A Hand-signed Monument to Eric Clapton’s Unplugged 000-42
Strictly limited to 300 models and wearing a label signed by Eric Clapton himself, Martin’s 000-42EC 30th Anniversary pays tribute to Eric and Martin’s 30-year 6-string partnership — formed in large part due to the unprecedented success of Eric’s 1992 Unplugged performance, where he wielded an original 1939 000-42. Like that instrument, this guitar boasts a premium Adirondack spruce top and scalloped X-bracing that resounds with unmatched projection and authority. Glorious Guatemalan rosewood fills out this guitar’s genre-defying 000-size profile, singing with exquisite overtones, articulate highs, and a formidable low-end thump. As for the neck, this guitar wears a genuine mahogany foundation that’s carved into an Authentic 1939 profile, topped with a glassy ebony fingerboard, and finished with GE 42 Snowflake inlays. Topside, the 000-42EC mirrors its Unplugged inspiration with an awe-inspiring inlaid pearl perimeter and a pearl rosette. Topped off with Waverly Relic open-gear tuners, a slightly slimmed-down 1.6875-inch nut width, and a classic 24.9-inch scale length to help you nail those “Layla” bends, the Martin 000-42EC Eric Clapton 30th Anniversary is sure to go down in guitar history as a true collector-grade classic — just like the original 461 Eric Clapton–signature models that kicked off Eric and Martin’s collaboration three decades ago.
From Unplugged to ubiquity
From cementing the very foundations of rock guitar with John Mayall and Cream to Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos, and his extensive solo career, Eric Clapton has worn many hats in his incalculably influential musical career. The vast majority of this work was cut on a roaring electric guitar, yet Eric traded in his high-power amp stacks and solidbody 6-strings in 1992 for a vintage 1939 Martin 000-42 to record his intimate Unplugged album at MTV studios. The session was a smash hit, helping revitalize Eric Clapton’s career and eventually becoming the highest-selling live album of all time.
The unprecedented success of Unplugged naturally drew the eyes and envy of guitarists everywhere to Eric’s vintage Martin — a model that had been discontinued decades ago. Martin was quick to the punch, teaming up with Eric to release 461 Eric Clapton–signature guitars in 1995 in tribute to Eric’s mid-1970s opus 461 Ocean Boulevard. The model was dubbed the 000-42EC, selling out nearly instantly. Thirty years later, Eric and Martin’s partnership is still going strong, with this 000-42EC Eric Clapton 30th Anniversary model paying tribute to one of the most successful artist collaborations in 6-string history.
A nod to the age of Adirondack
Long before Sitka spruce rose to prominence, Adirondack spruce ruled the steel-string world as the de facto standard top wood in the first half of the 20th century. It’s a tonewood that’s integral to the formula that’s elevated prewar Martins to an almost mythical status — it’s not uncommon to find pre-1942 Martins commanding prices over six figures! To replicate that legendary sound, the limited-edition 000-42EC Eric Clapton 30th Anniversary boasts its own stunning slab of Adirondack spruce, which sings with a clear, crisp character, exceptional projection, and unmatched headroom.
Gorgeous Guatemalan rosewood body
Brazilian rosewood was Martin’s high-end body wood of choice in its prewar era all the way up to the late 1960s when harvesting the timber was made illegal due to its highly endangered status. So, while Eric’s original Unplugged 000-42 would have been crafted with Brazilian rosewood, the modern Martin 000-42EC 30th Anniversary sports a top-of-the-line tonewood that many of City Music’s tonewood connoisseurs believe to be that lauded timber’s equal: Guatemalan rosewood. Coupled with the Adirondack spruce top, this guitar’s Guatemalan rosewood back and sides resound with lush overtones, a chiming high end, and deep, rich bass that belies the modest 000-size form factor.
Well-balanced 000 body shape
Smaller than a dreadnought but by no means a “parlor guitar,” Martin’s 000 body shape is a true 6-string Swiss Army knife, tackling everything from singer/songwriter strumming duties to melodic fingerstyle without batting an eye. Martin fans champion this shape for its exceptional string-to-string balance and comfortable playability — a byproduct of the 000’s slightly reduced 24.9-inch scale length. All in all, the 000 body shape is an ideal choice for guitarists who clamor for full-bodied Martin tone in a more comfortable, balanced-sounding package.
Martin 000-42EC 30th Anniversary Features:
Extremely limited-edition model, celebrating 30 years of collaboration between Martin and Eric Clapton
300 models available worldwide, with each guitar featuring a label hand-signed by Eric Clapton himself
Adirondack spruce top with scalloped X-bracing dishes out serious power and projection, with a crisp top-end definition
Guatemalan rosewood back and sides authentically capture the sound and looks of traditional Brazilian rosewood
000-size body provides a balanced tone that’s well suited to take on almost any 6-string application
Genuine mahogany neck in a 1939 Authentic profile that’s based on Eric’s Unplugged vintage Martin
Ebony fingerboard laden with eye-catching GE 42 Snowflake inlays
Slightly slimmed-down 1.6875-in. nut width, as per Eric’s preferences
An awe-inspiring inlaid pearl perimeter and a pearl rosette
Classic 000-style 24.9-in. scale length offers a slinkier feel for easy bending
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