C. F. Martin 00-18 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1932)
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C. F. Martin 00-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1932), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 51679, natural lacquer finish, Adirondack spruce top, Honduras mahogany sides and neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge, rosewood bound top, black hard shell case.
This 00-18 has seen a lot of use but still shines as one of best sounding pre-war 12-fret mahogany Martins we have had. These "Old style" 12-fret, steel string Martin flat tops from the 1927-32 period are some of our absolute favorite guitars. For only a few years at this time -- just before Martin altered nearly all their designs to the 14-fret neck "Orchestra Model" pattern -- the company crafted a relatively small number of traditional long-body scallop-braced flat-tops specifically designed for steel strings instead of the gut used previously.
The other features remained pretty much as they had been since the last century, with a wide ebony fingerboard on the neck which joins the body at the 12th fret. These guitars were the final evolution of the original 19th century Martin patterns before the "modern" 14-fret design became the standard just a few years later. This mid/late 1932 guitar is the final evolutionary version with what many would consider the perfect combination of features: scalloped steel string X-bracing along with the new ebony belly bridge and tortoise celluloid pickguard, both just recently been added to this model.
The Style 18 designation signifies a fairly modest instrument, the 00-18 being the middle mahogany model in the company's line, between the smaller 0-18 and the 15" wide 000-18. These Style 18 models were built with mahogany back and sides instead of the even-at-the-time costly Brazilian rosewood but still maintain the same quality workmanship standards as the highest-grade instruments. The trim is simple with rosewood binding on the body, plain wood soundhole rings and small graduated dot inlay on the unbound ebony fingerboard. The tuners are simple unplated brass strip units with celluloid buttons.
This late 12-fret 00-18 is a rare guitar by today's standards; 1930's Martins were made in very small numbers compared to later periods. This 00-18 was built in the second half of 1932 and is one of only 50 examples shipped that year, down 75% from the year before. It was priced at $45.00 (without the case) and although this may seem like a bargain even in period money, that was a lot of cash for most people during this worst year of the depression.
This example shows some general play and wear and maintenance repairs, but is an excellent player in more original condition than many period survivors. The X-bracing is slim and delicate but a bit stouter than the 1920s patterns, fully equipped to handle steel strings. The sound is more powerful than one might expect for a smaller mahogany instrument and has surprising depth. It makes a great fingerstyle guitar, and also works very well with a flatpick, from stringband music to early jazz and beyond. It remains a testament to its builder's skill and reputation and at least as fine a mahogany 12-fret 00-sized model as anyone has ever made -- then or since.
Overall length is 38 1/8 in. (96.8 cm.), 14 1/8 in. (35.9 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 7/8 in. (48 mm.).
Overall this is a solid original example of the early steel-string Martin 00, showing general wear but nothing that impedes playability or sound. The very thin all-original lacquer finish shows dings, dents and scratches overall, with pickwear through the finish mostly below the fingerboard extension and into the wood on the lower lip of the soundhole. The finish shows a fairly random collection of nicks and scratches on the top including a couple of deep case lid dings near the upper edge on the lower bass bout. The back and sides have noticeable wear with significant belt buckle wear down to bare wood in the middle of the back. Most of the back of the neck is down to the bare wood and there are a few shallow capo divots.
The guitar has far fewer crack repairs than many of this vintage; the back center seam has been resealed coming off the tailblock and there is a grain split just above it; this is solidly sealed with no finish added but the internal cleating was pretty sloppy. The thin side section of the headstock around the D string tuner shaft has a small crack repair, solidly sealed and not conspicuous
The neck has been neatly reset with an ebony shim added underneath the fingerboard extension. The original bar frets have been trued and recrowned, with the first four frets raised to even them out; these were likely well worn as there are noticeable divots to the fingerboard around the first five frets. The ebony nut appears original if slightly reworked. The original ebony bridge has been lowered somewhat from the top and neatly reglued, with a tight crack sealed up on the top that is practically invisible and a new bone saddle fitted. The interior is undisturbed including the delicately scalloped braces and thin maple bridgeplate, intact with very little ball-end wear. The first back brace on treble side has been reglued.
The unplated Waverly tuner strips are original and still fully functional. This is a very fine playing and simply spectacular sounding guitar; powerful, evenly balanced and super responsive in any style of play. This model only existed in this exact 12-fret steel string form for a relatively brief time, and if this is not the cleanest we have seen, it remains an excellent player in an early '30s 12-fret mahogany Martin. The original case also survives, very battered but structurally intact with some ancient radio station call letters "WMAS" (actually located in Connecticut) on the lid attesting to this Martin's place in some broadcast history. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This 00-18 has seen a lot of use but still shines as one of best sounding pre-war 12-fret mahogany Martins we have had. These "Old style" 12-fret, steel string Martin flat tops from the 1927-32 period are some of our absolute favorite guitars. For only a few years at this time -- just before Martin altered nearly all their designs to the 14-fret neck "Orchestra Model" pattern -- the company crafted a relatively small number of traditional long-body scallop-braced flat-tops specifically designed for steel strings instead of the gut used previously.
The other features remained pretty much as they had been since the last century, with a wide ebony fingerboard on the neck which joins the body at the 12th fret. These guitars were the final evolution of the original 19th century Martin patterns before the "modern" 14-fret design became the standard just a few years later. This mid/late 1932 guitar is the final evolutionary version with what many would consider the perfect combination of features: scalloped steel string X-bracing along with the new ebony belly bridge and tortoise celluloid pickguard, both just recently been added to this model.
The Style 18 designation signifies a fairly modest instrument, the 00-18 being the middle mahogany model in the company's line, between the smaller 0-18 and the 15" wide 000-18. These Style 18 models were built with mahogany back and sides instead of the even-at-the-time costly Brazilian rosewood but still maintain the same quality workmanship standards as the highest-grade instruments. The trim is simple with rosewood binding on the body, plain wood soundhole rings and small graduated dot inlay on the unbound ebony fingerboard. The tuners are simple unplated brass strip units with celluloid buttons.
This late 12-fret 00-18 is a rare guitar by today's standards; 1930's Martins were made in very small numbers compared to later periods. This 00-18 was built in the second half of 1932 and is one of only 50 examples shipped that year, down 75% from the year before. It was priced at $45.00 (without the case) and although this may seem like a bargain even in period money, that was a lot of cash for most people during this worst year of the depression.
This example shows some general play and wear and maintenance repairs, but is an excellent player in more original condition than many period survivors. The X-bracing is slim and delicate but a bit stouter than the 1920s patterns, fully equipped to handle steel strings. The sound is more powerful than one might expect for a smaller mahogany instrument and has surprising depth. It makes a great fingerstyle guitar, and also works very well with a flatpick, from stringband music to early jazz and beyond. It remains a testament to its builder's skill and reputation and at least as fine a mahogany 12-fret 00-sized model as anyone has ever made -- then or since.
Overall length is 38 1/8 in. (96.8 cm.), 14 1/8 in. (35.9 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 7/8 in. (48 mm.).
Overall this is a solid original example of the early steel-string Martin 00, showing general wear but nothing that impedes playability or sound. The very thin all-original lacquer finish shows dings, dents and scratches overall, with pickwear through the finish mostly below the fingerboard extension and into the wood on the lower lip of the soundhole. The finish shows a fairly random collection of nicks and scratches on the top including a couple of deep case lid dings near the upper edge on the lower bass bout. The back and sides have noticeable wear with significant belt buckle wear down to bare wood in the middle of the back. Most of the back of the neck is down to the bare wood and there are a few shallow capo divots.
The guitar has far fewer crack repairs than many of this vintage; the back center seam has been resealed coming off the tailblock and there is a grain split just above it; this is solidly sealed with no finish added but the internal cleating was pretty sloppy. The thin side section of the headstock around the D string tuner shaft has a small crack repair, solidly sealed and not conspicuous
The neck has been neatly reset with an ebony shim added underneath the fingerboard extension. The original bar frets have been trued and recrowned, with the first four frets raised to even them out; these were likely well worn as there are noticeable divots to the fingerboard around the first five frets. The ebony nut appears original if slightly reworked. The original ebony bridge has been lowered somewhat from the top and neatly reglued, with a tight crack sealed up on the top that is practically invisible and a new bone saddle fitted. The interior is undisturbed including the delicately scalloped braces and thin maple bridgeplate, intact with very little ball-end wear. The first back brace on treble side has been reglued.
The unplated Waverly tuner strips are original and still fully functional. This is a very fine playing and simply spectacular sounding guitar; powerful, evenly balanced and super responsive in any style of play. This model only existed in this exact 12-fret steel string form for a relatively brief time, and if this is not the cleanest we have seen, it remains an excellent player in an early '30s 12-fret mahogany Martin. The original case also survives, very battered but structurally intact with some ancient radio station call letters "WMAS" (actually located in Connecticut) on the lid attesting to this Martin's place in some broadcast history. Overall Very Good + Condition.