While Martin Guitars will always be associated with its classic models, the company also produces highly contemporary designs. At the 2018 Summer NAMM show earlier this month, Martin introduced a pair of new guitars built with black walnut back and sides and amberburst finishes. I recently had a chance to check out the GPCE Black Walnut Amberburst in the Peghead Nation video studio (stay tuned for a demo of the dreadnought DE Black Walnut Amberburst in the near future).

The GPCE Black Walnut Amberburst is based on Martin’s popular mid-size grand performance platform. Black walnut has a proven track record in terms of its stability and tonal qualities, and by choosing it for the guitar’s back and sides, Martin is offering a sustainable alternative to tropical woods like mahogany and rosewood. The black walnut used on our demo guitar had a beautiful, medium-dark brown color, and attractive grain patterns. The guitar’s Sitka spruce top featured even grain, and the amberburst finish, which is a lighter colored version of a typical sunburst, is a great visual match for the walnut back and sides. The guitar uses Richlite, a paper-based material that is infused with a hard resin, for its fingerboard and bridge. Richlite has structural qualities that are very similar to ebony, and while the material can be dyed any color, Martin chose a pitch-black variety for the GPCE Black Walnut Amberburst. Antique white binding on the body, a multi-ring rosette, and Style 28 fingerboard dots deliver a classic Martin aesthetic.

Playing the guitar, I appreciated its comfortable body size and great setup. It sounded great strummed with a pick, delivering a satisfying sound that was balanced, rich, and offered a good amount of volume. Playing fingerstyle in DADGAD tuning, the guitar showed great definition and response, and I could see using it in both solo and accompanying roles.

Plugging into a Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge amp, the onboard Fishman Matrix VT Enhance electronics were able to continue the positive impression by offering an accurate reproduction of the guitar’s acoustic character. As a two-pickup system (one installed under the saddle, the other directly to the inside of the top), the setup allowed for a variety of sounds that should allow adaptation to different tastes and unique performance settings.

Overall, the GPCE Black Walnut Amberburst is a cool addition to Martin’s line of instruments. Whether you’re looking for a guitar that uses responsibly harvested, non-tropical woods, simply like the appearance or tonality of black walnut, or just need a great mid-size acoustic-electric, the GPCE Black Walnut Amberburst is worth checking out.

SPECS: 14-fret grand performance body. Solid Sitka spruce top with forward-shifted, scalloped X-bracing. Solid black walnut back and sides. Hardwood neck with simple dovetail joint. Richlite fingerboard and bridge. 25.4-inch scale. 1¾-inch nut width. 2⁵/₃₂-inch string spacing at the saddle. Enclosed chrome tuning machines. Made in the USA. $2,649 (list). Martinguitar.com

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