Martin Custom Shop 000-42 Eric Clapton Signature Ziricote Acoustic Guitar - Burst

Three decades into one of acoustic guitar's most enduring artist partnerships, the Martin Custom Shop 000-42 Eric Clapton Ziricote brings a dramatic new twist to Eric's beloved 000 platform, pairing highly figured ziricote with solid Adirondack spruce and exquisite Golden Era-inspired craftsmanship. Created in limited numbers in honor of Eric's long-running Crossroads Guitar Festival, this Guitar Center Exclusive sings with a rich, expressive voice that belies its compact 000 size, marrying ziricote's deep lows, bell-like trebles and complex overtones with the articulation, headroom and dynamic response of Adirondack spruce. An Authentic 1939 profile mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard deliver a refined, vintage-inspired playing experience, while Golden Era scalloped X-bracing and a 1930-style belly bridge reflect Martin's historic construction traditions. Exquisite Style 42 appointments and a signature Eric Clapton abalone fingerboard inlay complete the presentation, with a numbered soundhole label and certificate of authenticity featuring the Grammy winner's printed signature. Offered in Natural and 1935 Sunburst finishes, with just 50 of each available worldwide, this extraordinary 000 celebrates the inspired artistry at the heart of the collaboration between Eric Clapton and Martin.

000 Body: The Heart of Eric Clapton's Acoustic Legacy

The smaller-bodied 000 has been a fixture of Eric Clapton's acoustic collection since the 1970s. His vintage 1939 Martin 000-42 played a defining role in his landmark 1992 MTV Unplugged appearance, helping cement the 000 as a lasting part of his acoustic sound onstage, in the studio and as a songwriting instrument. The Custom Shop 000-42 Eric Clapton Ziricote pays tribute to that legendary guitar, pairing its comfortable proportions and balanced response with an articulate voice equally suited to nuanced fingerstyle work and expressive strumming. Inside, Golden Era scalloped X-bracing crafted from Adirondack spruce allows the top to respond freely, bringing impressive projection, clarity and dynamic sensitivity to the compact 000 format.

Highly Figured Ziricote With a Solid Adirondack Spruce Top

With its dramatic figuring and distinctive tonal character, ziricote gives the 000-42 Eric Clapton a striking visual and sonic identity. Often compared with Brazilian rosewood, this prized tonewood combines powerful low-end response and sparkling trebles with complex overtones, crisp attack and impressive sustain, allowing individual notes to remain clearly defined within its harmonically rich voice. Natural variation in the wood creates sweeping grain patterns and figuring that make every set of back and sides visually distinctive. A solid Adirondack spruce top complements ziricote's depth and complexity with exceptional articulation, headroom and dynamic range, responding sensitively to a light touch while retaining power and definition when driven harder.

Authentic 1939 Mahogany Neck for a Vintage-Inspired Playing Feel

A genuine mahogany neck with Martin's Authentic 1939 profile gives the 000-42 Eric Clapton Ziricote a substantial, vintage-inspired feel informed by one of the company's most revered eras. Its shorter 24.9" scale provides a slightly more relaxed string feel for comfortable fretting and expressive bends, while a 1.69" bone nut and 2.125" bridge string spacing offer familiar, versatile proportions. A bound ebony fingerboard provides a smooth, durable playing surface across all 20 frets, and each instrument is Plek'd for exceptional fret consistency and precise playability. A traditional dovetail neck joint completes a carefully considered neck design rooted in Martin's historic construction methods.

Golden Era Craftsmanship With Signature Appointments

Martin's Golden Era aesthetic comes to life through exquisite Style 42 snowflake inlays, abalone top trim, a Style 45 multi-stripe rosette, grained ivoroid binding and ornate Golden Era back purfling. A solid headstock with an Authentic 1939 taper and ebony headplate continues the prewar-inspired design, complemented by gold enclosed-gear tuners with classic butterbean knobs and an ebony 1930-style belly bridge with a glued-in long bone saddle. Eric's presence is woven into the instrument through a signature abalone inlay and Clapton's Choice phosphor bronze strings, while a numbered soundhole label and certificate of authenticity feature a reproduction of his signature. A premium Harptone hardshell case accompanies each guitar, adding the final touch to an exceptional Custom Shop instrument.

A Guitar Center Exclusive Celebrating Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival

Since its launch in 2004, Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival has brought together generations of acclaimed guitarists while raising funds for the Crossroads Centre, the addiction treatment facility the Grammy winner founded in Antigua. Guitar Center has supported the festival for more than two decades, helping unite artists, guitar makers and music fans around its mission. Created in celebration of that longstanding relationship, this Guitar Center Exclusive continues the tradition, with a significant portion of the proceeds from each guitar benefiting the Crossroads Centre. Limited to just 50 instruments in each finish, the Martin Custom Shop 000-42 Eric Clapton Ziricote celebrates three decades of inspired collaboration while carrying the shared commitment behind Crossroads forward.