Shawn Mendes and Martin have teamed up for a signature acoustic guitar with an eco-friendly build, a budget-friendly price and a compact size that should make it the sort of instrument you take everywhere with you.
The 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes Custom Signature Acoustic Guitar is not quite a travel guitar, but as a Junior-sized 000, with a short 24” scale, it makes for a more manageable alternative for those who find larger-bodied acoustics unwieldy.
It has a Sitka spruce top, sapele on the back and sides, a sipo neck carved into a High Performance Taper, joining the body with a mortice and tenon neck joint, and is topped with a 16” radius ebony fingerboard, seating 20 frets.
A full acoustic electric guitar performance comes by way of the ubiquitous Fishman Sonitone pickup and preamp system – a Martin favourite at this price point that will make Mendes’ signature guitar stage-ready. The scalloped X bracing under its Sitka spruce top is another feature typical of Martin.
But perhaps for some, and certainly for Mendes, the sustainable build is every bit as important. This 000JR-10E is 100 per cent certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and the gig bag it ships with was manufactured using plastics recovered and recycled from the ocean.
There are, of course, some signature details. There is a swallow engraved on the wings of the bridge to match the tattoo on Mendes’ right hand, signature inlay on the third fret, and if you peer inside the soundhole you’ll see there’s a custom label too.
Martin and Mendes have also had a bit of fun with this signature guitar, and have hidden some of the singer-songwriter’s lyrics on the instrument – an Easter egg you might only notice when cleaning the guitar.
The Mendes x Martin collaboration serves a charitable goal, too, with the Nazareth, Pennsylvania guitar company supporting the Shawn Mendes Foundation by making a charitable contribution to the Wonder of Music Program at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto.
Presented by Mendes’ foundation, the Wonder of Music Program will fund music therapy, songwriting and other activities for the children and their parents.
“Creating this guitar alongside Martin has been a dream of mine,” said Mendes. “The signature we created together is not only something I’m proud of musically, but also because it aligns with my passion for sustainability, and supports the Shawn Foundation’s initiatives. I can’t wait to share a guitar I love with fans across the world.”
The 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes is available now, priced £869 / $799. See Martin for more details.
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