Arizona-born, LA-based singer/songwriter Alec Benjamin is known for his introspective and lyrically vivid brand of alt-pop, the majority of which is guitar-driven. Naturally, his favorite piece of equipment is his trusty acoustic guitar.

In this episode of It Goes to 11, Benjamin introduces viewers to his prized Martin model. It's special to the singer because it's the first Martin he's ever owned — but it's what the guitar did for his career that really makes him love it.

"This completely changed the way that I performed live, and also, in a sense, the way that I write songs," he details. "It sounds the same when I play it in my bedroom as it does when I play it onstage."

Acquiring the instrument was the product of necessity. He bought it when he was on tour, struggling with the fact that none of his guitars sounded exactly the way he wanted them to through the PA system at his show venues.

"I went to a store called the Chicago Music Exchange, like an hour before the gig, and this was just the base-level Martin that was hanging on the wall," he recounts. He bought it, plugged it in at the venue, and the rest is history. 

Though Benjamin plays the basic model, his guitar is modified with some black tape patched across the bottom of the instrument's body — an addition that wasn't necessarily intentional. "I thought it would be cool to draw on it and try to put a logo on it. And it looked terrible," he admits. "So when I got to the stage, my tour manager was like, 'You have to put music tape over it.'"

Bad logo or no bad logo, Benjamin says he's keeping this acoustic guitar for life. Not only does it perfectly capture his sound, but it also reminds him of a childhood memory of his dad singing songs on a Gibson guitar — and one day, Benjamin hopes his Martin will create similar memories. 

You can hear Benjamin’s prized Martin in action on his new album, (Un)Commentary, and on The (Un)Commentary Tour, which hits Europe and the UK this summer and North America this fall. In the meantime, watch the video above to learn more about Benjamin's favorite acoustic guitar, and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more episodes of It Goes to 11.

Watch the video above to learn more about Benjamin's favorite acoustic guitar, and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more episodes of It Goes to 11. 

How Tate McRae Turned A "Full Identity Crisis" Into Her Debut Album, 'I Used To Think I Could Fly'