With the SC-13E Martin have gone from their very traditional guitars to something really cutting edge. The asymmetrical body shape, coupled with the angled cutaway give it a very distinctive look. What this means from a playability point is greater access to the upper frets. But it’s the ’Sure Align’ neck join that’s the real game changer. With no neck heel you can push your left hand flat against the body when playing up the neck, plus it gives you the ability to adjust the neck angle and intonation from inside the soundhole. The guitar also features a low profile, ergonomic neck, which is carved to create a subtle progressive taper. All very clever stuff. The guitar has a solid Sitka Spruce top paired with a back and sides made from African Mahogany, with a fine Koa veneer. This gives the warm response of Mahogany with the striking looks of Koa. The fingerboard and bridge are Ebony, and the tuners are open back Grovers. As a finishing touch there are hints of blue, with a bullseye 12th fret fingerboard inlay, rosette and body binding. The guitar has a Fishman MX-T pickup system with tone and volume controls mounted inside the soundhole, plus an inbuilt tuner. The guitar is very responsive, with a smoothness to the tone. All together a very versatile guitar, capable of playing pretty much any style you throw at it. It’s a very easy guitar to quickly feel at home with, and very comfortable to play. All in all this is a fine sounding instrument, really eye catching, and very forward thinking. The guitar comes in it’s original deluxe gig bag.