C. F. Martin 0-16NY Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1964)

C. F. Martin  0-16NY Flat Top Acoustic Guitar  (1964)
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Item # 10587
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C. F. Martin 0-16NY Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1964), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 197227, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.

This 0-sized 12-fret Martin is an early (if unheralded) example of a "vintage" re-issue; one of the first in the company's history. Beginning in the early '60s there was a groundswell of interest in the "old" 1920s-style Martin guitars with 12-fret neck joints and wider fingerboards. At the time these were considered more "authentic" folk instruments than the newer 14-fret styles built since the 1930s. Joan Baez in particular was very influential in this regard; her use of an already-vintage 12-fret 0-45 became an icon of the era and many players wanted a similar type of instrument.

The 0-16NY was offered beginning in 1961, designed as an affordable guitar for folk-style playing with either steel or nylon strings; to this end, they were built much lighter than the "modern" steel string Martins of the time. The satin (non-gloss) finish and trimmings are very plain but the guitar is built with Style 18 materials: a spruce top, mahogany body and neck with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge. This example is one of 775 shipped in 1964, the model's peak production year. The list price at the time was a very reasonable $149.50, without the case. While conceived for a specific audience the 0-16NY sold well for Martin for some years, proving it had "legs" well beyond the folk boom of the early '60s.

Although not sold originally as such essentially this is a re-issue of a late 1920s 0-18, with a wide 12-fret neck, slot head, small rectangular bridge, no pickguard and only side dot position markers. The trim is very plain, with tortoise-celluloid outer layer trim on the top and a discreet multi-ring rosette. Although advertised when new as suitable for nylon strings or steel, these guitars have full traditional Martin X-bracing and handle light steel strings perfectly well. Suitable for many styles beyond traditional folk, this is a very nice somewhat under the radar model and something of a bargain in a vintage Martin still.
 
Overall length is 38 1/4 in. (97.2 cm.), 13 5/8 in. (34.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 7/8 in. (48 mm.).

Overall this is a super nice, clean and original example with very little wear at all. The finish shows some light checking overall and some small dings and dents. There is a very small tightly sealed and cleated spruce grain crack about 1/4" away from the bass wing of the bridge, and another off the back edge near the curve of the lower treble bout. An area of finish is somewhat inexplicably worn into below this on the curve of the top/back edge.

There are no other cracks or repairs on the instrument. This guitar has had a clean neck reset and a new saddle; sometime before this the original bridge was slightly cut down, though it retains plenty of height. The bridge has been reglued and there is a small chip of spruce re-attached ahead of the bridge on the treble side. The top has a slight bulge behind the bridge, but everything is solid. This is a fine playing, sweet sounding guitar with more power than one might expect from a 1964 model; it is now older than the 1920s model it was patterned after was at the time this guitar was made! This 0-16NY remains a relative bargain in a 50+ year old small-body Martin complete in a nice modern HSC. Overall Excellent Condition.