Martin | D-42 Acoustic Peter Frampton Camel

The loss of a great guitar can really hurt. For Peter Frampton, that guitar was a Martin D-45 he bought in 1971. “I left Humble Pie with just enough money to buy it. It was one of those inspiring guitars; I used it to write and record most of the tracks on ‘Frampton’s Camel.’ I toured with it in 1973 in support of the album, and between two concerts in Ohio, it was stolen.”

In 1976 he became an international star with “Frampton Comes Alive,” which became one of the biggest selling live albums in history, and produced three hit singles, including “Baby, I Love Your Way” and “Show Me the Way.” Yet for all his success, Frampton never forgot his vanished D-45. When Martin approached him regarding the creation of a namesake Signature Edition guitar, he suggested an instrument that would acknowledge and replace that special Martin. The D-42 Peter Frampton “Frampton’s Camel” Signature Edition does so in inimitable style.

The D-42 features classic acoustic looks with an Adirondack Spruce Top reinforced with scalloped, foward-shifted 5/16″ Adirondack spruce braces, a low profile Mahogany neck, with a gorgeous set of Indian Rosewood chosen for the back and sides. Utilizing the superb combination of solid tone woods the D-42 offers a big and balanced dreadnought tone. Classic Martin Style 42 and Style 45 appointments abound, including colorful abalone purfling around the top, fingerboard extension and rosette; black/white fine line purfling on the sides, back, endpiece, heelcap, neck, and headstock; and grained ivoroid binding throughout (fingerboard and headstock included). A colorful Style 45 mosaic backstrip bisects the back, and original Style 42 (beginning at the 5th fret) snowflake position markers accent the fingerboard. Gold-plated Waverly tuners with ivoroid butterbean knobs grace the polished headstock and a tortoise-color polished and beveled pickguard protects the guitar’s top. The body of the instrument is finished in polished gloss, with vintage toner on the top to enhance its vintage look; satin finish on the neck provides exceptional player comfort.

To acknowledge the “Frampton’s Camel” connection, a small camel in mother of pearl nestles beneath the Old Style Martin gold decal logo on the headplate. Peter Frampton’s signature in mother of pearl appears at the base of the fingerboard between the 19th and 20th frets. Pearl-inlaid bridge and endpins for this guitar are fashioned from genuine camel bone. The “Frampton’s Camel” logo is etched on the neck block and also appears as a watermark on each guitar’s interior label.
“Frampton’s Camel” does include the original Geib style hardshell case as well as an interior label signed personally by Peter Framton, Martin Chairman C.F. Martin IV, and sequence number with the edition total. With only 76 of these ever made, these will surely only rise in popularity due to the sustained popularity of Peter Frampton’s music, as well as the rarity of these guitars! This instrument is in wonderful shape, with only some light buffing marks, that were probably factory made, as well as a string winder indentation from a careless string change being the only things to distinguish this one from new!