Gallery

A great sounding 00-18, from the era when 18’s were light as a feather and have the resonance that result in singular tone– and this one from the time when Martin had just moved away from the pyramid bridge and to the belly bridge.

• Original finish (with a bit of overspray, only on the area below the soundhole (typical light overspray where there was pick wear)
• Has just had neck set, here, perfect job
• Has just been refret, with period correct Bar frets obtained from TJ Thompson
• New, exact duplicate bridge made (it had its original belly bridge, but it had a crack and we preferred to replace the bridge with a perfect reproduction ebony belly bridge. New bridge, is on exact, correct footprint of original bridge
• the top of the guitar is crack-free
• the back of the guitar is crack-free
• Repaired side cracks, on both treble and bass sides

It’s set up perfectly, actually with low action and no buzzing anywhere, and is one of the best sounding late 20’s belly bridge 18’s we’ve played.

The instrument features the original ebony bridge (full height), original tuners, original ivory saddle and nut, original maple bridge plate. Ebony fretboard. Bar frets. Thin, Soft-V neck. Finish is original. There is some overspray on the top, which is confined mainly to below the soundhole (over about the same size area, as what a pickguard would cover–but it never had a pickguard), and a bit below the bridge, and very very light on other areas of the top. Apparently a previous owner wanted to address the pick/finger wear and a repaired crack below the bridge. It's generally unobtrusive, no effect on the color of the top, and not noticeable from a few feet. Also, some light overspray on back and sides. As overspray goes, it has minimal effect on the appearance. Neck, and head have no overspray at all. There is one crack on the instrument from the bridge to the bottom of the guitar, but it's well repaired (it's about a half-inch from the center seam, below the bridge). Also about a 2 1/2 inch shallow crack/finish crack near where the fretboard meets the top (about 1/8 inch from the fretboard), on low-E side (does not go through–It is not visible on underside of top). There is a small indentation on the side rosewood (about one inch in area, on the side/lower, stable.) 1-7/8 inch nut. Action is 3/32 inch high E string/12th fret. 4/32 low E string… just right to get that full, cascading Brazilian tone from this fine 0-21.

A rare, 100% original pre-war Martin. Not a crack anywhere. And though it of course has the 1-11/16 inch nut, it plays remarkably like the wider nut mid-30's 000-18's due to the generous (original) string spacing at the nut. Original finish. Neck has never been re-set. Original Ebony nut, ivory saddle, full height original bridge. Original tuners. Original plastic tuner buttons in great condition (no shrinkage). Lack of tuner ferrels of course (because of war-time metal shortages). Brazilian rosewood bridge, fingerboard, and peghead veneer. Scalloped braces. Original bridge plate. Frets show minor/normal wear. It shows light/normal pick wear around the soundhole (nothing anywhere near down to bare wood). Other minor superficial scratches on back, and sides. Bass tone and volume is impressive-the characteristic of war-time "pre-war" Martins, that featured more deeply scalloped braces. Many believe these more deeply scalloped braces found only in these years give them better tone than the mid-30s Martins. It does need a standard neck set. It's not egregiously out of set, action is a bit high at 12th fret. But due the originality of the instrument, original ivory saddle still hide glued-in, etc., we believe the buyer would want to set the neck to their liking. (We would be happy to set the neck for the new owner if desired, at no additional charge, after purchase.) The tone: gold standard pre-war 000-18. Loud, dark, crisp, and clear.

This fine and early example of the French guitar was made in Mirecourt, France, around 1800 to 1810. And sold through the famous Parisian dealer Koliker.  It is a rare early example, as indicated by its rectangular bridge that does not have a separate saddle, but uses the top edge of the ebony rectangle as the saddle (this feature places it circa 1800, not like the more common 1820-1840 French guitars that have a more modern style bridge including a regular saddle). But for all its rarity, and exoticism to modern eyes, the most salient feature of this guitar is that it plays wonderfully. This is no museum piece to hang on a wall or shelf. This guitar is to play and enjoy. It plays beautifully, with all frets in tune. With no buzzing... I have had guitars from the 1960’s that do not play as well, in tune, and sound as well as this one. Even the action is perfect. The guitar has a wonderful tone, with a sweetness and brightness from the maple, and full bass response.

• All original finish on the guitar
• Flamed solid Maple back and sides
• Spruce top, with no finish on the spruce… this is a characteristic of guitars from this time and place. While the back and sides of the guitar were French polished, the spruce top was left as natural wood, with no finish.
• One of the friction pegs is a modern replacement
• The two dark splices on the soundboard are later, but still 19th century, restorations, done as decorative flourishes.
• Scale length: 64.3 cm
• Length of body: 43.3 cm
• Koliker, Luthier Rue Croix-des-Petits Champs No. 24 A. Paris

This ’63 000-18 has wonderful tone. It compares favorably to any post-war 000-18 we’ve played.

• All original finish, everywhere
• The guitar is crack-free. Not even a pickguard crack.
• Original Brazilian Rosewood bridge, full height. It has never been off
• original saddle as well
• Original tuners (Grover)
• Original Ivory nut
• Original bridge plate… in perfect condition… in fact, there is not even the enlarged holes you so commonly see from the ball ends of strings working through… it’s a great original small Maple bridge plate…
• Original endpin
• There is some pick wear, and some typical crazing that 60’s Martins all have
• Frets are in good shape. The first several positions show some wear… but not a lot… it does not need new frets.

An all-original Martin from the finest era in the company’s history, this 0-18 is unsurpassed for Martin 12-fret Adirondack spruce over Mahogany tone. What can you add about a 1930 Martin, that is 100% original, down to the original bridge pins, and original ivory saddle This example is from the time when Martin had just started using belly bridges, and the ebony belly bridge on this guitar still has its original ivory saddle. And this guitar is 100% crack-free. Period. The instrument features the original bridge (full height), original tuners, original ivory saddle, original nut, and original maple bridge plate (the bridge plate shows almost no wear from ball ends–almost unheard of in a prewar Martin). All original finish– everywhere. Some honest playwear and various minor nicks and dings give the wonderfully aged and naturally honey-hued Adirondack top character. The top shows perfect form, with no bellying behind the bridge, etc. One of the things that makes Martin’s from these year so great-sounding: Martin was still using a thin ebony rod inside the neck, not a metal bar. So the instrument is more free to resonate, from tuners, right down to the bridge. And resonate this one does, with a strong bass especially that puts many many large size guitars to shame. 1-7/8 inch nut. The neck has just been set, by us, retaining the original Bar frets

1963 and 1964 were the best years for the legendary early 60's Gibson SG. And 63-64 saw the transition from the Les Paul model to the "Solid Guitar" or SG. Only in 63 and 64 did Gibson use a particularly wide neck on the SG, and that's why players love SG's from these two seminal years. This '64 SG is something of a transition model from the last of the double cutaway Les Paul/SG's to the SG Standard-it carries the Les Paul truss rod cover (original to the guitar), and it features the great lyre vibrola (nickel). This 1964 SG, with all original finish, and original parts (including Patent # humbuckers), is a wonderful instrument with the right amount of honest wear to make it fit like a glove, and play like a dream in your left hand with that wonderful ample neck.

19th century Martin parlor guitar. This lovely sounding Martin 2 1/2-17 features solid Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, Adirondack spruce top, and original Jerome tuners. This particular instrument has a beautiful, lyrical voice. It was made probably circa 1867-1870. There are several clues to establish that: the original coffin case with the guitar has attributes of an earlier case: the small brass handle, and the label inside the case has font and other attributes of late a 1860s case. Also, the particular style of the original Jerome Tuners. Kerfing inside is also indicative of an 1860’s Martin. And, the best clue of all: the 1 ¾ inch nut width. Of course, it’s post-1867, because of the “CF Martin & Co” stamps inside. The top is fan braced, typical of this style. Measurements are: body length 17 7/8", lower bout width 11 5/8", overall length 36 1/2"; scale length 24 ½ inches. 4 inch body depth at end pin; 3 3/8 inch boy depth at neck joint. 1 ¾ inch nut width– may have been a custom order, or just a slightly narrower nut width (from the 1 7/8 more common later) from the factory. 12 fret cedar neck/ebonized, with ice cream cone heel. All original finish, everywhere. A fair-to-low amount of playwear (see photos). Original bar frets in fine condition. Several small hairline cracks in back, repaired. Top and sides also have a couple or repaired cracks. Reproduction ebony bridge– just made by Dick Dubois.. Original bar frets. Original bracing. "C.F. MARTIN &CO/ NEW YORK" hot stamped on back strip inside, and heel block. CF Martin New York stamped on back, by heel joint. Original Jerome tuners, with original buttons– note, one of the sun gears (on the G string tuner) has been replaced, with a different 19th century Martin sun gear (see photo). Historical interest aside (these just-post-civil war Martin guitars are more rare than the 1870’s/1880’s/1890’s examples), this guitar plays wonderfully. It projects glassy brazilian trebles, and clear mids and bass notes. It’s just a joy to play, and it just floats in your hands (due to its very light weight). Action is good, and it plays in tune even on the higher frets. (Note: 19th century Martins can be fitted with: gut strings, classical guitar strings, or sometimes silk and steel/tuned down–depending on the guitar. It’s really a case-by-case basis. One size does not fit all. And different 19th century Martins sound better with different strings. In this case, with this particular guitar, our favorite strings if you want a “classical” style string but more brightness and volume than nylon classical strings: Savarez Alliance composite High Tension strings (note, “high tension” by classical standards– fine for this instrument). This instruments sounds wonderful with those strings. In is original coffin case (and case has all the original hardware, as well as its original cloth interior lining).

One of the first Martin 3K Ukeleles ever made. This is possibly a prototype, one of the first, all hand-made Martin 3K Ukeleles, made probably before the official introduction of the model by Martin in 1919-1920. It has many signs that it was the one of the first ones:

• Ebony fretboard is hand-cut
• Fretboard inlays are hand-cut
• There is an "A" on the back of headstock... could be a marking by the Martin craftsmen in-house to indicate a prototype.

So it dates from about 1918– when Martin first developed the style "3K" before its launch in 1920. The "K" of course, stands for Koa (wood). It has:

• Several cracks on back (repaired)
• Two cracks on top (repaired)
• There is one missing brace, a back brace, inside. Since ukeleles are so small, that brace has no real structural importance, so we decided not to replace it
• The sound hole was at some point enlarged slightly, either at the factory, or later. Probably later– so we’ll call it the Tony Rice model… this modification does add loudness
• The finish is all original.
• Original striped nut
• 3 lines inlaid down center of fingerboard.
• 7 ply side binding
• Celluloid ornament on top, behind bridge (known as the "parend").
• Small pearl paired-diamond inlays at fret 5, 7, 9– hand-cut. With the “bowtie” at the 7th fret
• Kite-shaped celluloid ornament on front of headstock
• Original friction pegs
• Ebony fretboard
• C.F. Martin & Co. stamp on back of headstock.

The tone is absolutely superb– loud, clear, bright glassy tone that only Koa gives– and this one is as light as a feather… the best tone we've heard from any ukelele. With original case.

A chance to own a great sounding, great playing Brazilian Rosewood D-28, at a fraction of the cost of an all-original example. This D-28 has had some work, and a few issues, but it’s all repaired and ready to play. And the tone is incredible– tone you won’t find in any other mid-50’s D-28. This guitar, has just been gone over head to end pin, repaired, restored, and set up, by two of the top luthiers/repairmen in Texas, and it’s good to go for decades. The bridge is perfect. Saddle is perfect height. Action is great– low but no buzzing. It won’t need a thing. Ready to play. The tone: the scalloped braces add roundness and clarity to the basses (A and D string in particular) and a bit more “ring” to the trebles. Don’t try this at home– a scalloped braced mid 50’s D-28, but the result, set up by two of this country’s top luthiers, is a great sounding brazilian Martin dread, whose tone you won’t find in any Martin north of 1944– certainly not at this price. Here’s the report:

• sometime decades ago, the top braces were scalloped
• probably as a result of a minor impact at the end pin (guitar dropped), there were cracks in the sides, and a slight crack to the neck block. So a previous luthier, long before we acquired the guitar, put in 4 small wood dowels, through the sides–near the heel, into the block (see photos). All is stable. Not the prettiest solution, but it works well.
• Small crack in heel, repaired and stable
• Original finish, on Sitka Spruce top; Oversprayed back, sides, and neck (but back of neck finish has worn, giving a natural, comfortable feel)
• A bit of damage to one corner of the headstock. But there are no cracks in headstock.
• Pickup jack installed years ago at end pin; no pickup inside; Also, an old pickup jack on bass side of guitar, filled.
• Some pickwear loss, bottom edge of soundhole
• Top of guitar has no serious cracks. No "B string" pickguard crack. Tiny crack along the treble edge of the pick guard. A couple more finish type of cracks that do not go through the wood to inside.
• Several side cracks, all addressed.
• Back of guitar has no cracks through the wood. A couple of finish cracks.

The good news: recently, the following work was done on the guitar, making it 100% stable, and ready to play:

• neck set, by John Allison
• Refret, by John Allison
• New, 100% period correct, ebony bridge, made and installed by John Allison. Bridge is made to the exact specs, footprint, etc, of an original 1956 Martin bridge. A small area of finish around an older oversized bridge was addressed by John (you can see this in the photos).
• New, period correct Maple bridge plate, installed by Tony Nobles
• Old pickup jack on bass side of guitar, filled by Tony Nobles.
• The wonderful, original gold-plated Kluson waffle-back tuners, are original, and work perfectly.
• Original pickguard
• Original Martin logo on headstock