Serial number 54286 is a round sound hole R-18 guitar. It was stamped on September 12, 1933 and cleared final inspection on December 22 that year. This guitar has the lovely "amberburst" finish that appeared on Martin guitars during 1932 and 1933.
It was shipped to the Charles E. Wells Music Co. in Denver, Colorado on January 22, 1934.
A total of 480 R-18 guitars were made in 1933, the first year of production for the model. The last sixty-eight R-18 guitar made in 1933 had f-holes instead of round sound holes.
Type 1 C. F. Martin decal in use from 1932 to 1934
Even though this guitar has a decal it still retains the Martin stamp on the back of the headstock. The tuners are Grover G-98 "clipped plate" machines with seamed butterbean metal buttons.
Photographs courtesy of Roger Kern
2 thoughts on “1933 Martin R-18 Guitar (Serial Number 54286)”
Referred to Greig Hutton yesterday by Tim Logan, owner of several Martin Guitars & N. E. Ohio, USA resident. Own pre-1900 signed Martin Parlor Guitar examined by Tim minus serial number. Would be interested in your expert analysis and will pay your typical fee. How do I proceed?
John
Sorry for the late response, I have been having an issue with my website and payment processor. I would be happy be have a look at your guitar (I would need a lot of photos and a photo of the case label (if there is one). These guitars are sometimes dated under the top near the sound hole. Could you take a picture of it with a mirror? Don’t worry about the image being reversed, I can correct that. Is the stamp on the back strip (beneath the sound hole) “C. F. Martin” or “C. F. Martin & Co.”? I will provide a written evaluation free but if you want one of my signed certificates the charge would be US$100. You can an order for a certificate directly from this website or I can send you an invoice.
Greig