Serial number 55622 was stamped on February 27, 1934 and cleared final inspection on May 22 that year. It was shipped to Carl Fischer Inc in Boston MA on July 19, 1934.
This is one of the three guitars from the batch of six that were made with gut strings. That does not means the guitar was constructed for gut strings , just that it was set up for gut strings when it was shipped. This guitar was made with the ebony bar neck reinforcement and bar frets, so it was quite easy to adjust the guitar set-up by changing a few frets.
The tuners are clipped plate G-97 machines with seamed butterbean buttons.
Style 42 features:
Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood
Top: Red spruce (Adirondack)
Purfling: Abalone (on top only)
Binding: Ivoroid
Backstripe: Style 45 purfling strip
Other period features:
Scalloped X-bracing
Ebony fingerboard
Ebony belly bridge
Originally ebony neck reinforcement (currently has square tube neck reinforcement)
Originally had bar frets
1-29/32" neck width at nut
24.9" scale length
Tortoiseshell celluloid pick guard
Non-original style 42 pearl fingerboard inlays
Decal on front of headstock
C. F. Martin stamp on back of headstock
Style stamp
Photos courtesy of Elderly Instruments
At the time of writing (August 20, 2019) this guitar is available at Elderly Instruments (https://www.elderly.com/collections/flat-top-acoustic-guitars-used/products/martin-00-42-1934)