Introduction
Martin Guitars has been crafting acoustic instruments since 1833, establishing themselves as one of the most legendary and respected guitar makers worldwide. Their "dreadnought" and "orchestra model" (OM) body shapes have become industry standards.
The OM-42 model in particular has reached an iconic status since its introduction in 1934. With its sleek, comfortable body shape and incredible tonewood combination, the OM-42 delivers the acclaimed Martin sound that has made the brand a favorite among musicians for generations.
Featuring a Sitka spruce top and East Indian rosewood back and sides, the OM-42 produces a rich, complex tone perfect for fingerpicking and strumming. Its vintage-inspired appointments like abalone inlays and polished gloss finish give it a timeless elegance befitting its legacy.
For nearly a century, the OM-42 has been a premier acoustic model that exemplifies Martin’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Its balance of playability, versatility, and beauty cements its reputation as one of the most beloved acoustic guitars ever made.
Martin OM-42 Specifications
The Martin OM-42 is built with premium tonewoods and has a comfortable playing feel. It features a Sitka spruce top with East Indian rosewood back and sides, which provide a balanced and articulate tone.
The OM-42 has Martin’s signature Orchestra Model body shape with a 25.4" scale length. It uses scalloped X-bracing for optimal resonance. The neck is constructed from solid mahogany with a modified low oval profile that is comfortable for most playing styles.
Appointments include abalone pearl inlays in the fingerboard, headstock, and rosette. The OM-42 has a high-gloss polished finish and vintage-inspired aesthetics like open-gear tuners and a slotted headstock.
Electronics options include the Fishman Matrix VT Enhance system, which combines an undersaddle pickup with a condenser mic for amplified performance situations. This allows players to mix the mic and pickup sound to best capture the natural acoustic tone.
The all-solid-wood construction, comfortable neck profile, and premium appointments make the OM-42 feel like a high-end instrument that will last for many years.
Sound and Tone
The Martin OM-42 produces a beautifully balanced and articulate tone. The combination of solid Sitka spruce on top and figured East Indian rosewood back and sides gives the OM-42 excellent dynamic range.
The spruce top provides crisp, detailed highs with complex overtones. Strummed chords ring out with clarity and definition. At the same time, the rosewood back and sides offer a refined bass response and rich, warm midrange. Complex fingerstyle passages sound full and resonant across all registers of the guitar.
The OM-42 excels at light to medium strumming, particularly when played with the fingers. The articulate highs allow each individual note to be heard within a strumming pattern. When played with a pick, the OM-42 retains its balance and refinement. The midrange warmth helps to tame the bright attack of a flatpick.
For solo, fingerstyle playing, the OM-42 provides excellent note separation and sustain. The rosewood and spruce combination creates a broad, pianistic tone. Bass notes are focused yet deep, while high notes have shimmer and complexity. The OM-42 is highly responsive to dynamic playing, with excellent bloom as notes decay.
Overall, the OM-42 offers a versatile, refined tone. It’s articulate and balanced across the tonal spectrum, with excellent projection suitable for stage use. The sparkling highs, rich lows and complex overtones make the OM-42 a great choice for studio work as well. It captures subtle playing nuances, making it an ideal acoustic for singer-songwriters and fingerstyle players.
Playability
The OM-42’s modified low oval neck shape provides a comfortable and familiar feel for most players. It has a slim profile that doesn’t feel too chunky or too thin. The neck tapers in thickness as you move up towards the body, making it easy to grip chords and play lead lines higher up on the fretboard.
The action on the OM-42 is typically set up low and fast by the Martin factory, optimized for fingerstyle playing. It has a very playable feel right out of the case with minimal buzzing. The nut width is 1 11/16", wide enough for fingerpicking but not too wide for chord work.
The neck joint allows excellent upper fret access, aided by the OM body shape’s compact proportions. It’s easy to reach the higher registers thanks to the slick satin finish on the neck, and the cutaway provides unfettered access to the upper frets. Bending notes and reaching for vibratos feels smooth and comfortable even when soloing in the 15th-20th frets.
Build Quality
The OM-42 is crafted by hand at Martin’s factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania with meticulous attention to detail. Each guitar goes through over 100 individual steps to produce the refined fit, finish, and tone that Martin is renowned for.
The solid Sitka spruce top is hand-selected and carved for optimal resonance. It is braced in the scalloped X pattern that flexes to amplify vibrations. The mahogany neck is shaped to Martin’s modified low oval profile that feels smooth and comfortable. The ebony fretboard and bridge are cut and fitted with precision.
The back and sides are constructed from solid East Indian rosewood. The two-piece back is bookmatched so the wood grain forms a symmetrical pattern. The wood is bend and shaped using heat and pressure to form the classic OM curves. The rosette and top inlay are abalone and mother-of-pearl in an intricate floral motif. The body binding and fretboard inlays are immaculately set against the woods.
Every detail of the OM-42 is crafted to the highest degree. The neck is set at Martin’s patented mortise and tenon neck joint for stability and sustain. The nut and saddle are bone for crisp and balanced tones. High-end Gotoh nickel tuners keep the guitar in tune through changes in humidity and temperature. From the rich gloss nitrocellulose finish to the polished chrome logo script, everything is executed to Martin’s exacting standards.
Martin OM-42 vs Other Models
The OM-42 stands apart from other Orchestra Model guitars, including Martin’s own OM-28 and OM-21, in several notable ways.
Compared to the OM-28, the OM-42 features premium tonewoods like East Indian rosewood back and sides (vs rosewood on the 28), a three-piece mahogany neck (vs two-piece), and more ornate appointments like abalone pearl inlays and gloss finish (vs simpler appointments on the 28). This accounts for the OM-42’s richer, more complex tone and its higher price point.
The OM-21 is Martin’s entry-level OM, with plainer cosmetics and an all-solid wood construction using sapele rather than rosewood or mahogany. While the OM-21 has an excellent price-to-performance ratio, the OM-42 offers superior woods, craftsmanship, and tone that many discerning players will appreciate.
Beyond Martin, the OM-42 stands apart from other major brands’ OM-style guitars like the Taylor 814ce and Gibson Hummingbird. The Taylor offers modern playability and electronics but can’t match the OM-42’s warmth and vintage vibe. The Gibson has a wider neck and heavier build while the Martin OM-42 excels at balance and comfort. Overall, nothing quite compares to the OM-42 in terms of its iconic styling, rich sound, and exemplary craftsmanship.
Variants and Limited Editions
The Martin OM-42 comes in a natural gloss finish as standard, but Martin has released a number of special variants and limited editions over the years.
One of the most popular alternate versions is the OM-42 Sunburst. This model features a shaded edgeburst finish that transitions from black around the edges to a lighter amber color in the center. The sunburst OM-42 provides a vintage look while retaining the same tonewoods and appointments as the natural model.
Martin’s Custom Shop has also produced one-off and small batch OM-42s with upgraded features like aged toner, torrefied spruce tops, hybrid bracing patterns, and exotic tonewoods like koa and Brazilian rosewood. These custom models can push the price up to $10,000 and beyond.
Additionally, Martin has created OM-42 Artist Edition models honoring legendary players. These include special inlay designs, personalized appointments, vintage style open geared tuners, and other custom touches.
Over its history starting in 1930, the OM-42 has seen many limited production runs. Highly collectible vintage OM-42s from the 1940s and 1950s can fetch $15,000-$30,000 at auction. More recent anniversary and commemorative models sell quickly amongst collectors as well.
The OM-42 has remained a staple in Martin’s lineup for nearly a century, with many variants that make each example unique while retaining the model’s iconic design and sound.
Who the Martin OM-42 is Best Suited For
The Martin OM-42 is an excellent choice for certain playing styles and genres where its balanced tone and high-end craftsmanship shine.
Playing Styles
With its comfortable neck, low action, and articulate tone, the OM-42 really excels as a fingerstyle guitar. The dynamic range allows for alternating between soft, warm tones and brighter, punchier notes depending on your attack. The focused low-midrange provides a solid foundation for fingerstyle accompaniment while the strong mids and treble allow melodies to sing out clearly.
The OM-42 can also handle light to medium strumming well. Its balanced response and quality construction prevent it from sounding too muddy when strummed with a pick. The crisp treble notes help chords retain their tonality and prevent them from blending together too much. However, heavy strummers may find the OM-42 too refined and may prefer something built for aggressive playing.
Genres
The OM-42’s vintage vibe and balanced, warm tone make it a great fit for genres like folk, country, blues, and classic rock. The crisp treble allows individual notes to come through clearly while the strong low-end provides a pleasing resonance on held chords. Its refined voice prevents it from being too boomy when used with a band.
Some players also find the OM-42 to be an excellent acoustic for jazz, especially when playing chord-melody style. It has the warm, round lows for comping combined with the definition and note separation required for complex jazz chords and walking basslines. The comfortable neck and low action facilitate quick chord changes and single-note runs.
The OM-42 can work for many other genres as well but may not be the first choice for hard rock, metal, or aggressive strummers. Its premium build quality makes it more of a specialized instrument suited for experienced players.
Value and Price
The Martin OM-42 typically sells for $5,000 – $6,500 brand new directly from Martin’s authorized dealers. This positions the OM-42 firmly in the upper echelons of Martin’s acoustic lineup, making it one of their most expensive non-custom shop models.
On the used market, prices for the OM-42 generally range between $2,500 – $4,000 depending on the age and condition of the instrument. Well-maintained examples from the 2000s in excellent condition tend to hold their value very well on the used market.
Vintage OM-42 models from the 1960s and earlier can fetch upwards of $6,000 – $10,000, sometimes more depending on their collectability, condition, and provenance. These older models have risen sharply in value in recent decades as investment-grade acoustic guitars.
Given the OM-42’s exceptional tonewoods, meticulous craftsmanship, and reputation as one of Martin’s flagship orchestra models, most owners consider it well worth the premium investment. It’s the type of instrument that can be passed down for generations when properly cared for.
The OM-42 is likely to either retain or increase its value over time due to ongoing demand from fingerstyle players, collectors, and Americana musicians seeking top-tier, professional-grade acoustic guitars. With proper maintenance and care, the OM-42 makes for an excellent long-term investment.
Conclusion
The Martin OM-42 is truly a legendary acoustic guitar that lives up to its iconic status. Throughout this review, we’ve covered the key factors that make this model so revered among players.
To summarize, the OM-42 delivers an exceptional combination of rich, balanced tone and easy playability. The tonewood combination of a Sitka spruce top with East Indian rosewood back and sides produces a warm, articulate sound with excellent clarity and sustain. Whether played with a pick or just fingers, the OM-42 is highly responsive while retaining the refined sound Martin is known for.
The modified low oval neck has a comfortable feel and provides easy access to the upper frets. The light body weight and precise setup also enhance the OM-42’s playability. Visually, the abalone inlays, high-gloss finish, and vintage appointments give the OM-42 a timeless elegance befitting its legacy.
Of course, the OM-42 carries a premium price tag due to the masterful hand-craftsmanship in Martin’s US factory. For those seeking the very best in an Orchestra-sized acoustic, with the tone, playability, and aesthetics that define the Martin brand, the OM-42 is absolutely worth the investment. Its exceptional quality ensures it will retain its value and become a family heirloom.
In closing, the Martin OM-42 lives up to its reputation as one of the finest acoustic guitars ever made. For fingerstyle players, collectors, and any guitarist with an appreciation for the history and mystique of the instrument, it’s a true classic that belongs on the shortlist. The OM-42 is nothing short of a masterpiece that will satisfy players for generations to come.