"Valerie June's cherished Gibson guitar was wrecked during air travel, completely destroyed, but upon relaying this incident to Dan Auerbach, he advised her to explore a change, advocating for a fresh start with a different acoustic guitar brand."
Hear ye, hear ye! Valerie June, the genre-jumping songstress, dropped her latest album, Owls, Omens, and Oracles, in April, and boy, does it pack a punch! In an interview with Acoustic Guitar, she spilled the beans about how Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys pushed her out of her comfort zone with those six-stringed babies.
Grooving her way through folk, gospel, and the heart-wrenching blues, the record is a testament to June's versatile guitar skills – employing gritty electrics and soothing acoustics. You know, like that sweet serenade on her 2014 album, Pushin' against a Stone, where her good ol' Gibson acoustic stole the show. But then, disaster struck!
While flying back to Tennessee from Canada, her beloved Gibson L-1 – a smaller guitar that fit her petite frame like a glove and bore the name of her grandfather, Clyde – got busted to smithereens during the flight. It left June's heart shattered as much as her guitar.
Now, Dan Auerbach came along and said, "Girl, try a Martin! Switch things up a bit. Check out Gruhn Guitars downtown and see what catches your eye." June ventured to the store, but faced a tiny hiccup – the first guitar she fell for wasn't available for purchase!
The salesman, however, didn't leave her hanging. He brought in a few more options, telling her to play each one until she found her perfect fit. And speak of the devil, she did! June fell head over heels in love with one Martin model (000-15) and instantly bought it. To her surprise, the last four digits of the serial number matched her phone number, making it feel like destiny.
Fun fact: June revealed she doesn't use picks and prefers to feel the vibration of the strings against her skin. For live performances, she installed L.R. Baggs pickups on her 000-15.
In this whirlwind year of 2025, Martin also collaborated with Billy Strings on two signature models inspired by his 1940 D-28, presented a decades-in-the-making double-neck, and even added Dreadnoughts to its Junior Series. Talk about a busy bee!
Valerie June, in her latest album, showcases her versatile guitar skills on gritty electrics like PRS and soothing acoustics, reminiscent of her beloved Gibson L-1. Her encounter with Dan Auerbach led her to explore new six-stringed instruments, such as a Martin model. Despite the initial disappointment of her first choice not being available, she found her perfect fit, the Martin 000-15, with the last four digits of the serial number matching her phone number. For live performances, she prefers to feel the vibration of the strings against her skin, using L.R. Baggs pickups on her new Martin.
In the world of entertainment and music, 2025 was a productive year for Martin, collaborating with Billy Strings on two signature models, presenting a long-awaited double-neck guitar, and adding Dreadnoughts to its Junior Series.
