Custom Shop Build Overview

This Martin Custom Shop Black Walnut Dreadnought is part of a special edition series available to select Martin dealers and visitors to the Nazareth, Pennsylvania factory.

Inspired by the earlier Cherry Hill Custom series, these Black Walnut builds offer a unique tonal and visual alternative within the Martin lineup. This guitar was part of a carefully curated order placed during multiple factory visits, where tonewoods were personally hand-selected to ensure exceptional quality.

This particular instrument comes from the first set of Black Walnut models to arrive at the shop, representing the initial wave of this limited Custom Shop offering.

Featuring a spruce top paired with Black Walnut back and sides, this dreadnought delivers a tonal profile that blends the warmth and dryness of mahogany with added clarity and overtone detail.

Tone & Performance

The Black Walnut tonewood combination produces a balanced, versatile voice with strong projection and refined articulation.

Warm, focused low-end with clear, articulate highs
Balanced midrange that sits well in both solo and ensemble settings
Excellent note separation for strumming and flatpicking
Controlled resonance with added tonal complexity

The result is a powerful yet responsive dreadnought suited for both stage and studio use.

Custom Shop Craftsmanship

Handcrafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, this instrument features Martin’s traditional dovetail neck joint and all-solid tonewood construction for maximum resonance and long-term stability.

The forward-shifted scalloped X-bracing enhances responsiveness, sustain, and overall tonal depth.

The guitar is visually elevated by European flamed maple binding, adding a refined contrast to the Black Walnut body and reinforcing its Custom Shop identity.