The Story of the Martin 000-EC: Thirty Years, Still Unplugged

You know the feeling: a familiar song comes through a different guitar, and suddenly you hear it all over again.

That is the pull of Eric Clapton’s Unplugged. Put it on and listen to the space around the notes. The little slides. The way a chord can hang in the air. For a guitar shop, that is a pretty good reminder of what we are here for: helping someone find an instrument that makes them want to sit down and play.

The Martin 000-EC 30th Anniversary brings that conversation to Brothers Guitar Shop on New York’s Upper East Side.

A television set, two Martins, and a very long echo

Clapton’s 1992 MTV Unplugged performance featured a 1939 Martin 000-42 and a modified 1960s 000-28. According to Martin, viewers wanted to know what he was playing. That interest helped lead to the first Clapton signature Martin in 1995.

The original 000-42EC was a run of 461 instruments, a reference to 461 Ocean Boulevard. The 000-28EC followed in 1996. The anniversary celebrated here is thirty years of that signature partnership, from 1995 to 2025.

Our favorite part of the story is the question at its center: What guitar is that? It is where so many good guitar conversations begin. A record catches your ear, you chase the sound, and somewhere along the way you find your own way of playing it.

The details that make this 000-EC its own thing

The 000-EC 30th Anniversary pairs a solid spruce top with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides. Its 000 body, scalloped X-bracing, 24.9-inch scale, and Authentic 1939 mahogany neck put the emphasis on a traditional acoustic experience. The nut measures 1 11/16 inches.

Look closer: fine herringbone, antique white binding, an ebony fingerboard, and Golden Era 42-style snowflakes. Enough detail to reward a second look; a familiar silhouette across the room.

What we would listen for

Bring a song you know by heart. Start with the quiet version. Play a bass note with your thumb, then let a melody move above it. Follow that with a few open chords and a passage you usually play with a pick.

Listen for the things that matter to you. Can you keep the melody clear? Do you like the way the notes overlap? Does the neck suit the chords you reach for without thinking? Try the same passage on another acoustic. Your hands and ears will tell you more than another paragraph of superlatives.

We think that is the best way to approach an artist model. Let the record get you interested. Let your own music make the decision.

A few collector details worth getting right

Martin announced the 000-EC with an availability window through March 2026. That date has passed; check our listing for current store availability. Its label carries Clapton’s pre-printed signature and a sequential number without a stated total. Martin lists a certificate, embroidered hardshell case, and extra set of Clapton’s Choice strings among the included extras.

The separate 000-42EC 30th Anniversary was limited to 300 and featured a hand-signed label. Those details belong to that model. The guitar featured in our listing is the 000-EC 30th Anniversary.

Continue the story at Brothers

A favorite album can send you looking for a guitar. The right guitar can send you back to the album with fresh ears. We like being the neighborhood stop in between.

Find us at 316 East 84th Street, New York, NY 10028. Call 646-559-8771 to check availability and arrange a visit.

Shop the Martin 000-EC 30th Anniversary

History and anniversary details: Martin’s story of the Clapton collaboration. Specifications and included accessories: Martin’s 000-EC model page. Photography: C.F. Martin & Co.