This Maple Holl Owbody electric guitar has mesmerized me for years — not just this model but this very guitar. It’s been hanging in the vintage vault at Guitar Showcase, one of my favorite haunts in San Jose, California. I was always curious why Martin, one of the oldest and most respected acoustic guitar builders in the world, could not successfully break into the market for electric guitars. I figured there must be something terribly wrong with the company’s approach to designing and building them. So when I borrowed this GT-75 to write about it, I was expecting to give it a lackluster review and brusquely toss it into the proverbial pile of unsuccessful builds from the 1960s guitar boom. Boy howdy, was I wrong! This axe is just plain off-the-hook awesome. I’m gobsmacked!
WEIRDO FACTOR
The only unusual thing about this guitar is that it is a Martin electric from the 1960s and has stayed relatively unknown since its introduction in 1966, more than five decades ago. Its shape is rather elegant, with easy, understated flowing lines. The upper cutaways remind me of Lauren Bacall’s shoulders, particularly if she were wearing a tuxedo. But except for the immortal Skip Spence from the amazing ’60s San Francisco psychedelic band Moby Grape, no guitarist of any real note is known for playing one of these sweethearts, which is probably why the GT-75 was destined for obscurity. Martin stopped production of the guitar in October 1968, less than two years after it made its debut.
PLAYABILITY & S OUND
To start with, it plays wonderfully. The 22-fret mahogany neck with Brazilian rosewood fingerboard is super friendly. The neck is slim, the action is low, and the feel is all quality. This is not a guitar you have to wrestle. The