Martin's Ballad of the Dreadnought documentary celebrates the iconic acoustic guitar

Martin's dreadnought has become perhaps the archetypal acoustic guitar outline, and with 100 years of history behind its belt, Martin has seen fit to honour it with a documentary film.

Narrated by actor and musician Jeff Daniels, the Ballad of the Dreadnought tells the story of the first dreadnoughts built in 1916 for the Oliver Ditson Company right up to today's limited-edition and artist models.

The film features interviews with Martin CEO Chris Martin IV, as well as artists including Crosby, Stills and Nash, Steve Miller, Rosanne Cash, Vince Gill, Jason Isbell, Seth Avett and many more.

The full movie is available to view now at Martin Guitar. For more on the dreadnought, have a read of our brief history of the design.

Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.