“It’s one of the few instruments in my collection that I’m actually scared to play”: Joe Bonamassa’s museum-grade 1941 Martin has been meticulously reissued as a five-figure signature model
Bonamassa purchased the mint condition model in a transaction that saved its former owner’s home – now it’s been reborn as his first Martin signature guitar
Earlier this year, we learned that Joe Bonamassa’s first-ever Martin signature model – a high-end replica of his museum-grade pre-war 000 acoustic guitar – was in the works. Now, six months later, the five-figure Martin 000-45 Joe Bonamassa model is finally here.
From the early glimpses that fans got via Bonamassa’s social media channels, it was clear that this latest signature guitar was going to be top-of-the-line. The source material that inspired the collaboration, for starters, was a mint condition Triple 0 model from January 1941.
After it was purchased by its original owner for $225, it was taken from the Martin factory in Nazareth and ended up in its new home in Southern California. Up until the time Bonamassa bought the family heirloom guitar from the owner’s descendants, it had never left SoCal.
“[The owner] was about to lose her house, but the money she got from me via Guitar Center ultimately saved the situation,” Bonamassa said at the time of his purchase. “It’s got this beautiful flamed spruce and it’s a museum-grade example of a premium Martin that just happened to come into my life from out of nowhere.”
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(Image credit: Martin)
(Image credit: Martin)
(Image credit: Martin)
So, yes, it’s a particularly high-end Martin, further evidenced from its premium spec sheet and meticulous craftsmanship. The 000-14 Fret model features Guatemalan rosewood back and sides, an Adirondack spruce top, and a mahogany neck that has been fashioned to the same profile as Bonamassa’s OG example.
Other core ingredients include a Scalloped X-Bracing pattern, an ebony fingerboard with grained ivoroid binding, an ebony bridge, and a Dovetail neck joint. Then, you have all the cosmetic bells and whistles that make this 000-45 truly stand out.
A D-45 Golden Era back purfling strip is complemented with abalone with multi-stripe back and side inlays, and an identically spec’d soundhole rosette. There are also faux ivory bridge bins, a faux tortoise pickguard, and abalone Style 45 Snowflake fretboard inlays.
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Finishing touches come by way of gold enclosed gear butterbean tuning machines, a bone nut, and multi-strip headstock binding.
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(Image credit: Martin)
(Image credit: Martin)
As mentioned, this is about as high-end as you can get with a Martin, which is reflected in its five-figure price tag. Specifically, the 000-45 Joe Bonamassa will set you back $19,999.
“It’s one of the few instruments in my collection that I’m almost scared to play, because it’s so preserved,” Bonamassa says of his OG Martin model.
“I tell you, the condition of that guitar, and the condition of this brand-new guitar, is almost identical. It is the cleanest Martin of that era I’ve ever seen.
“I don’t collect instruments, I collect stories,” he goes on. “I want to collect instruments because I want to help a family out of financial trouble.”
The Martin 000-45 Joe Bonamassa is available now for $19,999.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
