{"id":143857,"date":"2024-04-07T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-07T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/?p=143857"},"modified":"2024-04-05T15:40:19","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T22:40:19","slug":"review-martin-gpce-inception-maple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/review-martin-gpce-inception-maple\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: The Martin GPCE Inception Maple Looks to the Future of Tonewoods and Guitar Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"New Gear: Martin GPCE Inception Maple | Sustainable Woods, Modern Sound\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2e9zOGzFuCU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ever since C.F. Martin &amp; Co. first set up shop in America nearly 200 years ago, its instruments have been the gold standard for acoustic guitars. For a legacy company such as Martin to name a new model Inception, one should consider what this might be the beginning of. With a continuing decline in the availability of traditional hardwoods due to tropical deforestation, the guitar industry faces the existential crisis of how to build high-quality instruments from sustainable woods. Martin is starting to answer that question with the GPCE Inception.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using sustainable domestic tonewoods paired with an innovative bracing design, the Inception is a great-sounding instrument that is easy to play, produces robust projection, and is balanced across the sonic spectrum. On a recent test, I found the guitar to be a well-rounded and likeable, providing ample tone whether fingerpicking, strumming, or soloing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3T6R64e\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Martin-GPCE-INCEPTION_front.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Martin GPCE Inception maple acoustic guitar\" class=\"wp-image-143859\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Martin-GPCE-INCEPTION_front.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Martin-GPCE-INCEPTION_front.jpg?resize=333%2C500&amp;ssl=1 333w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Martin-GPCE-INCEPTION_front.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Martin-GPCE-INCEPTION_front.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Courtesy of Martin Guitar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sustainably Built and Cleverly Designed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Martin has for the most part built guitars with rosewood and mahogany bodies, only occasionally using maple on production models such as the short-lived J-65 and the occasional custom shop build. What is different about the Inception is that the design team carefully constructed the guitar with maple in mind and didn\u2019t simply recycle a historic model with different woods. The back of the Inception has not the traditional two-piece design but a three-piece layout, which allows Martin to select wood from smaller trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This project also provided an opportunity for a unique and functional design. Since the quick fundamental of maple can be brash in a steel-string guitar, Martin used a black walnut wedge on the center of the back to sweeten up the tone. The use of these two domestically harvested woods is seen throughout the guitar in its maple sides and black walnut bridge, binding, neck, and fretboard. Meanwhile, the top is made of FSC-certified European spruce.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the hood, the Inception looks quite different than anything the guitar maker has ever done. This is not your grandmother\u2019s Martin. Laser-cut hexagon honeycomb shapes in the Inception\u2019s bracing system take out some of the weight and aim to make the top more responsive\u2014an effect aided by tone channels stemming from each of the braces.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Martin\u2019s attention to detail and artisanship is evident throughout the Inception. The frets are well-seated and intonated throughout. The sheen of the satin finish blends well with the black walnut fretboard, and the sunburst on the back illuminates its walnut strip. Inside the box, the visible joints are spot on, with no glue spillage in sight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"408\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/MARTIN-GPCE-INCEPTION_BACK.jpg?resize=408%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Martin GPCE Inception maple acoustic guitar back\" class=\"wp-image-143860\" style=\"width:408px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/MARTIN-GPCE-INCEPTION_BACK.jpg?resize=408%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 408w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/MARTIN-GPCE-INCEPTION_BACK.jpg?resize=199%2C500&amp;ssl=1 199w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/MARTIN-GPCE-INCEPTION_BACK.jpg?resize=119%2C300&amp;ssl=1 119w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/MARTIN-GPCE-INCEPTION_BACK.jpg?resize=612%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 612w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/MARTIN-GPCE-INCEPTION_BACK.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 408px) 100vw, 408px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Courtesy of Martin Guitar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Excellent Playability and Modern Sound<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Inception plays as easily as an electric guitar with its low action and modified low oval neck. With a nut width of 1-3\/4 inches, there\u2019s plenty of room between the strings for single-note soloing, but not too much to make certain chord shapes challenging.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the new bracing system is said to increase the amplitude of the sound wave, playing the guitar was the ultimate test, and I quickly noticed it was surprisingly loud. There was an immediacy from the attack of my pick to the opening of the note, likely owing to the maple construction. However, I had to be cautious not to dig in too hard, as I found the guitar set up for a gentler player. The Inception was well balanced across the fretboard until I got past the 15th fret\u2014that\u2019s an area where most guitars lose their punch, and the test model was no exception.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To really put the guitar through its paces, I played a handful of original compositions combining arpeggiated chords with melodic outbursts and found my personal sweet spot a little closer to the bridge than I would normally play. I veered into <a href=\"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/acoustic-classic-eddie-langs-a-little-love-a-little-kiss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Eddie Lang\u2019s \u201cA Little Love, A Little Kiss\u201d<\/a> and quickly realized I needed to lighten up on the bass notes and push a little harder on the high end to get it balanced while using a plectrum.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I then put the pick down and finger-picked my way through a bossa-nova rhythm on <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3U3I2Ps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ant\u00f4nio Carlos Jobim\u2019s \u201cWaters of March,\u201d<\/a> followed by <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3U5mXnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ernesto Nazareth\u2019s \u201cOdeon.\u201d<\/a> It was here that the Inception excelled, as I easily found the right balance between bass and chords. I then went back to strumming with a pick and played through <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4aFC5h2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">David Bowie\u2019s \u201cZiggy Stardust.\u201d<\/a> The open chords sustained and projected bountifully and without any muddiness.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Martin_Bracing-11.jpg?resize=750%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Martin GPCE Inception Maple Bracing, Courtesy of Martin Guitar\" class=\"wp-image-143861\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Martin_Bracing-11.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Martin_Bracing-11.jpg?resize=500%2C333&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Martin_Bracing-11.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martin GPCE Inception Maple Bracing. Courtesy of Martin Guitar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Plugging In<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To put the Inception\u2019s L.R. Baggs Anthem electronics to the test, I plugged the guitar into my Henriksen Blu Six combo amp. The amplified signal possessed impressive transparency. It sounded just like the guitar, only with more volume\u2014a testament to both the guitar and its pickup system, as well as the amp. Play-ing at a range of apartment-acceptable volume levels, I found the sounds consistently good, and I quickly discovered that dialing down the volume of the guitar allowed me to turn up the amp without the bass overriding the treble.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Verdict<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, the Martin GPCE Inception Maple is a bold new acoustic-electric that is perfect for a gigging contemporary singer-songwriter or instrumentalist\u2014especially one who is ecologically conscious and open to advancements in steel-string acoustic design. The folks at Martin have made it clear: the Inception is the beginning of a bright future of sustainably built guitars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SPECS&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>BODY<\/strong> Grand Performance 14-fret cutaway; FSC-certified European spruce top with skeletonized scalloped X-bracing; three-piece maple and black walnut back; maple sides; black walnut sloped modern belly bridge with drop-in Tusq saddle; bone bridge pins; black walnut binding; tortoise pattern pickguard; satin finish with Amber Fade sunburst top<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NECK<\/strong> Black walnut neck; modified low oval shape with high-performance taper; dovetail joint; 25.4&#8243; scale length; 1-3\/4&#8243; bone nut; black walnut fretboard; maple arrow hex design inlays; 20 frets; gold open gear tuners; satin finish<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>OTHER<\/strong> L.R. Baggs Anthem electronics; Luxe by Martin Kovar strings (.012\u2013.054); molded hardshell case; available left-handed<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MADE IN<\/strong> USA<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PRICE<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3T6R64e\">$3,999 street<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/martinguitar.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">martinguitar.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/no-346-may-june-2024\" name=\"magazine\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 198px; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/001_346_Cover-150px.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Acoustic Guitar magazine cover for issue 344\"><\/a>\n<p style=\"font-family: sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 15px 0px;\">This article originally appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/no-346-may-june-2024\">May\/June 2024<\/a> issue of <em>Acoustic Guitar<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Using sustainable domestic tonewoods paired with an innovative bracing design, the Inception is a great-sounding instrument that is easy to play.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":143858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"Using sustainable domestic tonewoods paired with an innovative bracing design, the Inception is a great-sounding instrument that is easy to play.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1670],"tags":[110,1947],"ppma_author":[1593],"class_list":["post-143857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guitars","tag-martin","tag-may-june-2024"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Martin-GPCE-INCEPTION_Maple-back-19.jpg?fit=750%2C543&ssl=1","authors":[{"term_id":1593,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"greg-ruby","display_name":"Greg Ruby","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/AG329_BASICS_GREG-RUBY.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/AG329_BASICS_GREG-RUBY.jpg"},"user_url":"https:\/\/gregrubymusic.com\/","last_name":"Ruby","first_name":"Greg","job_title":"","description":"Greg Ruby is the director of Guitar Week for the Swannanoa Gathering and has taught extensively. He is the author of the <i><a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/the-oscar-aleman-play-along-songbook-vol-1\">Oscar Alem\u00e1n Play-Along Songbook<\/a><\/i>."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143857"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":144298,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143857\/revisions\/144298"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143857"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=143857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}