What is it?
If you’ve been living in a shack in the woods, you may not be aware that Jason Isbell is one of modern Americana’s biggest stars – yet ironically, his signature Martin 0-10E might be just the kind of acoustic guitar for backwoods living.
Isbell’s third Martin signature guitar (there’s an 0-17 and a D-18 to his name, too) is, Martin tells us, inspired by the 1940 0-17 he used to record his recent solo album Foxes In The Snow.
For the uninitiated, the letters in a Martin model name (in this case a single ‘0’) denote the body shape and size, while the number after the dash indicates the ‘Style’ – typically the woods used in its construction and level of ornamentation.
Style 17 guitars with a mahogany top, back and sides and no binding date from the 1930s and this 0-10E outwardly resembles that classic look, featuring solid mahogany back, sides and top – not the cheaper sapele wood that’s been used on similar Road Series instruments in the past.
That’s a big perk if Martin’s sonic heritage is important to you – and narrows the gap with Isbell’s limited edition, high-end 0-17 signature model.
Martin has, however, made 0-10E’s neck from ‘select hardwoods’ – a catch-all term for mahogany-like tonewoods such as Spanish cedar, sapele and sipo, which Martin sometimes uses in place of true mahogany to keep costs down. Whichever has been used here, it certainly looks the part, with no jarring grain mismatch with the body.
Rounding out the package is Martin’s E-1 pickup system with built-in tuner
Meanwhile, the slender Performing Artist profile of the 14-fret neck – with just a faint suggestion of a V – feels slinky and comfortable, especially with its silky satin finish.
East Indian rosewood looks and feels a great fit for the fingerboard and bridge here. Rounding out the package is Martin’s E-1 pickup system with built-in tuner, its display tucked discreetly just inside the soundhole.
Specs
- Price: $1,049 | £1,075 | €1,175
- Made: Mexico
- Body shape: ‘0’ size Concert
- Body top: Solid mahogany
- Top bracing: Scalloped X-bracing
- Back & sides: Solid mahogany
- Neck/shape: Select hardwood / Performance Artist profile
- Scale/length: 24.9” / 632mm
- Nut/width: Corian 1.75” / 44.5mm
- Fingerboard wood/Radius: 16” / 406mm
- Body depth: 4.25” / 108mm
- Finish: Satin
- Bridge/pins: Rosewood
- Tuning Machines: Open-gear nickel
- Electronics: Martin E-1
- Weight: 3.7lbs/ 1.7kg
- Case: Deluxe gig bag
- Left-handed options: Yes
- Contact: Martin Guitar
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
Taking the 0-10E out of its attractively plush gigbag, I’m struck by the tactile charm of the body’s satin finish, thin enough to subtly reveal the grain pores but liquid smooth.
At 3.7lbs/ 1.7kg the guitar is strikingly light and the lap-friendly ergonomics of this compact guitar are as comfortable today as they were a century ago.
The overall build quality is top-drawer
The 20 smallish frets are tidy and inobtrusive and the open-gear nickel tuners undertake their role smoothly and effectively. Inside the body I find very clean kerfing and bracing work, with no glue dobs or smears at all.
The ornamentation of the guitar is simple to the point of austerity, with no binding and a single-ring fiber rosette around the soundhole. But the overall build quality is top-drawer, turning that simplicity into understated strength.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★☆
The 0-10E has a relatively short scale-length of 24.9 inches, which should offer a slightly looser action than longer-scale acoustic guitars. In practice, the 0-10E still has that hallmark Martin feel – slightly stiff but precise – that rewards good technique but exposes untidy playing.
The nut width of 44.5mm is a little wider than on traditional Martins, in step with changes made to the Reimagined series in 2018, making the 0-10E perfectly comfortable for fingerstyle or strumming.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★☆
As you might expect for a guitar that aims to sound like a vintage 0-17 there’s plenty of midrange punch and woody twang on offer here
As you might expect for a guitar that aims to sound like a vintage 0-17 there’s plenty of midrange punch and woody twang on offer here. It isn’t the broadest of voices, in terms of frequency range, but it is very characterful and it cuts through like a charm.
If old-school country or fingerstyle blues is your thing, you’ll like this, a lot. If you play softly its sustain and sweetness blooms – but hit it hard and its immediate attack snaps into focus, making this a dynamic, exciting guitar.
Time and playing should open up this guitar’s voice further. Plugged in, Martin’s E1 system yields a pretty faithful acoustic tone and with my Boss acoustic combo’s EQ set flat, I found I had only to add a touch of bass and treble to de-emphasise the midrange to achieve an amplified sound that was warm and naturally expressive rather than being a mojo killer.
Verdict
At this price, the 0-10E is a bit of a steal. The use of solid mahogany for the body of the guitar is a tidy upgrade over sapele and the build quality is impressive.
The guitar is light, comfortable in the lap and performs well amplified.
Guitar World verdict: Martin’s relatively affordable, all-mahogany guitars have always punched above their weight – the 0-10E Retro Jason Isbell punches a little harder still.
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality |
Can only be described as impeccable at this price point. |
★★★★★ |
Playability |
Firm but precise with a good intermediate action as supplied. |
★★★★☆ |
Sounds |
Woody, evocative mid-focused vintage tones. |
★★★★☆ |
Overall |
Affordable Martin mojo with signature kudos and exceptional build. |
★★★★☆ |
