Martin Custom Shop 42 Style 000 Alternate Torch Black 3101879

Serial: 3101879

The Martin Custom Shop 42 Style 000 Alternate Torch Black is a distinctive custom-built acoustic guitar that combines elaborate Style 42 appointments with a striking all-black finish and premium traditional tonewoods. Specially configured for Tone Shop Guitars, this instrument features a premium spruce top, East Indian rosewood back and sides, Golden Era hand-shaped scalloped bracing, and a genuine mahogany neck. Its most distinctive feature is the extensive select abalone Alternate Torch inlay work across the ebony fingerboard, headstock, and bridge, complemented by abalone top purfling and a Style 45 rosette. Gold Waverly tuning machines with engraved buttons complete an instrument that brings together traditional Martin craftsmanship, ornate Custom Shop detailing, and an unmistakable visual identity.

The premium Grade 7 spruce top provides the foundation for the guitar's acoustic response. Selected for its quality and tonal potential, the spruce soundboard is paired with 5/16" Golden Era scalloped X-bracing, forward-shifted and individually hand-shaped to encourage resonance and dynamic response. This bracing configuration allows the top to respond freely to different playing techniques, supporting clear articulation during delicate fingerstyle passages and a full, projecting voice under more aggressive attack. The guitar's 000 Auditorium body offers a comfortable playing experience with a balanced acoustic character, while its 24.9" short scale provides a slightly more relaxed string feel than Martin's longer-scale Orchestra Models.

The back and sides are constructed from premium Grade 4 East Indian rosewood, a traditional Martin tonewood valued for its rich harmonic character, deep bass response, and clear trebles. The two-piece rosewood back features a Style 45 mosaic backstrip, while spruce back bracing and a traditional internal construction support the guitar's resonance and structural integrity. The combination of spruce and East Indian rosewood provides a versatile tonal foundation suited to fingerstyle playing, intricate chord voicings, and expressive flatpicking. The body is finished in high-gloss black, creating a dramatic contrast with the instrument's antique white binding, intricate purfling, and extensive abalone appointments.

The neck is crafted from 12/4 genuine mahogany and features Martin's Golden Era Modified Low Oval profile with a High Performance Taper. This combination offers a comfortable playing feel with a traditional neck shape that remains manageable across the fingerboard. The 1 3/4" nut width provides generous string spacing for fingerstyle techniques, while the 2 5/32" bridge string spacing supports precise control over individual strings. Its 24.9" scale length contributes to comfortable fretting and expressive string bending, making the guitar particularly appealing to players who prefer the slightly softer tension of a short-scale Martin. A traditional dovetail neck joint creates a strong acoustic connection between the neck and body, while the adjustable truss rod allows precise neck relief adjustments. The gloss black neck finish continues the instrument's distinctive monochromatic appearance.

The black ebony fingerboard features a 16" radius, 20 frets, and an elaborate Alternate Torch inlay pattern crafted from select abalone. Unlike traditional Style 42 fingerboard markers, the Alternate Torch design provides a more intricate decorative treatment that immediately distinguishes this Custom Shop instrument. The fingerboard is bound and features carefully mitered appointments, reinforcing the guitar's premium construction. The solid headstock is topped with a black ebony headplate featuring a matching Alternate Torch inlay in select abalone. Additional appointments include a traditional long diamond volute, antique white binding, and gold Waverly 4062-G tuning machines with engraved buttons. These details create a refined visual balance between Martin's historical decorative traditions and the guitar's contemporary black finish.

The Alternate Torch theme continues onto the black ebony GE Modern Belly bridge, which features a matching select abalone inlay. A compensated bone saddle and bone nut provide traditional string contact points, while bone bridge pins and an endpin accented with paua add subtle iridescent details. The top features select abalone perimeter purfling that follows the fingerboard profile, creating a continuous decorative border around the soundboard. A Style 45 Boltaron rosette with select abalone surrounds the soundhole, while antique white binding and black-and-white Boltaron purfling provide additional contrast. The black pickguard blends naturally with the instrument's finish, allowing the pearl appointments to remain the primary visual focus.

Built by the Martin Custom Shop in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, this 42 Style 000 represents an unusually elaborate interpretation of Martin's traditional small-body acoustic design. Its premium spruce top, East Indian rosewood back and sides, Golden Era scalloped bracing, and short-scale construction provide a responsive acoustic platform, while the black gloss finish and extensive Alternate Torch inlays establish a distinctive custom aesthetic. The guitar is entirely acoustic, without onboard electronics, preserving its traditional construction and natural resonance. A five-ply hardshell case and Martin Custom Shop Certificate of Authenticity are included, completing a carefully appointed instrument that combines premium materials, traditional craftsmanship, and striking visual detail.

Highlights

• Martin Custom Shop 42 Style 000 with gloss black body and neck, premium spruce top, and East Indian rosewood back and sides

• Golden Era hand-shaped scalloped 5/16" forward-shifted X-bracing with traditional dovetail neck construction

• Select abalone Alternate Torch inlays on the ebony fingerboard, headstock, and bridge

• Style 42 abalone perimeter purfling, Style 45 abalone rosette, and gold Waverly tuners with engraved buttons

• Genuine mahogany GE Modified Low Oval neck, 24.9" short scale, five-ply hardshell case, and Custom Shop Certificate of Authenticity

Specifications

Body

• Brand: Martin

• Series: Custom Shop

• Model: Custom Shop 42 Style 000 Alternate Torch Black

• Body Shape: 000/OM Auditorium

• Body Style: 14-Fret 000

• Style Inspiration: 000-42

• Construction: Acoustic

• Top Material: Premium Spruce

• Top Grade: Grade 7

• Back Material: Premium East Indian Rosewood

• Side Material: Premium East Indian Rosewood

• Back and Sides Grade: Grade 4

• Back Construction: Two-Piece

• Top Bracing Material: Spruce

• Bracing Pattern: Forward-Shifted X-Bracing

• Bracing Pattern Number: 21-A 000 Style 42

• Bracing Style: Golden Era with Hand Shaping

• Bracing Shape: Scalloped

• Bracing Size: 5/16"

• Back Bracing Material: Spruce

• Back Bracing Pattern: 000 14-Fret

• Center Strip: Spruce

• Body Depth: Standard

• Body Binding: Antique White

• Top Pearl: Select Abalone Perimeter with Fingerboard Profile

• Top Pearl Thickness: 0.064"

• Top Purfling: Black/White/Black Boltaron

• Back Purfling: Style 45 Mosaic

• Back Inlay: Black/White/Black Boltaron

• Side Inlay: Black/White/Black Boltaron

• Endpiece Material: Antique White

• Endpiece Inlay: White/White/Black Boltaron

• Rosette: Style 45 Boltaron

• Rosette Pearl: Select Abalone

• Rosette Pearl Thickness: 0.064"

• Pickguard: Black, Pattern 4B

• Body Finish: Gloss

• Finish Color: Black

• Cutaway: None

• Orientation: Right-Handed

Neck

• Neck Material: 12/4 Genuine Mahogany

• Neck Profile: Golden Era Modified Low Oval

• Neck Taper: High Performance Taper

• Neck Joint: Traditional Dovetail

• Neck Finish: Gloss Black

• Neck Stain: Mahogany

• Truss Rod: Adjustable, 14-Fret

• Fingerboard Material: Black Ebony

• Fingerboard Radius: 16"

• Fingerboard Width at Nut: 1 3/4"

• Fingerboard Width at 12th Fret: 2 1/8"

• Fingerboard Binding: Yes

• Fingerboard Miter: Yes

• Fingerboard Inlays: Alternate Torch

• Fingerboard Inlay Material: Select Abalone

• Side Dots: Black

• Number of Frets: 20

• Frets Clear of Body: 14

• Fret Wire: Standard

• Scale Length: 24.9"

• Compensated Scale Length: 24.980"

• Nut Material: Bone

• Nut Position: Angled

• Headstock Type: Solid

• Headstock Volute: Long Diamond

• Headstock Ears: Authentic

• Headstock Taper: Square

• Headplate Material: Black Ebony

• Headplate Binding: Yes

• Headplate Inlay: Alternate Torch

• Headplate Inlay Material: Select Abalone

• Headplate Purfling: White/White/Black Boltaron

• Headstock Finish: Gloss Black

• Heelcap Material: Antique White

• Heelcap Inlay: Black/White

Hardware

• Bridge Material: Black Ebony

• Bridge Style: Golden Era Modern Belly

• Bridge Inlay: Alternate Torch

• Bridge Inlay Material: Select Abalone

• Saddle Style: Drop-In

• Saddle Material: Compensated Bone

• Bridge Pins: Bone with Paua

• Endpin: Bone with Paua

• Tuning Machines: Waverly 4062-G

• Tuner Finish: Gold

• Tuner Buttons: Engraved

• Nut Material: Bone

• Strings: Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0

• String Gauge: Light

• Strap Button: None

Electronics

• Electronics: None

• Pickup System: None

• Onboard Preamp: None

• Output Jack: None

Miscellaneous

• Serial Number: 3101879

• Manufacturer: C.F. Martin & Co.

• Build Type: Custom Shop

• Custom Configuration: C26-012510

• Custom Configuration Name: OM-42 Black TSG

• Style Inspiration: 000-42

• Custom Finish: Solid Black

• Neck Finish: Gloss Black

• Custom Inlay Theme: Alternate Torch

• Inlay Material: Select Abalone

• Top Material: Premium Grade 7 Spruce

• Back and Sides: Premium Grade 4 East Indian Rosewood

• Bracing: Golden Era Hand-Shaped Scalloped Forward-Shifted X-Bracing

• Number of Strings: 6

• Orientation: Right-Handed

• Country of Origin: United States

• Manufacturing Location: Nazareth, Pennsylvania

• Included Case: Martin Five-Ply Hardshell Case

• Included Documentation: Martin Custom Shop Certificate of Authenticity

Why Buy from Tone Shop Guitars?

Tone Shop Guitars is the premier Martin dealer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area — and beyond. Our staff are players and enthusiasts who know these instruments inside and out, and we hand-inspect every guitar before it leaves our doors. When you buy a Martin from us, you’re not just getting a great guitar — you’re getting the expertise, the care, and the follow-through that a purchase like this deserves. Stop by any of our three DFW locations or shop online with confidence. We’re here to help you find the right one.