Serial number 81120 was stamped on March 24, 1942 and cleared final inspection on October 22 that year. The tuners are Waverly 5038N (nickel plated) machines with rounded metal buttons. These are sometimes referred to as “Yoda head” machines due to the shape of the ends of the backing plate. Style 28 features: Back and […]
Serial number 44124 was stamped on September 26, 1930 and cleared final inspection on November 22 that year. The tuners are Grover #89 Deluxe banjo pegs. Style 28 features: Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood Top: Red spruce (Adirondack) Purfling: Herringbone Binding: White ivoroid Backstripe: Zig-zag pattern Other period features: Scalloped X-bracing Ebony fingerboard Ebony belly […]
Serial number 106809 was stamped on September 10, 1948 and cleared final inspection on December 14 that year. The tuners are Kluson K-210 machines with rounded metal buttons. Style 18 features: Back and sides: Mahogany Top: Sitka spruce Purfling: Lines Binding: Tortoiseshell celluloid Other period features: Straight X-bracing Brazilian rosewood fingerboard Ebony belly bridge Steel […]
Serial number 71476 was stamped on October 21, 1938 and cleared final inspection on December 9 that year. The tuners are Grover G-98 pointed plate tuners with unseamed butterbean buttons. Style 21 features: Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood Top: Red spruce (Adirondack) Purfling: Lines Binding: Rosewood Sound hole decoration: Herringbone Backstripe: Herringbone Other period features: […]
Martin made the 14-fret 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. However, for a time in 1934 continued to use long scale (25.4″) necks on 000-18 guitars. In effect, these can be considered OM guitars. […]
This is a rare bird indeed! It is one of only two OM-42 guitars ever made, both in 1930. Serial number 43708 was stamped on August 22, 1930 and cleared final inspection on September 12 (only 3 weeks later!) As an early example of an OM guitar it has banjo tuners and the small OM […]
Serial number 83225 was stamped on January 20, 1943 and cleared final inspection on March 12 that year. The tuners are Kluson 502 machines with white celluloid buttons. Style 18 features: Back and sides: Mahogany Top: Red spruce (Adirondack) Purfling: Lines Binding: Black celluloid Other period features: Rear-X scalloped bracing Ebony fingerboard Ebony belly bridge […]
Serial number 90987 was stamped on March 28, 1945 and cleared final inspection on June 25 that year. This guitar is one of the earlier war-time Martin guitars that got the re-issued steel T-bar neck reinforcement. Martin, due to war-time restrictions, had been forced to eliminate the steel T-bar neck reinforcement in early 1942 and […]
Serial number 41927 was stamped on March 21, 1930 and cleared final inspection on May 13 that year. The banjo tuners are modern replacements while the white celluloid buttons are original. The ebony pyramid bridge is a modern replacement made by luthier TJ Thompson. OM-28 features: Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood Top: Red spruce (Adirondack) […]
Serial number 66724 was stamped on June 24, 1937 and cleared final inspection on October 7 that year. This guitar has advanced X-bracing and a 1-3/4″ wide neck. The tuners are Grover G-98 pointed plate machines with unseamed butterbean buttons. Style 28 features: Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood Top: Red spruce (Adirondack) Purfling: Herringbone Binding: […]