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This is possibly the most important non-vintage Martin guitar ever sold. It was originally built for the Martin Museum and was the first Museum guitar to ever be sold to the public. It may be the only one ever sold to the public. The inlays were done by a man named Harvey Leach, who is one of the premiere inlay artists of the world. Be sure to check out the other Harvey Leach guitars we have listed for sale.
Since this guitar was originally destined to hang next to the one millionth Martin (a guitar representing 170 years of building guitars), Harvey decided to use this instrument to represent the period in history when the very first Martin was built. You can see in the photos the actual plaque used to display this guitar at the Martin Museum.
“A note from C.F. Martin IV, Chairman and CEO:
The Martin Guitar Company is proud to present the ‘Harvey Leach Cowboy Custom’. Since our company was founded some 170 years ago, one million guitars have now passed through the skilled hands of our luthiers and craftsmen, who have long upheld our tradition of excellence. Along the way, major serial number milestones were celebrated with one-of-a-kind museum pieces, most of which are on display at our factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. The original Celtic Knot was introduced at serial number 600,000, the China Dragon at number 700,000, the Peacock at 750,000, and the Custom HD-35 at 800,000. In planning the production of our one millionth guitar, we decided to do a fifth museum-grade piece to highlight our history and legacy. The decision was made to create the ‘Cowboy Custom’, at serial number 999,900. Working with inlay artist extraordinaire Harvey Leach, we decided to build a guitar that spoke to the roots of our company, founded in 1833. This guitar is truly a piece of history. The detail work and craftsmanship are truly a work of art. With our millionth guitar now built and on display here in Nazareth, we look forward to continuing to create the world’s finest guitars in our quest to reach the next million.
Sincerely,
Christian Frederick Martin IV”
Construction – Dovetail Neck Joint
Body Size – Dreadnought 14 fret
Top – Solid Sitka Spruce
Back/Sides – Solid Museum Grade Brazilian Rosewood
Neck Shape – Low Profile
Nut Material – Bone
Fingerboard – Solid Black Ebony
Scale Length – 25.4″
Number of Frets Clear – 14
Total number of frets – 20
Fingerboard Width (at nut) – 1 11/16″
Fingerboard Width (12th Fret) – 2 1/8″
Inlays – Multiple materials by artist Harvey Leach
Harvey Leach is a world renowned luthier, inlay artist and inventor.
Included with the guitar is the original hardshell case, the original plaque Martin used for displaying the guitar, the original plaque the Martin dealer used for displaying the guitar, the original inlay sketches by Harvey Leach, a letter written by Chris Martin regarding the guitar, and a leather bound book containing photos and the original sketches.
Pickup in person can be arranged, or we can arrange for the guitar to be flown directly to you within the 48 contiguous states.
Feel free to call me with any questions: 435.406.9281
