Martin Guitars - 00L Oliver Julie Heffernan LTD + Housse

When art becomes a guitar, the result is the Martin 00L Oliver. Basically, it's a crazy project: printing a work by Julie Heffernan on an acoustic guitar. But not just any piece of art, nor just any guitar. This unique model finely integrates a visual rich in symbols directly onto an FSC solid spruce top, without sacrificing sound or projection balance. And if the result is stunning to the eye, it's just as impressive to the ear. From the very first notes, you know you're dealing with a Martin: it breathes, it reacts, it sings. In short, it lives.

In the hand, the 00L Oliver quickly makes you forget its collector's quality. The slim-shouldered Grand Concert format fits snugly around the body, the mahogany neck is contoured in a Modified Low Oval style, and the 632 mm (24.9") scale adds just the right amount of flexibility. The flamed koa of its sides and back project a nuanced palette of sound, between the velvety smoothness of mahogany and the depth of mature rosewood. There's no need to force each chord to breathe. Even fingerstyle, you're in for a treat.

When it comes to finish, Martin has clearly indulged himself. Ebony fingerboard, open tuners with butterbean buttons, Tortoise binding, Old Style 18 abalone pickups, and even Paua points on the pegs... This guitar is packed with little high-end details that you'll notice over time. And to top it all off, there's a carved spruce X-bar, a compensated saddle bone and a simplified dovetail for a neck/body junction that's as precise as it is elegant. A fine piece of lutherie, but without pretension or showmanship.