Martin Guitars: New 16 Series, Tonewoods & How They're Made | Brenden Hackett

I sat down with Brenden Hackett, a district sales manager at Martin Guitars, to talk about the new Martin 16 Series and what goes into making an acoustic guitar. John LeClair from Tone Tailors joins us later to get into guitar setup, Martin’s history, and where the company could go next.Brenden walks me through the new colors, body shapes, and pickups in the 16 Series. He also explains how to read Martin model names, why body size and tonewoods change a guitar’s sound, and how Martin builds guitars in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and Mexico. We talk about the balance between handwork and machines, plus the ideas that make it into Martin’s Custom Shop.John joins us for a conversation about Martin and Taylor neck designs, guitar playability, PLEK machines, and artist models from players including John Mayer, Billy Strings, and Trey Anastasio.If you’re trying to find the right Martin guitar, you can explore them at tonetailors.com or stop by Tone Tailors in Lancaster, PA. Shop Martin at Tone Tailors: https://shop.tonetailors.com/products/martinDiscover the 16 Series: https://www.martinguitar.com/series-16.htmlChapters:0:00 Meet Brenden Hackett3:23 Martin’s history and the dreadnought7:03 Why Martin makes its own strings10:23 The new Martin 16 Series14:20 16 Series body shapes, woods, and pickups17:45 How to read Martin guitar model names23:35 Tonewood supply and responsible sourcing28:20 Where Martin guitars are made31:19 Brenden’s favorite Martin guitars35:15 How wood and bracing affect tone41:10 John joins us for Martin’s history47:24 Martin vs. Taylor playability and neck design57:44 CNC, PLEK, and the future of guitar building1:06:32 Martin artist and signature guitars1:15:13 Final thoughts on the 16 SeriesSubscribe for more conversations with the people who make, play, and work on the gear you use.