Top 10 Martin Guitars

You know what’s cool? Having an exclusive guitar you can call your own. And do you know what’s even cooler than that? If that guitar is all black.

This is the Martin Black-Out Special, and you can ONLY find it at AMS. That’s right; we have an exclusive Martin! But this black-on-black-on-black-on-black guitar doesn’t just look cool. It sounds amazing, too. It is a Martin, after all.

Solid spruce top, scalloped X bracing, Martin E1 Electronics, this guitar has everything that makes Martin guitars great, just with an exclusive black-out finish, black nut, black saddle, black bridge pins, black tuners, and even a black Martin logo on the headstock. It’s hard to find an acoustic cooler than this, which is why it definitely earned a spot on the Top 10 Martin Guitars list.

When Martin came out with their legendary D Series, they didn’t just change the game — they literally invented a new one! Every acoustic guitar secretly wishes it was a Martin Dreadnought, and no list of Top Martin Guitars would be complete without a mention of the D-28.

The Martin D-28 is THE dreadnought: square shoulders, tons of projection, and crazy resonance. You literally feel your chest rumble with every strum, thanks to the combination of solid Sitka Spruce top and East Indian Rosewood back and sides paired with scalloped X bracing. It’s perfect for everything from bluegrass and country to folk, rock, and beyond. If you want that classic acoustic guitar sound, this is the guitar for you.

The D-28 is so good that it’s Billy Strings’ go-to guitar. More specifically, he loves his pre-war 1940 Martin D-28. But since we all can’t have a ‘40s Martin, Billy Strings worked with Martin to create his own signature guitars: the Martin Billy Strings D-28 and D-X2E.

They’re both based on his iconic 1940 D-28, with the spruce top and rosewood back and sides, but with a twist. To help him shred and bend a bit easier, Billy Strings asked if Martin could bring the scale length down just a touch.

With their unique 25” scale length, the Martin Billy Strings D-28 and D-X2E are made to play! They’ll feel super comfortable up and down the neck for flatpicking, chord work, or just rocking out. You definitely should check out the U.S.-made Billy Strings D-28 or the more affordable D-X2E for yourself. They play like no acoustics you’ve played before.

Every now and then, Martin lets its CEO design a guitar for a special release. In 2013, Chris Martin IV wanted to create a model based on the vintage parlor guitars of the past with some modern Martin flare. The result was the Martin CEO-7 — and it’s still one of the best Martin guitars out there.

The Martin CEO-7 features an Adirondack spruce top and mahogany back and sides all rolled up into a travel- and lap-friendly 00 body shape. The classic tonewood combo and smaller body give the CEO-7 a warm, punchy tone with plenty of projection and clarity.

Sticking with the vintage vibes, Martin threw in an Autumn Sunset Burst finish, antique white binding, and abalone Old Style 18 inlays. But a few modern touches like a super-playable Modified V neck profile and optional electronics make the Martin CEO-7 a favorite for acoustic enthusiasts all over the world.

What happens if you want that large-body Martin sound without losing access to your upper frets? Well, that’s where the Martin GPC11E comes in.

The “GP” part of GPC stands for “Grand Performance.” It’s the perfect blend between the comfort of a smaller guitar (with cutaway for easy fret access) and the tone and projection of a larger guitar. In other words, it’s perfect for just about anything! Fingerpicking, aggressive strumming, lead playing — the GPC11E can do it all! That little “E” at the end of the model name also means it comes with onboard electronics, so you can hit the stage immediately.

No wonder the GPC11E is one of the most popular Martin acoustic guitars…

Okay, you need to hold onto your hat for this one. For NAMM 2025, Martin unveiled possibly one of the wildest acoustic guitars you’ve ever seen. Yes, your eyes aren’t deceiving you; it’s a double-necked acoustic guitar!

The Martin Grand J-28E DN is an acoustic guitar with two necks: one six-string and one 12-string. It’s like having two incredible Martin guitars in one! And following other Martin 28-style dreadnoughts, it sports a solid spruce top and East Indian rosewood back and sides for that legendary tone Martins are known for.

You might think this guitar is super cumbersome to play, but the body actually isn’t much bigger than a regular Martin D-style guitar. And the necks come off at just the right angle to be comfortable in either playing position. I was shocked at how natural this guitar felt to play. It even comes with custom Fishman electronics designed to work with a double-necked guitar, so you can play it live.

If you want a guitar that’s equal parts conversation starter and versatile playing machine, the Martin GJ-28E DN might just be for you.

There’s nothing better than a well-loved guitar — in terms of both looks and sound. But it takes a lot of time to wear in a guitar. Unless you get the Martin 00016 StreeMaster, that is.

The 000-16 StreetMaster features a real-deal Adirondack spruce top and East Indian rosewood back and sides to give it that iconic Martin projection and tone. And the smaller 000 body shape makes it easy to transport to your favorite busking spots.

Throw in the awesomely eye-catching worn StreetMaster finish and onboard VTS electronics, and you get a guitar that looks as serious as it sounds.

I’m a sucker for guitars that “think outside the box.” Martin might have invented the modern acoustic guitar, but that doesn’t mean they’ve quit innovating. And the SC series proves it.

Martin threw out the rulebook on this one and started from scratch to design the ultimate acoustic guitar for both playability and tone.

When it comes to comfort, the Martin SC is second to none. The completely redesigned neck heel and flattened cutaway makes it super comfortable to reach all the way up the fretboard, and the offset body with internal soundboard recurve gives tons of projection and bass response.

The neck heel isn’t just for fret access. It’s Martin’s Sure Align neck system that makes it easy to adjust the neck angle and set the perfect action for your playing style. And once the action is set, you can fly up and down with the low-profile velocity satin neck.

The Martin SC series is for the players. It sounds good, it feels good, and it looks good. And even better, it comes in various styles, from the more affordable SC-10E all the way up to the super-deluxe SC-28E with all the premium trimmings.

If there’s one other guitar as iconic as the D-28, it’s the Martin 000-18. This small-body beast has toured the world and graced countless stages since it was created in 1930s.

The Martin 000-18 has the comfortable, smaller orchestra-style body with premium tonewoods (spruce top and mahogany back and sides), Sitka spruce Golden Era (GE) top bracing, and a thinner ebony fretboard with slightly rolled edges. The result is a guitar that’s super comfortable to play without skimping on tone and projection.

Whether you’re a folk singer documenting American culture or a rockstar breaking it down for an acoustic set, the Martin 000-18 is a great addition to any collection — and definitely one of the best Martin acoustics of all time.

Okay, it might not be a guitar. But it would only make sense that one of the best acoustic guitar manufacturers would also make some of the best acoustic guitar strings.

Martin guitar strings have become super popular in the acoustic world for their blend of tone and durability. If you want to make the most out of your Martin guitar, then you have to outfit it with some Martin guitar strings. It only makes sense!

Hate changing strings? Try out some Martin Lifespan strings. They last much longer than standard acoustic guitar strings, meaning you can keep strumming and picking without worrying about that dull, dead sound creeping into your performances.