Martin has long offered a line of accessories to complement its instruments. Martin-branded picks, straps, care products, etc. can be found in case compartments wherever pickers gather. Recently, the company added several new products to its “Luxe by Martin” line, which also includes Martin’s Kovar strings. Martin sent us a selection of its accessories after last January’s NAMM show, and in this video, I take a look at the new Luxe by Martin Apex and Contour picks, Buffalo Leather Lock-It strap, Guitar Detailer, and Professional Acoustic cable. 

The new Apex and Contour picks ($19.99–$22.99 each) are made from a special polymer designed for low friction with a great feel, yielding rich tone and minimal pick noise. The Apex has a teardrop shape, while the Contour has the common rounded-triangle shape. Both picks are available in 1-mm. and 1.5-mm. thicknesses, and they come in a special round storage container. The picks’ material feels great, and while the surface is smooth, it also offers a nice grip. The picks’ beveled edges facilitate fast playing, and they sound great both for strumming and single-note playing. Picks are, of course, a highly personal choice, but if you’ve been looking to step up from basic plastic picks, I’d recommend checking out the Luxe by Martin picks. 

The Luxe by Martin line includes several instrument straps. Martin sent us the  tan-colored version of the Buffalo Leather Lock-It guitar strap ($99.99). It also comes in black and dark brown. Adjustable in length, the strap is made of incredibly soft and slightly stretchy leather and features clever “Lock-It” ends. Consisting of a spring-loaded mechanism sewn into the ends, the strap attaches to a standard strap pin and is much more secure than standard straps. The mechanism worked best with standard strap pins or endpins; it didn’t quite fit the L.R. Baggs endpin jack on one of my guitars, though it may fit other endpin jacks. The Buffalo Leather Lock-It strap is incredibly comfortable, but I’d recommend making sure that it fits your particular guitar if you have an endpin jack rather than a standard pin or endpin. 

The Luxe by Martin Guitar Detailer ($3.99) is a polish-infused towelette that comes in a single-use package. Using a wax compound exclusively developed with manufacturer Zymöl, the Guitar Detailer is safe to use on all finishes and can be used for cleaning and polishing. The towelette approach is quite clever, since a full bottle of guitar polish is more than most non-professional users need. I used the Guitar Detailer on a guitar with fingerprints and some sweat marks, and I found it to be very effective; it just needed a quick follow-up wipe with a microfiber cloth to remove any residue. 

Finally, the Luxe by Martin Professional Acoustic Cable ($89.99) is a high-quality choice for plugging in acoustic-electric instruments. It has gold-plated plugs, 99.9-percent oxygen-free copper multi-gauge conductor wires infused with silver, and is also double-shielded. I find some high-end cables to be very heavy and stiff, but the Martin cable is super flexible, doesn’t tangle easily, and feels very well made. It’s definitely an excellent choice for ensuring that your pickup’s signal gets to the next stage without losing its integrity. 

Besides the products featured here, the Luxe by Martin line includes various other straps, a selection of bridge pins, and the Kovar strings. Next time you need to accessorize, check out what Martin has to offer!

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