Martin Introduces Ltd. Edition The Mamas and the Papas Guitar

Martin has just announced the introduction of the new D-28M The Mamas and The Papas Custom Artist Edition. The guitar pays tribute to the enduring musicianship, songwriting and vocal harmony of The Mamas and The Papas and is inspired by a vintage Martin D-28 that provided much of the rhythmic underpinning for hits such as “California Dreamin’” and “Monday, Monday." The edition will be limited to no more than 100 special instruments, and has an MSRP of $4,999.

The new Custom Artist Edition is a 14-fret dreadnought crafted of rare premium tonewoods. The top is made of Carpathian spruce, solid Madagascar rosewood on the back and sides, with a neck carved from genuine mahogany. An ebony head plate features The Mamas and The Papas’ silhouettes inlaid in solid mother of pearl directly above the nut. Each guitar is equipped with MSP7200 medium gauge phosphor bronze SP Lifespan strings.

The model is finished with a polished gloss lacquerwith a vintage-inspired aging toner and is protected in a Geib-style hard shell case with cabernet interior. Each of the limited edition custom guitars bears two interior labels; one label, signed by C. F. Martin IV and Michelle Phillips, the last surviving member of The Mamas and The Papas, bears a background motif inspired by the Roulette Records “Words of Love” single and theother label is a photograph by rock photographer Henry Diltz with the imprinted signatures of Cass Elliot, John Phillips and Denny Doherty. Each of the 100 limited edition instruments is numbered in sequence and will feature Martin Strings.

“I have guitar number one in my hands,” said Michelle Phillips, “and it is absolutely beautiful!”

In the Sixties, The Mamas and The Papas rose to stardom in the midst of the Southern California pop scene. The group’s sound combined great songwriting, unique arrangements and lush harmonies, but what set them apart from the other groups was the distinct blend of male and female voices. From 1965 through 1967, The Mamas and The Papas released six singles that hit the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and released four albums that reached top five of the Billboard 200.

Although the bandmates’ personal lives became increasing turbulent and the group disbanded after just four years, their influence on music has stood the test of time – they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and received a GRAMMY Hall of Fame Award in 2001. In 2003, “If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears” was ranked 127 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

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