Chris Martin left his post as CEO a while back, but still makes new product announcements, still has some hands-on involvement in operations at his family's business.

I can't say I'm a fan of this. I do remember the Shenandoah line of Martin guitars with a certain degree of fondness, but this is a completely different set of circumstances. These are finished guitars, Martin logo and all, from a Chinese factory. That wasn't how the Shenandoah line was produced back when. It's a different day, and I understand which direction the Earth spins on its axis and on what that action is fueled. In the video, they look cheap, they sound thin, and honestly at a price point of $500, what would you expect? I'll withhold final judgment of the guitars until I play one.


The other release is more interesting. A Gram Parsons 00-21. It's a pretty limited run; 80 guitars. I hear something like $5k on these. 

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on November 09, 2026, 02:34:41 AM

Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on November 08, 2026, 10:04:17 PMOK, I'm confused......

Peter

Looks like some kind of C-extension-like idea, applied to an EUB.  (?) 

I dunno; those sure look like guitar tuners to me.

But I think you just helped me figure it out; I hadn't noticed where the nut for the low string is.  I'm gonna say, yeah - low string is tuned to D & the knob-like thing on the weird contraption is 1-string capo to take it up to E, but for skinny strings, not cables.

A convoluted answer to a question no one was asking.....

Thanks, Greg.

Peter

Peter

I think Martin has kinda pissed the bed; by creating all these lesser lines with Formica bodies and other sketchy whatnot, maybe they're trying to understand a future without good wood and getting ahead of it, but I think they're sullying their good name in the process; should've kept Sigma for that or another name...

Quote from: peoplechipper on November 09, 2026, 08:09:17 PMI think Martin has kinda pissed the bed; by creating all these lesser lines with Formica bodies and other sketchy whatnot, maybe they're trying to understand a future without good wood and getting ahead of it, but I think they're sullying their good name in the process; should've kept Sigma for that or another name...

I generally agree with this. Maybe we're both over-analyzing it too. On one hand, I think it's both a good thing and smart to have entry-level guitars at price points for that. And the old Shenandoah and Sigma lines did that. Shenandoah was assembled in Japan, then finished and set up in Pennsylvania. Sigma guitars were 100% offshore products. Both are okay guitars. Neither are anything remarkable. Reading further on this redux of Shenandoah, it appears they will not have Martin serial numbers. I see also they have "Shenandoah" in the logo, like the old ones did... which I found interesting. Then they added "Series" to it, which kinda' suggests more to come. 

The HPL guitars I was mostly fine with for what they were. If you want that, they are relatively inexpensive and durable to a fault. The solid-top ones aren't too bad. One of my shop customers has a collection of Martin guitars; probably 20 of them, from a 00-18 to a D-45. His main axe is a '66 D-28 or alternately a '67 D-35. So I was a little bit surprised when he bought an X-Series Dreadnought. It was specifically for outdoor wedding gigs he tells me, where it inevitably rains during the cocktail hour. It has a solid top and onboard Fishman electronics, and the HPL sides and back make a nice umbrella. $600, with a denim gig-bag, made in the Navojoa, Mexico factory. He made the money back in a couple gigs. Leaves the guitar at church most of the time. I don't think or operate that way, but I get people who do.

Overall, I do think this move cheapens the brand. I don't think they will sell many units to the crowd that buys even the X-Series guitars, much less the flagship US models. I don't even think that's what they're angling for. I'll be honest, I'm puzzled... you got this promo here, with CF the IVth and this other cat playing blues licks on a parlor-sized guitar that doesn't look or sound like any other Martin. Who is this thing for, exactly? I'm in it for the learning though. I'm sure the store will stock at least one and see how it does head-to-head with the other Asian imports in the $500 range. I suspect Martin is banking on that logo to sell them. Maybe it works better than I think.

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 03:52:45 AM

Quote from: peoplechipper on November 09, 2026, 08:09:17 PMI think Martin has kinda pissed the bed; by creating all these lesser lines with Formica bodies and other sketchy whatnot, maybe they're trying to understand a future without good wood and getting ahead of it, but I think they're sullying their good name in the process; should've kept Sigma for that or another name...

I generally agree with this. Maybe we're both over-analyzing it too. On one hand, I think it's both a good thing and smart to have entry-level guitars at price points for that. And the old Shenandoah and Sigma lines did that. Shenandoah was assembled in Japan, then finished and set up in Pennsylvania. Sigma guitars were 100% offshore products. Both are okay guitars. Neither are anything remarkable. Reading further on this redux of Shenandoah, it appears they will not have Martin serial numbers. I see also they have "Shenandoah" in the logo, like the old ones did... which I found interesting. Then they added "Series" to it, which kinda' suggests more to come.

The HPL guitars I was mostly fine with for what they were. If you want that, they are relatively inexpensive and durable to a fault. The solid-top ones aren't too bad. One of my shop customers has a collection of Martin guitars; probably 20 of them, from a 00-18 to a D-45. His main axe is a '66 D-28 or alternately a '67 D-35. So I was a little bit surprised when he bought an X-Series Dreadnought. It was specifically for outdoor wedding gigs he tells me, where it inevitably rains during the cocktail hour. It has a solid top and onboard Fishman electronics, and the HPL sides and back make a nice umbrella. $600, with a denim gig-bag, made in the Navojoa, Mexico factory. He made the money back in a couple gigs. Leaves the guitar at church most of the time. I don't think or operate that way, but I get people who do.

Overall, I do think this move cheapens the brand. I don't think they will sell many units to the crowd that buys even the X-Series guitars, much less the flagship US models. I don't even think that's what they're angling for. I'll be honest, I'm puzzled... you got this promo here, with CF the IVth and this other cat playing blues licks on a parlor-sized guitar that doesn't look or sound like any other Martin. Who is this thing for, exactly? I'm in it for the learning though. I'm sure the store will stock at least one and see how it does head-to-head with the other Asian imports in the $500 range. I suspect Martin is banking on that logo to sell them. Maybe it works better than I think.

I had always thought Shenandoah was assembled in Nazareth from Japanese parts.

And my problem with the sawdust-&-glue ones is that they say "C.F. Martin"; the same guitar without that logo would be half the price, and putting it on there is akin to putting a Benz logo on a Yugo.

Peter

Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 06:36:33 AM

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 03:52:45 AM

Quote from: peoplechipper on November 09, 2026, 08:09:17 PMI think Martin has kinda pissed the bed; by creating all these lesser lines with Formica bodies and other sketchy whatnot, maybe they're trying to understand a future without good wood and getting ahead of it, but I think they're sullying their good name in the process; should've kept Sigma for that or another name...

I generally agree with this. Maybe we're both over-analyzing it too. On one hand, I think it's both a good thing and smart to have entry-level guitars at price points for that. And the old Shenandoah and Sigma lines did that. Shenandoah was assembled in Japan, then finished and set up in Pennsylvania. Sigma guitars were 100% offshore products. Both are okay guitars. Neither are anything remarkable. Reading further on this redux of Shenandoah, it appears they will not have Martin serial numbers. I see also they have "Shenandoah" in the logo, like the old ones did... which I found interesting. Then they added "Series" to it, which kinda' suggests more to come.

The HPL guitars I was mostly fine with for what they were. If you want that, they are relatively inexpensive and durable to a fault. The solid-top ones aren't too bad. One of my shop customers has a collection of Martin guitars; probably 20 of them, from a 00-18 to a D-45. His main axe is a '66 D-28 or alternately a '67 D-35. So I was a little bit surprised when he bought an X-Series Dreadnought. It was specifically for outdoor wedding gigs he tells me, where it inevitably rains during the cocktail hour. It has a solid top and onboard Fishman electronics, and the HPL sides and back make a nice umbrella. $600, with a denim gig-bag, made in the Navojoa, Mexico factory. He made the money back in a couple gigs. Leaves the guitar at church most of the time. I don't think or operate that way, but I get people who do.

Overall, I do think this move cheapens the brand. I don't think they will sell many units to the crowd that buys even the X-Series guitars, much less the flagship US models. I don't even think that's what they're angling for. I'll be honest, I'm puzzled... you got this promo here, with CF the IVth and this other cat playing blues licks on a parlor-sized guitar that doesn't look or sound like any other Martin. Who is this thing for, exactly? I'm in it for the learning though. I'm sure the store will stock at least one and see how it does head-to-head with the other Asian imports in the $500 range. I suspect Martin is banking on that logo to sell them. Maybe it works better than I think.

I had always thought Shenandoah was assembled in Nazareth from Japanese parts.

And my problem with the sawdust-&-glue ones is that they say "C.F. Martin"; the same guitar without that logo would be half the price, and putting it on there is akin to putting a Benz logo on a Yugo.

Peter

Correct, but I'm not sure to what degree the parts were already assembled. At one time, you could buy Shenandoah bodies and necks from the 1833 Shop. So was 'assembly' finishing the separate parts and setting the necks in the bodies? I don't know, I've never seen this spelled out.

No argument on your other point. If you mean the HPL stuff, I'm just past it. I had one and made a project of it. It was good for what I wanted to know; which was, can you convert a Dreadnought guitar to a micro-scale bass? Yep. Works fine. It cost me a couple hundred bucks to find out. I sold it for more than I had in it if you don't count the time, but I did play it for a while.

Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 06:36:33 AM... akin to putting a Benz logo on a Yugo.

Or a Rolls hood on a bug.  Remember these from back in the day?

Quote from: David Houck on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 08:29:47 AM

Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 06:36:33 AM... akin to putting a Benz logo on a Yugo.

Or a Rolls hood on a bug.  Remember these from back in the day?

The original Volks-Royce set-up!  It didn't take R-R long to smack that hood ornament & logo off due trademark.
There was also a set that made it '36 Ford.

Peter

But nothing beats the real deal! 

Bought it in 1986 and fully restored it by 2005. This was before the Alembic disease starting in 1993!

Pardon me... would you have any Grey Poupon? 😉

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on <strong>Today</strong> at 01:26:29 AMPardon me... would you have any Grey Poupon? 😉

I had a small jar in the glove box for about 20 years.  Removed it as I thought it could explode and what a mess that would be.

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on <strong>Today</strong> at 01:26:29 AMPardon me... would you have any Grey Poupon? 😉

Ever since those ads were on, I've been watching for a chance to sniff a baby, say "Pardon me - do you have grey poop on?" and and it to a parent........

Peter