“An inspiring entry point into the Martin lineup and a pathway for players ready to take the next step”: Martin overhauls its affordable Road Series – and splits it into Retro and Modern builds

NAMM 2026: Martin’s Road Series of guitars is all about newness in 2026, with 18 of the 20-strong acoustic guitars either making their debut or being freshly updated.

Created “to guide players along their road to what’s next,” the cast has been assembled to make it clear what features players should expect – and what kind of guitarists they might suit.

Indeed, for the casual observer, it’s easy to distinguish a Fender Stratocaster from a Flying V, but differences between acoustic models aren’t always as obvious. Thus, the overhauled Road Series is now split into two clear subsets of Martin Guitars: Retro and Modern.

Retro, as its name implies, leans into Martin’s lauded past, with “classic Martin character” and body shapes – via its celebrated D dreadnoughts, and small-bodied 000 silhouettes. Expect, as is the case with any old but gold Martin, warm and balanced tones.

Modern, meanwhile, offers bolder finishes with cutaway body shapes – DC, OMC, GPC, and SC – and necks suited for faster playing.

It’s a move right out of the Gibson playbook. The firm savvily split its range into Original and Modern lines after its 2018 takeover, enabling it to keep a core line of classic builds but use more contemporary finishes and forward-thinking features on the Modern side – neatly sidestepping accusations of ‘guitar heresy’, in the process.

Back to Martin, though. To further simplify matters, each Mexican-made instrument is aligned with only one of four updated style levels, reflective of its US line inspiration:

10 Style acoustics, inspired by its Style 15 guitars, all have satin bodies with solid sapele back and sides, and either solid spruce or sapele tops. They also feature Martin E1 electronics for amplification.

12 Style offers gloss bodies comprising solid spruce tops and solid sapele back and sides, with E1 electronics once more. They are inspired by Martin’s Style 18 guitars.

Moving on, 13 Style pairs gloss bodies made with solid spruce top and solid black walnut or koa fine veneer back and sides, and Martin E1 electronics (although the outlier SC-13E is equipped with L.R. Baggs electronics). They’re inspired by its Style 28 guitars.

Finally, Retro Plus is all about gloss bodies with torrefied solid spruce tops, solid mahogany or granadillo back and sides, and L.R. Baggs electronics exclusively. They are, in Martin’s own words, “elevated interpretations of Style 12 and 13 models.”

The move does provide some clarity on the wide-ranging Road Series, (though I can’t help but think it would have been easier to just call them the “Road 15” etc.) to make a more direct link. Still, it’s all a step in the right direction.

“This updated structure bridges the gap between the X Series and Standard Series, giving players a clear understanding of where each model fits within the Martin family,” explains Martin.

“With clearer choices and expanded features, the refreshed Road Series provides an inspiring entry point into the Martin lineup and a pathway for players ready to take the next step in their musical journey.”

As such, expect to encounter model names like the D-10E Retro and DC-10E Modern Black while perusing Martin’s catalog. In these instances, the retro-modern divide is easy to decipher from both the name and the presence (or absence) of a cutaway, while the shared “10” designation points to common specs.

As a result, both guitars mentioned here feature solid sapele back and sides, Martin E1 electronics, and — by Martin standards, at least — more accessible pricing, landing at $999.99 and $1,199.99, respectively.

At NAMM 2026, Martin also unveiled its first signature guitar models for Molly Tuttle, making the bluegrass great’s dreams come true. The two-time Grammy winner has previously regaled Guitar World with the charming story of how she got her first Martin guitar, and how it ended up in a museum.

Head to Martin to check out the full Road Series range.