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 · 1 min read
Guitar Radar Editorial · Reviewed by Peter Luha · Published Aug 27, 2026
Credit: Martin Guitar
Martin announced two Joe Bonamassa signature models on August 13: the 00-18 Joe Bonamassa and the 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa. Both are modeled on a 1937 Martin 00-18 shade-top that Bonamassa owns and has talked up for years.
The 00-18 is the higher-end one: solid spruce over mahogany, Golden Era scalloped bracing, a modified low oval neck, faux tortoise binding and a 1937-style sunburst with wear marks copied from the original, down to the scratches near the soundhole. It is $3,999 and built in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. The 00-10E Retro is a Road Series model made in Navojoa, Mexico, with a solid spruce top, solid sapele back and sides, Martin's E1 electronics and the same aged sunburst, for $1,299.
This is the third Bonamassa signature Martin has done. The first, a recreation of his 1941 000-45, was a 45-piece run at a far higher price. On getting a Martin of his own, Bonamassa said it is "the high-water mark for me, because it's a Martin."
Why it matters
Small-body Martins from the 1930s are the template for a lot of fingerstyle and blues tone, and the cheaper 00-10E puts that shape and that look within reach of a working player.
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