Martin 6-string Acoustic-electric Guitar with Engelmann Spruce Top, East Indian Back and Sides, and Martin Gold Electronics – Natural with Vintage Toner

Back in 2002, John Mayer exploded onto the music scene with hits like “No Such Thing” and the following year, Martin introduced the OM-28JM John Mayer Signature Edition. Not surprisingly, even people who had never heard of John Mayer wanted to own this guitar and the limited edition of 404 instruments sold out completely. Mayer’s “Heavier Things” album in late 2003 resulted in two more hit singles, one of which won a Grammy for “Song of the Year” and Mayer walked off with “Best Male Pop Vocal of the Year” honors. In 2005, he created the John Mayer Trio, playing electric blues in a series of memorable sold-out shows. With an expanding reputation and loyal fan base, the number of OM-28JM John Mayer Signature Edition guitars produced began to look awfully small. So, C. F. Martin & Co. asked John Mayer if he would create a second namesake guitar, one with many of the same attributes as his first, but which would be more affordable and more widely available. The end result? The OMJM John Mayer Special Edition.

Martin OMJM John Mayer Special Edition Features at a Glance:

• Englemann spruce top with vintage toner and lacquer finish
• East Indian rosewood back and sides for warm, rich tone
• Spanish cedar neck with African ebony fingerboard
• Factory installed Martin Gold Plus electronics
• Includes vintage style case and signed/numbered interior label

Englemann spruce top with vintage toner and lacquer finish
Like its predecessor, the OMJM John Mayer Special Edition features a top of solid Engelmann spruce with specially designed “hybrid” bracing that enhances the rich, full sound. Body appointments are also similar, with a Style 45 rosette featuring a center ring of colorful paua (abalone) shell, bold herringbone around the top, grained ivoroid binding throughout and a traditional OM teardrop polished and beveled tortoiseshell pickguard. To enhance the beauty of the wood, a specially formulated vintage “aging” toner is applied and then the polished nitocellulose gloss lacquer completes the picture.

East Indian rosewood back and sides for warm, rich tone
There was never a question about which tone woods to use for the OMJM John Mayer Signature Edition back and sides. East Indian rosewood is world renowned for its warm, rich tone. It has a wonderful harmonic structure that produces incredibly smooth overtones when combined with the spruce top and hybrid bracing. Black and white purfling surrounds the back, and there’s an HD-style “zigzag” center strip. Other features include a black African ebony bridge with compensated TUSQ saddle, Style 45 white bridgepins inlaid with abalone and that jewel-like nitrocellulose gloss lacquer finish.

Spanish cedar neck with African ebony fingerboard
The OMJM John Mayer Signature Edition’s Spanish cedar neck with diamond volute is carved specifically with playing comfort in mind, combining 1-11/16″ width and low profile shape for easy fretting. The East Indian rosewood headplate sports Martin’s Old Style decal in silver rather than the familiar gold and nickel Gotoh open-geared tuners with butterbean knobs. The black African ebony fingerboard highlights 1/8″ mother-of-pearl position markers and John Mayer’s signature inlaid in pearl between the 19th and 20th frets.

Factory installed Martin Gold Plus electronics
Many acoustics – and yes, even some premium quality instruments – come with optional electronics packages or even “off-the-shelf” units which can save some money, but ultimately compromises the amplified sound. For the OMJM John Mayer Signature Edition, the Martin luthiers carefully selected a Martin Gold Plus system that would be factory installed in the guitar. This results in an amazingly detailed amplified sound that’s never harsh or brittle sounding.

Includes vintage style case and signed/numbered interior label
Of course, a guitar this special comes with a special vintage Geib style hardshell case to protect your OMJM Signature Edition for years – or more accurately, decades to come. Making it even more distinctive, Mayer created a unique art deco inspired monogram that’s embroidered right onto the case. What’s more, each and every OMJM bears an interior label with the signatures of both John and Martin chairman C. F. Martin IV, and is individually numbered in sequence.

Martin OMJM John Mayer Signature Edition Features:

• Color: Natural with vintage toner
• Body Type: OM-style
• Finish: Gloss
• Neck Wood: Spanish cedar
• Neck Shape: Custom low profile
• Top Wood: Englemann spruce
• Back Wood: East Indian rosewood
• Side Wood: East Indian rosewood
• Machine Heads: Nickel Gotoh open-geared
• Scale Length: 25.4″
• Fingerboard: African ebony
• No. of Frets: 20
• Position Markers: Custom mother-of-pearl
• Pickups: Martin Gold Plus Natural 1
• Controls: N/A
• Pickup Switching: N/A
• Bridge/Tailpiece: Ebony with compensated TUSQ saddle
• Hardware: Nickel plated
• Case: Vintage Geib style hardshell with monogram

Like its namesake, this signature edition is truly “one-of-a-kind!”