Recently Gearwire has run a number of articles on guitar companies and their attempts to make a more ecologically friendly instrument. Here is a specific example.

In 2005 Sting was approached by Martin Guitars about a signature model. He suggested a Size 5 Mini Terz. The Mini Terz is similar to a 5-28 and was introduced as a Special Edition in 1999. The instrument has a 12-fret (to the body) design and bright, chime-like “terz” tuning and tone, which is a minor third above standard pitch. Six years earlier Martin introduced the Sting SWC Signature Edition classic guitar and SWB Signature Edition acoustic bass.

When approached about a new signature model he suggested a Size 5. Sting played an integral role increating the instrument that now bears his name: the Sting: Mini Signature Edition.

Sting has used other Size 5 guitars in his work. In 2003 he purchased a second Size 5 that he used to record Dead Man's Rope on the Sacred Love CD. He also played a rare Baby Ditson built by Martin in 1916 and played it on stage and on television appearances during the Sacred Love tour.

As a co-founder of The Rainforest Foundation, Sting also wanted to make sure the new instrument would be an ecologically sound instrument and one that would protect the rights of indigenous people.

To this end, 77 percent of the wood utilized in the construction of the Sting: Mini Signature Edition originated in forests managed in a sustainable and ecologically responsible manner. In addition, the guitar utilizes spruce braces from reclaimed sources constituting 8.4% of the utilized wood. While some of the tonewoods are non-traditional, they blend together to form a beautiful looking and sounding instrument with tremendous professional integrity.

-The top is western red cedar, highly regarded among guitar builders for warm tone and superb responsiveness. Scalloped 1/4 top bracing assures impressive volume.

-The back and sides are Soloman padauk, a beautiful red-orange tonewood similar in sound to mahogany.

-The neck of genuine mahogany is harvested from sustainable sources.

-The fingerboard and straight line (non-belly) bridge are crafted from katalox, a beautiful wood with a density and color similar to rosewood.

-A generous 1-3/4 at the nut, the neck features a very comfortable semi-V profile, diamond volute and solid squared, tapered headstock.

-The headplate, also of Soloman padauk, provides a handsome backdrop to the old style C. F. Martin & Co. gold logo and Gotoh nickel vintage-style tuners.

-Long pattern abalone pearl diamonds and squares position markers on the fingerboard lead to Sting¹s signature in pearl between the 17th and 18th frets.

Only 100 of the Martin Sting: Mini Signature Edition guitars were produced. Each bears two interior labels: a Signature Edition label personally signed by Sting and Martin Chairman C. F. Martin IV and is numbered in sequence with the edition total, plus a Sustainable Wood Series label that explains the wood content percentage. Their list price was around $4,000.

For more information check the Martin Guitars and Sting websites.