C. F. Martin & Co. Launches the Bentley Snowflake First Edition Custom Guitar
The elegant, limited-edition model was inspired by the photography of Wilson A. Bentley.
LEHIGH VALLEY, PA, Monday, November 1, 2021...C. F. Martin & Co. announced today the release of the first edition run of a Custom Shop instrument featuring alternative snowflake designs inspired by Wilson A. Bentley, the “Ansel Adams” of snowflakes.
Wilson A. Bentley is acknowledged as the first person to successfully photograph a single snow crystal in 1885 with a technique known as photomicrography. His singular book was published in 1931, with work subsequently published in Scientific American and National Geographic. Bentley was the first man to state that “no two snowflakes are alike.”
The Jericho Historical Society – custodian of an important image and document archive – has granted Martin exclusive rights to use Bentley’s snowflake images for the creation of unique inlay packages. While the “snowflake inlay pattern” has been used at Martin Guitar for generations, the silhouette has been largely unchanged until now.
This agreement with the Jericho Historical Society allowed the Martin Custom Shop to specially select images from the Bentley Archives as inspiration to create new snowflake inlay patterns on the headplate, fingerboard, heel, pickguard, and bridge of the 2022 edition of this model. The 2022 snowflake inlay design package will be utilized only for this limited run of instruments, after which it will be retired. The agreement also allows for a fresh inlay design package to be developed periodically, in limited quantities, and then similarly retired. This is a dream instrument for the avid Martin collector.
“Just as C. F. Martin occupies a special place in the history of a growing America, so, too, does the pioneering technique and passion of Wilson Bentley,” said Scott Sasser, Director of Custom Shop Administration. “We alone have the opportunity to offer a unique story behind a very exclusive limited-edition instrument.” You can read the full story here: www.martinguitar.com/Bentley.
The Bentley Snowflake First Edition is crafted with stunning Madagascar rosewood for the back and sides paired with a Sitka spruce top. The combination produces a warm and articulate tone, so you can be sure this guitar will sound as amazing as it looks. Each guitar purchased comes with a crystal glass snowflake presentation piece that will be shipped to the owner upon registering the guitar for warranty.
For more information on the Bentley Snowflake First Edition, please visit www.martinguitar.com.
ABOUT MARTIN GUITAR
C. F. Martin & Co.® has been Inspiring Musicians Worldwide® for nearly two centuries with their superior guitar, ukulele, and string products. Martin remains the choice for musicians around the world for their unrivaled quality, craftsmanship, and tone. Throughout the company's long history, Martin products can be seen and heard across all genres of music and in all segments of pop culture, from concert and theater stages to television and movies.
With an unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible manufacturing practices, Martin continually drives the acoustic guitar market forward, introducing innovative features that have become standards across the industry. These groundbreaking innovations include the introduction of X-bracing, the 14-fret guitar, and the "Dreadnought" size guitar.
Martin has also led innovations in strings, such as introducing the first high-tensile strength steel-string core wire; the first nickel acoustic strings (Martin Retro®); the proprietary Titanium Core strings; and now the groundbreaking, new Authentic Acoustic line, which offers unmatched stability, tone, comfort, and longevity. Learn more here: www.martinguitar.com/aa.
About Wilson A. Bentley (1865 – 1931):
Wilson A. Bentley is acknowledged as the first person to successfully photograph a single snow crystal (1885) with a technique known as a photomicrograph. His singular book was published in 1931, with work subsequently published in Scientific American and National Geographic. Bentley came from humble circumstances – a small, hard-working farm family with modest means – and lived an equally humble life. His family made sacrifices to help support his passion for photography – a hobby regarded as a luxury of the age. He lived in relative obscurity until the chance publication of his photographic collection and unfortunate death in 1931. He never got rich, never married, and left no direct descendants. He did, however, leave behind a brilliant collection of weather-related photographs, pioneering meteorological photography, and atmospheric observation recording techniques still in use today.
About the Jericho Historical Society
As custodian of a comprehensive collection of original photography and artifacts, the Jericho Historical Society maintains the Old Red Mill and Bentley Exhibit in Jericho, Vermont. Their dedication to this acknowledged, yet often overlooked, contributor to a wealth of Americana is important on cultural, artistic, and scientific levels. We kindly encourage anyone who shares our passion for artistry and creativity to personally visit the Old Red Mill and Bentley Exhibit located at 4A Red Mill Drive, Jericho, Vermont 05465 – or online at Snowflakebentley.com – to further your knowledge and support their preservation efforts
