From the Factory | September 15, 2026
Meet the Refreshed Martin 16 Series: Bold Colors, New Body Shapes, and Unmistakable Martin Sound
The refreshed Martin 16 Series brings bold gloss-top colors, an expanded range of acoustic guitar body shapes, all-solid-wood construction, and Nazareth craftsmanship together in a lineup built for players who want to sound—and look—like themselves.
Some guitars are meant to blend in.
The refreshed Martin 16 Series is not one of them.
Made in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, the new 16 Series pairs the sound, feel, and craftsmanship players expect from Martin with a much broader range of looks and body shapes. Select models arrive in bold gloss-top finishes like Blue Denim, Cherry Cola, Cream, Black Smoke, and 1935 Burst, while others keep things classic with natural tops.
And the choices go well beyond color.
From a compact 00L to a short-scale slope-shoulder Dreadnought, versatile Grand Performance Cutaway, powerful Jumbo, and expansive Grand J 12-String, the refreshed lineup gives players very different ways to find their sound.
In other words: pick your shape. Pick your look. Then command the room.
What’s New in the Martin 16 Series?
The refreshed Martin 16 Series expands on what has always made the series distinctive: Nazareth-made acoustic guitars that aren’t afraid to do things a little differently.
Across the lineup, you’ll find all-solid-wood construction, modern playability, and body shapes ranging from intimate and comfortable to big and room-filling. Select models add some of the boldest finishes currently available on a Martin acoustic guitar, while L.R. Baggs® Element™ electronics make the entire lineup ready for amplified performance.
The easiest way to explore it all is one body shape at a time.
Martin 16 Series 00L: Small Body, Big Personality
If you prefer a smaller acoustic guitar—or simply want something comfortable that still has plenty of character—the 00L is a natural place to start.
Its compact body offers an intimate, responsive playing experience that works especially well for songwriting, fingerstyle playing, lighter strumming, and everyday playing at home or in the studio.
But compact does not mean understated.
The refreshed 16 Series 00L is available with bold gloss-top finishes including:
Each finish gives the familiar small-body acoustic guitar format a very different personality, from vintage-inspired to unmistakably modern.
For players searching for a small-body Martin guitar made in Nazareth, the 00L combines comfortable proportions with the distinctive look that defines this refreshed series.
Martin 16 Series Slope-Shoulder Dreadnought: Woody Punch with a Relaxed Feel
The refreshed 16 Series also introduces a different take on one of acoustic guitar’s most familiar formats: the slope-shoulder Dreadnought.
Its rounded shoulders give it a different visual identity from a traditional Martin Dreadnought, while its short 24.9-inch scale length creates a more relaxed string feel than the longer scale commonly associated with larger acoustic guitars.
Sonically, the slope-shoulder body delivers a warm, woody character with plenty of punch—making it a strong fit for strumming, blues, roots music, singer-songwriters, and players looking for a big acoustic voice without an overly stiff feel.
This body shape is offered in three gloss-top finishes:
Cherry Cola may be the immediate attention-grabber, but each finish gives the slope-shoulder body its own personality.
It’s big enough to bring authority, comfortable enough to settle into, and different enough to stand apart from the Dreadnoughts you may already know.
Martin 16 Series Jumbo: Built to Command the Room
Then there’s the Jumbo.
If the 00L is about intimacy, the refreshed 16 Series Jumbo heads in the other direction.
Its larger body is designed for a broad, powerful acoustic sound with the kind of presence that can fill a room. Whether you’re digging into big chords, accompanying vocals, or simply prefer the physical and tonal experience of a large-body acoustic guitar, the Jumbo brings scale and authority to the lineup.
And it may also be the boldest-looking member of the family.
The refreshed Jumbo is available in:
The Cream finish is especially distinctive, giving the large Jumbo body a look that feels anything but traditional while still delivering the Martin sound underneath it.
Big body. Bold finish. Plenty of presence.
This one takes “command the room” pretty literally.
Martin 16 Series GPC: Versatile, Comfortable, and Ready to Plug In
Not every refreshed 16 Series guitar turns up the color.
The Grand Performance Cutaway, or GPC, keeps things classic with a natural top, letting the body shape and tone take center stage.
The Grand Performance design sits in a versatile middle ground: comfortable enough for long playing sessions, but with enough body and projection to handle strumming, fingerstyle playing, songwriting, recording, and performance.
The cutaway also provides easier access to the upper frets, making the GPC especially appealing to players who move around the fingerboard or want a more contemporary acoustic guitar feel.
With built-in L.R. Baggs Element electronics, it’s also ready to move from the couch or writing room to rehearsal, recording, or the stage.
For players searching for a Nazareth-made Martin acoustic-electric guitar with a versatile body shape and a more traditional appearance, the refreshed 16 Series GPC offers a different path through the lineup.
Martin 16 Series Grand J 12-String: Go Bigger
And if six strings aren’t enough?
The refreshed 16 Series includes a Grand J 12-String, bringing one of the biggest body formats in the lineup together with the unmistakable shimmer and dimension of a 12-string acoustic guitar.
Its natural top keeps the look classic, while the Grand J body provides the space and power needed to support a full, expansive 12-string voice.
A 12-string naturally adds more texture than a traditional six-string, with doubled strings creating the bright, layered sound heard across countless folk, rock, pop, and singer-songwriter recordings.
Put that voice inside a Grand J body, and you get an acoustic designed for players who want depth, shimmer, and serious presence.
Like the rest of the refreshed 16 Series, it’s made in Nazareth and equipped for amplified performance when the stage calls.
Which Martin 16 Series Body Shape Is Right for You?
With so many different body shapes, choosing a refreshed 16 Series guitar starts with a pretty simple question:
How do you want your guitar to feel—and how big do you want it to sound?
The 00L is the compact choice, offering a comfortable body and responsive sound.
The slope-shoulder Dreadnought adds woody punch and a bigger acoustic presence while pairing it with the relaxed feel of a short scale.
The Jumbo goes bigger, delivering a broad, powerful sound made for players who want their acoustic guitar to have real physical and sonic presence.
The GPC takes a more versatile approach, balancing comfort, projection, upper-fret access, and stage-ready performance in a familiar cutaway design.
And the Grand J 12-String brings the lineup to its biggest and most expansive, adding the rich shimmer and layered character that only 12 strings can provide.
There isn’t one “best” 16 Series body shape.
That’s kind of the point.
Bold Acoustic Guitar Colors Without Losing the Martin Sound
The new finishes may be what catch your eye first, and that’s intentional.
Blue Denim. Cherry Cola. Cream. Black Smoke. 1935 Burst.
They give players more ways to choose an acoustic guitar that reflects their personal style rather than treating appearance as an afterthought.
But the refreshed 16 Series isn’t color for color’s sake.
Underneath those finishes are all-solid-wood Martin acoustic guitars made in Nazareth, with the sound, construction, playability, and performance features expected from the name on the headstock.
And for players who prefer the classic look? The natural-top GPC and Grand J 12-String keep that option firmly in the lineup.
The result is a series that can look dramatically different from one guitar to the next without losing the common thread running through all of them.
Find Your Martin 16 Series Guitar
Maybe you want the compact feel of a 00L-16E Blue Denim.
Maybe you’re drawn to the slope-shoulder Dreadnought in Cherry Cola.
Maybe you want a Cream Jumbo that announces its arrival before you play the first chord.
Or maybe a natural GPC or Grand J 12-String is more your speed.
The refreshed Martin 16 Series gives players more shapes, more styles, and more ways to stand out—all while staying rooted in unmistakable Martin sound and Nazareth craftsmanship.
Explore the refreshed Martin 16 Series, find the body shape and finish that fit you, and get ready to command the room.
Until next time, happy playing!
