C. F. Martin 0-18 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1949)
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Item # 10607
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C. F. Martin 0-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1949), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 112349, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
This is a great sounding if somewhat played-in Martin 0-18 built right at the end of 1949. The mahogany body carries the typical period features including tortoise celluloid binding on the edges, tortoise celluloid pickguard and long-saddle Brazilian rosewood bridge. The fairly wide-grained spruce top shows a nicely ambered thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish. The headstock corners are the somewhat rounded style typical of the period, with the peghead face adorned with the "C.F. Martin" gold decal on the face. The tuners are the individual openback Klusons with large baseplates specific to this post-WWII period.
This guitar, like all made prior to 1964, is the product of the "old" red brick Martin factory before the move to the modern facility down the road that year resulted in many changes in the way the guitars were made. These late 1940s 0-18s are lovely-sounding instruments, fairly lightly built compared to examples from even just a decade or so later. Exactly 575 of these small mahogany-and-spruce marvels were shipped from Nazareth in 1949, priced at $60 (Plus case). This one has plenty of volume (more than many expect in a smaller body guitar) and a lovely even and ringing tone. This is a superb-playing and sounding small-body Martin, showing just some typical wear and repair to show the passage of the over seven decades since it first left Nazareth PA.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 13 9/16 in. (34.4 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 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This is a solidly preserved guitar overall, showing general wear overall and a one area with some well executed repairs. The original finish is completely unaltered showing scrapes, pickwear, scratches, dents and dings throughout but no overspray anywhere. The top has numerous pick scratches, some through the finish, most notably on the treble side of the soundhole and around the pickguard. There is a collection of scrapes dents and scratches throughout the top but no large areas of lacquer missing.
Some sort of edge impact long ago resulted in a couple of now-repaired top cracks at the apex of the treble side lower bout, well sealed but visible. The treble side rim has three repaired grain cracks adjacent to this and one more extending about three inches towards the waist. These have been carefully aligned and well sealed. There are also scrapes and small areas of finish loss around these cracks, an area of scuffing near the back binding on the treble side rim and nicks and press marks on both the bass and the treble side rims. The back finish shows scuffs and scratches but no heavy buckle wear. The back of the neck is free of capo marks or major finish loss, with a few small dings and dents.
The instrument shows only the one isolated area of minor crack repairs, which is nice to find on a Martin of this vintage. The interior, including the small maple bridge plate, remains unaltered original. The neck has been carefully reset to the original full-height bridge. The bone nut and saddle appear to be replaced; the tuners are the original openback Klusons. The original frets are intact with very minor wear and have plenty of life left in them. This guitar plays extremely well with a comfortable action and offers a lot of sound for a small body instrument. It includes a nice modern HSC Very Good + Condition.
This is a great sounding if somewhat played-in Martin 0-18 built right at the end of 1949. The mahogany body carries the typical period features including tortoise celluloid binding on the edges, tortoise celluloid pickguard and long-saddle Brazilian rosewood bridge. The fairly wide-grained spruce top shows a nicely ambered thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish. The headstock corners are the somewhat rounded style typical of the period, with the peghead face adorned with the "C.F. Martin" gold decal on the face. The tuners are the individual openback Klusons with large baseplates specific to this post-WWII period.
This guitar, like all made prior to 1964, is the product of the "old" red brick Martin factory before the move to the modern facility down the road that year resulted in many changes in the way the guitars were made. These late 1940s 0-18s are lovely-sounding instruments, fairly lightly built compared to examples from even just a decade or so later. Exactly 575 of these small mahogany-and-spruce marvels were shipped from Nazareth in 1949, priced at $60 (Plus case). This one has plenty of volume (more than many expect in a smaller body guitar) and a lovely even and ringing tone. This is a superb-playing and sounding small-body Martin, showing just some typical wear and repair to show the passage of the over seven decades since it first left Nazareth PA.
Overall length is 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 13 9/16 in. (34.4 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 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This is a solidly preserved guitar overall, showing general wear overall and a one area with some well executed repairs. The original finish is completely unaltered showing scrapes, pickwear, scratches, dents and dings throughout but no overspray anywhere. The top has numerous pick scratches, some through the finish, most notably on the treble side of the soundhole and around the pickguard. There is a collection of scrapes dents and scratches throughout the top but no large areas of lacquer missing.
Some sort of edge impact long ago resulted in a couple of now-repaired top cracks at the apex of the treble side lower bout, well sealed but visible. The treble side rim has three repaired grain cracks adjacent to this and one more extending about three inches towards the waist. These have been carefully aligned and well sealed. There are also scrapes and small areas of finish loss around these cracks, an area of scuffing near the back binding on the treble side rim and nicks and press marks on both the bass and the treble side rims. The back finish shows scuffs and scratches but no heavy buckle wear. The back of the neck is free of capo marks or major finish loss, with a few small dings and dents.
The instrument shows only the one isolated area of minor crack repairs, which is nice to find on a Martin of this vintage. The interior, including the small maple bridge plate, remains unaltered original. The neck has been carefully reset to the original full-height bridge. The bone nut and saddle appear to be replaced; the tuners are the original openback Klusons. The original frets are intact with very minor wear and have plenty of life left in them. This guitar plays extremely well with a comfortable action and offers a lot of sound for a small body instrument. It includes a nice modern HSC Very Good + Condition.