The Musician’s Muse: how Martin put artists at the heart of things like never before in 2025
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Back in the early ’90s, the idea of an artist signature acoustic guitar was something of a novel one – signature electrics had been a thing for a long time of course, but the idea of a signature acoustic model had been broadly abandoned.
Martin had, in many ways, kicked off the idea of a signature model acoustic all the way back in the 1840s when they created a custom guitar for popular Spanish guitarist Madame Dolores de Goñi.
The brand also tried something a little more commercial in 1913 when they created the Style 00-44G for Hollywood guitar teacher Vahdah Olcott-Bickford to sell to her students, but compared with the runaway success of the Les Paul, for example, it hardly moved the dial.
But in early 1992, something very special happened at Bray Film Studios just outside Windsor, England. Inside this intimate venue, Eric Clapton gave a performance for MTV’s Unplugged show that would change acoustic music – and signature guitars forever.
Clapton’s Unplugged performance would win Grammys, sell millions, and most importantly for us, drive unprecedented interest in the guitars he played that night – most famously a 1939 000-42.
Martin responded to this demand with the limited edition 000-42EC – and 30 years later, the Clapton signature models are not only still going strong at Martin, they’ve paved the way for a wealth of unique and interesting artist models that have become a bedrock of the way that Martin celebrates and collaborates with the iconic artists who played them.
In 2025, that spirit of close collaboration has been on show like never before – with a wealth of diverse and exciting artists honoured with an equally varied set of signature guitars that showcase the breadth and depth of Martin’s impact on music of every genre. Let’s take a look at the big-hitters.
Image: Martin Guitar
Eric Clapton 30th Anniversary models
Eric Clapton was the artist who started it all – and remains the biggest-selling Martin signature artist of all time – so it’s entirely fitting and appropriate that, as we approach the 30th anniversary of those game-changing first Clapton signature Martin models, the pair would collaborate on a brand new collection to mark this milestone.
The headline item is the 000-42EC 30th Anniversary – a tribute to that first Clapton Martin that pairs a solid Adirondack spruce top with antique toner and solid Guatemalan rosewood back and sides. You’ll also get the premium appointments that reflect a 42-level instrument – including snowflake inlays and pearl purfling.
Just 300 of these stunning guitars are available, and each one comes with a label hand-signed by Clapton himself. But if you miss out on one of these, don’t fret – there’s a more widely available 000-EC 30th Anniversary.
This guitar might only be available until March 2026, but offers plenty of Unplugged mojo with its solid East Indian rosewood back and sides and a solid spruce top for a rich, resonant tone, accented by fine herringbone trim and antique white binding.
You also get snowflake inlays to add a premium feel, while the shorter 24.9″ scale-length, narrower string spacing, and Authentic 1939 neck profile on both models give a more intimate and vintage feel. It’s the ultimate Clapton fan’s Martin – and a fitting way to celebrate 30 years of Martin signature success.
Image: Martin Guitar
Billy Strings models
From the original Martin signature artist to one of the most modern, Billy Strings is a hugely exciting, creative, and respected bluegrass phenomenon – and in 2025, he’s been honoured with two brand new signature models that speak to his impact on a new generation of players.
First up, we have the D-28 Billy Strings – an instrument heavily inspired by his own beloved 1940 D-28. This guitar blends pre-war style with modern playability, featuring a custom 25″ scale length and nut width – it’s the perfect instrument for Billy’s astonishing bluegrass virtuosity.
But for players who aren’t in the position to afford a Nazareth-made instrument, there’s something much more accessible on deck too. The D-X2E Billy Strings is made in Martin’s Navojoa, Mexico, facility and offers a more affordable X Series take on Strings’ recipe – including that all-important custom scale length and nut width. It’s a reminder that signature guitars don’t have to be high-priced to be impactful and unique.
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Jeff Tweedy’s Martins make a comeback
Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy has had a long and fruitful relationship with Martin, and so it was entirely fitting that the guitarist would celebrate that partnership in 2025 with not one but two signature models – one new and one, well… not quite.
The original 00DB Jeff Tweedy was a pretty distinctive signature model when it was first launched all the way back in 2012. The deeper 00 body shape meant the guitar gave extra resonance and low-end warmth to the guitar’s sound, while the longer-than-normal 25.4″ scale length enhanced the clarity, punch, and dynamic projection.
It was a real fan-favourite guitar, and one that was hard to miss with its ‘Tweedy Burst’ finish and all-FSC-certified woods. It’s fitting then that the guitar would make a comeback for 2025, letting more players than ever enjoy its unusual charms.
But that’s not all – brand new for this year came a second Jeff Tweedy model that’s even more compact and ready for the road. Based on the slimmed-down but still full-scale 000 Jr body style – which also provided the basis for the popular Shawn Mendes signature Martin – the 000 Jr E Jeff Tweedy also keeps much of the stuff that made the original guitar so popular. That means all-FSC-certified woods and that all-important Tweedy Burst finish, but at a much more accessible price point.
Image: Klara Rönnqvist Fors
Mikael Åkerfeldt goes acoustic
The wonderful thing about Martin guitars is that their impact and importance crosses every genre, and that’s something that’s been reflected in 2025 with the first signature acoustic guitar for Mikael Åkerfeldt, frontman of Swedish progressive metallers Opeth.
The OM Mikael Åkerfeldt might look like a classic Martin visually – thanks to its torrefied spruce top paired with a dramatic three-piece back of Guatemalan rosewood with an East Indian rosewood wedge – but get the guitar in your hands and you’ll find that it’s been tuned to be a guitar fit for a shredder like Åkerfeldt.
Because the OM Mikael Åkerfeldt is the first traditional Martin guitar to feature the Low Profile Velocity neck (as used on Martin’s boundary-pushing SC models), it offers electric-like playability and comfort that can handle anything Mikael can throw at it. It’s another reminder of how Martin adapts itself to meet the needs of its players – as it has done for over 190 years.
Image: Martin Guitar
Jason Isbell gets back in the saddle
Back in 2017, Martin and Jason Isbell collaborated on a uniquely stripped-down take on the iconic Martin D-18. But as anyone who has followed the guitarist’s meteoric rise and musical evolution over that time will know, Jason’s leaned towards smaller-bodied Martins in recent years – exemplified by the 1940 Martin 0-17 that he used to record the entirety of his 2025 album, Foxes in the Snow.
For 2025, then, Isbell and Martin have come together again, but with a twist – in addition to a new signature model, Isbell has also joined an elite group of artists who have their own set of signature Martin strings.
In the same vein as the Strings models, there are actually two new guitars. The first is the limited edition 0-17 Jason Isbell, designed to painstakingly replicate the sound of that 1940 guitar that soundtracked Foxes in the Snow – right down to a genuine Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge.
The other is an addition to Martin’s affordable Road Series – the 0-10E Retro Jason Isbell is an all-mahogany 14-fret acoustic with built-in electronics to ensure it’s just as at home on stage as in the studio.
Most interesting of all, perhaps, are the new Martin Era Jason Isbell strings. These new light-gauge wires are custom-voiced for strength, balance, and consistency – and come with striking red silk-wrapped ball ends – and have been painstakingly developed to work for Isbell, night after night.
“I don’t have to worry about being fragile, being gentle with the strings,” Isbell explains of the new Martin Era set. “They sound good for a long time, I don’t have to change every show, which my tech loves, and I love also.”
It’s a fine way to cap off a year where Martin has reminded the world how inextricably linked to the most interesting and exciting guitarists on the planet it has always been – and continues to be. Expect that perfectly harmonious relationship to continue into 2026 and beyond.
Find out more about Martin’s artist models at martinguitar.com
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
