Serial number 70469 was stamped on June 3, 1938 and cleared final inspection on June 21 (18 days later!)

Style 44 guitars were developed for Vahdah Olcott-Bickford, the well known classical guitar player and teacher. These guitar were made from the finest materials but were relatively plain in decoration, with no fingerboard inlays. A total of 37 style 44 guitars were made between 1914 and 1938, with only two style 44 guitars being made after this example. This guitar was not made with the usual 12-fret 00 body but with the body type developed for the "G" style classical guitars in late 1934.

This guitars departs from the normal features of a style 44 guitar by having a "flowerpot" headstock veneer, a style 45 "snowflake" fingerboard and a style 45 backstripe. The other specifications included very light bracing and a slightly thinner neck. Because the front of the headstock has a flowerpot veneer a regular Martin decal was applied to the reas of th headstock, although this might also indicate it was returned to Martin at some point for repairs.

The tuners are three-on-a side D & J (Dinsmore & Jager) #33 machines.

The bridge is a straight ebony bridge (i. e., not a pyramid bridge) with no string compensation on the saddle and style 28 bridge pins.

Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood

Top: Red spruce (Adirondack)