Stephen Stills & the Martin D-45SS: A Pre-War Dream Reimagined
- Paul Fitzgerald
- Sep 28
- 3 min read
When C.F. Martin & Co. introduced the D-45SS “Stephen Stills” Limited Signature Edition at the close of the 1990s, it wasn’t just another celebrity model. It was a small-run, museum-grade homage to the most coveted pre-war Martins and to one of folk-rock’s most iconic acoustic voices. With only 91 guitars built — a deliberate nod to the 91 original pre-war D-45s — the D-45SS sits at the pinnacle of Martin’s modern signature instruments and remains one of the most sought-after Brazilian rosewood dreadnoughts of the era.
Stephen Stills: the artist behind the initials
Stephen Stills, of Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young), Manassas, and a deep solo catalogue, helped define the sound of American folk-rock. His percussive right hand, intricate fingerpicking, and love for articulate, balanced acoustics made him a natural partner for Martin’s custom shop.
Stills has long been a serious collector of vintage Martin guitars. His first “good” guitar was a Herringbone D-28, and early in his career he secured a 1939 D-45 — one of his prized instruments and a direct inspiration for the D-45SS. He has also used two of his own D-45SS signature models on stage for acoustic sets. In his own words:
“They’re works of art. … The best Martins that I’ve heard — with dense Brazilian rosewood and cross grain ripple to the top, lightly braced — sound better than anything else ever made. There’s an artisanship in them that just can’t be replaced … You can really feel someone’s spirit in them.”
When Martin approached Stills about a signature instrument, he pushed for an authentic pre-war feel — not only in materials but in bracing, voicing, and details. The resulting D-45SS is less a “signature model” than a boutique-grade revival of Martin’s most famous style.
Design brief: a pre-war D-45 reborn
Released around 1998–1999, the D-45SS was conceived as a tribute to the golden era of Martin craftsmanship. The production run of 91 instruments reflected the total number of pre-war D-45s built between 1933 and 1942. Each guitar was individually numbered and fitted with a signed interior label acknowledging Stills’s involvement.
Key specifications
Body: 14-fret dreadnought with forward-shifted, scalloped 5/16" X-bracing for vintage-style resonance and projection. Sides reinforced with antique linen cloth strips for authenticity.
Top: Premium Alpine spruce chosen for a lively, dynamic response.
Back & sides: Solid, bookmatched Brazilian rosewood — a rare tonewood whose complex overtones define the pre-war sound.
Fingerboard & bridge: Ebony, with snowflake/Style-45 inlays.
Ornamentation: Full Style-45 abalone trim plus unique touches — a tortoise pickguard edged in abalone with the five-star Southern Cross motif, and Stills’s signature inlaid near the upper frets.
Labeling: Each guitar bears a special label, numbered “x of 91” and signed by Stephen Stills and C.F. Martin IV.
Dimensions: Scale length about 25.4", nut width ~1.75", body depth approx. 3.75" at the heel, ~4.875" at the tail.
This was Martin’s Custom Shop at its most exacting: vintage voicing, Brazilian rosewood, elaborate abalone, and celebrity input.
Voice and feel: a player’s instrument
While many D-45SS guitars live in collections, those who play them describe a huge, balanced sound with quick attack, strong fundamentals, and shimmering overtones — the hallmarks of a great pre-war-style dreadnought. The scalloped bracing and premium spruce give the top a fast response for fingerstyle work, while the dreadnought body pumps out the low end for flatpicking and ensemble use.
It’s a guitar that rewards subtlety and power alike — as Stills intended.
Symbolism: Southern Cross and the magic number
Two details set the D-45SS apart visually and symbolically:
Southern Cross pickguard — an inlaid nod to Stills’s song “Southern Cross” and his nautical motifs, making the guitar as personal as it is beautiful.
91-guitar limit — a direct tribute to the 91 original pre-war D-45s, reinforcing that this model was meant to stand among Martin’s rarest.
Why the D-45SS still matters
More than two decades on, the D-45SS remains a benchmark for how to do a signature guitar right. It combines historical reverence, uncompromising materials, and a player’s input, and it stands today as one of the most desirable modern Martins. For collectors, it’s a blue-chip piece. For players, it’s an heirloom-quality dreadnought with a voice worthy of its ornamentation.
