This  guitar is a special order 1-18P guitar with a 5-string neck. Only two 5-string Martin guitars were ever made, this being the earlier example. The second 5-string, a 1-17PS, was made in 1939.

It will be noted that the guitar has a neck that joins the body at the 15th fret.

Serial number 38979 was ordered on July 1, 1929, was stamped on July 9, 1929 ans cleared final inspection on July 14. That's just 5 days in production! That has got to be the record!

Interestingly, this guitar was stamped one day before the first OM-28. Five-string guitar or 14-fret OM guitar, which will win?

The tuners are Grover #90 banjo pegs.

Style 18 features:

Back and sides: Mahogany

Top: Red spruce (Adirondack)

Purfling: Lines

Binding: Rosewood

Backstripe: None

Other period features:

Scalloped X-bracing

Ebony fingerboard

Ebony straight bridge

Dot fingerboard inlays

C. F. Martin stamp on back of headstock

No style stamp

Photos courtesy of Players Vintage Instruments.