Each year at the NAMM show, we collaborate with the Martin Custom Shop to select tone woods and create exclusive guitar designs for Telluride Music Co. Each TMC Exclusive is a one-of-a-kind custom guitar that can only be found at 8,750 ft elevation. Infused with the spirit of Telluride and crafted by the skilled artisans at the Martin Custom Shop, these guitars transcend the ordinary.
We love 12-fret guitars. Every year, we want to order at least one Custom Shop Martin that is a 12-fret. The only question is what is the best looking wood for the back and sides? Digging through the stacks this year, we were particularly impressed by the Master Grade Koa. It it always in short supply—and always expensive—but we arrived promptly at 10 am, so with pick of the litter, we found the perfect set. beautiful book-match, intense flame, eye-catching chatoyance, and a just a touch of sap wood at the center seam: an easy choice for a high-end 12-fret 00.
The 00 body works so well with the 12-fret design. On your lap, it feels small and manageable, and the 12-fret design helps bring about more bass, which makes the guitar sound more balanced overall. Built with a premium High Altitude Swiss Spruce top and 1/4" scalloped Adirondack braces, this 00-41 produces a bigger, bolder sound than you might expect from a small guitar. Nevertheless, it still captures the sweetness and subtlety of the shorter scale/small-body vibe. Nuances, sustain, and woody mid-range character from the Koa.
With such fine and rare tone woods, why not Style-41 top border with a Style-45 rosette? Just enough to flash! On the fingerboard, Style-42 Snowflakes guide your way. On the peghead, we opted for the "Golden Era" style C.F. Martin vertical inlay, which looks stunning on top of a Koa overlay that matches the back and sides. Classy and elegant, but not over the top.
As soon as you touch the strings, this Custom Shop 00-41 comes alive with sound. It is a versatile, well-voiced guitar with expressive, touch-sensitive response. It would make for a superlative fingerstyle instrument, but you'll like the way it sounds with a pick, too. Inside the soundhole, the exclusive "Telluride Music Co." label lets you know this is a special guitar, only available at 8,750 ft elevation.
Here is the spec sheet as listed in the included Custom Shop Handbook:
- Serial Number: 2969033
- Back/Sides Material: Exceptional Broad Figure Koa
- Binding Material: Antique White
- Bracing: Adirondack Spruce, Scalloped, 1/4"
- Bridge Pins: Bone w/ Paua
- Bridge Material: Black Ebony
- Bridge Style: Modern Pyramid
- Adhesive: Vintage Hide Glue
- Electronics: None
- Fingerboard Inlay: Style-42 Snowflakes (Short) with Select Abalone
- Spacing: 1-3/4" x 2-1/8" x 2-5/32"
- Fingerboard Material: Black Ebony
- Finish Pacakge: Floss Body w/ Satin Neck and Polishe HEadplate
- Headstock: Slotted with Square Slots
- Headplate: Matched, Inlay: CFM Block Golden Era
- Neck Profile: GE Modified Low Oval
- Nut Material: Bone
- Rosette Style: Style-45 Boltaron
- Scale Length: 24.9"
- Top Material: Cert. Euro. Spruce (High Altitude Swiss) Premium
- Top Color: Clear