Serial number 8972 is an uncommon 00-30 guitar. A total of 102 Martin 00-30 guitars were made between 1898 and 1921.

This guitar is dated August 27, 1900 under the top and is signed with a small rubber stamp "HLK". Harry L. Keller worked for Martin from 1898 to 1901 and it probably a relative Frank Henry Martin's wife, Jenny Keller. The guitar was shipped to A. J. Pommer, a Martin dealer in Sacramento CA, on March 21, 1901.

Many of the 00-30 guitars made form 1899 to 1902 had friction pegs. Professional guitar players at the time often preferred friction pegs since it was much easier to change gut strings on the fly when compared to tuning machines.

The purfling is a lovely pattern seen on style 30 and 34 guitars.

Abalone sound hole ring

The backstripe purfling is a large red-and-green herringbone pattern.

The owner of this guitar has kindly supplied a "thickness map" of the top, made with a Mag-Ic Probe thickness caliper.

Style 30 features:

Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood

Top: Red spruce (probably from West Virginia)

Purfling: Fancy purfling used on style 30 and 34 guitars

Binding: Ivory

Three "snowflake" Japan pearl fingerboard inlays at positions 5, 7 and 9

Other period features: 

Light X-bracing

Ebony fingerboard

Ebony pyramid bridge

C. F. Martin & Co. stamp on back of headstock