With the Martin D-30 Flamed Maple, the traditional American manufacturer presents one of its famous custom shop models, made using selected materials and featuring a unique appearance and incomparable sound qualities. The master craftsmanship of the almost 200-year-old family business is easily recognizable in the detailed inlays and ornaments made of abalone and wood. In addition to a solid construction, this represents the quintessence of Martin's artistry that continues to delight their fans around the world to this day. The combination of fine flamed maple and a precisely thought-out construction produces a fast attack in its sound, which fades away in the overtones and merges smoothly into the next note. The flat mahogany neck provides excellent playability up to the highest frets, as a flat Modified Low Oval neck profile allows for smooth handling with little effort. The characteristic headstock is equipped with open gear nickel tuners, which, in addition to the venerable Martin & Co. overlay and the evenly figured rosewood, discreetly emphasize the value of the guitar. A precision-fit custom shop case and a certificate of authenticity are included.
In order to create a light and powerful attack, the manufacturer relies on the wood of the North American Sitka Spruce, which vibrates evenly due to its fine structure, further enhanced by a flat forward-shifted scalloped X-bracing and a wafer-thin high-gloss finish. Thus the high-quality top made of Sitka Spruce produces a clear and defined sound that is particularly pronounced in the mid and high frequencies. Framed by an elaborate red-green wood binding, the even grain of the wood is particularly accentuated, giving it a high-quality note, which is enhanced by an abalone with multi-stripe soundhole rosette and a wafer-thin tortoise pickguard. The white bridge pins with abalone dots embedded in the dark ebony bridge create a fine interplay between binding, soundhole and the fretboard resting on the top.
Easily recognizable by its flamed grain, the body made of finest flamed maple gives the instrument a unique touch that lives up to the designation "Custom Shop" in every respect. The opened back is divided by an elaborate backstrip, which emphasizes the symmetry of the wood tastefully. In terms of sound, the carefully selected wood provides a rich tone which colours the bass frequencies strongly and precisely and gives the large dreadnought construction a fundamental saturation that merges smoothly into the overtones after ringing briefly. The white rather plain binding draws a clear line between the individual components of the body, clearly emphasizing the value of the woods used. Thanks to the polished finish, the multi-faceted grain with its straight lines stands out in golden yellow depending on the perspective.
To ensure easy access to all 20 frets, the manufacturer uses a flat mahogany neck in a modified low oval neck profile with an ebony fingerboard decorated with delicate diamond and square abalone inlays, which merges smoothly with the light-coloured top at the 14th fret. A compensated bone saddle, which is perfectly matched to the 44.45 mm wide bone nut, ensures clean intonation over the entire scale length of 645 mm. Open gear nickel tuners allow for precise tuning of the strings and, in combination with the heavily grained rosewood headplate, a plain binding anda a "Martin & Co." overlay round off the overall appearance gracefully.