Martin DE-RETRO-PLUS Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar w/ Electronics, Torrefied Spruce Top, Mah b/s
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- Martin
- Regular price
- $1,899.00
- Sale price
- $1,899.00
- Regular price
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$1,899.00 - Unit price
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- Description
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- Specs
- Inspection and Set-up
- Humidity Care
*These are stock photos. For actual photos of the instrument, please contact us.
DE Retro Plus Mahogany
Meet your brand-new old friend. The Martin DE Retro Plus Mahogany is the real deal – a genuine Martin that’s not your grandparent’s guitar but might one day be your grandkid’s. Inspired by our legendary 18-style flagship models, this acoustic-electric Dreadnought combines powerful tone and iconic design with cutting-edge craftsmanship. Its torrefied solid spruce top is thermally aged for enhanced resonance and a beautifully seasoned sound, delivering the rich, broken-in tone of a vintage instrument from the first strum. It’s the same premium feature long reserved for our Authentic and Modern Deluxe series, now available for the first time ever in the Road Series.
- CASE/GIG BAG: Soft Shell Case Included.
Combined with solid mahogany back and sides, scalloped spruce X bracing, a Performing Artist neck, and an ebony fingerboard and bridge, this guitar has everything you could want in an acoustic. It even comes stage-ready with Martin E1 electronics, featuring a built-in tuner and controls for dialing in your perfect live tone. Ideal as a gigging workhorse or your first step into premium acoustics, this guitar delivers best-in-class quality at an unbeatable value for serious players, and a lifetime of inspiration for anyone who picks one up. Just be warned, you won’t be able to put it down – because nothing compares to a Martin.
Overview
- Recommended Strings: Authentic Acoustic Lifespan® 2.0 Guitar Strings
- Phosphor Bronze - Light
- Body Size: D-14 Fret
- Finish Top: Gloss
- Construction: Mortise & Tenon Neck Joint
- Back and Side Finish: Gloss
- Bracing Pattern: X-Brace
- Scale Length: 25.4"
- Brace Shape: Scalloped
- Fingerboard Width at Nut: 1 3/4''
- Top Material: Torrefied Spruce
- Neck Shape: PA Profile
- Back Material: Mahogany
- Neck Taper: High-Performance Taper
- Side Material: Mahogany
- Electronics: Yes
- Electronics Options: Martin E1
Top
- Top Color: Aging Toner
- Bridge Style: Modern Belly
- Binding: Black
- Bridge String Spacing: 2 5/32"
- Top Inlay Material: Multi-Stripe
- Bridge Material: Ebony
- Top Detail: None
- Bridge Pin Material: Black Plastic
- Pickguard: Faux Tortoise
- Bridge Pin Dots: None
- Pickguard Inlay: None
- Saddle: White Tusq
- Rosette: Old Style 18 Boltaron
- Saddle Radius: 16"
Body
- Brace Material: Spruce
- Back and Sides Color: Dark Mahogany
- Brace Size: 5/16"
- Back Detail: None
- Back Purfling/Strip: None
- Back Inlay Material: None
- Heelcap: Black
- Side Detail: None
- Endpiece: None
- Side Inlay Material: None
- Endpiece Inlay: None
Neck
- Neck Material: Select Hardwood
- Fingerboard Material: Ebony
- Finish Neck: Satin
- Fingerboard Width at 12th Fret: 2 1/8''
- Neck Color: Dark Mahogany
- Fingerboard Inlay Style: Old Style 18
- Number of Frets Total: 20
- Fingerboard Inlay Material: Faux Abalone
- Neck Joins Body At: 14th Fret
- Fingerboard Binding Material: None
- Side Dots: White
Headstock
- Headstock Shape: Solid
- Tuning Machines: Nickel Open Gear
- Headplate Material: East Indian Rosewood
- Knob: Butterbean
- Headplate Logo Style: Script Old Style Overlay
- Nut Material: White Corian
- Headplate Binding Material: None
Misc
- Case: Softshell
- Label: Paper Label
- Pleked: true
At Easy Music Center, we care for our instruments from the moment they arrive to when they ship to your door. All instruments are stored in a climate controlled environment and put through a 12-point inspection checklist before being shipped.
First, we check the finish of the instrument, carefully inspecting any blemishes on the surface. Next, we check the playability and setup by inspecting and adjusting the truss rod (if available), bridge, nut, and frets to manufacturer factory specifications. Any request made outside of manufacturer factory specifications can incur additional charges for parts and labor. If the instrument has electronics, we test all of the electronic components to make sure they are functioning properly.
After a thorough inspection, we then move on to maintenance. We start by lubricating any moving parts on the instrument, such as tuning machines. We then move on to cleaning and oiling the fretboard along with the frets.
Once maintenance is done, we stretch and tune the strings and play test the instrument. After this, we do a final inspection and clean/detail the instrument before packing it up for shipment.
We’re excited to be a part of your instrument buying experience.
Acoustic guitars and ukulele are made of wood, and wood is sensitive to changes in climate. Shifts in temperature or relative humidity can affect your instrument in multiple ways, some of which can lead to costly repairs if you’re not careful. Solid woods in particular are especially prone to the effects of climate fluctuation. For example, extended exposure to low relative humidity (below 40% RH) can dry out the wood, causing it to shrink and run the risk of cracking. Similarly, excessive humidity can cause the wood to absorb moisture and swell, potentially causing other problems. Without adequate humidity control (especially in drier local climates), acoustic instruments can crack and their necks can warp, causing problems with fretting, intonation and playability.
So how do you prevent this kind of damage? Easy: by keeping your guitars and ukulele properly humidified (ideally between 40-60% RH). The easiest way to do this is by storing your instruments in a case with a case two-way humidifier inside. A two-way humidifier will slowly absorb or release moisture inside your case, maintaining humidity to help ensure your instrument doesn’t suffer damage. Using a digital hygrometer can help you monitor humidity levels around your instrument.
Symptoms of a dry acoustic instrument:
- Low action. Strings are very close to the fretboard.
- Hump on the fretboard where the neck joins the body.
- Sunken top across the soundboard between bridge and fingerboard.
- The back of instrument looks very flat when it is dried out.
- Sharp fret ends extend beyond the edge of the fretboard.
- The plane of the neck angle on a dry instrument hits above the top of the bridge.
Symptoms of a wet acoustic instrument:
- High action. Strings that are unusually high off the fretboard, making it difficult to play.
- Unusually swollen top
- Unusual warp on the top, back or both at the end-block
- Improper neck angle. Sighting the neck to the bridge, the frets will appear to hit below the bridge.
The D’Addario Two-Way Humidification System
Using patented technology, the D’Addario Two-Way Humidification System features disposable, moisture-filled packets with a breathable membrane that provides two-way humidity control, meaning it can either release or absorb moisture to consistently maintain a predetermined relative humidity (RH) level of 45-50 percent.
Music Nomad Humilele Ukulele Humidifier
Music Nomad the leader in equipment care products, has developed an easy to use, no mess, and low maintenance Ukulele humidifier. The Humilele rests securely on top of the strings to safely and evenly hydrate your Ukulele to avoid these problems.
Final Notes on Humidity Control
To monitor the amount of humidity your instrument is receiving, we recommend the purchase of a digital hygrometer, a device that gauges and provides a read-out of humidity levels. It can be kept in the room where you store your instruments, or, better yet, in a central location inside the instrument case, preferably Velcro’d to the outside of the accessories compartment (facing the heel). The optimal range for your guitars and ukulele is 45-55% RH.