1985 Martin J-40M + OHSC

Financial conditions are forcing me to say goodbye to an old friend and travel companion. This Martin J-40M guitar has been with me on stages in L.A., Nashville, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and numerous other major cities. I have written some of my best songs and recorded a couple of albums with it.

But, alas, it hardly gets played anymore. I have another, smaller Martin that I play more often, not least because I’m not that tall, and this guitar is…well…Jumbo. It’s easy to play standing up, but less comfortable to play while chilling on the couch when you’re 5’7”.

The Jumbo designation also seems to refer to its sound. In my 35+ years of playing guitar, I have never heard any acoustic guitar with a sound as full and big as this one. The big body and Indian rosewood back and sides give this guitar access to bottom frequencies unobtainable on many other guitars. The lowest strings can be downright boomy, while the Sitka spruce top makes the lightest strings sing, with beautiful harmonics almost ad infinitum

In the studio, in front of the right microphone, it sounds like the very idea of an acoustic guitar, and the frequency range it provides is so wide that you will often need to subdue it in the mix to make room for other instruments.

The serial code is 459969, confirming that the guitar was made in 1985.

The guitar is all original, except for the under-saddle Piezo pickup that has been installed, with the output jack in the bottom strap knob. Also, the white binder cap for the back of where the neck meets the body is missing.

Given that this Martin J-40M has been an actual workhorse out on the world’s stages, it does have a few dents and scratches. These should all be visible on the images if you Zoom in, so take a close look. None of them are more than superficial, though. It comes with its original Martin hard shell case (see photos).

Lots of memories with this big guy. It deserves to be played, and right now, it’s mostly just part of the décor at my house. I hope someone else will be able to make more, new memories with it.