C. F. Martin 000-18 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1938)
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Item # 13140
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C. F. Martin 000-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1938), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 69866, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back and sides, spruce top, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, period brown hard shell case.
This is a super vibey, VERY worn player's example of a 1938 000-18, showing decades of hard use and a number of repairs. "Rode hard and put away wet" would be the old-timer's description. There has been finish work to most of the instrument long ago with what appears to be additional lacquer added to different areas at different times, mostly connected to old crack repairs to the top and lower side in particular. Apart from this legacy of mishaps this is still a very solid playing guitar, worn in overall but even so more original than some.
The pre-war 000-18's light mahogany body and scallop-braced Adirondack spruce top make for a super responsive guitar; the 15 1/4" wide narrow-waisted 000 size body contributes power, depth and clarity to the sound. This guitar was built in mid-1938, one of 277 shipped that year. It incorporates construction details changed over the next couple of years, notably the "forward" X-bracing with the center closer to the soundhole. Recently this has become a much sought after feature. The nut width on this guitar is 1 23/32"; these are not always absolutely consistent but 1938 spec would technically be 1 3/4". In 1938 000-18's still featured an ebony fingerboard and bridge.
Listing at $55.00 (plus case) in 1938 the 000-18 represented a substantial investment to many players. This is not a flashy guitar; the trim is discreet with tortoise celluloid on the body edges and a simple multiply soundhole ring. In classic Martin style, the elegant understatement speaks for itself. Despite its lack of bling the 000-18 was a fully professional instrument and this one certainly got a LOT of use.
In the decades since, Martins of this era have become the benchmark for most subsequent acoustic guitar designs. This 000-18 is an extremely versatile instrument; the repairs has not affected it functionally and it can be played effectively in virtually any style of music. We like to call these worn veteran Martins "Ragged but Right" in honor of pioneering picker Riley Puckett; this one really took a lickin' and kept on tickin'!
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm.) width, 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 23/32 in. (44 mm.).
This 000-18 shows numerous scars and some notable repair from 85+ years of hard use, but amazingly is still a fine player. The most obvious is a large repair zone encompassing the entire treble side, which looks to have suffered a massive bash-in and been re-assembled like a wooden puzzle. Numerous cracks run from just below the endpin to around the upper treble bout beneath the heel, and the area from the waist back was rebuilt using the original wood. This area was lightly overfinished on the outside and internally is covered by a long swath of bias tape. Above the endpin are a few smaller sealed cracks and a small rectangular patch, continuing along the upper side there is a smaller punch-in repair on the turn of the lower bass bout and signs of a repaired edge bash on the top/side seam
The back has survived better with only one cleated grain split near the treble waist, sealed and cleated. The back looks to have an ancient thin overfinish, subsequently heavily worn with dings, dents and numerous fairly deep scratches. The top finish shows the most re-working; it appears to have been buffed down (but not stripped) long ago and has a heavily ambered overfinish to the entire surface. There is a decent amount of wear through this coat indicating it has been there a very long time including pick wear into the wood on the soundhole rim and around the pickguard which shows heavy checking of this overcoat.
A long top crack along center seam was sealed and cleated, and also "stopped' with a small circular spruce plug through the top just below the bridge. This was an older violinmaker's technique not often seen on 20th century guitars. There are
several grain splits along the bass side lower bout on the top related to the upper edge bash, a couple of ancient shallow grain splits around the pickguard and some odd deep scratches along the grain lines that look like cracks but do not go through to the interior.
The ebony bridge is a more recent very nice long-saddle replacement, the bridgeplate is a larger maple piece than the original but not as oversize as '70s Martin work. The graceful advanced scalloped bracing shows regluing in spots on the bass side to the rear lag and tone bars but no damage; a newer "popsicle" brace was added under the fingerboard.
The neck has been reset, the ebony fingerboard trued and refretted with correct style wire; these have some light wear but still play well. The fingerboard has some filled divots from the first to seventh fret areas. There is no finish work on the neck above the heel which is heavily worn down with several feelable dinks but none of the common capo wear. There was never a strap button added to the heel. The face of the headstock has a light overcoating and for some reason a hole drilled right through it smack in the middle of the Martin decal. Five of the Grover tuners are original; the D string tuner is a different style Grover from a couple of years later but still pre-war.
Despite its past traumas this guitar is a fine player's example of what makes pre-1939 Martins so sought after. Whether played lightly or strummed resolutely the sound is precise and expansive combining clarity and depth perfectly suited to just about any musical application. This is not a "collector's" guitar but as genuine "golden age" Martins are increasingly hard to acquire well into the 21st century an instrument still delivering "that" sound for the ages. It lives in a period (likely 1940s) hard case which is battered but solid and adds to the good vibes. Overall Very Good Condition.
This is a super vibey, VERY worn player's example of a 1938 000-18, showing decades of hard use and a number of repairs. "Rode hard and put away wet" would be the old-timer's description. There has been finish work to most of the instrument long ago with what appears to be additional lacquer added to different areas at different times, mostly connected to old crack repairs to the top and lower side in particular. Apart from this legacy of mishaps this is still a very solid playing guitar, worn in overall but even so more original than some.
The pre-war 000-18's light mahogany body and scallop-braced Adirondack spruce top make for a super responsive guitar; the 15 1/4" wide narrow-waisted 000 size body contributes power, depth and clarity to the sound. This guitar was built in mid-1938, one of 277 shipped that year. It incorporates construction details changed over the next couple of years, notably the "forward" X-bracing with the center closer to the soundhole. Recently this has become a much sought after feature. The nut width on this guitar is 1 23/32"; these are not always absolutely consistent but 1938 spec would technically be 1 3/4". In 1938 000-18's still featured an ebony fingerboard and bridge.
Listing at $55.00 (plus case) in 1938 the 000-18 represented a substantial investment to many players. This is not a flashy guitar; the trim is discreet with tortoise celluloid on the body edges and a simple multiply soundhole ring. In classic Martin style, the elegant understatement speaks for itself. Despite its lack of bling the 000-18 was a fully professional instrument and this one certainly got a LOT of use.
In the decades since, Martins of this era have become the benchmark for most subsequent acoustic guitar designs. This 000-18 is an extremely versatile instrument; the repairs has not affected it functionally and it can be played effectively in virtually any style of music. We like to call these worn veteran Martins "Ragged but Right" in honor of pioneering picker Riley Puckett; this one really took a lickin' and kept on tickin'!
Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm.) width, 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 23/32 in. (44 mm.).
This 000-18 shows numerous scars and some notable repair from 85+ years of hard use, but amazingly is still a fine player. The most obvious is a large repair zone encompassing the entire treble side, which looks to have suffered a massive bash-in and been re-assembled like a wooden puzzle. Numerous cracks run from just below the endpin to around the upper treble bout beneath the heel, and the area from the waist back was rebuilt using the original wood. This area was lightly overfinished on the outside and internally is covered by a long swath of bias tape. Above the endpin are a few smaller sealed cracks and a small rectangular patch, continuing along the upper side there is a smaller punch-in repair on the turn of the lower bass bout and signs of a repaired edge bash on the top/side seam
The back has survived better with only one cleated grain split near the treble waist, sealed and cleated. The back looks to have an ancient thin overfinish, subsequently heavily worn with dings, dents and numerous fairly deep scratches. The top finish shows the most re-working; it appears to have been buffed down (but not stripped) long ago and has a heavily ambered overfinish to the entire surface. There is a decent amount of wear through this coat indicating it has been there a very long time including pick wear into the wood on the soundhole rim and around the pickguard which shows heavy checking of this overcoat.
A long top crack along center seam was sealed and cleated, and also "stopped' with a small circular spruce plug through the top just below the bridge. This was an older violinmaker's technique not often seen on 20th century guitars. There are
several grain splits along the bass side lower bout on the top related to the upper edge bash, a couple of ancient shallow grain splits around the pickguard and some odd deep scratches along the grain lines that look like cracks but do not go through to the interior.
The ebony bridge is a more recent very nice long-saddle replacement, the bridgeplate is a larger maple piece than the original but not as oversize as '70s Martin work. The graceful advanced scalloped bracing shows regluing in spots on the bass side to the rear lag and tone bars but no damage; a newer "popsicle" brace was added under the fingerboard.
The neck has been reset, the ebony fingerboard trued and refretted with correct style wire; these have some light wear but still play well. The fingerboard has some filled divots from the first to seventh fret areas. There is no finish work on the neck above the heel which is heavily worn down with several feelable dinks but none of the common capo wear. There was never a strap button added to the heel. The face of the headstock has a light overcoating and for some reason a hole drilled right through it smack in the middle of the Martin decal. Five of the Grover tuners are original; the D string tuner is a different style Grover from a couple of years later but still pre-war.
Despite its past traumas this guitar is a fine player's example of what makes pre-1939 Martins so sought after. Whether played lightly or strummed resolutely the sound is precise and expansive combining clarity and depth perfectly suited to just about any musical application. This is not a "collector's" guitar but as genuine "golden age" Martins are increasingly hard to acquire well into the 21st century an instrument still delivering "that" sound for the ages. It lives in a period (likely 1940s) hard case which is battered but solid and adds to the good vibes. Overall Very Good Condition.