Martin
Latest Martin guitar news, new electric and acoustic guitars, signature models, artist collaborations, and releases tracked by Guitar Radar.
Guitar Radar follows Martin through 4 stories and 4 product releases, covering new gear, launches and company news as they happen. Most of it sits under gear. The most recent story, from Sep 28, 2026, is “Martin refreshes the 16 Series with new body shapes, bold finishes and stage-ready electronics”. Coverage here goes back to Aug 13, 2026. The newest product in the releases catalog is the Martin 16 Series.
About Martin
C. F. Martin & Company was founded in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin, who moved the business to Nazareth, Pennsylvania in the late 1830s; it is still based there and has been run by six generations of the family. Martin is generally credited with developing X-bracing for acoustic guitar tops in the 1850s, and its dreadnought body, first built in 1916 for the Ditson brand, became the standard shape for steel-string acoustics.
The D-28, from 1931, is its best-known dreadnought, and the ornate D-45 followed. Martin builds a long line of artist signature models, including Eric Clapton's 000-28EC, based on the guitar Clapton played on MTV Unplugged and made in several limited editions since 1995. It also runs a Custom Shop.
Guitar Radar follows Martin's new models, signature acoustics and limited editions.
Sources: Wikipedia: C. F. Martin & Company · Wikipedia: Martin D-28 · Where's Eric!: Martin Eric Clapton acoustic models
Stories
Martin refreshes the 16 Series with new body shapes, bold finishes and stage-ready electronics
The Nazareth-built acoustic-electric range now spans compact 00L models, a short-scale slope-shoulder dreadnought, jumbos, a Grand Performance cutaway and a 12-string.
Sep 28, 2026
Martin's LX2 Life is Good puts laser-etched slogans on a Little Martin travel guitar
A follow-up to 2024's LX1 Life is Good, the collaboration with the apparel brand keeps the short-scale Little Martin body and swaps in a more restrained cosmetic treatment.
Aug 30, 2026
Guitar Center's 2026 Crossroads collection revives Clapton's Blind Faith Tele and a 70-piece Mayer Silver Sky
The charity run, timed to this year's Crossroads Guitar Festival, spans Clapton signature Martins, a Fender Custom Shop recreation of his 1969 Telecaster and a limited PRS Silver Sky finished for John Mayer.
Aug 30, 2026
Martin builds two Joe Bonamassa signature acoustics around his 1937 00-18 shade-top
A Nazareth-made 00-18 at $3,999 and a Mexico-made Road Series 00-10E Retro at $1,299, both aged to match the worn original.
Aug 13, 2026