C.F. Martin & Co. Custom Shop — Italian Alpine Spruce / Birdseye Maple — D-60 Style on an M(0000) Body

This Martin comes from C.F. Martin & Co.'s Custom Shop ordering program. The build sheet lists an Italian Alpine spruce top paired with Birdseye maple back and sides, appointments carried over from the D-60 Style package, and an M(0000) body with a 14-fret neck join. Unlike a catalog model, a Custom Shop order lets the buyer combine body shape, appointment level, and tonewoods freely — each one is a one-off, built to that specific order.

Martin's Custom Shop program allows a buyer to step outside the fixed catalog specs and apply one Style's appointment package — in this case D-60 Style, which includes Style 42 snowflake inlays and gold Waverly tuners — onto a different body size. This particular guitar pairs an M(0000) body with D-60-level appointments, then specifies Italian Alpine spruce and Birdseye maple, a tonewood combination not found on any standard catalog model — a genuinely personal set of build choices.

The M(0000) body sits between a Dreadnought and an 000/OM: more volume and low-end than an 000, with a faster response and more focused midrange than a Dreadnought. The 14-fret neck join, together with a 25.4" scale length, keeps single notes and chords in good proportion across the neck.

The top is solid Italian Alpine spruce, built with non-scalloped bracing (5/16"). This top has higher stiffness and a high volume ceiling; tone continues to open up with extended playing, and single notes stay well-defined even up the neck.

The back and sides are Birdseye maple, with a two-piece back. Maple is a low-damping tonewood — quick to respond, with relatively focused sustain — so the midrange stays uncolored and the tone leans clean and direct, with good separation between notes in a chord. The birdseye figure itself is also one of the rarer, more distinctive patterns found in maple.

Together, the Italian Alpine spruce top and Birdseye maple back and sides give this guitar both a wide dynamic range and a clean, articulate voice. Overtones don't pile up during fingerstyle playing, and individual strings stay clearly defined during strumming and flatpicking — well suited to a player who prioritizes clarity and separation over heavy low-end weight.

The appointments follow the D-60 Style package throughout: an ebony fingerboard with Style 42 snowflake inlays in blue paua, 2mm blue paua side dots, a double-ring pearl rosette with black purfling, Madagascar rosewood binding on top, back, and sides, a Madagascar rosewood headplate with the C.F. Martin script logo in blue paua, and gold Waverly 4072-G tuners with black pearloid buttons.

The guitar is fitted with a Fishman Ellipse Blend pickup system for plugged-in performance.

— Basic Info —
Brand: C.F. Martin & Co.
Style/Appointment: D-60 Style (Custom Shop order)
Body Size: M (0000)
Neck Join: 14th fret
Scale Length: 25.4"
Width at Nut: 1¾"
String Spacing at Bridge: 2¼"
Fingerboard Radius: 16"
Frets: 20 total (14 clear)
Construction: All-solid-wood steel-string, mahogany neck block, dovetail neck joint
Made In: Nazareth, Pennsylvania, USA
Build: C.F. Martin & Co. Custom Shop, made to order

— Tonewoods —
Top: Solid Italian Alpine Spruce
Top Braces: Sitka spruce, non-scalloped, 5/16"
Sides: Birdseye Maple
Back: Birdseye Maple (2-piece)
Body Binding: Madagascar Rosewood
Side Strips: East Indian Rosewood
Endpiece: Madagascar Rosewood with black Boltaron trim
Neck Block: Mahogany
Finish: Gloss/Clear

— Neck & Fingerboard —
Neck: Solid maple, 3-piece, with Madagascar rosewood center strip
Neck Shape: Low Profile
Nut: Bone
Fingerboard: Black Ebony
Fingerboard Inlay: Style 42 Snowflakes (blue paua)
Side Dots: 2mm blue paua pearl, at frets 3, 5, 7, 9, double dot at 12, 15, and 17
Headplate: Solid Madagascar rosewood
Headplate Inlay: C.F. Martin script logo, blue paua
Heelcap: Madagascar rosewood with black Boltaron
Truss Rod: Adjustable

— Bridge & Hardware —
Bridge: Black ebony, standard belly style
String Spacing: 2¼"
Saddle: 16" radius, compensated, bone
Bridge Pins: Black ebony with abalone pearl dots
Tuners: Gold Waverly 4072-G with black pearloid buttons
Strap Button: Gold

— Rosette & Trim —
Rosette: Double-ring pearl inlay with black purfling
Top Purfling: Black/white/black with blue paua pearl
Pickguard: Custom Shop special pickguard

— Electronics —
Pickup System: Fishman Ellipse Blend
End Pin: End pin jack with gold cap

— Included Accessories —
Strings: Martin MSP-3200 Medium, 80/20 bronze
Case: 640 molded hardshell case

— Tone Profile —
The Italian Alpine spruce top has high stiffness and a high volume ceiling — tone keeps opening up with extended play, and single notes stay clearly defined even in the upper register.

The Birdseye maple back and sides respond quickly with a focused, uncolored midrange, giving the guitar a clean, direct voice and good note separation within chords.

The M(0000) body balances both woods well — more volume than an 000/OM, faster response than a Dreadnought. Fingerstyle, flatpicking, and any playing style that values clarity and separation over low-end weight will show this guitar at its best.

— Condition —
This is a Custom Shop-built acoustic guitar. Please refer to the photos for the actual finish, neck, frets, and overall wear.