Sponsored By
 
Martin DE Black Walnut Amberburst
 
A great new acoustic-electric dreadnought with walnut back and sides.
October 29, 2018

At last July’s Summer NAMM show in Nashville, Tennessee, Martin Guitars introduced a pair of new guitars featuring black walnut backs and sides. We already featured the grand performance-size GPCE Black Walnut Amberburst in an earlier demo (check it out HERE), and we recently had the chance to put the dreadnought-size DE Black Walnut Amberburst through its paces in the Peghead Nation video studio.

The DE Black Walnut Amberburst has Martin’s standard dreadnought body and general dimensions. Although walnut has never been used as widely as some of the more common back and side woods, it has a balanced sound that is sometimes described as a combination of some of the qualities of the more popular mahogany and rosewood. Walnut can also have a very attractive appearance, and because it is domestically sourced, it isn’t subject to the environmental and legal issues that accompany the harvesting and processing tropical woods (the CITES regulations for rosewoods, for example). The black walnut used on our demo guitar did indeed look great, with medium-brown coloring and very even grain. Martin chose a Sitka spruce top for the guitar, and as the guitar’s model name indicates, it is finished in an “amber burst,” a lighter variation of a sunburst finish. The DE Black Walnut Amberburst has a Richlite fingerboard and bridge. A resin-impregnated paper product, Richlite has some of the same structural qualities as ebony, and with its pitch-black appearance, it is nearly impossible to visually distinguish it from ebony.

The DE Black Walnut Amberburst has a big dreadnought voice, with a particularly nice high end. The guitar sounded great when I played it fingerstyle, but really came to life when Peghead Nation’s Scott Nygaard tried it with a flatpick. Martin’s high-performance neck taper and slightly wider 1¾-inch nut width gives it a more contemporary feel than you may be used to on a traditional dreadnought.

The guitar includes Fishman’s Matrix VT Enhance NT2 electronics, which we checked out plugged into a Fishman Loudbox Mini Charge amp. With a combination of two pickups (an Acoustic Matrix under the saddle and a separate transducer mounted to the bridge plate), we had no problem dialing in very satisfying tones.

Overall, the DE Black Walnut Amberburst is a very cool guitar for anyone looking for a contemporary dreadnought that includes sustainably harvested woods. The Fishman electronics package adds stage-ready functionality, and the result is a guitar that has the potential to sound great in just about any setting.

SPECS: 14-fret dreadnought 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. Fishman Matrix VT Enhance NT2 electronic. Made in the USA. $2,649 (list). Martinguitar.com

 

Related New Gear Posts
 

Martin GPCE Inception Maple

A highly innovative instrument featuring “skeletonized” bracing and sustainable woods.

Read More

 

Martin D-42 Modern Deluxe

Martin’s contemporary take on a classic high-end model.

Read More

 

Martin DJR-10E Bass

A compact acoustic bass guitar that’s easy to play and offers a big sound.

Read More

 

Martin D-28 StreetLegend

A rosewood dreadnought with a satin-finish and simulated wear.

Read More

 

Martin D-18 StreetLegend

A satin-finished version of the classic dreadnought with a well-worn look.

Read More

 

Martin 012-28 Modern Deluxe and 0012-28 Modern Deluxe

A pair of 12-frets that brilliantly combine vintage and contemporary features.

Read More

 

Martin D-18 Authentic 1939

A great vintage-accurate mahogany dreadnought.

Read More

 

Martin 000Jr-10E Shawn Mendes

The pop star’s signature model is an affordable small-body guitar built from FSC-certified woods.

Read More

 

Martin Custom Shop Super D

A supersized dreadnought that sounds as big as it looks.

Read More

 

Martin D-42 Special

A variation on a classic model built with premium woods features an inlay design by Dick Boak.

Read More

 
Sponsored By
 
 
 
Peghead Partners
 
Shubb Violet Sky C1vs 50th Anniversary Edition
A beautifully etched capo with a lush finish and iridescent hardware, celebrating 50 years of creating the worlds” finest capos.
 
 
 
 
 
  Follow Us:  
 
  About Us       Shop         Support         Contact Us         Email Sign up         Advertise         Sitemap         FAQ         Privacy         Terms         Subscribe   Sign In  
 
    ● Courses
    ● Live Workshops
    ● Instructors
    ● Sample Lessons
    ● Notation Guide
    ● For Beginners
 
    ● Workshops
    ● Advice
    ● Repertoire
 
    ● Vintage Vault
    ● New Gear
    ● Fine Lutherie
 
    ● Recordings
    ● Events
    ● Breaking News
 
    ● In The Studio
    ● Live Onstage
    ● Backroom
 
    ● New Products
    ● Inside Look
    ● Performances
    ● Partner Pages
 
 
© Copyright 2020 PegheadNation.com
 
 
    ● Courses
    ● Live Workshops
    ● Instructors
    ● Sample Lessons
    ● Notation Guide
    ● For Beginners
 
 
    ● Vintage Vault
    ● New Gear
    ● Fine Lutherie
 
 
    ● Workshops
    ● Advice
    ● Repertoire
 
 
    ● Recordings
    ● Events
    ● Breaking News
 
 
    ● In The Studio
    ● Live Onstage
    ● Backroom
 
 
    ● New Products
    ● Inside Look
    ● Performances
    ● Partner Pages
 
 
© Copyright 2020 PegheadNation.com