C. F. Martin 00-18G Classical Guitar (1958)
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C. F. Martin 00-18G Model Classical Guitar (1958), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 160156, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black chipboard case.
This pleasant sounding and nice-playing "G" model 00-18 guitar was originally the result of Martin's back-pedaling a bit in the mid-1930s. Having switched almost their entire standard line to steel strings, the company then debuted a new series of specifically gut strung instruments in 1936 signified by a "G" suffix. The 00-18G is built with Martin's traditional materials: mahogany back, sides and neck and a spruce top. It uses the then-new Martin 14-fret 00 body shape but with a 12-fret, wide classical neck and slotted headstock. Internally it is delicately fan-braced like a Torres style guitar, with a classical tied-string bridge.
This 00-18G dates to early 1958. The 1950s and early '60s Folk boom produced a seemingly insatiable appetite for easy-to-play nylon string guitars, so these "G" models found a much expanded audience. Many aspiring players of the time were not comfortable with steel-string guitars but wanted a genuine Martin; 375 of these shipped in 1958 at $140 (plus case) but the figure would just about double the next year.
This sweet-sounding guitar deserves a better reputation than it often gets. The Nylon-string Martin are not well remembered now, but were quite popular at the time with amateur and even some professional folk players strumming in the "Hoots" of the '60s. While neither "fish nor fowl" perhaps to many modern players this is an appealing creation nonetheless, a pleasant-playing and very nice sounding guitar. It makes for a very good knock-around nylon string, a useful studio tool for the non-classical player who needs that sound now and then and a lovely "Folk" instrument for voice accompaniment of solo playing in the original 1960s mode.
Overall length is 38 1/4 in. (97.2 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 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 25 1/4 in. (641 mm.). Width of nut is 2 in. (51 mm.).
This 65+ year old guitar shows some wear but has survived as a solod player. The original lacquer finish shows some finish checking (mostly to the top) and dings, dents and scrapes overall. The top has picking nicks along treble side of the strings and a small area of thumbpick wear into the wood above and behind the bass side of the soundhole.
The only visible repair is a feelable bash mark from previous impact to the lower side below the endblock, topically sealed with no overfinish.
The guitar remains original including the metal-barreled Waverly tuners. The original bridge has been reglued neatly and internally all the original braces and bridgeplate remain intact. The nut and saddle have been replaced, and the frets re-crowned along the way. This is a pleasant-playing and very nice sounding guitar, and while unlikely to challenge anyone's Ramirez in an actual concert hall performs quite well as intended. We think it sounds lovely and has a nice 1950-'60s folk vibe, in a period chipboard case. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This pleasant sounding and nice-playing "G" model 00-18 guitar was originally the result of Martin's back-pedaling a bit in the mid-1930s. Having switched almost their entire standard line to steel strings, the company then debuted a new series of specifically gut strung instruments in 1936 signified by a "G" suffix. The 00-18G is built with Martin's traditional materials: mahogany back, sides and neck and a spruce top. It uses the then-new Martin 14-fret 00 body shape but with a 12-fret, wide classical neck and slotted headstock. Internally it is delicately fan-braced like a Torres style guitar, with a classical tied-string bridge.
This 00-18G dates to early 1958. The 1950s and early '60s Folk boom produced a seemingly insatiable appetite for easy-to-play nylon string guitars, so these "G" models found a much expanded audience. Many aspiring players of the time were not comfortable with steel-string guitars but wanted a genuine Martin; 375 of these shipped in 1958 at $140 (plus case) but the figure would just about double the next year.
This sweet-sounding guitar deserves a better reputation than it often gets. The Nylon-string Martin are not well remembered now, but were quite popular at the time with amateur and even some professional folk players strumming in the "Hoots" of the '60s. While neither "fish nor fowl" perhaps to many modern players this is an appealing creation nonetheless, a pleasant-playing and very nice sounding guitar. It makes for a very good knock-around nylon string, a useful studio tool for the non-classical player who needs that sound now and then and a lovely "Folk" instrument for voice accompaniment of solo playing in the original 1960s mode.
Overall length is 38 1/4 in. (97.2 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 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 25 1/4 in. (641 mm.). Width of nut is 2 in. (51 mm.).
This 65+ year old guitar shows some wear but has survived as a solod player. The original lacquer finish shows some finish checking (mostly to the top) and dings, dents and scrapes overall. The top has picking nicks along treble side of the strings and a small area of thumbpick wear into the wood above and behind the bass side of the soundhole.
The only visible repair is a feelable bash mark from previous impact to the lower side below the endblock, topically sealed with no overfinish.
The guitar remains original including the metal-barreled Waverly tuners. The original bridge has been reglued neatly and internally all the original braces and bridgeplate remain intact. The nut and saddle have been replaced, and the frets re-crowned along the way. This is a pleasant-playing and very nice sounding guitar, and while unlikely to challenge anyone's Ramirez in an actual concert hall performs quite well as intended. We think it sounds lovely and has a nice 1950-'60s folk vibe, in a period chipboard case. Overall Very Good + Condition.