Martin Guitar Celebrates Milestone with the Custom Shop 0-18K2 CFM IV
Limited to 100 instruments, this all-koa Custom Shop model honors a century since Martin began using lacquer finishes on its guitars.
NAZARETH, PA – June 2, 2026 – C. F. Martin & Co.® announces the Custom Shop 0-18K2 CFM IV, a limited-edition model celebrating 100 years since Martin began using lacquer finishes on its guitars.
In 1926, Martin adopted sprayed lacquer as part of its ongoing pursuit of durability, beauty, efficiency, and quality in instrument finishing. Among the first Martin guitars to receive this finish were Concert-sized all-koa models.
Beyond its visual depth, richness, and luster, lacquer also became valued for the way it helped support an instrument’s natural resonance. As a thin, responsive finish, it allowed the wood to vibrate freely, contributing to the lively, open sound associated with many vintage Martin guitars. Still used across Martin instruments today, lacquer remains an important part of the company’s craft. The new Custom Shop 0-18K2 CFM IV honors that history with a vintage gloss finish closely based on what Martin introduced a century ago.
Built with a 0 12-fret body crafted from solid flamed koa, the 0-18K2 CFM IV also joins the Martin O’ahu® family of instruments, which honors the Hawaiian music craze of the 1920s and early ’30s and its lasting influence on modern guitar design. Its vintage gloss finish lets the natural figuring of the koa take center stage, while hand-shaped Golden Era (GE) scalloped X-bracing helps deliver the responsiveness, warmth, and balance players expect from a finely crafted small-body Martin.
The 0-18K2 CFM IV features a comfortable GE Modified Low Oval neck, a 24.9" scale length, and an ebony fingerboard with Old Style 18 abalone inlays. Other vintage-inspired details include an ebony straightline bridge and a slotted headstock with Golden Age brass tuning machines. Paired with a paper label signed by Chris Martin IV and a hardshell case, this limited-edition model is both a tribute to 100 years of lacquer finishes at Martin and a celebration of the enduring artistry beneath them.
Availability
The Custom Shop 0-18K2 CFM IV is limited to 100 instruments and will be available through authorized Martin dealers.
For more information, visit martinguitar.com.
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ABOUT C. F. MARTIN & CO.
C.F. Martin & Co. has been making the finest handcrafted acoustic guitars for nearly two hundred years. For some of the biggest names and the most revered musical legends across every genre and every decade. And we’ve been doing it with pure artistic passion, a deep love for all things music, and an unwavering commitment to our community and the environment.
But most importantly, we’re still doing it... for you. For current and future generations of pioneers, rebels, and dreamers. For the beginners, the pros, and everyone in between. We believe music is an unstoppable force. It raises us up. Tells our truths. Gets us on our feet. Expresses our deepest heartaches. And our greatest joys.
So, we’ll continue to make the very best acoustic instruments and strings for as long as there are people like you who love music and love making it. We want to be there to help you tell your story. To help you share your music with the world. To help unleash the artist within.
We’re ready for the next two hundred years. Want to come with us? Visit martinguitar.com.