IF IT SEEMS like the big acoustic manufacturers are diversifying product lines to break stereotypes and compete on multiple fronts, that’s because they are. It’s been more than a minute since one could concisely say a Martin is like this, a Taylor is like that, and a Gibson is like so.
Historical lines continue to blur as Martin makes another new wave outside of its traditional pond with the GPCE Inception Maple. The guitar isn’t as radical as Martin’s SC, but it is another major move toward the high-performance acoustic-electric market, which historically wasn’t a big part of the company’s bag. Shoot, a cutaway used to be considered outrageous. The introduction of the cavernously cutaway SC in 2020 and its subsequent popularity ushered in a new era for America’s oldest acoustic shop, and while some features came from the Modern Deluxe line, the body was actually a uniquely stretched-out take on the Grand Performance, which is what the “GP” represents in GPCE. “CE” means a cutaway with onboard electronics.
