Martin SC-13E Special Acoustic-electric Guitar (2024)

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The Next Stage of Acoustic Guitar Evolution

Looking for a high-performance acoustic-electric guitar? The Martin Road Series SC-13E Special delivers the goods, eliminating the limitations of the conventional cutaway acoustic. This game-changing A/E is a unique spin on Martin's SC-13 series of guitars, boasting ziricote fine veneer back and sides that produce a gorgeous modern acoustic sound — clear, bright, and great for cutting through a mix — with incredible volume and projection. Yet, its offset S-shaped body, low-profile neck, heel-less design, and low-action fingerboard ensure comfort and playability that exceed just about every comparable instrument out there. The SC-13E Special is incredibly versatile — it sounds great in the studio, in the living room, and thanks to onboard LR Baggs Element electronics, it’s a world-class performer onstage. Playability, comfort, versatility — the Road Series SC-13E Special has all that and more. It’s the next stage of acoustic guitar evolution.

Removes the limitations of the conventional cutaway acoustic

Playing the Road Series SC-13E Special is a unique, yet comfortably familiar experience. Its offset S-shaped body fits you like a glove, while providing balanced output and effective feedback rejection. Its sloped bridge stays out of your hand’s way, whether you’re strumming frenetically or fingerpicking delicately. Its low-profile velocity neck shape allows for helical hand rotation to ensure that every hand position feels relaxed and natural. Its 13-fret design blends the tone of a long-scale instrument with the playability of a short-scale, and its heel-less Sure Align neck system gives you unfettered access to the SC-13E Special’s entire fretboard. And its low action, while maintaining the feel of an acoustic guitar, is sure to make electric players feel right at home. No matter what you’re playing, cowboy chords, jazz shapes, or rapid-fire leads, the SC-13E Special makes it effortless.

An acoustic guitar through and through

There have been numerous attempts at creating a comfortable acoustic that would appeal to electric guitar players. Unfortunately, the results are often less than mind-blowing — typically a super-thin acoustic instrument with equally thin tone. The Martin Road Series SC-13E Special eschews this type of thinking. While its comfortable neck and low action ensure easy playability, the SC-13E Special is an acoustic guitar through and through, meticulously crafted by a company with a 180-year history of building legendary acoustic instruments. Its spruce top yields the direct, punchy sound and broad dynamic range that the tonewood is known for, while its fine-tuned body with tailored X-bracing produces near-cannon-like levels of volume and projection. The SC-13E Special’s natural tone is stellar — at Sweetwater, we thought nothing of miking it up in the studio.

Amazing sound onstage

The SC-13E Special comes with LR Baggs's popular Element acoustic pickup system, a favorite among acoustic guitarists at Sweetwater. This system features a low-profile under-saddle transducer that enhances the coupling between the pickup and the guitar for a robust, lively, and natural acoustic sound with excellent dynamics and delicate high end. Combined with an onboard preamplifier and an unobtrusive volume control that's mounted just inside the soundhole, the Element gives your SC-13E Special the amplification you need, with zero compromises for tone or convenience.

Stunning ziricote back and sides

While the standard SC-13E comes with koa back and sides, the SC-13E Special boasts gorgeous ziricote fine veneer for its construction to deliver a brighter and more articulate tone. Ziricote is famed for its close tonal relation to the rosewood family, producing rich overtones and a full-range sound that's perfect for solo performers and singer-songwriters.

Martin Road Series SC-13E Special Acoustic-electric Guitar Features:

• 6-string acoustic-electric guitar with amazing playability, comfort, and versatility
• Offset S-shaped body fits you like a glove, while providing balanced output and effective feedback rejection
• Sloped bridge stays out of your hand’s way, whether you’re strumming or fingerpicking
• Low-profile velocity neck shape allows for helical hand rotation to ensure relaxed and natural feel
• 13-fret design blends the tone of a long-scale instrument with the playability of a short-scale
• Heel-less Sure Align neck system gives you unfettered access to the entire fretboard
• Low action maintains the feel of an acoustic guitar, while providing effortless playability
• Spruce top yields the direct, punchy sound and broad dynamic range that the tonewood is known for
• Fine-tuned body with tailored X-bracing produces near-cannon-like levels of volume and projection
• Onboard LR Baggs Element electronics deliver stellar amplified acoustic tone
• Eye-grabbing tortoise-pattern pickguard, mother-of-pearl celestial blue dot fingerboard inlay, and aperture-design rosette