NAMM 2010: Martin reveals OMC-LJ Pro Custom Artist Edition acoustic

PRESS RELEASE: Of all the artists for whom C.F. Martin & Co. has built Signature or Custom Artist Edition guitars, perhaps none plays such a range of settings as guitarist extraordinaire Laurence Juber.

In just the past two years, using his various "LJ" Martins he wrote and recorded his new, all solo album "Wooden Horses," played scores of television, movie, and album sessions that ranged from solo guitar and small combos to big bands and full orchestras, and performed dozens of concerts.

Such a variety of experience spurred Juber - whose career path has evolved from lead guitarist for Paul McCartney and Wings to composer, arranger, and world-class fingerstyle guitar virtuoso - in the development of his previous Martin guitars, so it is no surprise that it would inspire his new OMC-LJ Pro Laurence Juber Custom Artist Edition guitar, which features big leaf maple as its primary tonewood.

"The initial inspiration came when I was playing a movie scoring session and contemplating the dozens of maple-bodied instruments in the orchestra string section," Juber recalled.

"I became curious as to why maple is so fundamental to that family and yet less common in the flat-top guitar world. With its clarity and projection, maple creates a quite different sonic palette than rosewood and mahogany."

The impressive tone and understated elegance of the OMC-LJ Pro Laurence Juber Custom Artist Edition features a graceful rounded cutaway, and scalloped Adirondack spruce top braces to assure impressive resonance and dynamic range. The Adirondack spruce top, providing the full bottom associated with vintage Martin tone, combined with flamed big leaf maple back and sides, the bass is much more defined and the midrange more prominent and complex.

Deftly accented by a Style 28 wood fiber rosette, fine herringbone top inlay, fine black/white wood fiber back inlay, HD-style zigzag center strip purfling, and grained ivoroid binding. The grained ivoroid endpiece is framed by fine black/white wood fiber inlay. The ebony belly bridge is fitted with a compensated saddle

The two-piece maple neck, like that on many archtop guitars, contributes generous sustain and features a "Modified V" profile and a diamond volute at the base of the headstock. The handsome black ebony headplate bears the classic Old Style gold "C.F. Martin & Co." decal and nickel Waverly tuners with butterbean knobs. The ebony fingerboard is unadorned - with no position markers.

A grained ivoroid heelcap and chrome strap button complete the neck. In the fingerstyle guitar tradition, this Custom Artist does not have a pickguard. Aging toner on the body and neck, and Martin's polished lacquer finish give this guitar unique, vintage-style patina.

The OMC-LJ Pro Laurence Juber Custom Artist Edition comes factory-equipped with D-TAR Wavelength electronics, which Juber has been using in his prototype for more than a year. Delivered in a hardshell case, each Martin OMC-LJ Pro Laurence Juber Custom Artist Edition guitar bears a uniquely positioned interior label personally signed by Laurence Juber and numbered in sequence.

Authorized C.F. Martin & Co. dealers will take orders for the currently open-ended OMC-LJ Pro Laurence Juber Custom Artist beginning immediately and participating dealers will be listed at the Martin website.

For more information, visit Martin Guitars' official site

Information taken from official press release

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