In 2011, a turning point appeared for the small custom guitar maker, Mario Martin . The Guitar Mill Custom Shop became known under the new brand Mario Martin Guitars® – replacing the former headstock logo with current “MM” inscription. The re-branding occurred when Mario felt the need to more closely associated with his product, thus naming it after himself.
“We actually build and finish everythi
ng in-house,” boasts Mario, “We’re doing our own finishing, bodies, necks, assembly, repair, restoration – if it can be done to a guitar, chances are we can do it.”
Mario Guitars® has been hailed for their superior playability, unmatched resonance and prolonged sustain. Many Mario guitars are the lightest guitars of their style, one of the major woods used is Paulownia, which is known for being incredibly lightweight while also maintaining sustain. Mario’s custom finishes and relicing work have been sited by many to be some of the best in this field. Mario Guitars® have been reviewed by Premier Guitar, Guitar Player, Destroy All Guitars, and have made appearance’s at Nashville’s NAMM showcase in ’09 and ’11. In 2011, Country-Star Hunter Hayes started playing Mario Guitars almost exclusively; Hayes now owns four Mario Guitars®, one of which he played in his musical appearance in the 2014 Grammy Awards.
