There is nothing quite like a pearl Martin—the legendary "C.F. Martin" vertical inlay on the headstock makes it obvious you're looking at one of the finest instruments constructed in Nazareth, Penn.
During World War II, Martin stopped making pearl-topped Style-42 and Stye-45 guitars, and for whatever reason, they did not resume building these ornate instruments until popular demand pushed them to hire inlay expert Mike Longworth in 1968. From his shop in Chattanooga, Tenn., Longworth had garnered quite the reputation for meticulous inlay work. He regularly converted Martin dreadnoughts to Style-42 and Style-45 specs, and having studied many prewar examples, he was a great fit for the position.
In relaunching these legendary top-of-the-line appointments, Longworth also proposed a new model: the D-41. The details of the D-41 closely resemble the D-42, but the abalone top border on the D-41 does not surround the fingerboard extension as it does on the D-42 and the D-45. The D-41 also has noticeably smaller hexagon inlays on the fingerboard. While that might not seem like much, these changes reduce the amount of pearl needed, and they also reduce the amount of time and precision an inlay artist must pour into the build. That all allows the guitar to have a more accessible price point, but they also make the D-41 slightly less over-the-top. While it is still an ornate guitar, the D-41 is a dressed-up, top-of-the-line model that retains a touch of modesty, setting it apart from other Martin dreadnoughts.
This 2014 Martin D-41 is in excellent condition with minimal signs of playwear and no history of repairs or issues. Make no mistake—it's a beautiful guitar, but this D-41 is not all about looks. It's a powerful, robust-sounding dreadnought. This one sports a solid Sitka Spruce top with scalloped braces and solid East Indian Rosewood back and sides. That classic wood complement delivers bright, shimmering trebles complemented by powerful, defined bass notes. Thanks to the scalloped braces, the guitar remains very responsive to your picking technique. It includes its original hardshell case.