Martin GPC-X2E Macassar Grand Performance Electro Acoustic

Martin GPC-X2E Macassar Grand Performance Electro Acoustic Overview

Martin guitars have a unique, piano-like tone revered by musicians and music lovers all over the world. The X bracing patterns and quality tonewoods employed contribute to the complexity and richness of tone.

Over time the company has found ways to offer the “Martin sound” and feel for a lesser price and accommodate the entry-level/immediate player. Each series has a typical player and function in mind. This is accomplished by stripping down the features and cosmetics featured on Re-Imagined Standard series models, leaving the essential Martin build, giving you the classic and characteristic tone revered around the world.

Long ago Martin & Co. developed the bracing pattern that made the development of the steel-strung guitar more possible. The bracing pattern invented by Martin and adapted throughout the industry was the famous X brace. X bracing is characterised by a certain complexity of tone.

Martin & Co. introduced the Grand Performance body shape in response to the rising popularity of medium sized guitars which have a ‘Goldilocks’ character- i.e.not too big or small.This is a body size that accommodates strong picking but is not as bass dominant as a dreadnought. While its design may bear resemblance to certain other popular shapes on the market, the bodylines are pleasingly square and fit Martin’s profile so well it feels like it’s always been an option.

Under the hood, the scalloped Martin X bracing delivers the strong, piano like sound that helped define the steel strung guitar in 20th century music and still does today. The GPC-X2E Macassar sports a solid sapele top with a rosewood-effect HPL back and sides.
Sapele is now commonly used as an alternative to mahogany and belongs to the same family. It is often slightly darker in (visual) tone, but confers similar acoustical properties as mahogany. It sounds very sweet, a little quieter than sprucewood, responsive to a lighter touch and blending really well with other acoustic instruments. It also has a natural compression.

The scale length is 25.4 inches. This is called ‘long scale’. Long scale lengths cause the strings to be under a higher tension at concert pitch. This means a louder, more powerful sound, fizzing with harmonic overtones

The nut width is a broad 1 and ¾ inches, allowing a little more space for fingering and picking.
A 1 and ¾ nut width is important for fingerpickers who may prefer the wider string spacing for playing what are called rest strokes.
The neck is a specific Performing Artist neck with a high-performance taper.

Martin X Series guitars are fitted with Fishman MX electronics. The MX system includes volume and tone controls on the preamp inside the soundhole of the guitar.
The Martin Martin GPC-X2E Macassar Grand Performance comes supplied with a durable and water-resistant gig bag with headstock, bridge, and endpin protectors to ensure that this guitar can be kept safe and dry whilst travelling.

For users that require some choice upgrades such as all solid wood construction and a more premium case, check out the Martin GPC-11E.