Helen Ibe advances to semifinals of the Martin No Limits Challenge

This week, Martin – in partnership with Guitar World – kicked off the first round of its No Limits Challenge competition. 

The first quarterfinal round of the competition – which sees eight guitarists face off against one another, covering tunes you wouldn't normally associate with an acoustic using a Martin SC model – saw Ruben Wan and Helen Ibe take on a pair of funk/R&B classics.

Wan put an acoustic spin on Destiny's Child's Say My Name, while Ibe took a swing at David Bowie's Fame.

We asked Guitar World's readers – with the help of GW's editors – to weigh in, and vote for their favorite of the two covers. Both were fantastic, but in the end, Helen Ibe's ultra-funky take on Fame won the day, and advanced her to the semifinal round.

Each round of the competition revolves around two guitarists covering classics of a certain genre. The other three quarterfinals are '80s rock, '90s rock and classic rock-themed, respectively. There will be two genre-based face-offs in the semifinals, and the winners of those, of course, will advance to the finals. 

Be sure to check back on Monday to watch the next quarterfinal match-up, which will see RJ Ronquillo and Colin Scott tackle a pair of classic rock standards.