C.F. Martin's New Cleartone Strings

Dr. M and Martin Craftsman, Dave Doll after restringing her D-16!

One of the things I have appreciated about being a Martin Guitar Owner is the excellent factory set-up all my guitars have received.  In general, most acoustics tend to have a higher action (distance between the strings and fretboard) than electrics.  This has not been a serious problem with my Martin D-16GT or SWDGT even after having them restrung at their Free String Clinics.

These new treated strings are now part of all factory set ups

Not only did I learn a lot about guitar mechanics, but these clinics gave me a chance to try out different Martin Acoustic Strings.  I recently switched from Medium Phosphor Bronze to Lights on my D-16 and was thrilled with the change.  The guitar plays like butter now!

It is worth it to experiment a bit because new strings are like giving your guitar a "voice lift".  Dead strings are just that, DOA.  New to Martin's line of acoustic strings are the Lifespans, treated with Ceartone for longer play.  I am looking forward to trying these out on my HD-28.  These are being installed on all new production Martins this year.  Oftentimes, guitar strings will sit on a wall at the music store and go dead before they can even be played.  Martin hopes to avoid this problem with the use of Cleartone strings which should be a boon to both dealers and their customers.

If you'd like to learn how to properly restring your acoustic, here is Martin Guitar's Restringing Video.
Dave Doll is the Martin Craftsman in the Video who did my D-16GT in the lead photo.  I can say that this is perhaps the best technique out there.  Simple, to the point, Dave shows you some insider tips such as how to keep your strings from slipping out of the posts and effectively seating the end pins with the ball end of the strings. Check it out and you too can get pro results on restringing your acoustic guitar!

C.F. Martin D-16GT

Hercules Guitar Stand Review

Now Playing! The Hercules Auto Grip Guitar Stand. Lift up your guitar and these levers automatically open. Place your guitar on the stand and they securely lock, holding your guitar.

The only stand I would trust my Martin Dreads on! List Price $59.95

The Hercules GS415B Guitar Stand with Auto Grip is what you see top performers such as Brad Paisley and Huey Lewis and the News using on stage. In the guitar industry, fine instrument makers like Guild only use Hercules Stands in the factory. One look at the ultra-sturdy construction and you will quickly see why. In the studio or on the road, you will appreciate a guitar stand that can accommodate all types of guitars, (solid body electrics, acoustics, semi-hollow body) and neck widths with ease.

One of the best features is the Auto Grip. No worries here about the guitar getting knocked off the stand. The tripod legs and tilt back position balances your guitar perfectly for a secure stance. The padded legs allow the guitar to hang straight without worrying about scratches from the stand itself. In fact, with this stand I am able to leave my leather strap on the guitar as it hangs free. When I'm ready to play, I just lift it up by the neck and the levers automatically open. Really it is the best guitar stand in features and quality that I have ever seen. I've even used it for jamming in the park on uneven, sandy ground. No problem! It set up quickly due to the folding neck and was sure footed even on a soft, shifting surface.

See the Hercules Auto Grip Guitar Stand in action as included in this on location VIDEO featuring the Martin HD-28, ToneRite Guitar Toner and V-Pick Your guitars deserve a stand like this!

Shot at the Thompson Mansion & Horse Farm, the Hercules GS415B Guitar Stand fits right in for style and quality! Guitar, C.F. Martin HD-28 with Fishman Ellipse Matrix Blend pick up.

Martin Owner's Club

Own a Martin Guitar? Join the Martin Owner's Club and receive this handsome welcoming kit: Martin Marquis Phosphor Bronze Strings, Martin Owner's Club Logo Soft Leather Guitar Strap, VIP Backstage Pass with Lanyard & a MOC Membership Certificate/Card!

If you own a Martin Guitar or are even aspiring to, you should check out this offer! When you become a member of this elite club you are entitled to backstage access to the Martin Owner's Club section of their website where you will find: FREE Guitar Workshops, invitations to member events such as Martin Owner's Club Day for you and up to 5 guests, 10% Member Discounts at the 1833 Shop and MORE! These are just some of my favorite perks and perhaps why I am the original owner of 4 Martin Guitars. The price for membership? Only $45.00 per year.

One of my favorite things to do is to take the museum tour and hang out in the Pickin' Parlor
afterward. So many great guitars to play. What a blast! There's even a Fishman acoustic amp and a cable just in case you want to plug in that Peter Frampton signature model in the photo. You can even bring your own Martin in for light repairs that day! I like to have the strings changed by the pro technicians available at the event. Come early and leave with your Martin set up right! Get all the details and register online at C.F. Martin & Co.


MARTIN OWNER'S CLUB DAY
Friday, August 6, 2010 10 am - 4 pm

I LOVE this event! You get to hear some of the best music played on Martin Guitars by top artists like Thom Bresh, (Merle Travis' son) and Kenny Sultan. You'll get a swag bag of goodies, a scrumptious buffet breakfast and luncheon. Pro workshops with a speech and signing by C.E.O. Chris Martin IV is a fantastic way to find out what's going on in the music industry.

This is more like an intimate family picnic in appreciation of all Martin guitar owners. You never know what country music stars will show up for this annual event. Want to know more about the Official Martin Owner's Club? Accept no imitations! Get all the details and sign up right here online: Martin Owner's Club
Photo: Kenny Sultan, master of Rag and Blues guitar performing on his signature model for Martin Owner's Club Day.

Photo: Dr. M. & Magda, (wearing her Martin Owner's Club Logo hat), touring the Martin Guitar Factory & Museum on Martin Owner's Club Day!

See our pictures and coverage of Martin Owner's Club Day 2009

Best Guitar Gear for 2010!

Guitar Straps




Continuing our list of Best Guitar Gear for 2010 with guitar straps! We've checked out and tested the best straps for both acoustic and electric guitars with some very cool ideas for people with shoulder and or neck problems. In order to improve form and playing posture, most guitar instructors tell their students to practice playing standing up. You need a strap to do that! This also prepares you for the time that you will perform on stage. These selected straps all make great gifts for the guitarist in your life and will be cherished for years to come.


Sully's New Leather Guitar Strap

PLAYER's CHOICE!!!
The Sully Strap has been voted the hands-down favorite of our guitar playing readers! Handcrafted one at a time in the U.S.A. and made to last as long as your instrument, (or longer)! 1" wide, #1 harness leather strap Shoulder piece 2" wide by 11.5" long harness leather. Also available with 7/8" wide strap and 1 3/4" wide x 9" long shoulder piece for smaller size guitars.

Infinitely adjustable several inches on both ends to the exact length required by the user. These are really custom guitar straps, cut to your size specifications and can be ordered to accomodate oversized pick up end pins if needed. This is the one that fits my Martin D-16GT with a pick up and is my choice for quality and value. $42.00


Martin High End Leather Strap
Martin's latest! This is truly a high end leather strap. Strap is made from the highest quality soft naked finish garment weight cowhide leather on the topside and underside, with a 1/4" foam and suede split core. The strap is complimented with the CF Martin embroidered logo and double stitched heavy thread detailing.
Buttery soft, it hugs you like a fine Italian leather glove!
Highly recommended for use with lighter, acoustic guitars. Available in Brown 18A0000 or Black 18A0001. $90.00


Planet Waves Deluxe Padded Leather Strap

The Deluxe Series sets the standard for leather straps. This particular strap is made of a very stiff leather and would be perfect for use with heavier or solid body guitars such as a Gibson Les Paul or Fender Stratocaster. However, good leather straps like these tend to break in, becoming softer over time. This two-ply garment leather strap has a padded inner core right where you need it.
The Deluxe Series exudes class and style, fashion and function. All feature an exclusive tapered contour designed to prevent twisting when used with acoustic guitars. The body of the straps is 4" longer than standard straps, giving you more support where you need it most. All are adjustable from 44.5" to 53" long. Price $89.00

I recommend using Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner & Conditioner on all leather guitar straps. Meguiar's cleans, moisturizes and preserves leather with aloe and other anti-aging nutrients. It protects them from UV rays while imparting a beautiful luster to the leather. I've used it to restore faded, dried out leather too.

Planet Waves DARE Strap - Electric Guitar

Planet Waves has teamed up with product designer Troy Dare to bring you the patented Dare Strap. Unlike conventional straps, the Dare Strap allows your to equally distribute the weight of your instrument over both shoulders.Great for heavy instruments and players with back / neck conditions. This is the strap that I use on my Fender Stratocaster which is the heaviest solid body guitar that I own next to my Aria Pro II Fullerton model.

I've coupled this strap with a set of Ernie Ball Super Strap Locks for a amazingly secure connection. These strap locks also make it easy to take the strap off without overstretching the leather end holes. Ernie Ball Super Strap Locks can be used with all of the straps shown in this review except for perhaps the Martin High End Leather Strap due to its thickness.

Be sure to check out our other picks for Best Guitar Gear for 2010 at the following links!

Best Guitar Gear for 2010 - Player's Pack

Best Guitar Gear for 2010 - Care & Feeding

Video Credits:
Camera by Magda
Music by Paul Pugliese
Produced by Dr. M
mariejmiczak.blogspot.com
The New Eclectic Sound Experience

Guitar Gear Give-Away!

Congratulations!!! John Montalbano is our Top Winner of C.F. Martin Guitar and Banjo strings PLUS the legendary Planet Waves NS Guitar Capo! Thanks to all who entered...

We all should look for the "freebies" in life these days! C.F. Martin and Planet Waves want you to have a super summer so they are joining with Eclectic Sound for another fantastic guitar gear give-away. You can win everything here except for the $40,000 Martin Guitar! First, let's talk about some of the prizes and how they will benefit your playing.



Planet Waves NS Capo

This is my favorite capo and the only one I use on my Martin guitars. It is so lightweight and compact, I can get it on quickly with nearly one hand. No buzzing and it won't pull your guitar out of tune after using it. A capo is very handy for when let's say the key of G is too high but you don't want to change the chording when you transpose the song to a lower key. Simply place the capo on the fourth fret and play the same G pattern chords only now you will be playing in the key of B. Easy! You'll also find that playing up the neck, the frets are closer together, more so than in 1st position. Capoing can relieve the stress of over stretching your fingers, making playing your guitar much more comfortable.

Using a capo can also add texture to multiple guitars. Many of the earlier folk groups such as the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary were said to have used a capo to set one guitar's tone apart from the others. Chet Atkins even used a capo! Ned Steinberger is the genius behind this capo design, hence the "NS" in its name. Works wonderfully on 6 and 12 string guitars. Lightweight aluminum adds virtually no weight to the guitar's neck when in use. Everyone who borrows mine says, "Wow, this is nice!" So here's your chance to win one for yourself. Visit Planet Waves online for more useful capos and guitar accessories: Planet Waves http://www.planetwaves.com

Martin Acoustic SP Light Guitar Strings-MSP4100's

These are the new strings that I had put on at the Martin Guitar Clinic this spring. These are the LIGHT gauge, (.012-.054) premium phosphor bronze

strings. The SP stands for sustained playability and I have to say they live up to their name. These are the strings I am now recording with on my Martin D-16. The lighter strings are a joy adding to greater bending and slides. Plus they are perfect for when too much volume could induce feedback in my sensitive studio condenser mics. With the pickups installed on my D-16, I can get away with more intricate tone because I needn't "drive" the guitar for it to be heard on the recordings. These strings have ultra-high tensile strength steel cores that resist breaking. In fact, I've never yet broken a Martin string. The acoustic bronze electro finish provides greater string life and looks beautiful against the solid spruce top.

Martin Custom Shop

It's great to know that the same strings that are being put on this $40,000 Martin D-100 are on my humble D-16!

During Martin Owner's Club Day we got to stop in at the custom shop and see all kinds of Martin Guitars receiving special details and pearl inlay. Some are in for repairs or after being rescued from neglect and damage. No matter. They all get a new set of premium Martin strings before leaving the shop to sound their absolute best. Take the Martin Factory & Museum Tour yourself! The Martin Owner Club event is being held this year on Friday, July 31st 2009. Get the details under the events listings, CONCERTS-WORKSHOPS-JAMS.

Martin Acoustic SP Guitar Strings-Medium MSP4200's

One of the things that you can do is experiment with different string gauges. These strings offer the same features as the other SP acoustic strings only in a MEDIUM gauge, (.013-.056). If you are playing with lighter strings and you want more "boom" in your bottom end, you might try using heavier strings. These are the stings that I had put on my Martin D-18 in sustainable cherry. These medium strings allow me to drive this dedicated acoustic to greater volumes as my D-18 doesn't have a pickup. The cherry also does not offer the same "boom" of the mahogany or rosewood models but with the right strings, I'm able to definitely be heard. Having a guitar with a different wood construction will also allow you to stand out in the mix. It is said that the cherry is more balanced with a medium or mid range tone. You want to offer something a little different that what everyone else is playing. I really enjoy my D-18 with these medium strings. I even gave a set to my guitar teacher. His guitar sounded like gold once he got them on! Visit C.F. Martin & Co. online: http://www.martinguitar.com

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!! GIVE-AWAY ENTRY DETAILS!!! So are you ready to win all of these sweet prizes? Two sets of Martin Acoustic Guitar or Banjo strings and the Planet Waves NS Capo can be yours! Answer this question by clicking the COMMENTS link below: "What was the first song you used a capo with?" That's it! Deadline is 12 midnight, July 31st, 2009. Be sure to leave your email address so that we can contact you if you win. Go for it!