Martin Custom Shop K-1 Major Kealakai

Inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 1996, Major Kealakai was a guitar, trombone, and flute player trained by the Royal Hawaiian Band. In 1916, Martin to built a unique custom guitar for the major—wider, deeper, and longer than a 000, this historic guitar was designed to be louder to help fill concert halls. Along with the guitars made for Oliver Ditson, the Major's guitar helped bring about the Martin Dreadnought.  Martin honors Major Kealakai with this Limited Edition 12-fret guitar, made in the Custom Shop. Martin calls this model a "K-1," and its unique 12-fret body measures 21" long and 15-1/2" across at the lower bout. That's just slightly bigger than a 12-fret 000, which is 20-7/16" long and 15" wide. At the end block, the K-1 is 5" deep—and that's even deeper than a modern dreadnought. Combined with the 25.4" scale length, the 12-fret neck positions the bridge closer to the widest part of the top.  The K-1 Major Kealakai features a VTS (torrefied) Adirondack Spruce