Martin produce their 1,500,000th guitar

At NAMM, Dick Boak, Director of Martin Guitar Artist and Limited Editions, was proud to be showing off their 1.5 millionth guitar.

“I’m holding the 1.5 millionth Martin guitar. When we reach a milestone like this we like to do something very special. About a year and a half ago we began to work with inlay artist, Harvey Leach, and scrimshaw engraver, Bob Hergert, to create this masterpiece, milestone instrument. It’s made with Brazilian rosewood, back and sides, plus an Adirondack spruce top.

The pick guard is inlaid with Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” in excruciating detail, with hundreds of individual pieces to match the painting. The “Mona Lisa” on the headstock is exquisite, with facial lines engraved by Bob Hergert. The fingerboard inlays are from the illustrated journals of Da Vinci and his most famous illustration, The Vetruvian Man, is inlaid on the back of the guitar.

Lastly, the tuning machine buttons are just phenomenal recreations of a Da Vinci drawing illustration by Tira Mitchell, one of the world’s premier metal engravers and metal workers. A special case for the guitar was fabricated by TKL cases’ Tom Dougherty, and a beautiful hand-tooled leather guitar strap by Chuck Smith, one of the world’s best leather workers.

So, were really honored to produce a special guitar like this when we meet a milestone. We don’t want everybody to believe that all of our guitars cost a million dollars or more, because we do make guitars for under a thousand dollars. [Laughs] This is special, it’s not for sale and it will soon be on display at the Martin Guitar Company museum.”

Source: Guitar International