Product details
Martin D-42 Standard Series Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar
With the high-quality Martin D-42 Standard Series guitar, the American manufacturer Martin expands its range with another premium acoustic guitar in a traditional dreadnought design with the finest materials and elaborate decorations that showcase the high-quality instrument in a very aesthetic way. Handcrafted in Nazareth Pennsylvania, the guitar's meticulous craftsmanship and perfectly seasoned woods produce an exceptionally powerful sound that is defined and clearly reproduced in all frequencies. A wafer-thin finish and flat bracing allow the wood to vibrate with distinction, so that the tone can be fully developed with a very light response and with little effort. Detailed decorations in the form of discreet abalone inlays and bindings adorn the Martin D-42 and exemplify the superb craftsmanship of the almost 200-year-old family company. The scope of delivery includes a custom-fit ply hard-shell moulded case and a warranty card.
A premium Sitka spruce top with Aging-Toner-Finish
To produce a powerful tone with clear treble and midrange frequencies, the manufacturer uses a high-quality Sitka spruce top, which is easily recognisable by its even and flamed grain. Due to its dense structure, the North American spruce species has a very powerful resonance, which means that the individual notes can be developed very directly. This effect is enhanced by a flat forward shifted scalloped X-bracing and a wafer-thin finish, which produce a fast attack and give the sound a long-lasting decay in the overtones, giving the instrument an orchestral note. Bordered by an elaborate abalone multi-striped top inlay, a successful transition is created from the top, which has an aging toner finish, to the dark body material, subtly emphasising the value of the fine wood. Decorated with a faux tortoise pick-guard and an abalone multi-stripe sound-hole rosette, the bright spruce wood contrasts tastefully with the black ebony bridge with its characteristic snowflake inlays.
Dark Rosewood on the Back and Sides
For a powerful expression of the bass frequencies, the body construction includes a strikingly grained rosewood, which, due to its hardness and coarse structure, enriches the low tones with a defined saturation and favours a fast sound development. Especially in combination with the bright spruce top, this rare tropical wood is often used in guitar making because of its unique sound characteristics. Divided in two by an elaborate Style 45 backstrip, the symmetrical grain of the opened back is emphasised, giving the observer a deep insight into the multi-faceted play of colours that run through the entire wood. The back and sides are bordered by a perfectly colour-coordinated antique white binding, creating a successful contrast between them and the top that perfectly rounds off the overall appearance in its aesthetics.
Easy playability thanks to a flat neck profile
In order to offer the player maximum playability, the manufacturer relies on a mahogany neck with an ebony fingerboard, which can be played easily and without much pressure up to the highest registers due to a Modified Low Oval profile. Fine abalone snowflake inlays adorn the most important frets and, with their fine colour reflections, illustrate the great skill and attention to detail that went into the construction of this high-quality instrument. The dark fretboard is also bordered by a simple antique-white binding, which is additionally bordered by a high-quality abalone decoration on the top from the 14th fret onwards. A 44.45 mm wide bone nut and a compensated saddle, carefully matched to each other, ensure excellent intonation over the entire 645 mm scale length. The characteristic Martin headstock is fitted with gold open-gear tuners that not only guarantee precise tuning but also accentuate the large C.F. Martin company logo.
The Martin D-42 Standard at a glance:
- Standard Series
- All solid construction
- Dreadnought design
- Sitka spruce top with antique toners
- East Indian rosewood back and sides
- 645 mm scale length
- Mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and abalone snowflake inlays
- Bone nut with 44,45 mm width
- Ebony bridge with compensated bone saddle and abalone snowflake inlays
- Golden open-gear tuners with butterbean buttons
- Ply hard-shell case included