Based on Robinson's 1954 D-28 – which originally belonged to his late father, Stanley – Martin calls the Rich Robinson Custom Signature D-28 a “guitar player's dream." It features aged satin-finished East Indian rosewood for its back and sides with an aged Sitka spruce top, which itself is finished in a thin vintage gloss.
The guitar's build is completed by a series of '50s-style appointments, including Martin's traditional dovetail neck joint, authentic hide glue construction, an ebony fingerboard and bridge, and aged nickel tuners.
Elsewhere, it sports rearward-shifted non-scalloped bracing, which Martin says offers a “balanced tone and added volume." There's also a bridge with softened wings for additional comfort, while visual touches include a specially designed label signed by Robinson and numbered in sequence.
(Image credit: Martin)
Robinson has nicknamed his new signature model “the Appalachian” in homage to his father, who played in a band called the Appalachians in the '50s and '60s.
“This guitar, which was passed down to me from my father, is the instrument I learned to play guitar on,” the Black Crowes guitarist says. “It is the instrument on which I wrote our songs, and I played on every Black Crowes record.
“When Martin approached me about a signature model, I thought, what an amazing tribute to have for him. That's why I named it ‘the Appalachian’, a nod to my dad and his influence on me.”
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“When I play this guitar, it rings: it feels incredibly accurate, so close to the original,” the guitarist continues. “I wanted to make sure it had the same tuners, the same style of neck, and the same bridge. The way that it sings, the way that it all presents itself, it's just phenomenal, and I couldn't be happier with it.”
The Rich Robinson Custom Signature D-28's official launch date has not yet been announced, however we can reveal that it'll retail for $6,999. For more info, head to Martin.
Be sure to head to our NAMM 2022 hub, too, for all the latest news, rumors and predictions from this year's gear extravaganza.
Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
