Maury's Blog

In January of 2016, Reverend moved their operation from Michigan to Toledo, Ohio. In August of 2016, we finally got the chance to visit Ken & Penny in their new shop & we had a great time! Thanks for having us, Reverend Guitars! 

The Mark Series

The Mark Series  the oldest Mesa/Boogie series, but it includes Randall Smith's oldest guitar amp the Mark I (1970) and his newest: the JP-2C Mark IIC+. There's a lot of ground to cover here. Let's dive in.

Maury has been a proud member of the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum since 2002 & he's attended every MartinFest.  Follow us on Facebook for LIVE updates, and check back here for instant-replay! 

​This week we take a look at the iconic musicians that have played Martin's most iconic guitar.

"Known by it’s serial number of 58957, this guitar was once owned by Clarence White before it was sold by him in 1965 due to financial concerns. Nearly 10 years later it found it’s way into Rice’s hands. Although it certainly shows the signs of its age, including divots in the soundboard where a young Clarence White shot it with a BB-gun..."

​This week we take a look at the artists who have worked with Reverend to design their own signature models. 

"Reeves Gabrels is the guitarist’s guitarist. Known for his experimental improvisation, Reeves playing pushes the limits of what a guitar can or should do, blending rock, blues and the avant garde into a style uniquely his. He is best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, an artist who used Gabrels’ experimental playing to great effect a half dozen albums between 1989 and 1999."

Tim Teel has been a great friend of mine for many, many years.  He's solidifed a place for himself in the Martin history books, and I'm so proud to have known him along the way.  At the end of a busy work week, he was kind enough to walks us through some of the new NAMM models. Thanks for taking the time Tim!  

This week we take a look at where Martin's most unique instruments are made, the Custom Shop.

"Now that I have a better handle on it, I like to think of the Custom Shop as a way for a player to take an already great standard model and make it the perfect guitar for themselves. Love the D-35 but you’re uncomfortable with the narrow neck? Change it to a 1.75”. Love the sound of an HD-28 but you’re not a fan of herringbone? Put scalloped braces on a D-28 instead."

This week we take a trip into the woods and check out some Bear Claws!

"The idea goes that if a bear scratches a tree then after the wood heals it’s going to leave 'scars'. While I will admit that this explanation is a lot cooler than what’s actually happening, it’s simply not true."

Maury's Music gives you 14 days to evaluate your new guitar.  Some other stores only give you 2-3 days, and that's not nearly enough time.  When shopping for your next guitar, don't just compare prices - compare policies, too.

We honestly feel that Boogies are the Martin Guitars of tube amps. One of the most popular series is the fabled Rectifier series of handmade amplifiers from Petaluma, California.