Martinez - Standard MC-88S RN + Housse

The Martinez Standard MC-88S RN functions as a soundbox designed in layers, with each type of wood adding its own resonance to the previous one. The solid European spruce top captures the vibration of the strings and reproduces it with almost architectural clarity; the treble comes through crisply, whilst the mid-range remains distinct even in nuanced playing.

Beneath, the Indian rosewood back and sides enclose the body like load-bearing walls; this dense wood reflects the bass with richness rather than absorbing it. The Spanish fan-bracing, invisible beneath the top, distributes this energy towards the edges rather than concentrating it in the centre – a luthier’s choice dating back to the workshops of Andalusia and one that still holds true today.

The neck follows the same principle of continuity. The Spanish joint connects the mahogany neck to the body without a visible seam, and the truss rod, adjustable in both directions, maintains this straight line along the strings. Twenty frets run along the rosewood fingerboard, twelve of which are before the body joint, with mother-of-pearl markers at the 5th, 7th and 9th frets for quick reference. The 52 mm wide bone nut allows each string to vibrate without interfering with the others.

The high-gloss polyurethane finish, in a natural colour, seals the instrument with a varnish that protects the wood without stifling its natural resonance. The Martinez Gold Tuning Machines 88 come with gold-coloured hardware to match the Indian rosewood bridge, fitted with original Martinez strings and supplied in their Martinez case.