C.F. Martin OM-42 (2025)

Description

When it comes to build quality, tone, and wood quality, the Martin OM-42 is on par with the other guitars in Martin's 40-series. But while a dreadnought like the D-41 or D-45 is fantastic for pick and strumming, the smaller and highly comfortable OM-42 is built for fingerstyle and layered recordings.

Studio guitarists have long used Martin Orchestra Model guitars like the Martin OM-42 to add depth and dimension to a track, and the OM-42 delivers a remarkably rich tone that sits beautifully in a mix. The Martin OM-42 is beautifully crafted in keeping with Martin tradition, with a solid spruce top, East Indian rosewood back and sides. And Martin's slim, Golden Era modified low-oval neck with High Performance Taper ensures silky-smooth playability up and down the perfectly fret-dressed ebony fingerboard.

Before the OM model, Martin guitars all had the same 12-fret neck/body joint, just like the instruments Christian Frederick Martin, Sr. handcrafted in the 1830s. They resembled modern-day classic guitars in shape, tone, and volume, even though most of them were converted from gut to steel strings in the late 1920s. Interestingly, Martin's OM model came into existence thanks to the banjo. To keep up with musical trends and be heard, banjo players—who were the primary rhythm players in orchestras of the time—became interested in steel-string guitars, which were more resonant than their banjos. Banjo players were also accustomed to long necks, so Martin's response was to develop the first 14-fret flat-top guitar, which was designed specifically for steel strings. The guitar debuted in 1930 and was offered as 18-, 28-, and 45-models.

Martin's Style 42 guitar, which was a work of art adorned with mother-of-pearl and ivory embellishments, appeared in parlors around 1870. The range was expanded with larger guitars in the following years, until the more ornate Style 45 was introduced in the early 20th century. Today's Style 42 instruments, of course, no longer use genuine tortoiseshell and ivory, but their elegance is, if anything, even more refined. And unmistakably Martin.

Premium Martin guitars like the OM-42 are fret-dressed to give the guitars more consistent and uniform playability. Fret Pro is an advanced computer-controlled process that scans, levels, and dresses your guitar's frets, so that every note in every position rings out loud and clear with a flawless tone.

The tonal quality of an acoustic guitar is defined by the wood used, and the Martin OM-42 utilizes a classic tonewood combination where no compromises have been made on quality. The top is made of solid spruce to deliver robust projection and crystal-clear clarity. Its back and sides are made of solid East Indian rosewood, which is a classic Martin material. A Golden Era Modified Low Oval, High Performance Taper neck in exquisite mahogany and a solid ebony fingerboard give the Martin OM-42 fantastic playability that matches its mellow tone. Elegant, understated Style 42 embellishments such as classic abalone multi-stripe inlaid binding and abalone Style 45 Snowflake fingerboard inlays make the OM-42 just as beautiful to look at as it sounds.

Embracing the past while looking to the future is a dynamic Martin has always occupied. That is why they have consistently been at the forefront of acoustic guitar design and have introduced new materials, construction techniques, and technologies to their guitars, while also producing fine instruments that age gracefully, so they become highly sought-after and highly playable heirlooms.

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