Today, guitar makers in the US are only allowed to use the wood that was harvested prior to 1992, and in the EU – prior to 1947.Īlso around WWII, the Adirondack spruce which was used for the top of the 000-42 became hard to come by due to over-harvesting, and most manufacturers switched to Sitka spruce – which is still used on most models today. Over the years the supply was reduced, and by the late 1960s, most manufacturers like Martin decided to switch to Indian rosewood – which most still use today.ĭue to exploitation, and due to loss of the tree’s natural habitat – most of which was converted to farmland, in 1992 the Brazillian rosewood (or Dalbergia nigra) tree species was declared to be endangered and is since protected under the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) treaty. Prior to World War II, Brazillian rosewood was used amply by high-grade furniture makers and guitar manufacturers. One of them is the type of wood used in the process of building these guitars. Obviously, some of this is due to them being rare since there’s only a limited number of guitars left (for example, the 000-42 was made only for five years, from 1938 to 1943) but there are other reasons as well.Ī Martin 000-42 is on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Overall, the models that Martin made in the pre-war era (WWII), are extremely desirable. This particular Martin was made in the pre-war period and is considered to be one of the most desirable and rarest acoustic guitars. Obviously, since the interview predates the 1992 concert by almost two decades, it’s impossible to know whether this is the exact same guitar. Guitar Player, January 1976, by Lowell Cauffiel If he doesn’t play it though, I’ll go and take it back. “Eric needed an acoustic, and I had one that would fit his needs. “It was sitting around gathering dust,” Stephen states. Stills also gives away his guitars, his latest present being a Martin 000-42 to Eric Clapton. This is according to an interview from 1976 with Stephen Stills, in which he notes that he gave a 000-42 Martin to Clapton. Eric played an acoustic version of “Layla” on his Martin 000-42 during the MTV Unplugged show.Īlthough there don’t seem to be any photos of Eric using the guitar prior to the 1992 show, it’s possible that he acquired the 000-42 all the way back in 1970. He played it throughout most of the show – which was highlighted by an acoustic version of “Layla”. This is the guitar that Clapton played on MTV Unplugged on January 16, 1992.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |