Every so often a signature model actually earns the name. Bonamassa is one of the more serious vintage Martin collectors on the planet, and the 1937 00-18 is a guitar he has recorded with, toured with, and talked about for years. It is small, it is beat up, and it sounds like it has been doing this since the Depression.

Martin and Bonamassa first worked together on the 000-45 Joe Bonamassa, a run of only 45 instruments modeled on his pristine 1941 000-45. That one was a museum piece with a signed label and a price to match. This round is different. The 00-18 Joe Bonamassa is the second collaboration between the two, and this time it comes with a companion: the 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa, which takes the same look and feel and puts it on the Road Series Retro platform.

Two guitars, one inspiration, two very different players in mind. Both are here now.

Watch the Story Behind the Build

Video courtesy of C.F. Martin & Co.

Martin 00-18 Joe Bonamassa

This is the faithful one. Solid spruce over genuine mahogany back and sides, all in gloss, with the custom 1937 Joe Bonamassa Sunburst on top. That burst is the whole point: it is built to replicate the visual wear of Joe's original instrument, so the guitar reads as a well-played pre-war piece straight off the hook rather than something fresh out of the box.

Underneath, Golden Era scalloped X-bracing does the heavy lifting. In a 00 body with a 24.9 inch scale, that combination gives you the dry, woody midrange and quick response that makes these small Martins so good for blues, folk, and fingerstyle. The GE Modified Low Oval neck with standard taper and a 1 3/4 inch nut width feels like a pre-war guitar should feel, and the ebony fingerboard with Old Style 18 inlays, faux tortoise binding, nickel open gear tuners, and a bone saddle keep every detail pointed at the same era. No electronics. Just the guitar and a hardshell case.

Martin 00-18 Joe Bonamassa, front and back. Gloss genuine mahogany body.

View the Martin 00-18 Joe Bonamassa

Martin 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa

The 00-10E Retro is the same idea built for players who want to gig it, throw it in the truck, and not think twice. It brings the look of Joe's 1937 00-18 to Martin's Road Series Retro platform, with a solid spruce top wearing the same custom sunburst and solid sapele back and sides in a full satin finish.

Sapele is the interesting part here. It behaves a lot like mahogany, and in a 00 body it gives you warm bass, punchy mids, and clear top end without the guitar getting boomy. Scalloped spruce X-bracing keeps it lively and open. The PA Profile neck and 1 3/4 inch nut leave plenty of room for fingerstyle work, and Martin E1 electronics with a built-in tuner mean it is stage ready and studio ready the moment you unpack it. It ships in a softshell case.

Martin 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa, front and back. Satin solid sapele body.

View the Martin 00-10E Retro Joe Bonamassa

Which One Should You Play?

They look like siblings from ten feet away, and that is intentional. Up close, they are aimed at two different players.

If you want the pre-war experience, the 00-18 is the one. Gloss mahogany, Golden Era bracing, bone saddle, no pickup to color anything. It is a guitar you sit down with.

If you want that same 1937 look on your shoulder at a gig Friday night, the 00-10E Retro makes far more sense. Satin finish, sapele, E1 electronics with a tuner already on board. It is the version you actually take places.

Both are available in left-handed configuration, and both ship with Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0 Light strings.

Come Play Them

Reading specs only gets you so far with a 00. These are small guitars with a big personality, and the difference between the two comes down to how they feel under your hands. We have both in stock, we ship nationwide, and if you are anywhere in DFW the better move is to come sit with them for twenty minutes and let the guitars sort it out.