Maury's Blog

What Will Happen if Guitar Center Goes Away? CUE 1 – Movie Guy’s Voice: Imagine if you can, a world without Guitar Center… That is a reality that may
be coming soon to a community near you.

Reason #6 for owning a Blueridge guitar – Neck Width Options! There is a Blueridge guitar with your favorite nut width. For those who wish C. F. Martin & Co. and other makers hadn’t moved away from the 1-11/16” nut width, Blue Ridge has you covered!

Reason #7 for owning a Blueridge guitar – Awesome softshell cases! Blueridge guitars come in some of the most beloved cases available today!

Reason #8 for owning a Blueridge guitar – Distinctive Styling! Many Blueridge guitar models have a combination of classic acoustic guitar appointments, with stylish accents that make them stand out from all other guitars.

Reason #9 for owning a Blueridge guitar – Tenor Guitars! Like their Earthquake parlor guitars from bygone days, Blueridge makes four-string tenor guitars based on the original C. F. Martin Designs from the 1920s, but available for an enjoyably affordable price.

Reason #10 for owning a Blueridge guitar – Parlor Guitars! Blueridge refers to these special members of the Historic Series as Earthquake guitars, because of the “spirit of creativity and prosperity that was felt in America after the turn of the century from the aftermath of the Great San Francisco Quake of 1906.”

There is an old advertising slogan that went something like, “More people play a Martin or want to play a Martin than any other guitar.” Certainly, Martin guitars are owned and played by countless professional musicians from the biggest stars to the anonymous studio session players that back them up on albums or play on the soundtrack scores of Hollywood films and television shows. The reason for this can be summed up in one word: Tone.
 

At long last, we're finally making strides in getting some Uke demo videos recorded, produced & out into the wild. Between Spoon Phillips, Maury Rutch and Dee Dasher, we're committed to putting together some really fun ukulele content.

If you've always wondered about popular acoustic guitar myths, how to tell which ones are based in truth - and which ones are total baloney  .... this episode of the Martins & More podcast with Spoon Phillips is for you!

History of the Martin OM Orchestra Model - Martins & More Podcast with Spoon Phillips S2 E19. If you're a fan of Martin OMs, and always wanted to know more about their early days, the various different models & why Maury & Spoon love them so much :)  .... this episode is for you!

Martin Introduces Satin Finish Models in the Standard Series! Extra!!! Extra!!! New 2023 Martins offer incredible value with great tone. Maury’s Music proudly presents SIX new Standard Series Martins, the D-28 Satin, D-28 Satin Amberburst, D-28 Street Legend, each made with East Indian backs and sides, and the D-18 Satin, D-18 Satin Amberburst, and D-18 Street Legend, made with Genuine Mahogany back and sides.

Season 2 Episode X of Martins & More is as large and lovely as the Martin Jumbo models that Maury and Spoon are exploring in this podcast! The size J and even grander Grand J are modern Martin inventions that are well-loved for their shape, volume, and tone.

Season 2 Episode 7 of Martins & More picks up where Episode 6 left off, with the focus shifting to the exotic and domestic tonewoods used for the back and sides of Martin and Blueridge acoustic guitars.

Season 2 Episode 6 of Martins & More gets us ready for winter, with a look at the species of evergreen trees that that get turned into spruce guitar tops, a major source of an acoustic guitar’s tone. Has Martin always used the same type spruce? Which spruce sounds like what? Why do they sound the way they do?

Due to constraints surrounding the procurement of old-growth Sitka spruce, Martin Guitar will allow the use of Lutz spruce in combination with Sitka spruce as needed. Read more.

Martin Guitars & Ebony in 2022. Martin is constantly reviewing their specifications, and revising as necessary while maintaining the sound, structural integrity, and high-quality standards of their fine instruments. Many models with ebony fretboards & bridges are now showing streaks & natural cosmetic irregularities. Read more.

Season 1 Episode 24 of Martins & More seeks to discover the many and often surprising virtues of the most affordable Martin and Blueridge guitars available today. No matter one’s budget, a bargain is a bargain.

Which Martin D-18 is the best?

Season 1 Episode 17 of Martins & More is dedicated to Martins made with smaller bodies, which can appeal to many players for many different reasons.

Season 1 Episode 13 of Martins & More focuses on the “More” as Maury takes us through the many offerings from Blueridge guitars. Spoon chimes in with his opinion of the unique chime in the Blueridge voice, and the many attractive features of these finely crafted instruments.

Season 1 Episode 11 of Martins & More offers you Maury and Spoon’s authentic opinions and authenticated knowledge of Martin’s Authentic Series. Each guitar is a meticulously researched reconstruction of specific classic vintage Martins from before, during, and after their Golden Era of the 1930s.

X marks the spot in Season 1 of Martins & More, as Episode 7 finds Maury and Spoon investigating the mysteries of Martin’s X Series! Each a modern marvel in its own right. From the mighty electric-acoustic Dreadnought models like the stunning D-X1E, to the contemporary Grand Performance sized GPC-X2E, these never fail to impress anyone who has yet to play an X Series model when it comes to the Tone to Dollar Spent ratio.

Season 1 Episode 3 of Martins & More is a fun, fact-filled conversation about the acoustic guitars that set the industry standard for professional-level acoustic guitars, offered from within Martin’s venerable Standard Series.

Season 1 Episode 2 of Martins & More focuses on some of the best-bang-for-the-buck Martin guitars, found in the amazing Road Series. When did the Road Series first appear? How has it changed over the years? Why might you want to buy a Road Series guitar for yourself or a loved one?

We proudly present Season 1 Episode 1 Martins & More, Maury’s Music’s entertaining and informative podcast featuring special guest T Spoon Phillips, the veteran New York City guitarists and venerable scholar of C. F. Martin & Company history, and all things related to acoustic guitars. This inaugural installment is about mahogany, and mahogany, and more mahogany!

Mahogany or Rosewood? The answer is “Yes!” Yes to both. We are now going to explore the marvelous qualities that make mahogany and rosewood the most revered tonewoods used to create world-class acoustic guitars, in this, our May edition of Maury's Music’s A vs. B.

As with most exotic species of wood, Guibourtia ehie has several common names. But in the world of musical instruments it is known as ovangkol. The latest Martin guitars to feature ovangkol are the D-16E Burst and OMC-16E Burst, the all-solid wood wonders that use it for the back and sides, and for their gorgeous tops under a high gloss mahoganyburst finish! And aren’t they pretty?

Why Choose a Martin 00 Instead of a 000? (Or Vice Versa) As we contemplate and compare the similarities between the wonderful Martin 000-16E Granadillo and 00-16E Granadillo, the differences between them are definitely in the details.

Our good pal Aaron Short is a working musician in NYC, and he hosts a wonderful YouTube channel - filled with gear demos, live concerts & fantastic interviews. Aaron and Maury will be spending some time demonstrating & discussing certain Martin models. We'll archive those discussions here.

Made in the Shade
Martin has a long tradition of adding special toner to the spruce soundboard of a guitar to darken the  lacquer finish in a pleasing, aesthetic way. The official company language has always described such guitars as having a “shaded top,” with the common terms like “sunburst” and “burst” being used for specific types of top shading. And while there have been multiple bursts over the years, the two most popular examples remain available today, the Sunburst 1935 and the Amberburst 1933.

A week after Maury appeared on the popular YouTube webzine “The Aaron Short Music Hangout,” Martin’s Dick Boak took his place in front of a webcam for a lengthy and enlightening interview on the same show. Aaron asked him what his favorite Martin guitar was. Dick replied that there are so many great Martins, but for him it is the Orchestra Model. And it is no coincidence that John Mayer’s signature model is based on his long-time go-to axe, which happens to be the same Martin OM model that Dick Boak plays, and the very same one played to this day by Maury of Maury’s Music. The reason is simple – Martin OMs are awesome!

Martin Body Sizes

When you see a Martin model name like D-15 or 000-18, the number on the right side of the dash refers to the “Style” of decoration and the materials used to create the instrument. The letter or number on the left side of the dash refers to the body size. And today we will look at the various Martin body sizes available in 2020, starting with the newest one. Read more!

From Our Family to Yours, Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

This year, Maury’s Music has much to the thankful about, including the bountiful choices to be had in Martin guitar neck shapes! Each is designed for comfort and ease of playability, no matter what size hands a musician may have. Read more!

With its unique pedigree and impressive good looks, a guitar made in Style 35 stands out like a thoroughbred stallion from the impressive Martin herd, especially when it’s heard. A rich and robust rosewood voice of exceptional complexity attracts admirers from all styles of music, and with good reason. Read more.

Scary good guitars at shocking good prices!

As the golden October afternoons are spirited away and replaced by the spooky, spine-chilling nights of a dark and blustery November, we are reminded of how the cheerful voice of a Style 18 Martin guitar is as bright, clear, and pretty as a sunny Sunday in Spring Time. It is the perfect musical tonic for the soul this time of year, as the days grow dark, the nights grow long, and the winter blues approach. Read more!
 

Why are there so many versions of the D-28 for sale? From its introduction in early 1930s, the Martin D-28 set the standard that all other acoustic guitars have been compared to ever since. Today, Martin offers more than one version of this most-iconic acoustic guitar, inspired by various renditions from the D-28’s historic past. And we are going to take a closer look at each of them in this blog post. Read more.

NEW for 2017: You can now order select Martin Guitars with your choice of electronics.  Choose between the Fishman Aura VT Enhance or the LR Baggs Anthem!

Plan on visiting the C.F. Martin Guitar Factory! We'll give you one more good reason to make the trip.  Now customers can buy a new Martin Guitar at Martin Guitar through the Buy From Factory Program. Tell 'em Maury's Music sent ya!

This week we embrace our wanderlust and discuss Martin's travel guitars. Which one is right for you?

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.

This week we talk mostly about Martin Guitar Neck Profiles and maybe a little about Italian Westerns.

Spoon Phillips of OneManz.com visted Maury's Music for another round of Martin Guitar demos.  At the end of Day 2, he checked out three OM-28 Authentic 1931's and allowed me to roll camera.

A great resource for someone looking for a Blueridge guitar, this week we talk about how Blueridge guitar model names work.

Today we get into the nitty gritty, talking about how Body Size and Scale Length affect the sound of your acoustic guitar.

This topic was actually requested by a customer who was having some difficulty understanding the difference between the D-28 Marquis and D-28 Authentic 1937. Both of these guitars offer similar woods, construction and features. However, as with all things acoustic guitar, the devil is in the details and it’s only by looking carefully at the specs that you’ll get a full picture.

Martin brought the 00-15M design into the Retro Series.  The 00-15E Retro is the first-ever mahogany-topped Martin to include Fishman Aura electronics!

For a newcomer to Martin guitars, the sheer size of their lineup can be overwhelming. With over 100 guitars in their lineup at any one time, all labeled with Martin's own unique labeling system, it could seem tough to narrow down your options. This weeks article is going to be an explanation of Martin's guitar naming system, breaking down exactly what each part of a model's name designates and what it means to you. In ten minutes you can go from a complete Martin beginner to an expert. 

For 2015, Ed Sheeran has again teamed up with Martin for another signature guitar, the Ed Sheeran X Signature edition. While taking many design elements from the previous Sheeran model, the X does make a few marked improvements on the original...

The BIG chain stores often advertise super sales events.  To the uneducated customer, these holiday sales might appear to be very attractive.  Think again.

One of the sales we found is 15% off, with a maximum discount of $500.  Basically, that means any instrument they're selling with a price tag of $3300 or higher, the most you'll save is $500.  Think that sounds good?  They're still far more expensive than Maurys Music's everyday prices.  Here are some examples:

                                        
 Big Box everyday price          15% off SALE at the Big Box store        MaurysMusic.com
        $4900 + tax                             $4400 + tax                               $3886
         $3300 + tax                            $2805 + tax                               $2601
        $2000 + tax                             $1700 + tax                               $1546
        $1000 + tax                             $850 + tax                                 $ 880


If you purchase a new instrument at one of these "BIG" sales, you will pay $100-$400 too much, before tax!  Put that money in your pocket - not theirs.  Check out MaurysMusic.com.