Joe Bonamassa Martin Signature Guitars– Joe Bonamassa has launched two new Martin signature guitars, the Martin 00-18 and Martin 00-10E. Both are based on the 1937 Martin 00-18 Shade-Top but feature modern upgrades appropriate to contemporary styles of play.

The guitars are an interesting dual take on the legendary vintage piece, with the 00-18 being the high-end acoustic and the 00-10E being more of a value option with electronics for amplified play.

Martin and Bonamassa continue their fruitful creative partnership – the companies have already released a limited run of signature guitars based on another vintage Martin piece, the 1941 000-45 in 2024.

Martin 00-18 – Inspired by Joe Bonamassa’s 1937 Acoustic Guitar

The new Martin 00-18 signature model has clear inspiration from Bonamassa’s own 1937 Martin 00-18 Shade-Top, although the new guitar has clearly been upgraded as a modern interpretation of the vintage piece.

It features a small 00 body which gives the guitar a compact but rich sound, and a sunburst finish which gives the guitar a vintage look while being appropriate to modern styles of play. The Martin 00-18 is made in Pennsylvania, in the company’s main factory in Nazareth.

It features several other traditional elements reminiscent of vintage Martin models, including a solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and Golden Era scalloped X-bracing. The 00-18 also features faux tortoiseshell binding and a Golden Era Modified Low Oval neck profile.

Finally, the guitar has a unique feature in its appearance – the weathered look is intended to give the impression of a well-loved vintage guitar rather than a brand-new instrument. These upgrades give the Martin 00-18 a unique appearance, as well as the feel and sound one would expect from such a vintage-inspired instrument.

Martin 00-10E – Bringing the Joe Bonamassa Design to More Players

The Martin 00-10E takes a different, more modern approach to building the new Bonamassa signature guitar.

While the 00-18 is a high-end acoustic made in Pennsylvania, the Martin 00-10E is a value pick that has been produced in Navojoa, Mexico. It has a similar overall design but features sapele back and sides and a scalloped spruce X-bracing. It also has a Performing Artist neck profile.

However, the most important feature of the 00-10E is the electronics – the guitar has been equipped with Martin E1 onboard electronics which feature a volume control, tone control, and phase inversion switch.

This allows most of the 00-10E’s natural acoustic sound to be retained while plugging the guitar into an amplifier, meaning the 00-10E can be a great choice for gigging musicians.

Joe Bonamassa Plays the Signature Martin Guitars

Bonamassa was able to test the new Martin signature guitars before launch.

The high-end 00-18 version was being used in the studio, while the more interesting test for the guitarist was being able to use the Martin 00-10E in an actual show. In fact, the 00-10E was used in a New York gig with Slash, where an unplugged acoustic guitar was needed for one song’s intro.

Bonamassa did not have any acoustic guitar with built-in electronics at his place, but Martin had already sent the new guitars for testing, so he was able to use the Martin 00-10E in the show. This allowed Bonamassa to both test the guitar and use it in an actual performance.

Joe Bonamassa Martin Signature Guitars Are for Different Markets

These two new Martin guitars are different enough to be marketed towards different audiences.

The Martin 00-18 is the high-end pick with its traditional construction, Nazareth manufacturing, and the use of solid wood. It will appeal to collectors and serious guitarists who want the traditional Martin sound and feel, upgraded with subtle touches from Bonamassa.

The Martin 00-10E has a more utilitarian nature, being less expensive with its use of onboard electronics and sapele back and sides. It will appeal to more general audiences of guitarists who are fans of Joe Bonamassa’s music.

For both, however, the new Martin guitars represent the ability of the company to update their legendary vintage models while retaining their traditional sound. Joe Bonamassa’s fans, on the other hand, will appreciate the chance to get their hands on a guitar very similar to one of the iconic pieces in the legendary bluesman’s collection.