19th-century

Setting Up and Tuning a 19th-century Martin Guitar with Tuning Pegs

Many 19th century Martin Guitars came from the factory with either ivory or ebony tuning pegs, like a violin (as opposed to geared tuners like modern guitars). Early Martins often had ebony pegs. But many of the 1850- 1890’s Martins had beautiful ivory tuning pegs. If you take the time to learn to properly tune [...]

By | 2018-01-04T20:59:58+00:00 July 17th, 2016|19th-century, Martin, Uncategorized|0 Comments

1920’s and Earlier Martin Guitars – Is it Safe to Use Steel Strings?

Can I use steel strings on my vintage Martin guitar (or a guitar I am thinking of buying)? That is one of the most common questions asked, about pre-1930’s Martin guitars and other Jazz age and earlier vintage guitars. And there is a lot of misconception and myth surrounding the issue. The question often [...]

By | 2018-01-04T20:59:58+00:00 April 12th, 2016|19th-century, 20th-century, Martin, Steel string|0 Comments

Martin Guitars – Timeline for Design and Model Changes, 1833 – 1969

"Coming soon– an Interactive Timeline for Martin Guitars– an annotated history of Martin Guitar features/changes/styles/idiosyncrasies from 1833 to today".