Heel

Mexican rosewood. Hand-made Roch guitar from Salt Spring Island, BC.

Didja know:
There are probably more myths about the Martin Guitar Company than about all the other acoustic guitar makers in North America combined. Mike Longworth, Martin's historian and public relations man for almost 30 years, once said: "Pick any year you like, and that's when Martin either had a fire or the company was bought out by the Japanese, or both." The worst fire at Martin only scorched one or two guitar bodies. Most of the "best wood lost in a fire" myths are a result of Martin's switch from Brazilian rosewood to east Indian rosewood in 1969, but this change had nothing to do with a fire.