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Martin Blackwell, 2016

Cedar / Maple

There are a lot of doubletop guitars on the market.

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Maker: Martin Blackwell
Year: 2016
Top: Cedar
Back & sides: Maple
Top construction: Doubletop
Scale length: 650 mm
Nut width: 52.5mm
Tuners: Gotoh
Condition: Very Good

Description

There are a lot of doubletop guitars on the market.

Some will be slightly louder than this guitar, some might be cheaper, some might be newer.

But what is different about Martin Blackwell’s guitars is that they retain a traditional sound despite being a doubletop, and having a lot of volume and responsiveness. The best parts of doubletops without the sacrifice.

On top of that, this particular Blackwell (2016) is 1 year apart from my personal favorite Blackwell (2017), and I’ve played on over a dozen now, and owned 6 or 7. What’s different about Blackwells from these years is that they are made from an inner core of nomex, and in my opinion, the notes bloom in a beautiful way. One of the main characteristics of double tops is the super quick response. While the response on this guitar is quick, it’s not so quick to come to its maximum volume, to where you don’t enjoy the bloom of the note (something that I love about traditional guitars). I can’t emphasize enough how intoxicating the beautiful bloom on this guitar is. It doesn’t shout at you, it embraces you!

Lastly, it’s worth noting the main air residence of this guitar. It’s very low. I believe between an E and an E flat. That makes it sound very deep (think Dammann, Dieter Muller, Bruck, etc). That being said, the low E, and drop d tunings still have tons of sustain, and the notes don’t cancel out like you sometimes have with low main air resonance guitars.

This is a fairly rare Blackwell given its low main air resonance, and its back and side woods. Blackwell currently has a wait list that’s close to 10 years and will certainly cost much more than this from any dealer, or even Blackwell himself in some years.

I hope this guitar goes to someone who’s going to appreciate it and love it. I’ve driven myself crazy comparing it to my favorite Blackwell, and I want to keep them both but it just doesn’t make sense.

Minor play-wear - only a few rasgueado scratches in the top. Doesn’t go into the wood, just finish. Could be polished out if you wanted, but I never would.

Specs:

650mm scale

52.5mm nut

Gotoh premium tuners

Cedar doubletop

quilted/flamed maple back and sides

Raised fingerboard

Authenticity & condition

Every instrument is hand-inspected and verified by our expert team, then professionally set up and play-tested before it ships. Each guitar is photographed and demonstrated on video so you know exactly what you are buying.

Have a question about this instrument’s condition or history? Get in touch and we’re happy to share more detail.

Shipping & delivery

Fully insured worldwide shipping, expertly packed in a quality hard case. Most orders ship within one business day.

Prefer to see it in person? You’re welcome to visit our showroom to try the instrument or pick it up directly. Contact us to arrange a visit.