Custom Shop Build Overview

This Martin Custom Shop M-36 Style 0000 is part of a special run of guitars built from tonewoods personally selected during a visit to the Martin factory in October 2024. Each guitar in the run was designed to highlight responsive Adirondack tops paired with visually distinctive backs.

This particular instrument features a hand-selected Adirondack spruce top combined with East Indian rosewood back and sides accented by a striking maple center wedge. The Adirondack top was selected for its stiffness and headroom, allowing the guitar to remain clear, responsive, and powerful even when played aggressively.

The elegant maple wedge provides a beautiful visual contrast against the rosewood back, adding a subtle Custom Shop detail that makes this guitar stand out while preserving the traditional M-36 aesthetic.

Tone & Performance

The M (0000) body size offers a tonal balance that many players prefer over traditional dreadnought designs. With a wide lower bout and slightly shallower depth, the 0000 body delivers strong projection and bass response while maintaining excellent note separation and clarity.

Exceptional headroom and projection from the Adirondack top
Balanced bass response without excessive boom
Clear articulation across the fretboard
Versatile voice suited for fingerstyle, strumming, and flatpicking

This design gives the guitar the power of a larger instrument while maintaining the clarity and balance often associated with smaller body shapes.

Custom Shop Craftsmanship

Handcrafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, this Custom Shop instrument incorporates Martin’s traditional dovetail neck joint and solid tonewood construction to maximize resonance and long-term stability.

The guitar also features Golden Era scalloped Adirondack bracing, allowing the top to vibrate freely while delivering excellent responsiveness and dynamic range.

Classic M-36 styling, combined with the maple wedge detail, creates a refined visual presentation that reflects both tradition and Custom Shop individuality.