Martin Molly Tuttle: Two Signature Guitars for the Bluegrass Legend!
A classy D-18 and an affordable D-X2E!
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Martin Molly Tuttle D-18 and Molly Tuttle D-X2E: Martin is releasing these two acoustic guitars at NAMM in collaboration with bluegrass and Americana artist Molly Tuttle. The multiple Grammy winner has developed into one of the most important and influential musicians in bluegrass over the last ten years. Two signature models are only logical.
Molly Tuttle in a Nutshell
Bluegrass and Americana are a bit of a peculiar thing in Europe. On the one hand, there is a not-so-small, very passionate fan base. On the other hand, this genre seems to exist far away from the mainstream, radio stations, and playlists. But anyone who has listened to even a little bit of new bluegrass music from the last ten years will have come across Molly Tuttle. And for our US readers, Molly will surely be a household name.
Not only did she become the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association’s “Guitar Player of the Year” award in 2017, but she also won it again the following year and was also named the Americana Music Association’s Instrumentalist of the Year.
And she was only in her early 20s. This was followed by Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, a category virtually reserved for pop and hip-hop, as well as Grammy Awards in 2022 and 2023 for Best Bluegrass Album with her band Golden Highway.
Martin Molly Tuttle D-18
Let’s start with the Martin Molly Tuttle D-18, which is obviously based on a D-18. This model was inspired by Molly’s own D-18 from 1943. The signature acoustic guitar has been optimized in detail to suit Molly’s playing style, flatpicking. The mahogany neck features an authentic 1941 profile, developed specifically for flatpicking at the time.
The solid mahogany back and sides, and the solid spruce top, remain the same, but the bracing has been changed to scalloped, rear-shifted bracing. This is another optimization for the often very dynamic flatpicking style. Above all, however, the nut width differs from that of an original D-18: 1.69 inches instead of 1.75 inches, resulting in narrower string spacing.
But the Martin Molly Tuttle D-18 has also been modified visually in line with Molly’s wishes. In addition to the vintage sunburst finish, the “Moon Phase” inlays immediately catch the eye. As for the other components, the D-18 Molly Tuttle offers high-quality standard features: 20 frets, a bone saddle, an ebony bridge with a bone saddle insert, and open nickel tuners.
Thomann offers one model for right-handed players* and one for left-handed players*, each priced at €5,699. A case is included.
D-2XE Molly Tuttle
If you don’t necessarily need a high-end Martin Molly Tuttle D-18, there is also the more compact and affordable D-2XE Molly Tuttle. Visually, this model is very similar to the D-18. Here, too, the “Moon Phase” inlays, which depict the course of a lunar phase, are a visual highlight.
Also, for the first time in the X series, we get a model with a 1940s neck profile and a narrow nut width (42.9 mm). This combines modern design with a timeless vintage character. As with the standard X series models, this acoustic guitar also comes with a Martin E1 pickup system.
Thomann also offers a model for right-handed players* and one for left-handed players*, each priced at €1,359.00. A soft light case is included.
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