This guitar is a very early and rare size “0” C. F. Martin guitar, probably the second 0 size guitar made. A total of seventy 0 size guitars, in all styles, were made between 1854 and 1864, with only nine being 0-22 or 0-24 guitars. The first two size 0 guitars were a 0-24 and […]
This guitar is an early Martin 0-27 and is unusual for a number of reasons. Most collectors are familiar with 2-27 guitars that make up the large majority of style 27 guitars made. Size 0 guitars in style 27 are quite rare: only thirty-nine 0-27 guitars were made between 1856 and 1863 and of these […]
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 […]
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. […]
A completely unknown style of early Martin guitar came to light in 2017. Even in a period when C. F. Martin Sr. was continually experimenting with the design of his guitars, this guitar illustrates a number of unique features. The most obvious feature is the shape of the guitar. Rather than the more familiar Stauffer […]