It is always nice to be able to post photos of such a rare guitar. This is a very early OM-45; the fourth one made (or the fifth if you want to count Roy Roger's OM-45 Deluxe).

Only thirty-nine regular Martin OM-45 guitars were made between 1930 and 1933. See pages 214 to 220 of Hutton’s Guide to Martin Guitars 1833-1969 for more information.

A total of 18 regular OM-45 guitars were made in 1930. As an early OM-45, it was made with the small OM pickguard and has gold-plated Grover #89G Deluxe banjo pegs.

A repair record exists for this guitar which states: “BOTH SIDES SPLIT, TOP CRACKED, ACTION HIGH. GLUE & LINE BOTH SIDES, REPAIR TOP AND ALL LOOSE PARTS, REPLACE 4th PEG, OVERHAUL FRETS & ADJUST, TOUCH UP AS NEEDED, $3.75”.

This was a relatively modestly repair bill for the time, so the work indicated must have been relatively quick and simple to fix.

The repair record documents that the guitar was received from the Sherman Clay & Co. in Seattle on December 12, 1934 and was returned on January 8, 1935. This being the case, this OM-45 was probably the one ordered by the Seattle branch of Sherman Clay & Co. on August 2, 1930.

Photos courtesy of Jim Brown