The OM Chris Hillman
Custom Artist Edition
Western Theme Highlights
This
Distinctive Orchestra Model
Even in a music career that now spans five
decades, Chris Hillman’s accomplishments and accolades
are so remarkable it is hard to believe they
belong to one person.
As a founding member of the Byrds, he co-wrote
So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star and played a
pivotal role in the creation of “Sweetheart of the
Rodeo,” the landmark album that launched country rock
as a genre.With friend Gram Parsons, he founded the Flying
Burrito Brothers, which sparked the outlaw movement in
country. As leader of the Desert Rose Band, he put more
than a dozen singles on the country charts.
He helped launch the career of Emmylou Harris, and
recorded with artists ranging from Stephen Stills and Tony
Rice to Herb Pedersen and Bernie Leadon. His songs have
been recorded by Sheryl Crow, Beck, Steve Earle, Tom Petty
and Dwight Yoakam, among others. He became a member
of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Byrds in 1991,
nabbed three consecutive Academy of Country Music
“Touring Band of the Year” awards with the Desert Rose
Band, garnered four Grammy nominations and received a
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association.
For all his success, Hillman remains true to his roots, a
third-generation California cowboy. He wanted that heritage
represented on his namesake Martin Custom Edition, so
Martin artist relations manager Dick Boak introduced him
to famed Western artist William (Willy)
Matthews. Willy created a handsome
“branding iron and lariat” logo that includes
Chris Hillman’s initials and slyly
pays homage to the company Chris
established to handle his songs, Bar
None Music.
Willy and Dick worked closely to
translate the art to inlay for the new
Martin OM-28 Chris Hillman Custom
Edition. Recreated in black mother of
pearl, white mother of pearl, faux ivory
and gold mother of pearl, the logo
looks spectacular against the polished
black ebony headplate.
The unique headstock inlay
is just one of several appointments
that make the OM-28
Chris Hillman Custom Edition
a singularly handsome guitar.
The familiar arched “C. F. Martin
& Co.” at the top of the
headplate is inlaid in abalone
pearl, as are the Style 45
snowflake position markers on
the black ebony fingerboard that
lead to Chris Hillman’s signature between
the 19th and 20th frets. An understated 1932 shaded top, reminiscent of Martin’s original
sunburst from the early 1930s, expands from light amber
at the center of the top to antique bronze at the edges,
and provides a unique canvas for the bold herringbone
top purfling and herringbone rosette. The back strip also
is inlaid herringbone.
Tortoise color body, neck and headstock binding,
heelcap and endpiece are all (with the exception of the
herringbone encircled top) accented with delicate
black/white purfling or inlay. A beveled and polished vintage-style Delmar nitrate pickguard, Waverly open gear
tuners with oval ebony buttons, and white bridge and
end pins inlaid with tortoise-color dots complete this elegant
instrument.
The solid tonewoods on the OM-28 Chris Hillman
Custom Edition are equally stellar. The rare Adirondack
spruce top is matched to scalloped Adirondack spruce
braces for powerful, balanced tone. Back and sides of
East Indian rosewood provide resonant timbre. The low
profile 1 3/4” (at the nut) neck is carved from genuine
mahogany. For optimal sound, both the nut and compensated
drop-in saddle are crafted from genuine bone.
The care Chris Hillman took to develop “his” Martin
guitar reflects a lifetime of making music. A native of the
ranchlands of rural northern San Diego County, he got
hooked on country music and bluegrass early, and soon
was playing guitar and mandolin. In his mid-teens, he
joined local bluegrassers the Scottsville Squirrel
Barkers, with whom he played on their
only album at age 17. When the Barkers
called it quits, he was invited to become
a member of the Golden State Boys, a
top Southern California bluegrass band.
The group eventually morphed into the
Hillmen, named after Chris even though
he wasn’t the group’s leader.
The Hillmen played weekly on
Cal’s Corral, a live local country music television
show, and recorded one album,
but it too soon folded and Chris was
considering enrolling at UCLA when
he was invited to hear three musicians
with acoustic guitars run
through their songs at a Los Angeles
studio. The musicians
were Roger McGuinn, Gene
Clark and David Crosby and
they recruited him to play electric
bass, an instrument he had
no familiarity with but quickly
learned. Following the addition of
drummer Michael Clarke, they became
the Byrds. The group’s first single,
Mr. Tambourine Man, was a huge
hit and the Byrds became a major force in rock & roll.
By early 1968, after several hits and serious attrition in the
ranks, the Byrds were down to two members: Chris and Roger.
Chris recruited musical acquaintance Gram Parsons and cousin
Kevin Kelley into the band and – pushed by his vision and
helped by great country musicians like Clarence White, Lloyd
Green and John Hartford – the Byrds recorded “Sweetheart of
the Rodeo,” the hugely influential album that launched country
rock. Gram Parsons left the group soon after the album was finished and after bringing in good friend Clarence White to replace him, Chris also left.
Chris and Gram formed the Flying Burrito Brothers, a group
whose “country with attitude” made outlaw country possible.
Their first album, “The Gilded Palace of Sin,” became a classic.
Gram soon lost interest in the band and Chris rebuilt it with
great players like Bernie Leadon. Just before he left the group in
1972, Chris happened upon a young woman singing in a Washington D.C. folk club who so impressed him, he recommended
her to Gram. The young woman was Emmylou Harris and the
rest is country music history.
A phone call from old friend Stephen Stills resulted in the
two joining forces to form Manassas, a band as eclectic as it was
talented. Over two years, Manassas created a unique blend of
American music, but pressures both professional and personal
caused the group to disband in 1973. A brief Byrds reunion, a couple of years in the country rock supergroup Souther, Hillman, Furay Band with J.D. Souther and Richie Furay, and two
fine solo albums followed. A get-together with Byrds bandmates
Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark in the late 1970s became
McGuinn, Clark and Hillman, which recorded three albums and
had two “Top Ten” singles.
In the early 1980s, Chris – wanting to return to his bluegrass
roots – reconnected with Herb Pedersen, a friend and fellow
bluegrass musician from his teen years. He also found a song-writing partner in Steve Hill. After recording with Dan Fogelberg
and accompanying him on his “High Country Snows” tour, Chris
and Herb put together an acoustic band, only to discover it
sounded great “plugged in.” The Desert Rose Band went on to
record seven albums, chart eight “Top Ten” country hits and win
a number of awards between 1987 and 1994.
Since 1995, Chris has recorded seven albums: two solo efforts, two with Herb Pedersen, and three with Rice, Rice, Hillman and Pederson, which featured Chris, Herb and brothers
Tony and Larry Rice. Chris’ most recent album is “The Other
Side,” a solo project which includes several originals plus new
versions of some of his best compositions from the past 40
years. He continues to tour regularly and in 2008 brought back
the Desert Rose Band for a handful of concerts.
Delivered in a Geib™ style hardshell case, each Martin OM
Chris Hillman Custom Edition guitar bears an interior label personally signed by Chris Hillman and numbered in sequence. The
guitar can be ordered in a left-handed version at no additional
charge; factory-installed electronics are an extra-cost option. Authorized C. F. Martin dealers will begin accepting orders for the
OM Chris Hillman Custom Edition immediately and dealers participating in this “open” edition will be posted on the C. F. Martin website: www.martinguitar.com.
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