Here is one of the rarely seen 12-fret D-28 guitars. It is also one of the very last regular 12-fret D-28s made (although a few more 12-fretters were made on special order in subsequent years). Serial number 55082 was stamped on December 29, 1933 and cleared final inspection on January 23, 1934. This might also […]
This guitar can be identified as one of the earliest OM-28 guitars because it has an original pyramid bridge. A total of 102 OM-28 guitars were made with pyramid bridges between late 1929 and April 1930. However, existing pyramid bridge OM-28 guitars are even rarer than the 102 production figure would suggest since many were […]
Serial number 52348 was stamped on November 28, 1932 and cleared final inspection on August 25, 1933 (a very long time in production for the period). The OM-18 guitars made in 1932 were called “Model 32” and all had a “dark top”, in Martin terminology. These are now commonly known as amberburst, honeyburst or teaburst […]
Martin made Ochestra Model (OM) guitars from 1929 to the end of 1933. Beginning in 1934 the OM designation was dropped and these guitars reverted to the 000 designation. (It should be remembered Martin also used OM when referring to 0, 00 and Dreadnought guitars with 14-fret necks.) However, for a time in 1934 continued […]
Serail number 65086 was stamped on December 16, 1936 and cleared final inspection on January 8, 1937. The special features of this guitar are the 12-fret body and the fact it was originally made for seven strings, with a banjo tuner mounted near the top of the headstock for the seventh string. The tuners are […]
The first documented 000 size guitar was this 000-21 shipped to Henry Spahr on November 7, 1901. This guitar was discovered by Eric Schoenberg about 35 years ago. The top was in very poor condition. Dana Bourgeois attempted to save the severely thinned top but it eventually had to be replaced by TJ Thompson to […]
Serial number 50551 was stamped on March 23, 1932 and cleared final inspection on August 5 that year. Some 0-18K guitars from the period were made for Hawaiian playing with a flat fingerboard and raised nut and saddle but this guitar was factory made for Spanish playing with a rounded fingerboard and normal nut and […]
Serial number 55754 was stamped on March 21, 1934 and cleared final inspection on May 28 that year. This guitar has the ebony neck reinforcement, bar frets and a Brazilian rosewood straight bridge. The tuners are similar to Grover G-98 clipped plate tuners but with black celluloid instead of metal buttons. These may be Grover […]
Serial number 65224 was stamped on January 7, 1937 and cleared final inspection on May 10 that year. The neck is 1-3/4″ wide at the nut with a 24.9″ scale length. The straight bridge is made of Brazilian rosewood. The tuners are Grover G-98 clipped plate machines with rounded metal buttons. This is a little […]
Here is one of the very early 1932 14-fret 0-18 “Model 32” guitars. The “Model 32” guitars received what Martin referred to as a “dark top” finish but is now commonly known as honeyburst, amberburst or shaded top. Serial number 50739 was stamped on April 13, 1932 and cleared final inspection on July 12 that […]