Serial number 41999 was stamped on March 28, 1930 and cleared final inspection on April 15 that year. It is from the first batch of four 0-28T guitars made. The o-28T guitars were made in 1930 and 1931 with a total production of 70. The tuners are Grover #90 banjo tuners. Style 28 features: Back […]
Here is a guitar from the very beginning of the Dreadnought era! Serial number 175 was part of the very first batch of Ditson Dreadnoughts shipped to Charles H. Ditson & Co. of New York on December 30, 1916, the first batch comprising three D-111 and three D-222 guitars. (To be exactly correct, a prototype […]
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 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 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 […]
Between 1916 and 1921 Martin made a special line of guitars for Charles H. Ditson & Co. in New York. These guitars had a wide-waisted design since they were meant to played Hawaiian style and the normal narrow waist was no longer necessary. These guitars did not have a flat fingerboard or high saddle as […]