Maury's Blog

Martin Introduces Satin Finish Models in the Standard Series!!!
Extra!!! Extra!!! New 2023 Martins offer incredible value with great tone.

Maury’s Music proudly presents SIX new Standard Series Martins, the D-28 Satin, D-28 Satin Amberburst, D-28 Street Legend, each made with East Indian backs and sides, and the D-18 Satin, D-18 Satin Amberburst, and D-18 Street Legend, made with Genuine Mahogany back and sides.
 

Smooth as Satin
The new Martin D-28 Satin and D-18 Satin offer the same construction and materials of the traditional full-gloss D-28 and D-18, those mighty ships-of-the-line in Martin’s Standard Series fleet that set the world-wide standard for professional-level acoustic guitar. The only difference is the body finish.  

The nitrocellulose lacquer on these new models is buffed to a smooth satin finish, rather than the high-gloss finish on other Standard Series models. This satin finish is similar to the finish used on Standard Series necks. These new Standard Series models sell for $400 less than their high-gloss counterparts.

Our sound taste tests have shown how the new satin models do not sound identical to the gloss models. How so? Well, we were lucky in having our friend Spoon Phillips in town for his first visit in months, just in time to try out these new models and he was as opinionated this as ever. 
 

In Spoon’s venerable opinion, “Whatever differences lie in the tonal properties of the D-28 Satin and D-18 Satin when compared to the full-gloss counterparts, many people will like the tone of the satin finish models even more than the full-gloss D-28 and D-18. There is something about the dynamics of these new models, an openness to the voice and a nimbleness to the fundamental articulation that brings to my mind Martin Custom Shop special editions like the CS-21-11 and CS-OM-13.
But don’t take our word for the tonal personality of the D-28 Satin and D-18 Satin. Check out the exclusive videos at the end of this blog post, which allow you to form your own opinion.

Amberburst Glow
Martin’s new D-28 Satin Amberburst and D-18 Satin Amberburst offer the same benefits of price and tone, with the lovely addition of the new Amberburst top treatment. Inspired by shaded top Martins from the early 1930s that have lightened and mellowed over time, the Amberburst on these models differs from Martin’s Ambertone finish seen on other models, which is darker overall. The new Amberburst reveals more of the natural beauty of the wood grain, with a center section that retains the hue of an unshaded spruce soundboard.

StreetLegends Arise
The D-18 StreetLegend introduces an amazing new cosmetic appointment option that makes this brand new satin finish Standard Series model appear to be a vintage Martin showing the effects of decade’s worth of playing by dedicated musicians. In fact, the D-18 Street Legend features the same looks as the top on Kurt Cobain’s 1953 D-18 known as “Grandpa.” That guitar resides in the Martin Museum and was chosen as the inspiration for this new D-18 model.
 

Unlike the Aged models in the Authentic Series and the limited edition D-28 Rich Robinson, the top of the D-18 Street Legend is not actually distressed or “reclic’d” in any physical way. The effects are achieved by applying a digital painting to the spruce soundboard, so it is under the satin finish. When one runs their hand across the top they just feel the smooth finish as if all that wear and tear wasn’t there, because it isn’t! But with the help of matte nickel tuning machines, this new D-18 Street Legend looks like a well-worn 1953 D-18 from even a few feet away.

The D-28 Street Legend gets its own worn top look, chosen from a vintage D-28 in the collection of the Martin museum. As with its D-18 counterpart, the other cosmetic appointments like matte nickel tuners and Antique White binding make the D-28 StreeLegend look even more like a 1950s D-28 than the high-gloss D-28.

Best of all, the new Amberburst and Street Legend models are offered at the same low prices as the D-28 Satin and D-18 Satin. So now, there are six new dreadnoughts in Martin’s Standard Series that offer the full dovetail neck joint and traditional bracing as all Standard Series models, but at a more-affordable price point. Order yours today!