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. […]
Serial number 11219 was stamped on January 11, 1911 and was shipped t0 Eilere Music House in Seattle WA on December 15, 1911. The tuners are German silver Handel machines with inlaid ivory buttons. Style 42 features: Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood Top: Red spruce (Adirondack) Purfling: Abalone and lines on top and around fingerboard […]
Serial number 13602 was stamped on April 8, 1919. It was shipped to Southern California Music Co. in Los Angeles CA on July 30, 1919, which explains the Southern California Music Co. metal plaque on the back of the headstock. Style 45 features: Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood Top: Red spruce (Adirondack) Purfling: Abalone and […]
Serial number was stamped around mid-June 1920. One interesting feature of this guitar is the coarse grain structure of the wood used for the neck. This type of wood is Philippine Mahogany (genus Shorea) which is not considered a true mahogany (genus Swietenia). It was used for the necks of Martin guitars circa 1919 to […]
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 […]
Here is one of the few harp guitars made by Martin in the early 20th century. Serial number 9392 was shipped to Grinnell Brothers in Detroit on April 18, 1902. It was based on the then relatively new 000 size body. Martin made harp guitars with either 10, 12 or 16 strings. One was even […]
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 […]
Martin guitars did not have serial numbers before 1898 but from about 1885 many guitars were dated in pencil (or crayon) under the top. This guitar is dated in 1892. The 00-28 model was Martin’s largest “professional” guitar at the time. This guitar originally had ivory friction pegs which have been replaced with moden machines. […]