1988 Martin D-35 P, as made famous by David Byrne

A man in a suit walks onto a bare stage, he starts up his boombox, and, almost possessed, launches into Psycho Killer.  One of the most iconic openings to any concert video, Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense.  With David Byrne playing his heart and soul out on a Martin D-35.  This one isn't his, but it's as close as it gets!

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Stop Making Sense was released in 1984.  This was no ordinary concert movie.  This one set a new, and a high, bar.  A performance way beyond a concert.  I remember seeing it and being absolutely blown away by the staging, the lighting, the choreography of everything (including the roadies wheeling kit onto the stage), the songs, and, yes, the big suit.  Check out Girlfriend Is Better in the movie to remind yourself of its impact, and its absurdity.  David Byrne, I know you didn't mean to, but you launched a new level of Dad Dancing.​

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At the time, I didn't know, and didn't care, what guitars he was playing.  It was only later that I found out he opens the show with three songs playing a Martin D-35 - Psycho Killer, Heaven, and Thank You For Sending Me An Angel.  Later, he also plays a Roland G-303 synthesiser guitar, which if you want to see more of, click here.  But if you're going to open a big show, you need a big guitar, and the D-35 fits the bill perfectly.  And it isn't just David Byrne that knew that.  The D-35 is a go-to acoustic for artists as close and diverse as David Gilmour, Dave Grohl, Thom Yorke, Johnny Marr and Johnny Cash.  Just to name a few guitar gods that have fallen under the spell of the D-35!

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It's a guitar whose beauty stems directly from necessity.  The availability and price of Brazilian rosewood boards wide enough for a two-piece back were working in opposition around the mid-60s, so Martin came up with the brilliant idea of using three smaller pieces, with the central piece forming a distinctive marquetry-framed triangle on the body back.  Which also gave them the opportunity to build the guitar's body top with lighter bracing than on the comparable D-28.  Going onto market this innovative, yet cost-effective design, at a premium to the two-piece backed D-28! To be fair, the D-35 comes with more elegant binding to the neck and body.  So, it's probably worth it.  Not as loud as a D-28, and with less ringing sustain, the design gives it a wonderful sweet tone, balanced across all six strings. Strumming, picking, moving jerkily across a stage or your front room, this is one lovely dreadnought.

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One final part to the story - and so far a mystery.  When it arrived, the case compartment contained some pigeon feathers (mysterious enough) and a couple of cassettes by a band called Talisman.  According to the sleeve notes, Talisman were Rebecca Over (vocals, guitars, and Appalachian dulcimer) and Mike Baker (lead guitar, vocals).  They performed traditional, country and folk songs in the Surrey/Hampshire area.  The tape was recorded in 1996 by Doug Bailey at Wild Goose Studios in Wherwell, Hampshire.  I've tried to find out more, but keep drawing blanks.  So, if anyone knows anything about Talisman - even whether it was Rebecca or Mike that owned this D-35 - drop me a line.  Always good to put the history together for such lovely and loved guitars!

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