With the Martin 00-30 S , the traditional American manufacturer presents one of its famous custom shop models, made using selected materials and featuring a unique appearance and incomparable sound qualities. The master craftsmanship of the almost 200-year-old family business is easily recognizable in the detailed inlays and ornaments made of abalone and wood . In addition to a solid construction , this represents the quintessence of Martin's artistry that continues to delight their fans around the world to this day. The combination of fine rosewood and a precisely thought-out construction produces a fast and appealing sound, which fades away in the overtones and merges smoothly into the next note. The robust mahogany neck provides excellent playability up to the highest frets, as a tuned neck profile allows for smooth handling with little effort. The characteristic headstock is equipped with side-mounted nickel tuners , which, in addition to the venerable Martin logo , discreetly emphasize the value of the guitar. A precision-fit custom shop case and a certificate of authenticity are included.
Thanks to its compact 00-12Fret design , the 00-30 S produces a powerful sound that is particularly distinct in the mid-range frequencies and which, thanks to its Sitka spruce top , is also clear and defined in the highs . Even a light touch to the strings produces a long-lasting tone, which owes its quick attack to a carefully tuned bracing and a wafer-thin finish , among other things. Framed by a high-quality green-red wood binding , the multi-facetted grain of the carefully seasoned top wood comes to the fore very strongly and, because of its opposing flames , produces fine reflections depending on the point of view. Matching the exquisite decorations , the sound hole is framed by a multi-stripe abalone rosette , which creates an aesthetic transition to the dark ebony bridge and the corresponding fretboard . The overall appearance of the top, which is coloured with an ageing toner , is rounded off by a wafer-thin pickguard made of faux tortoise , allowing the outer ring of the soundhole rosette to shimmer through slightly.
For the back and sides , the manufacturer uses selected rosewood , which due to its coarse structure imbues the overall sound image with clear and powerful lows . The high-quality tropical wood unfolds its sound characteristics even at the slightest touch and enriches the tone with a fundamental saturation in all frequencies. Interspersed with an elaborate backstrip , the symmetry of the opened back is shown to its best advantage in a particularly aesthetic way, underlining how special attention was paid to the visual characteristics when selecting the woods used in the Custom Shop. The bottom of the instrument is framed by a simple cream-coloured binding , whose simple appearance perfectly matches the rough lines of the dark rosewood.
To ensure easy access to all 20 frets , the manufacturer uses a sturdy mahogany neck with an ebony fingerboard decorated with delicate diamond and square abalone inlays , which merges smoothly with the light-coloured top at the 12th fret. A compensated bone saddle , which is perfectly matched to the 45 mm wide bone nut , ensures clean intonation over the entire scale length of 632 mm . Eye-catching side-mounted nickel tuners with butterbean knobs allow for precise tuning of the strings and, in combination with the heavily grained rosewood headplate and "Martin & Co. Est. 1833" overlay round off the overall appearance of the open headplate in a very tasteful way.