So here I am, sitting in my office diligently getting my work done and minding my own business when the man in the big brown truck shows up with a box. Unfortunately I made the fatal mistake of opening the box only to find the most incredibly beautiful Koa T5 I have ever seen.
Pretty soon, several employee's were gathered around my office to take a look at my new prized possession. I then heard the presses in the pressroom stop printing. Next the folder stopped folding and soon the production people were in my office as well all ooooing and ahhhhing over such lovely instrument. Needless to say, Friday afternoon production around my shop suddenly came to a grinding halt. And you know something? I can't think of a better way to bring the weeks production to a close. Once again, thanks to both of you for the outstanding customer service. You truly go above and beyond the call of duty to satisfy your customers.
The 000C-MR Steve Miller Custom Artist Edition
The Steve Miller 000C-MR Custom Artist Edition A Striking Burgundy Red Adirondack-Topped Stage Performance Guitar
Steve Miller has eclectic tastes. It shows in his music, which – in a career that has spanned more than four decades - has ranged from blues and psy- chedelic to pop and rock, and back. And it shows in his Martin guitars. The Martin 00-37KSM and 00- 37K2SM Steve Miller Signature Editions from 2000 highlighted classic 12-fret style and distinctive – En- gelmann spruce and flamed koa – tonewoods. The Mar- tin 000C Steve Miller Pegasus Signature Edition from 2005 paired a rounded cutaway with Engelmann spruce and quilted mahogany. For more information on these Signa- ture Editions, see Volumes 9 and 18 of The Sounding Board at the Martin website: www.martinguitar.com.
Now comes the Martin 000C-MR Steve Miller Custom Artist Edition. Again featuring a rounded cutaway, this one combines Adirondack spruce and Pacific bigleaf maple for brilliantly clear tone and impressive dynamic range, but the appointment most will notice first is the color; highlighted by Martin’s polished lacquer finish, both the body and neck are rich Burgundy red.
Why a red guitar? “I’ve always been bothered by the need to have blemish-free, ‘perfect’ looking spruce for gui- tar tops,” Miller commented. “It seems wasteful and I’ve found some of the less perfect-looking wood sounds bet- ter than perfect, fine-grained spruce. With that thought in mind I wanted to choose a color for this guitar that would mellow with age and become truly beautiful to look at and play, and that color is blood red.”
Miller was similarly forthright re- garding the tonewoods for his new Custom Artist Edition. “I’ve had the opportunity to play guitars with a va- riety of different spruces and my fa- voritesoundingspruceisAdirondack.It has a tight, springy feel that gathers a guitar’s tone together in a warm, ener- getic way that sounds great and proj- ects evenly. It took me a while to discover Adirondack spruce, since
it isn’t considered cosmetically desirable.WhenIfinallyplayeda guitar with Adirondack spruce, I was knocked out by its prop- erties. The maple back and sides were chosen to give this guitar a bright sound perfect for country, blues and rock.”
Making music – and plenty of it – has been Steve Miller’s focus during the last five years. In 2005, the Steve Miller Band toured for the first time in several years, with a stop
in Los Angeles for Steve Miller’s induction into the Hol- lywood RockWalk. A short tour in 2006 coincided with release of the Fly Like an Eagle (30th Anniversary Edi- tion) CD/DVD, which includes three previously unre- leased tracks and a recent concert. In 2007, 2008 and
2009, the Steve Miller Band tackled increasing long
summer (and in 2009, winter and autumn) tours of the United States and (on a couple of occasions) Canada. In 2008, Steve Miller Band – Live from Chicago was re- leased – a blistering three-DVD set that captured the band at its fiery best. That year, Steve Miller also received the ASCAP “Gold Note Award” for lifetime achievements. In addition to touring, the Steve Miller Band has been in the studio during the last two years recording a new album; scheduled for release in 2010, its working title is
A Pocket Full of Pics.
The 000C-MR Steve Miller Custom Artist Edition’s stylish appointments look spectacular against its deep red hue. A Style 45 rosette with a center ring of select abalone pearl is matched by a colorful Style 45 wood
mosaic back strip. Intricate multi-layered black/white fine line purfling encircles the top and black/white/black fine line purfling accents the sides and back; all are protected by grained ivoroid binding.
The 1 3/4” (at the nut) modified low oval two-piece maple neck is topped by a polished ebony headplate that features the exquisite and rarely offered “alternative” torch inlay from 1902 that has been fea- tured on every Steve Miller guitar edition to date, and nickel Gotoh open-back tuners. The fingerboard also is ebony and is absolutely plain – without po- sition markers or a signature. Both headstock and fingerboard are bound in grained ivoroid, and elegantly ac- cented by mitered black/white fine line
inlays. The ebony belly bridge is fitted
with a compensated bone saddle. Pearl dot-topped black ebony bridge pins, a beveled and pol- ished black pickguard, and a chrome strap button complete the 000C-MR Steve Miller Cus- tom Artist Edition’s unique look. Befitting a guitar with ex- traordinary stage charisma, the 000C-MR Steve Miller Custom Artist Edition is factory- equipped with Fishman Matrix Infinity electronics. Featuring an advanced, “next generation” under- saddle transducer, soundhole mounted
In Memory of Norton Buffalo 1951-2009
controls and an internal endpin pre-amp, it produces impres- sive, lifelike “plugged-in” sound for both live performance and studio recording.
Delivered in a vintage GeibTM style hardshell case, each Martin 000C-MR Steve Miller Custom Artist Edition guitar bears a special red interior label personally signed by Steve Miller and C.F Martin Director of Artist Relations Dick Boak, and numbered in sequence. Authorized C.F. Martin dealers will begin accepting orders for the open-ended 000C-MR Steve Miller Custom Artist Edition – including for left-handed instruments, which are available at no additional cost – im- mediately and participating dealers will be listed on the Mar- tin Guitar website, www.martinguitar.com. v
After ordering a pair of special Custom Shop Martin guitars with Adirondack spruce tops, Steve was so inspired by the complexity and clarity of tone, that he wanted to explore the notion of an optimized acoustic-electric stage guitar with a “blood red” gloss finish. Here is the dramatic result. Maple back, sides and neck add to the projec- tion and power of this boldly beautiful instrument.
For 34 years, Norton Buffalo was Steve Miller’s partner in harmony and the principal soloist in The Steve Miller Band. In addition to his unparalleled virtuosity on the harmonica, he also added vocals, per- cussion and accompaniment on a multitude of instruments. Steve Miller says it best: “Norton had a unique and wonderful musical voice. He gave more than he took and brightened the world every time he played. This guitar is dedicated in loving memory of Norton Buffalo.”
000C-MR STEVE MILLER CUSTOM ARTIST EDITION – SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL: 000C-MR Steve Miller Custom Artist Edition CUTAWAY: Schoenberg Style Venetian Cutaway CONSTRUCTION: Standard Series, Dovetail Full Gloss BODY SIZE: 14-fret 000 Cutaway
TOP: Solid Adirondack Spruce ROSETTE: Style 45 – Three Ring With Abalone Pearl Inlay TOP BRACING PATTERN: Scalloped X-Bracing, 5/16" Width TOP BRACES: Sitka Spruce BACK: Solid Pacific Big Leaf Maple BACK PANELS: 2 Piece BACK PURFLING: Style 45 Multicolored Mosaic CAUTION STAMP: None, “C. F. Martin & Co., Nazareth, PA”
Stamping Between 1st & 2nd Back Braces BLOCK TO READ: (Lasered Decal Logo)
Custom Artist Steve Miller
Serial # SIDES: Solid Pacific Big Leaf Maple
RIBBON: Spanish Cedar END PIECE: Grained Ivoroid TOP & BACK BINDING: Grained Ivoroid TOP INLAY STYLE: .066” B/W/B/W Boltaron with .049” B/W/B Boltaron SIDE INLAY: .049” B/W/B Boltaron BACK INLAY: .049” B/W/B Boltaron NECK: Eastern Hard Maple (2 Piece) NECK SHAPE: Modified Low Oval, Chrome Strap Button on Heel NECK WIDTH: 1 3/4" at nut TRUSS ROD: Two-way Adjustable HEADSTOCK: Solid Square Tapered HEADPLATE: Black Ebony with Alternate Torch Inlay in Select Abalone HEELCAP: Grained Ivoroid with .049” B/W/B Boltaron Inlay NUT: Genuine Bone FINGERBOARD: Black Ebony SCALE LENGTH: 24.9” # OF FRETS CLEAR: 14 # OF FRETS TOTAL: FINGERBOARD POSITION INLAYS: None SIDE POSITION DOTS: White, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, double at 12th, 15th, 17th FINGERBOARD BINDING: Mitered Grained Ivoroid with .0325” B/W Boltaron Inlay FINISH BODY: Polished Gloss “Blood Red” Lacquer, Back & Sides FINISH TOP: Polished Gloss “Blood Red” Lacquer FINISH NECK: Polished Gloss “Blood Red” Lacquer, Clear Polished Gloss Headplate BRIDGE: Black Ebony BRIDGE STYLE: Belly BRIDGE SPACING: 2 1/4” Bridge Spacing SADDLE: Genuine Bone Drop In, Compensated, 16” Radius TUNING MACHINES: Gotoh Nickel #SE770E With Nickel “Butterbean” Knobs STRINGS: Martin SP 4100 Light Gauge Phosphor Bronze BRIDGE PINS: Black Ebony Bridge Pins with 3 mm Paua Inlay,
“Dick Boak and I set some serious goals when we started this project. The first was to create an affordable and beautiful RED guitar for stage work, with a rich Adirondack spruce tonality and easy playability for slinky blues and tasty country licks. Of course, we wanted excellent onbooard electronics that would work in both large and small performance venues. Lastly, the guitar needed to make anyone playing it look great! I’m proud that we set the bar high and that we have achieved everything we set out to achieve.”
20
No End Pin, Chrome End Pin Jack PICKGUARD: Black, Polished and Beveled CASE: #533E “Geib Style” 5-Ply Vintage Hardshell Case, Cabernet Interior INTERIOR LABEL(S): Personally Signed by Steve Miller
Numbered In Sequence Without Total, i.e. #1, #2, etc. EDITION SIZE: Open Ordering ELECTRONICS: Fishman Matrix Infinity (Lip Of Soundhole Controls) NO CHARGE OPTIONS: Lefthanded
SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE
$6499.00 This model may be ordered
through your local Authorized Martin Dealership
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