The dreadnought: a fascinating back story
Launched in 1906, Britain’s HMS Dreadnought was the first all-big-gun battleship and the first to use steam-turbine propulsion. Larger, faster, quieter, and more deadly than any warship that had come before, it ushered in the modern era of naval warfare. In 1916, Martin, which had been handcrafting fine guitars since 1833, christened their new large-bodied acoustic guitars after the groundbreaking naval vessel. Ubiquitous today across musical genres, dreadnoughts deliver the volume and deep bass that makes them ideal for vocal accompaniment, solo work, and many other “unplugged” applications.