features colorful abalone pearl, flanked by wood fiber inlays. The top, sides and back perimeters also showcase abalone pearl inlay, accented by wood fiber inlays. Style 45 mosaic backstrip and genuine ebony pyramid bridge and the absence of a pickguard.

The headstock features a Madagascar rosewood headplate, inlaid with "C. F. Martin" in Golden Era® Style 45 block abalone pearl letters and Waverly Irving Sloane side-mounted tuners with open gears.

Style 45 snowflake position markers inlaid in abalone, culminating in Stephen Stills' signature in mother of pearl between the 17th fret and the end of the fingerboard. The nut, uncompensated saddle, bridge and end pins are all crafted from fossilized ivory. A flawless polished gloss lacquer finish throughout, complemented by vintage toner. Factory installed electronics are available as an option.

In keeping with the tradition established by the Martin D-45SS and 000-45S Stephen Stills Signature Editions, the 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition is limited to no more than 91 special guitars.

Protected in a heavy-duty Geib style vintage series hardshell case, each 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition guitar bears an interior label personally signed by Stephen Stills and C. F. Martin IV, and numbered in sequence with the total in the edition. Authorized Martin dealers will begin taking orders for the 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition immediately. As the edition begins to be subscribed, Martin will post the names of participating authorized Martin dealers on its website.

For more information, visit their web site at www.martinguitar.com.