Martin Guitar Masterpieces: A Showcase of Artists' Editions, Limited Editions, and Custom Guitars [Hardcover]

Dick Boak (Author), Steve Miller (Contributor), C.F. Martin IV (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2003

Martin guitars are internationally revered, collected and played by performers, singers, songwriters and by legions of avid collectors and enthusiasts. This book features more than a hundred of Martin's most desirable guitars, including instruments belonging to Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Joan Baez, Sting and Eric Clapton. Dick Boak enthusiastically outlines his experiences as liaison in these collaborations. We also get a sneak preview of Martin's millionth instrument, due in 2004. Dick Boak is the head of artist relations and publicity at C.F. Martin and Co., collaborating with artists in the design of their Limited Edition and Signature Models. A prolific artist, luthier and musician in his own right, he is a founder of the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans, and has organized numerous national instrument-making symposiums.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A must-have book if you’re a serious musician, collector or if you just like to plunk around on a guitar." -- Country Monthly

"Attractive and entertaining. Highly recommended." -- Library Journal

"This book is a tribute to serious craftsmen." -- Playboy

About the Author

Dick Boak lives in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and is head of Artist Relations and Publicity at C. F. Martin & Co., collaborating with artists in the design of their Limited Edition Artist Signature Models.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821228358
• ISBN-13: 978-0821228357
• Product Dimensions: 14.1 x 10.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,089,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Title says it all!, April 9, 2006

By 

guy berthiaume "Bertoonz" (Embrun, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Martin Guitar Masterpieces: A Showcase of Artists' Editions, Limited Editions, and Custom Guitars (Hardcover)

Look, the title and description says it all. I was not disappointed with this volume at all! Not enough technical info for you? Go buy a technical book. This is a book about Martin Materpieces, a SHOWCASE of Artists' and Limited Editions (which I am lucky to own a few) and some one of Custom Guitars. The interaction between Boak and different artists is fun, and not something you will find anywhere else on the planet!! What a great part of his job that must be, to be with some these great artists designing guitars for them! The pictures are fantastic, as are some of the stories, to be looked at and read over and over again! Highly recommended eye candy and one of a kind story recounting!

12 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars selling the sizzle, December 27, 2003

By 

Steven H. Dymond "sdymondpc" (Englewood, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Martin Guitar Masterpieces: A Showcase of Artists' Editions, Limited Editions, and Custom Guitars (Hardcover)

Let me start by saying I love Martin guitars, have played a beloved d-28 since 1968, built guitars and lutes, and have a deep appreciation for luthiers and thier art. Martin is a company which holds my esteem and interest.

Well, the full title of this book isnt mis-leading, but my expectations were not met in reading this book. In a nutshell, this book contains little historical or technical information and is largely a hardcover catalogue for Martins current signature and limited run instruments.

There are a few little tid bits of information here and there for the die-hard Martin geek. Being a guitar geek myself, I appreciate techno babble and tid bits, but this is really nothing other than a very nice photo catalogue. As such, it may have a certain interest to those collectors who want to have the 2002-2003 offering memorialized on thier shelf. Some of the photos are indeed great, with photos of a few truly custom instruments (known among us geeks as guitar 'porn') which would otherwise probably not be seen by many.

I am writng this because having seen the grand book displayed for a few months on merchant shelfs, I had assumed it would be the typical historical account of some great instruments, maybe with info about those involved, such as the artists-but this is not the case-probably because they arent, which is implicit from reading many of the accounts of artist's involvment.

I found it instead to be eye-candy, at best, at worst, little substance in information regarding either instruments, or artists or the company, such as the development of instruments, thier market or even the material used. A ho-hum book for all but the most hungry of Martin collectors. Truly a sad statement for a book by one of Martins marketing people, all form, little substance, selling the sizzle, not the steak.

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars [no title], January 26, 2004

By 

Matthew Berger (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Martin Guitar Masterpieces: A Showcase of Artists' Editions, Limited Editions, and Custom Guitars (Hardcover)

An amazing book. As a Martin player these past few years, and a couple of years away from placing my own order through the custom shop, I would've loved to see more of the custom models that are made for the players, rather than the celebrity-endorsed, limited editions that are made mostly, I think, for collectors.

There is nothing like a Martin Guitar. And this book showcases some of the most beautiful instruments ever made. Next time, though, give me that inimitable smell of rosewood with a high-gloss finish, a close-up of the herringbone trim on a stock HD-28, and the sustain of an open G. Somebody call Ken Burns, okay?