Here is an example of the rare and much sought after 14-fret 00-21 from the 1930s. Almost all 00-21 guitar from the period were 12-fret models but between 1935 and 1938 a total of twelve 00-21 guitars were made with 14 fret necks, all were sold to dealers in Chicago but all but one was […]
Serial number 90740 was stamped on March 5, 1945 and cleared final inspection on June 6 that year. Martin appears to have received a supply of steel T-bar in early 1945 so unlike most wr-time Martin guitars this one has the steel T-bar neck reinforcement rather than the ebony bar. The T-bar didn’t last for […]
Serial numbe 38471 was stamped on April 25, 1929 and cleared final inspection on August 27 that year. During March 1928 Martin slightly increased the thickness of guitars tops. Having been made after that date this guitar has the thicker top that makes it fully capable of accepting steel strings. Since it was made in […]
Serial number 45317 was stamped on December 31, 1930 and cleared final inspection on February 21, 1931. Since it was made prior to March 1931 it retains the “small” pick guard and banjo tuners of the original OM guitars but has a belly bridge that became the norm in April 1930. Typical for style 28 […]
Serial number 191700 was stamped on September 23, 1963 and cleared final inspection on December 13 that year. The tuners are Grover G-98N machines with white celluloid buttons. Back and sides: Mahogany Top: Sitka spruce
Serial number 43670 is a 1930 “small” pick guard OM-28 guitar. It was stamped on August 19, 1930 and cleared final inspection on October 15 that year. The small pick guard was used until replaced by the “large” pick guard in March 1931. The Pages banjo tuners appear to be replacements since as far as […]
This guitar is one of those rarely seen beasts, an early OM-28 with a pyramid bridge. The first belly bridges did not appear on the OM guitars until the end of the first week of April 1930. All of the OM-28 guitars to that point were equiped with a pyramid bridge, a total of 102 […]
Serial number 63489 was stamped on June 9, 1936 and cleared final inspection on October 8, that year. As an earlier 14-fret 000-28 this guitar has advance-X bracing, distinctive herringbone purfling around the top and a zig-zag backstripe. The tuners are Grover G-98 pointed plate machines with smooth-edged butterbean buttons. Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood […]
Serial number 59395 was stamped on March 19, 1935 and cleared final inspection on August 15 that year. Being an early D-28 it has advanced X-bracing and an 1-3/4″ wide neck (string specing at the bridge is 2-5/16″). Like all pre-war D-28 guitars, it has herringbone purfling around the top of the guitar and the […]
Seial number 88780 was stamped on August 22, 1944 and cleared final inspection on November 18 that year. This guitar retains the scalloped braces that define pre-war Martins (the transition to straight braces occurred in December 1944). The tuners are probably Kluson 502 machines. It will be noted the bushings are missing from the front […]