john Arthur martinez
“In 2016 I installed a K&K Pure Mini in my Collings Guitar at the recommendation of both my guitar technician, Bryan Hibler, and fellow Collings guitar owner, David Horner. I was not disappointed. Frankly, I was surprised that I could achieve that much gain with a passive system, and when paired with my preamp I’m able to easily dial in the tone I prefer. I’ve now installed Pure Pickups and Trinity Systems in several of my guitars and a Banjo Twin in my banjo.”
In 2004, on the heels of his second-place finish on the TV talent competition Nashville Star, singer-songwriter john Arthur martinez released an album titled Lone Starry Night, which climbed to No. 49 on Billboard magazine’s Top Country Albums chart. In 2015, he’s reaching for the stars again, so to speak, with the Feb. 15 release ofIf Stars Could Sing on his own JAM Records label.
The journey has taken john across Texas, The U. S., and across the Atlantic, sharing stages with artists from Keith Urban to Reuben Ramos, from Dwight Yoakam to Elton John, from John Prine to Carrie Underwood. But his favorite place is his home in Marble Falls, outside of Austin, where he has established the annual FiestaJAM festival to raise funds for local music education programs.
John has established a reputation for drawing on his Texas roots and Mexican-American heritage to craft songs rich with Southwest imagery and influences. He has performed at the most recent presidential Inaugural Ball in Washington D. C., hosted by the Texas State Society. He has songwriting credits on the Grammy-winning album Flaco Jimenez (Arista Records). And, he has been nominated and recognized multiple times by the Texas Music Awards, winning Entertainer of the Year and Song of the Year (twice).
John plays several acoustic guitars, a Collings 1998 SJ (Trinity Pro System), an Alvarez Yairi CY130 (Pure Classic), a handmade Mexican requinto (Pure Classic), a Takamine EAN15C, a Takamine EF360C, Takamine C132S (Pure Minis).
