C.F. Martin & Co CS OM - Cocobolo - Italian -

A Grand Performance Custom Shop: The "Golden Era" Spirit Serving an Ultra-Premium GP

This Martin Custom Shop model embodies an approach where luthiery and aesthetics advance hand in hand. The "Golden Era" inspiration is evident in the choice of refined ornaments (Style 45 inlays, CFM Block Golden Era logo, gold tuners), while the GP-41 foundation places the instrument in a highly sought-after category: a Grand Performance with a decidedly premium finish level, designed to combine elegance, responsiveness, and breadth.

The selection of Premium tonewoods and the construction focus on immediate response are notably expressed through a forward-shifted X bracing. This architecture aims for a freer top, capable of translating the slightest nuance of the right hand into sound material without sacrificing sustain or projection. The result is a characterful acoustic guitar, designed to accompany a demanding musician over time, both in the studio and for daily playing.

For Which Guitarist and Styles?

With its Modified Low Oval neck, a nut width of 44 mm / 1 3/4", and a radius of 406 mm / 16", this GP Custom Shop is particularly suited for intermediate to advanced guitarists seeking a sense of control and space, ideal for fingerstyle playing, rich voicings, and clean arpeggios. The 25.4" / 645 mm scale length provides string tension under the fingers and helps maintain a firm low end, useful for alternate tunings and a strong attack.

The Grand Performance shape stands out for its versatility: large enough to support accompaniment in pop, folk, or americana, while remaining precise and balanced for fingerstyle and melodic parts. If you're looking for a Martin that doesn't confine you to a single register but stays "readable" when the playing becomes dense, this GP-41 Custom Shop is made for that.

Sound Characteristics

The Sitka VTS spruce top forms the core of the response. Sitka is appreciated for its ability to handle strong attack while remaining expressive at low volume: you get a clear attack, good projection, and a wide dynamic range, very useful when alternating between soft playing and more marked accents. The VTS treatment enhances the sense of maturity: the top seems to "settle in" faster, with immediate harmonic openness and a very direct response.

The choice of East Indian rosewood for the back and sides adds the "high-class" dimension to the tonal palette: ample lows, generous harmonic relief, and highs that remain precise even on complex chords. This harmonic reserve gives a sense of width and depth, particularly pleasant in fingerpicking but also in strumming when you want a rich sonic bed without losing note definition.

The forward-shifted X bracing actively contributes to the balance of the GP shape. By shifting the working point of the top, it promotes a livelier top feel and generous projection. The result: a guitar that reacts to the slightest change in attack, with comfortable sustain and refined articulation, ideal for recording parts where every note must remain clear.

Finally, the playing experience is not limited to sound: the Gloss finish on the body enhances visual presence, while the satin neck promotes a smooth feel under the left hand, appreciated for fast shifts, arpeggio runs, and demanding chord changes.

Recommended Compatible Accessories

To protect the finish and keep the guitar pristine, a microfiber cloth is a simple and reliable choice for routine maintenance. For playing, picks suited to your attack (softer for warm strumming, stiffer for precise picking) will allow you to fully exploit the dynamics of the Sitka VTS top. These accessories are universal and perfectly suited to an acoustic guitar of this level.

Technical specifications

Type	Grand Performance Body	Finish	Gloss Body with Satin Neck and Polished Headplate
Style	GP-41	Neck Wood	Genuine Mahogany (12/4)
Top	Sitka VTS Spruce	Neck Profile	Modified Low Oval
Top Selection	Premium	Scale Length	25.4" / 645 mm
Top Color	Clear	Fingerboard	Black Ebony
Back and Sides	East Indian Rosewood "Wild Grain"	Radius	16" / 406 mm
Back and Sides Selection	Premium	Nut Width	44 mm / 1 3/4"
Back Purfling	Style 45 (Mosaic)	Width at 12th Fret	54 mm / 2 1/8"
Rosette	Style 45 Black Maple Fiber	Fingerboard Inlays	Golden Era Style 45 Snowflake (Long)
Bracing	X Brace - Forward Shifted	Logo	CFM Block Golden Era
Bracing Wood	Sitka Spruce	Tuners	Grover Gold Vintage Button
Bridge	Modern Belly	Appointment Level	Standard
Finish Type	Standard