C. F. Martin 00-18 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1961)
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C. F. Martin 00-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1961), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 179927, natural lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, spruce top, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, black tolex hard shell case.
This is a somewhat played-in but all original 1961 00-18, a typical "Folk Era" grand concert model built in the last few years before Martin's move to a new larger factory led to a host of production changes. The old North Street shop in Nazareth had been overwhelmed by increasing demand for the company's products, especially after the runaway success of the Kingston Trio. The new modern facility opened in 1964 allowed them to ramp up production dramatically, but the guitars were no longer built in quite the same way as they had been for the previous 100+ years.
This mid-1961 00-18 retains all the older style features including the "long saddle" rosewood bridge and the tortoise celluloid outer binding and pickguard. The mahogany neck is slim and comfortable with the hint of a 'V' to the contour. The tuners are individual Grover Sta-Tites mounted on the typically rounded-edge headstock which features a figured rosewood overlay. Overall the guitar is more lightly constructed than later '60s examples and has a very lively sound.
A total of 630 00-18s were shipped in 1961, priced at $145, plus case. At the time the large Dreadnought guitars were becoming ever more popular, already starting to eclipse these smaller-bodied flat tops in sales. These days the smaller Martins are once again more appreciated, and have experienced a renaissance among players of many styles. This mahogany 00 is one of Martin's most versatile designs, equally at home fingerpicking ragtime and blues, as a strummer's songwriting and recording mainstay, leading a band onstage with a pickup added or just the perfect couch guitar.
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Overall length is 39 3/8 in. (100 cm.), 14 3/8 in. (36.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This 60+ year old 00 remains largely original with the finish showing some average pickwear, dings, scrapes and chips. The deepest patch of wear is on the upper edge of the top/side join, where some player must have chewed into the finish with a prominent cuff button at one time! The edge of the soundhole has wear into the wood, and there are a couple of deeper random pick marks on the top. The finish on the back appears to have been lightly oversprayed or even possible refinished long time ago. We see no reason why this would have been done, but it was a long time ago if so as the wear seems subsequent to that. The back of the neck is worn to the wood in spots and has some mostly smoothed-out small dings and dents.
There is one small patched area on the treble side just below the heel, with local touch up to the finish that is not too conspicuous. The upper side has a fairly long sealed crack running around the lower bass bout from above the endpin, and the lower back on the treble bout shows a couple of sealed grain splits. The only crack in the top is a typical grain split off the top/rear edge of the pickguard.
The original rosewood bridge had been lowered long ago and more recently reglued and with a newer bone saddle installed. Internally, all of the original braces and small maple bridgeplate are intact. The neck has been reset and refretted some time ago, the fingerboard has very light divots between the first and eighth fret that do not affect playability. The guitar plays and sounds very nice, not the loudest we have had but with a rounder, sweeter sound than some mahogany 00's. It is housed in a used hardshell case. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This is a somewhat played-in but all original 1961 00-18, a typical "Folk Era" grand concert model built in the last few years before Martin's move to a new larger factory led to a host of production changes. The old North Street shop in Nazareth had been overwhelmed by increasing demand for the company's products, especially after the runaway success of the Kingston Trio. The new modern facility opened in 1964 allowed them to ramp up production dramatically, but the guitars were no longer built in quite the same way as they had been for the previous 100+ years.
This mid-1961 00-18 retains all the older style features including the "long saddle" rosewood bridge and the tortoise celluloid outer binding and pickguard. The mahogany neck is slim and comfortable with the hint of a 'V' to the contour. The tuners are individual Grover Sta-Tites mounted on the typically rounded-edge headstock which features a figured rosewood overlay. Overall the guitar is more lightly constructed than later '60s examples and has a very lively sound.
A total of 630 00-18s were shipped in 1961, priced at $145, plus case. At the time the large Dreadnought guitars were becoming ever more popular, already starting to eclipse these smaller-bodied flat tops in sales. These days the smaller Martins are once again more appreciated, and have experienced a renaissance among players of many styles. This mahogany 00 is one of Martin's most versatile designs, equally at home fingerpicking ragtime and blues, as a strummer's songwriting and recording mainstay, leading a band onstage with a pickup added or just the perfect couch guitar.
.
Overall length is 39 3/8 in. (100 cm.), 14 3/8 in. (36.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This 60+ year old 00 remains largely original with the finish showing some average pickwear, dings, scrapes and chips. The deepest patch of wear is on the upper edge of the top/side join, where some player must have chewed into the finish with a prominent cuff button at one time! The edge of the soundhole has wear into the wood, and there are a couple of deeper random pick marks on the top. The finish on the back appears to have been lightly oversprayed or even possible refinished long time ago. We see no reason why this would have been done, but it was a long time ago if so as the wear seems subsequent to that. The back of the neck is worn to the wood in spots and has some mostly smoothed-out small dings and dents.
There is one small patched area on the treble side just below the heel, with local touch up to the finish that is not too conspicuous. The upper side has a fairly long sealed crack running around the lower bass bout from above the endpin, and the lower back on the treble bout shows a couple of sealed grain splits. The only crack in the top is a typical grain split off the top/rear edge of the pickguard.
The original rosewood bridge had been lowered long ago and more recently reglued and with a newer bone saddle installed. Internally, all of the original braces and small maple bridgeplate are intact. The neck has been reset and refretted some time ago, the fingerboard has very light divots between the first and eighth fret that do not affect playability. The guitar plays and sounds very nice, not the loudest we have had but with a rounder, sweeter sound than some mahogany 00's. It is housed in a used hardshell case. Overall Excellent - Condition.