The FeLiX Limited Edition Little Martin
(Martin | Posted 2004-05-17)
Just when you thought you’d seen and heard it all, look what Martin pulls out of its magic bag of tricks: The FeLiX Limited Edition starring Felix The Cat himself! It’s a very special version of Martin’s new Little Martin travel size guitar featuring custom Felix The Cat graphics created by artist Don Oriolo, the son of Felix The Cat originator Joe Oriolo.
The result is a great sounding -- and great looking -- guitar ideally sized for travel, practice or student use.
For decades, Felix The Cat has remained one of the most recognized and endearing cartoon characters in the world. In fact, a Felix The Cat doll was the first image to ever be broadcast on a television screen. Felix and his magic bag of tricks are loved by young and old, everywhere in the world. In 2004, he’ll be the star of his own full-length motion picture.
Joe Oriolo was one of Hollywood’s legendary animators and cartoonists. He created Casper The Friendly Ghost and was heavily involved in the making of the Mighty Hercules and Chiquita Banana cartoons. In addition, he was one of the main animators of Popeye and Betty Boop.
As a child, Don Oriolo demonstrated unusual artistic inclinations. His father was an immense motivating factor in his development as an artist. Don began drawing very early on, and by the age of seven he was playing piano and his favorite instrument, the guitar. By the age of sixteen Oriolo recorded his first record album. He was greatly inspired by the worldfamous composer and arranger for Felix, Popeye, Little Lulu and Casper the Friendly Ghost, Winston Sharples, who became Don’s mentor. Later on, Oriolo became head of the music publishing company RSO, 20th Century Fox, and Polygram.
Oriolo continued his father’s legacy by writing and producing a number of motion pictures and TV series: “Felix the Cat, The Movie” in 1987, which was distributed exclusively in the US by the Walt Disney company. In 1996, the TV series “The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat” broadcast by CBS in the USA. In 2001 the animated motion picture “Squishees.” In 2002, the TV series of “Baby Felix and Friends.” And last but not the least, the just completed motion picture length animated movie entitled “Felix Saves Christmas” for release in 2004.
Today Don is both a highly regarded graphic artist and top musical arranger. He has written, produced and arranged for Gloria Gaynor, Lisa Lisa, Cult Jam, and Doctor Hook, among others. Don continues to do all of the musical scoring for the Felix The Cat cartoons and live shows. He is also an avid Martin guitar enthusiast.
The Limited Edition “FeLiX” Little Martin combines a compact “0” tenor-shaped body and an adjustable, modified low oval 14-fret neck with a 23” scale. The back and sides are constructed from highly durable, jet black HPL textured material.
The top of the guitar, adorned with colorful red, white and black Felix graphics, is also constructed of HPL material reinforced with Sitka spruce cross braces. The fingerboard and saddle are crafted of black Micarta®, an environmentally and tonally suitable alternative to ebony. The solid headstock is fitted with Gotoh nickel-plated, small-button enclosed tuning machines and veneered with red HPL material featuring a Felix The Cat graphic below the C. F. Martin script logo.
The Limited Edition “FeLiX” model comes with a high quality black travel guitar gig bag, embroidered with a gold Martin logo. It’s a wonderful, wonderful cat guitar, tales ahead of any travel-sized guitar, and personally endorsed by that fabulous feline, Felix The Cat.
Think of it as the ideal guitar for very hip cats.
