Martin HD-16R Adirondack

Full Description

A divine tonewood duo

East Indian rosewood and Adirondack spruce. A truly exquisite tonewood combination. Crafted from rosewood, the back and sides of the HD-16R offer a beautifully rich tone, embellished with brightness and sparkling clarity. Fingerpick, strum, and deliver crystal-clear, pitch-perfect solos - rosewood's response is even across the whole frequency range, giving you a wonderfully consistent sound. Its dark and complex resonance creates a beautiful undercurrent to a full-bodied tone, whilst a certain amount of 'zing' gives it that sharpness needed for excellent definition. All of these tonal qualities, as well as its sturdiness and reliability, make rosewood a popular choice for acoustic guitars. So, you know it’s a trustworthy feature.

Complementing the back and sides is another reliable tonewood - the Adirondack spruce top. Adirondack, in particular, has a superbly broad dynamic range, even wider than that of Sitka. This makes it perfect for any gigging musician who needs good sound projection as it can be driven to deliver tremendous volume free of distortion. Its sweet, crisp articulation makes the world of difference for a range of playing styles whilst its balanced tone gives it a huge amount of versatility. For a beautiful, clear tone in which every single note rings out with glistening definition, spruce does not disappoint. And its combination with rosewood enhances such sparkling clarity even more, resulting in a simply glorious acoustic sound.

Smooth, flawless fretting

The divine properties of the HD-16R extend from the body and travel up the select hardwood neck; so you can be sure that every single part you touch will be filled with practical and tonal attributes waiting for you to explore. A select hardwood neck is a welcomed feature for any avid guitarist as such strength is needed for the thinnest part of the guitar. But the showstopper really is the ebony fretboard attached on top. It is what makes this guitar stand out from others out there. Not only is its naturally shaded colour visually striking, but it also brings a wealth of characteristics that make playing this guitar a sublime experience. Ebony's high oil content gives it a smooth and fast finish, lending itself to quick and immaculate fretting techniques. Its high level of durability also means it can handle the frequent attack of your fingertips without wearing away. Whether it’s a simple guitar practice session at home or a sold-out gig with an awestruck crowd, the ebony fretboard promises to thrive and deliver.

Now onto the more enticing attributes of ebony... its stunning sonic capabilities. Ebony is an extremely responsive tonewood that offers a beautifully bright sound, making it a gorgeous accompaniment to rosewood and spruce. Project your music with purpose and brilliant volume, ebony's snappy and crisp attack ensures that every single note cuts through the mix astonishingly well, leaving nothing unheard. This exquisite sound produced by a high-quality tonewood is exactly what acoustic players look for and the HD-16R Adirondack delivers it with pure excellence.

Stability and durability

In order to deliver an exceptional, clear tone and sustain a comfortable playing experience, it is important to have a sturdy and durable structure. The HD-16R provides the utmost stability from the inside. Within the spruce and rosewood body there is scalloped X-bracing which offers robustness and resonance. The scalloped shape of the bracing means parts have been scooped out, allowing the spruce top to vibrate freely and this results in a more dynamic sound that retains structural reliability. Scalloped bracing is an enticing feature, particularly on Martin guitars as it takes us back to their "Golden Era" when all their steel-string guitars featured this sturdy and resonant brace shape. Such instruments are still held with such high regard now, and so you can trust that the HD-16R has been constructed with history, experience, and an abundance of knowledge behind it.

The benefits of such an innovative brace do not stop there. An X-bracing pattern offers an exceptionally sturdy structure that accommodates high-tension steel strings. Tune up and play without worrying about any potential guitar body tragedies, X-bracing is strong enough to withstand any amount of pressure.

Striking appearance

If you're going to play an instrument that encompasses so much sonic and practical magnificence, then you'll want it to have an aesthetic to match. The Martin HD-16R Adirondack showcases pure simplicity in its traditional, classic design. The Adirondack spruce top is typically associated with guitars of the pre-WWII era, so you know you'll be playing with history behind you. Embellished with subtle details such as a tortoise patterned pickguard and style 28 multi-stripe soundhole rosette, the HD-16R displays the natural colours and qualities of each wood to their full potential, allowing them to shine with a gorgeous gloss finish. And to preserve its divine construction and sound, a ply hardshell case is included, making travelling less of a plight. Prepare to deliver an unforgettable set.

Specifications

Body & Bridge

• Top Material: Adirondack Spruce
• Body Material: East Indian Rosewood
• Body Shape: Dreadnought
• Bridge Material: Ebony
• Bridge Pin Material: White Plastic
• Bridge Style: 1 Style Belly
• Bridge String Spacing: 2 1/4''
• Saddle: Compensated White Tusq
• Saddle Radius: 16''
• Bracing Pattern: X-Brace
• Brace Shape: Scalloped
• Brace Material: Adirondack Spruce
• Brace Size: 5/16" With 1/4" Tone Bars
• Rosette: Style 28 Multi-Stripe

Neck & Fingerboard

• Neck Material: Select Hardwood
• Neck Shape: Modified V
• Neck Taper: Standard Taper
• Neck Finish: Satin
• Neck Joins Body At: 14th Fret
• Number of Frets: 20
• Fingerboard Material: Ebony
• Fingerboard Inlay Material: Abalone
• Fingerboard Inlay Style: Diamonds & Squares Long Pattern
• Fingerboard Width at Nut: 1 3/4"
• Nut Material: White Corian
• Headstock Shape: Solid With Standard Taper & Diamond
• Headplate Material: East Indian Rosewood
• Headplate Logo Style: Script Overlay
• Scale Length: 25.4''

Hardware

• Tuning Machines: Chrome Enclosed Gear
• Knob: Large
• Pickguard: Tortoise Pattern
• Case: Ply Hardshell