- Diamond marquetry backstrip (not found on later, 1860’s 1-21s)
- Marquetry endwedge (not found on later, 1860’s 1-21s) (Wood end wedge and herringbone backstrip were the standard features of the 1860’s and after 1-21’s)
- X-braced. All braces are 100% original. No internal repairs to braces.
- Slot head
- Ebonized neck (maple neck, ebonized, i.e. painted black). This is another transitional feature: black neck was replaced by cedar on Style 21 by the time the Martin price list was first printed.
- Single "tone bar" brace behind the bridge plate
- Ice cream cone-shaped heel (1860’s 1-21’s had cedar neck, with Spanish style heel not ice cream cone heel)
- Three "CF Martin New-York" stamps: one inside center strip; the second on neck block (this stamp is upside down, as it should be); the third on back of guitar (near heel), the third stamp transversing the backstrip on the back of the guitar near the heel.
- Solid Brazilian Rosewood back and sides
- All original finish, everywhere; no touch-ups, overspray, etc, of any kind ever done
- Brazilian rosewood back shows beautiful sawmarks
- Bridge, more than a century old, is probably a replacement bridge… but on the original bridge footprint
- Original ivory nut
- Original bridge plate (mahogany)
- No back cracks, or side cracks; one top crack, repaired
- Tuners are modern replacements, vintage style, in original slot holes
- Original frets
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Out of stock
1855-1860 Martin “transitional”1-21. A very rare and exquisite large size Martin from the pre-1867 era. “Large size” Martin from the 1850’s, because the Size 1, and 0, were the only “large” size Martins in those years. And there is currently not a single other size 1 or 0 size pre-1867 Martin guitar on the market. This is considered by the top U.S. experts who vetted this instrument as an early, rare "transitional" 1-21, based on the fact that it does not have all the later, standardized, 1860’s and on “21” attributes– specifically, backstrip and endwedge on this instrument are not typical of “price-list” era 21’s (after the publishing of the first Martin price lists, establishing features of the different models, in the 1860’s) This 1-21 has: -
A wonderfully balanced and resonant Martin 00-28G, with some of the most beautiful Brazilian rosewood you’ll see on any Martin guitar, and in wonderful, crack-free, original condition. The Martin “G” is very different from the “C”. The “C” has the Martin 12 fret body. The “G” model used the 14-fret style body shape, but with the 12 fret neck, slotted headstock, and 25.4 inch scale. The 00-28G was first produced by Martin in 1936, and was discontinued in 1962, when Martin went to all “C” style for nylon string guitars. The 00-28G was Martin’s top of line model for nylon strings, from 1936, to 1962… and this guitar is the best example available on the market. The condition on this instrument is superb. No cracks anywhere, and very little wear at all... it's almost perfect. All original, tuners, nut, bridge, saddle, etc. Neck is perfect, has never been set, and shows perfect set up and action. -
A rare, wonderfully-preserved, 1854 Schmidt & Maul. It’s signed and dated inside: Louis Schmidt Tompkinsville Staten Island New York 388 Broadway August 18th 1854 U. S.- Adirondack top
- Ebonized “ice cream cone” style neck
- solid brazilian rosewood back and sides
- fan braced
- marquetry Purfling around top, with Maple binding
- Maple binding, back
- Width at lower bout: 11 ½ inches
- 100% original finish. No overspray, touch-up, etc. anywhere…wonderful finish
- Not a crack on top, or sides. One small dryness crack on back, near the edge binding on treble side
- Original bridge plate, in great condition
- Reproduction, correct, Ebony bridge
- Bar frets replaced with period correct Bar frets from TJ Thompson
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We called it the “Tony Rice” prewar 000-18. Is it the "tony rice" style slightly enlarged soundhole (done decades ago). All original finish. -
This is a new Allison Brazilian Rosewood dreadnought. Austin-based John Allison was a key part of the Collings Guitar team for years. John is now one of the most sought-after independent makers of fine instruments in the southwest. His guitars are carried by a number of top dealers in the U.S… and we’ve just snagged this brand new, wonderful Brazilian– a custom order guitar. Allison’s attention to detail is astounding. You just have to see and play this great brazilian. Right off the bench, it’s loud and beguiling, and it will only get better over time.- Top: Adirondack Spruce
- Back, and Sides: Brazilian Rosewood
- Bracing: Scalloped X, Adirondack
- Neck: Mahogany
- Finish: Nitrocellulose lacquer
- Herringbone purfling
- Ivoroid binding
- Fretboard: Ebony
- Bridge: Ebony
- Peghead veneer: Ebony
- Scale Length: 25.5 inches
- Nut Width: 1 11/16 inches
- Tuners: Waverly
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This guitar is the last known guitar in existence, made by Louis Schmidt, the famous contemporary and one-time colleague to the founder of Martin Guitars, the original C.F. Martin. As such, it is a rare example of early American guitar making. And it’s signed by the maker, on the underside of the Adirondack top: Louis Schmidt Wakefield Westchester Cy NY July 9th 1859 U.S. Louis Schmidt worked side by side with CF Martin in the early years. Perhaps the most common misconception about early American guitar history is that C. F. Martin spent his first years in America earning a living as a solitary luthier in his New York workshop. Pay ledgers reveal that as early as 1834 he was paying luthiers to help him make his guitars. Two of these men, Heinrich Schatz and Louis Schmidt, left Martin's employ to make guitars on their own, and each succeeded as top builders. This instrument:- Similar features to circa 1860 Martin 17 style... but different purfling, binding, and slightly different body shape
- All original finish
- Brazilian rosewood back and sides (solid); Adirondack top
- In its original coffin case
- 11 3/8 inches wide at lower bout (a bit larger than a Martin 2 1/2)
- Body: 3 7/8 inches deep
- Original mahogany bridge plate (goes almost all the way across the width of the top, slotted under all the braces)
- Fan bracing pattern
- Plays beautifully. Good bass tone. Action is perfect.
- Ebony Bridge has been off at some point, and reglued on. With a lack of similar guitars on the market, it’s not known if this 19th century bridge on the instrument is the original bridge.
- One repaired crack on top, from bridge to bottom binding; One repaired crack on back. One small crack on top, either top edge of soundhole.
- Original Jerome tuners, reverse gear, working perfectly
- Maple and rosewood purfling/binding on top (no binding on back)
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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.
- 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
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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 -
This is a prime example of why the pre-war, scalloped brace Martins made in 1943 in particular are the best sounding Martins ever: the ebony truss rod in the neck (instead of a metal truss rod– due to wartime metal rationing), the even more finely scalloped tone bars, and lack of metal tuner post bushings, all contribute to the lightness of build, and the robust tone, resonance and sustain you won’t find on any other Martin (not even the mid-30’s Martins). This guitar, seemingly light as a feather, plays like a dream, and is particularly resonant, and wonderful, for fingerpicking. (Martins from this year, often have a thinner finish, as does this one, which also contributes to its almost Shaker-like simplicity and beauty.) All original finish still in great shape. It has just had a new, Brazilian rosewood bridge made (from 100 year old, old-growth Brazilian rosewood, to the exact shape and footprint of the original which had a crack and was better replaced) by Tony Nobles (original bridge will ship, in the case). The bridge is hide-glued on, naturally. Aside from the typical B-string area “pickguard crack”, now well repaired and a non-issue, the top of the guitar is crack free. There is one well-repaired crack on the back. There was an old input jack right below the end pin, now filled expertly by Nobles (but no evidence of any pickups etc inside the guitar).- Original bridge plate, in fine condition. Original Frets.
- Original tuners (it looks like at one point there were other tuners on the guitar… with a few old screw holes filled.)
- Has never had strap lug attached to heel
- Top shows no “bellying”. Natural shape and slight arch is textbook perfect.
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Out of stock
If there is a mid-60’s Brazilian Rosewood D-35 in better original condition out there than this one– it would have to be new. About as close to mint as you can get, this guitar shows little wear. And the Brazilian on back and sides– wonderful specimens, not the “figured” stuff you see on many later 60’s Martins. Not a crack, or hint of crack, anywhere (no, not even the typical “pickguard” crack). Original bridge, tuners, etc. Original frets show almost no wear. All original finish everywhere–and note that the finish does not have any of that “crazing” you often see on the original finishes of mid-60’s Martins. It has never had strap lugs attached. It has the more desirable original tortoise pickguard (Martin changed to black pickguards, later in 1967). Original small maple bridge plate, in original condition. The tone of this guitar, is wonderful. Ringing trebles like the very best brazilian Martin dread’s. And a bass response that shows why Martin brought out this model, in 1965, as an even higher-end model (and with lighter bracing) than the D-28. There are few tiny dings near the edge of the lower bout, on top (too small to photograph well). But a D-35 in better condition than this one would have to be off the factory floor. Action is perfect. Neck straight. Ready to play. -
If there is a better-preserved Martin guitar from 1937, we have not seen it. This instrument is as an almost time-capsule condition 0-17H, still in its original case. And of course with its original Hawaiian set up. Many people convert these pre-war Martin Hawaiian set up guitars, to “Spanish” style, i.e. regular steel-string flat top set up. And that is certainly an option for whoever acquires this instrument. But this example, is just too nice, and too original for us to want to convert it. And the tone is exquisite (On request, we’ll send you a link to a video/audio clip of one of this country’s best, most famous dobro/pedal steel players playing slide on this great Martin 0-17H, right here in our shop.) All mahogany of course: mahogany back, sides, and top. Brazilian rosewood bridge, and fretboard. The guitar has no play wear. We won’t call it pristine– even under-the bed-guitars that have not really been played, have a few nicks from just being in the case and moved around a couple of times in 70+ years. But it’s as close to perfect as you’ll find in any 1930’s Martin. The neck is straight as an arrow, showing no bowing at all. No cracks of any kind. All original parts, period– down to the nut, bridge pins, and ivory saddle. The guitar is 12 fret to the body, unlike the regular 0-17’s from this period that were 14-fret. -
In the 1920’s and early 30's, the Hawaiian craze was in full bloom, and ukulele production was crucial to Martin’s success in this period. This is a wonderful, extremely well-preserved example of one of the most ornate of the Martin ukuleles, still in its original Geib case. Although Martin ukes built after 1916 carried no serial number, it’s possible to generally date them by stylistic elements. This Martin Style 3 is from the best era, the golden era, from about 1925 to 1930. Martin style 3 was first made in 1918. Martin Style 3, soprano (standard) specs:- Mahogany body
- 7 layer top binding
- 3 layer back binding
- Ebony fretboard
- 5 layer soundhole ring
- Celluloid ornament on top, behind bridge (known as the "parend", or “shield”)
- Bar frets
- Small pearl paired-diamond inlays at fret 5, 7, and 9
- Three lines inlaid down center of fingerboard
- Nickel plated pegs (introduced in 1923)
- CF Martin & Co, stamped on back of peghead, and inside-back (Martin logo was not put on front of peghead until 1932)
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Brand new, Lester Devoe Flamenco Blanca, custom made (details on request). Lester Devoe needs no introduction to the world’s top flamenco players. His reputation was established decades ago (and his new models are the best ever made, and in huge demand worldwide). His guitars are played by the world’s top performing and recording flamenco artists. This instrument, custom made with a unique Spanish Cypress to add a more robust treble response to the legendary deep, throaty, percussive bass response of the Devoe Blanca, will amaze.- Flamenco Blanca
- 650mm scale length
- Spanish cypress back and sides (custom, details on request)
- European spruce top
- Ebony fingerboard
- Sloane tuners
- Rosewood headstock veneer
- Cedar neck
- Nitrocellulose lacquer finish
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Another all-original pre-war Martin… but you have to go back a few more wars on this one- to just after the Civil War. This guitar even has its original coffin case–necessary in the days when Martin guitars were shipped out by railroad or wagon train. The figured Brazilian rosewood back and sides are unusual– in these decades of the 19th century (and through the middle of the 20th) Martin usually did not use this kind of figured, lovely Brazilian (they preferred the more straight-grained variety). On this guitar, for the sake of originality, we’ve kept its original saddle intact. The original ivory saddle is worn through at the strings, but still functions nicely.- Fan braced
- Adirondack top
- Ebonized “ice cream cone” style neck
- Solid Brazilian rosewood back and sides
- 100% original finish…. No overspray, touch-up, etc. anywhere…wonderful finish
- Original ebony bridge, and bridge plate
- Two cracks in spruce top; one is bridge to bottom of top; the other is from near bridge to soundhole; first one described is beneath an internal brace; second is 2mm adjacent to a different brace. Neither need attention and are left alone to preserve originality.
- Characteristic, three Martin stamps: “CF Martin & Co, New York” ink stamped on neck block; “CF Martin & Co, New York” ink stamped on center strip inside; and “CF Martin New York”, stamped/pressed into brazilian rosewood back of guitar, up near the heel. (note: this guitar is not signed personally by factory foreman, etc, on underside of top…. This fact, and the other details, points to a circa 1870 date, not 1880s or 90’s).
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Long-scale, 000 sized 12-fret Martins from the late 20’s are among the most sought-after prewar instruments. This was the biggest, loudest Martin made for steel strings in this era, with a 25.4 inch scale length, the same scale length as a 30’s D-45. (The 14-fret 000’s of the 30s and later have a shorter, 24.5 inch scale). In no other instrument will you get the resonance (from thin tops and back), combined with the long scale length. It’s a big pre-war Martin 12-fret. That’s why this instrument is one of the most highly sought-after prewar Martins– and increasingly very difficult to find. But it’s all about one thing: the tone, emanating from a large-bodied 12-fret that plays wonderfully, and loud, even with the most delicate fingerpicking. The bass response here is the best you will ever find in any prewar Martin 12-fret guitar. This wonderful 000-18 was set up restored and set up by none other than Gruhn Guitars in Nashville– to impeccable standards. Gruhn refinished the top, back and sides. Neck, fretboard, headstock, are all original finish. Gruhn also replaced the bridge with a perfectly correct ebony bridge. The guitar has its original bridgeplate. New, period-correct Bar frets were installed by Gruhn. 1 7/8” nut. Mahogany back and sides. Adirondack spruce top. Ebony fingerboard. It has original tuners (gear wheel below worm gear, ivoroid buttons). The top and back of the guitar are completely crack-free and perfect– with full thickness the same as the day they left the factory. And the totally crack-free top shows absolutely perfect form and shape, with no undue bellying behind the bridge. There are a couple of almost imperceptible side cracks that were addressed by Gruhn, almost impossible to see from the outside. One of the most sought-after prewar Martin 12-frets, restored correctly, and set up, by the world’s best. (Included: a signed, in-hand Appraisal of the guitar– by George Gruhn) -
This historically significant Gibson L-1, 12-fret flat top guitar, is the earliest true Gibson flat top guitar on the market today. As well as the one in the best, original condition. And it is a rare example, exhibiting transitional features that place it just barely after the 1926 introduction– yet still a 1926 model (Factory order number: 8406)– but leaning toward a few subsequent, very early changes that would establish Gibson on the flat top scene that Martin had carved out so well. Introduced in '26 (there was already a L-1 archtop), the original Gibson L-1 flat top had a 13-1/2" body, wide V-neck, and H-bracing. The L-1 later achieved fame due to its association with the legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. Its rounded lower bout, combined with narrow waist, is distinctive. And its thin braces, thin finish, and thin woods give it a wonderful woody yet loud, cutting, bluesy tone that no 1930’s– much less more modern– Gibson or Martin could achieve. It is the transitional nature of this particular guitar, that is intriguing. The very first L-1 flat top, had an arched back (birch, or maple), and a pretty fat V-shaped neck. Other traits of the very first L-1 flat top: single bound top; maple back and sides; no truss rod; unbound ebony fingerboard; H pattern top bracing; “The Gibson” paint logo straight across peghead; light amber top finish; Sheraton brown finish on back and sides; single bound back. But this L-1, though very early, does not have arched back, but rather a true flat top-style back. And its neck is a great-playing C shape, not overly fat, and not a V shape. Furthermore, it has “A” bracing, not the standard H bracing. Finally, this guitar has a (original) ebony fretboard with virtually no radius. It’s a true “transition” example. It is notably not a hybrid put together from old L-1 archtop parts– as were the very first L-1 “flat tops” out of the gate in 1926. These are the traits of this early Gibson L-1 flat top:- Single bound, red spruce top, with amber stain
- Original ebony bridge; original cellulose bridge pins (unslotted)
- Maple back and sides (back is not arched), with Sheraton brown finish
- Mahogany neck, C-shaped
- Original, very thin maple bridge plate, tucked under braces, and extending all the way to the kerfing at the sides of the top, and tucked under the Kerfing
- No truss rod
- Unbound ebony fingerboard (not “ebonized”, but solid ebony)
- “The Gibson” paint logo straight across peghead
- Single bound (ivoroid) top
- Single bound (ivoroid) back
- H bracing (a slight variation of “A” bracing; with the apex at either side of the neck block– and the braces actually tuck beneath the neck block)
- Pearl dots on 5,7, and 9 frets
- Original three-on-a-plate tuners, with plastic tuner buttons
- Original frets
- Original ebony nut
- 13 5/8 inch, lower bout
- 24 1/2 inch scale (not the 25 inch scale that was soon settled on by Gibson for the L-1, soon after the introduction)
- Nut width: just shy of 1 7/8 inch
- Width of fretboard at 12th fret: 2 ¼ inch
- String spacing at nut: a hair over 1 ½ inch
- String spacing at bridge: 2 3/8 inch
- Three well-repaired top cracks (all, with the grain; and the amber finish on top is very forgiving, in terms of appearance, so cracks are hardly visible)
- One replaced tuner post
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Very Nice Brazilian Rosewood D-28 dreadnaught.- All original finish, bridge, bridge plate, tuners
- Newer saddle and nut, just installed to give perfect action, tone
- Original Tortoise pickguard
- Original small maple bridge plate, great condition
- Typical small “pickguard crack” as almost vintage Martins with pickguards have. It was professionally closed/glued years ago, stable and no longer an issue. There is a 4 2/3 inch finish crack, with 2 inches or so of that just barely visible from inside– located from edge of lower bout up, about 3 inches to the treble side of the center seam… professionally closed/glued years ago, stable and not an issue now
- Brazilian Rosewood back and sides: crack-free
- 100% original finish, everywhere. No overspray or finish alterations of any kind. Minor dings and some minor pickwear around the soundhole.
- Has never had a strap lug attached to the wood of the heel itself. There is a strap lug attached to the ivoroid heel cap.
- Original frets are in great condition… just a bit of wear, on frets 1-3/B string only
- Action is great– low and fast and loud, and neck angle is fine. Plenty of saddle left.
- Typical crazing of finish on top and back as seen on almost all mid-60s Martins (finish is all original, everywhere)
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Crack-free, and 100% original, down to the bridge pins, and the original Geib case. Just getting a neck set to make it play perfectly. -
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.
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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
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This extraordinary guitar, completed by C.T. Beitel in June of 1894, is signed and dated by him on the underside of the top. The guitar is in remarkably original condition. And it plays wonderfully. C.T. Beitel (Clemence T. Beitel, 1869-1916) was closely associated with C.F. Martin & Co. in the 1890’s. The Beitels are well known to have been closely associated with the Martin family in these years, both personally (including through marriage) and in the Martin guitar business. According to some correspondence and background research from family members obtained with this guitar, C.T. Beitel was the first American-born person to serve an apprenticeship at Martin Guitars. C.T. Beitel was a cousin to C.A. Zoebisch– who was of course the famous Martin guitar distributor and sometimes-partner of C.F. Martin & Co. in this period. Although this guitar is strikingly faithful to Martin specs, this is most likely one of C.T. Beitel’s guitars made by him to market separately from Martin. It is documented that at least one of the Beitel family had an ongoing guitar making and marketing business in the late 1890’s. Is this Beitel guitar one of the first made under the “Beitel” name? Certainly. Are there others remaining today? There are none known of by us–making this a rare and highly collectible guitar. Similar to a Martin 2-27… but not exactly. More like a cross between a 2-27, a “28” style–because of the wonderful Herringbone purfling/binding on the top– and a 30’s or higher style with its very fancy Jerome tuners.- No “Martin” stamps anywhere
- “C.T. Beitel” paper label on neck block (Martin stamp beneath the label? Uncertain)
- Signed and dated on underside of top: “C.T. Beitel, 6/94, Easton” (i.e. Easton, PA)
- X-braced top
- All original finish; no touch-ups etc
- Pearl inlay around sound hole
- Herringbone purfling around top
- Real Ivory binding, top, and back
- Bound Ivory neck
- Ebony bridge
- Ebony fretboard (bound in Ivory)
- Original Maple bridge plate
- Size: a just bit bigger at lower bout than a Martin “2” size: 12 1/4 inches
- Scale length: 24 3/4 inches
- Body length: 18 3/8 inches
- String spacing at bridge: 2 3/8 inches - Nut width: 1 7/8 inches
- Body depth at bottom of guitar: 4 inches
- Top: Adirondack Spruce
- Back and sides: solid Brazilian Rosewood
- Neck: Cedar
- Headstock: Brazilian Rosewood veneer
- Tuners: original, German-made Jerome tuners, with fancy flower engraving, and oval shaped Ivory tuner buttons. These tuners are typically found only on the highest model Martin guitars of those years
- Tuner buttons: Ivory, oval-shaped
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Very few modern luthiers have captured that Larson Brothers sustain and what I call “shimmer” with a new build. This guitar, built by the master luthier Hans Brentrup in late 2009, has it in spades. We’ve never played anything but a 30’s Larson Bros’ that has the sustain this guitar has. Hans’ unique tone bars do what only the Larson tone bar system did– get the body of the guitar to sustain and impart that wonderful shimmer to the trebles especially.- Brazilian Rosewood back and sides
- Engelmann spruce top
- 000 size
- 25.34 scale length
- Easily accommodates Medium or Heavy strings
- Hybrid ladder laminated bracing with Carbon fiber “Tone tubes”
- Mahogany neck
- Slotted headstock
- Golden Age tuners
- Ebony fingerboard with MOP dots
- Pyramid bridge
- Tortoise body binding
- Lacquer finish
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Signed by Martin factory foreman, underside of top: “Dec. 8, 1893”, this 0-28 is in wonderful original condition.- Instrument is 100% original: finish, bridge, ivory nut, ivory saddle, ivory bridge pins, bar frets
- Brazilian Rosewood Back and Sides
- Adirondack Spruce top
- Shows very little wear
- Scalloped braces (X-braced)
- Original maple bridge plate in perfect condition
- Original French-polish shellac finish throughout
- 13.5" wide at lower bout, and 4.25" deep at the endpin
- 24.9" scale length
- 1-7/8" wide nut
- Soft-V neck profile
- A couple small top cracks, professionally repaired and not an issue. Two finish checks/cracks, that due not go through wood, on back
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The Larson Brothers need little introduction to the world’s top players and collectors, and they are very different instruments from the Martin and Gibson instruments that dominated the 1920’s and 30’s by their shear numbers. Larson instruments are rising in value rapidly, as they never produced the kind of volume that Martin much less Gibson produced in those decades, and they are now recognized for their magnificent workmanship and tone. The now legendary Chicago-based Larson brothers, August and Carl, did not make instruments with a “Larson” label. All of their instruments were branded and marketed for Stahl, Maurer, Prairie State, Euphonon, Dyer, Bruno, and a few more. Yet every one of their instruments has their unmistakable trademarks. And their unmistakable tone. This exquisitely beautiful, 100% original Larson Mandolin was made at the very height of the Larson legacy– when they were making their finest instruments. It has all of the Larson trademarks that set apart the best Larsons, including “built under tension” design, and Larson’s classic “ebony under the binding” on the neck. Every part of this instrument is 100% original. And its crack-free– save for two tiny dryness finish cracks near center of back, of about two inches each.- 100% original finish, everywhere
- Scale length: 13 inches
- Nut width: 1 1/8 inches
- Serial number: 38764
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This is a wonderful, original from the factory "Lefty", a 1975 D-35L. Lefty's from this period are rare. Before the era of computerized factories, and the intro of the CNC machines at Martin, a high-end Lefty like this one was essentially a custom-made guitar. The bracing in this guitar was custom designed and built at the Martin factory for a true lefty top– this is not a regular D-35 with just different saddle and pickguard. It's built as a left-handed guitar, down to every brace. This guitar is in about as close to mint condition as you can get. The original black pickguard was lifting a bit (not from wear, there wasn't any– but just because Martin used some odd pickguard material in those years), so we just thought it would be cool to replace it with a vintage 30s style tortoise guard. I had John Allison cut a new guard, using period correct (1930's that is) nitrocellulose material. It looks great. (and BTW it's on the exact footprint of the original guard– they nudged them up a bit closer to the bridge on lefty's). This guitar sounds great. Fine, ringing trebles. Beautiful mids. It's one of the best D-35's we've played, from any period. And again, the condition is just almost mint. No cracks. No checking of finish. Everything except the pickguard is 100% original. It comes in its original hard shell Martin case, and original Martin literature from the Factory. The neck is straight, and action is perfect. -
When this concert guitar was made in 1976, it was the top model offered by the master luthier Masaru Kohno– when he was at the very height of his career. There is some confusion out there as to which Kohno was the “top” concert model at any given date in height of Masaru Kohno’s career– from the early 70’s to the late-80s’. No confusion here– as there is correspondence (from August 2011) directly from Masaki Sakurai to us, regarding this guitar. Masaki Sakurai (nephew of Masaru Kohno, who in fact worked along side Masaru Kohno when this instrument was made in 1976, and now of course runs the “Sakurai/Kohno” shop, since the death of Masaru Kohno in 1998) confirms that this guitar was the top model available from Kohno in mid-1976. (Don’t be confused– a later, for example 1980 No. 30 Kohno is not a top Kohno model from that year. By 1980, the top model was a No. 50.) The confusion arises because Kohno had, in the early 70s until the late 80’s the custom of making his model numbers correspond to the guitars’ price in Japanese Yen. Hence, this guitar, a “No. 30”, in mid-1976, was priced at 300,000 Japanese Yen, and was the top model (a very expensive guitar in 1976). The confusion arises because as the inflation-prone 70’s continued, everyone adjusted prices upward. When inflation kept advancing, Kohno model numbers were something of a moving target, and the “top model” number changed upwards over time. Over time the top model moved up to No. 30 (this guitar), and then later No. 50 (starting in 1977). Kohno finally stopped using numbers in the 80’s and then called the top model the “Professional J”, and on, with more variations of “Professional”.) In any case this guitar, was the top model made, when it came from the Kohno shop (correspondence from Masaki Sakurai confirming this, will be supplied). But the real proof is in the playing. This instrument stands along with the best brazilian rosewood/spruce concert guitars from any maker, anywhere, any period. Crystal clear brazilian trebles. Wonderful resonance, combined with superior string separation.- Hand-signed on label by Masaru Kohno, and dated 1976
- Solid European spruce top
- Solid Brazilian rosewood back and sides
- 660mm scale length
- Nut: 52mm
- Mahogany neck with 2 ebony supporting strips
- Ebony fretboard
- Gold engraved Gotoh tuners
- One repaired crack on back of guitar
- Crack-free top and sides. There are various nicks, dings, and scratches.
- Finish is naturally worn off, through playing, on the center section of the back of the neck– giving it a very fast feel in the left hand.
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Exquisite, and a joy to play (… the top level, largest guitar that Martin made at the turn of the 20th century– with tone that shows off what Frank Henry Martin was proud of when he personally signed the inside of this instrument in April, 1903…) -
This new, custom made Lester Devoe Flamenco Negra is amasterpiece, from one of the world’s top luthiers. Lester Devoe needs nointroduction to the world’s great Flamenco players. The late, legendary Sabicasplayed a Devoe– and converted some of the great Flamenco players in Spain tothe fold. Paco De Lucia, and Vicente Amigo, among others, play Devoe Flamencoguitars. Paco De Lucia began playing a Devoe Negra guitar years ago– and thereare many Paco De Lucia recordings and feature films where Paco plays a DevoeFlamenco guitar.) This is the second custom guitar, that Lester has made for uswith select, old growth, quartersawn AAAAA Brazilian rosewood. Signed by LesterDevoe, 2012 (March).- 650mm scale length
- Nut: 52mm
- Neck width at nut: 52mm
- 80 year old Brazilian Rosewood (pre-CITES) back and sides (Quartersawn).
- European spruce top
- Cedar neck
- Brazilian Rosewood headstock overlay, and bridge
- Brazilian Rosewood body binding, top and back
- Ebony fingerboard
- Sloane tuners
- Nitrocellulose lacquer finish
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This stunningly beautiful, one-of-a-kind custom built resonator (from 2006, in beautiful crack-free condition and with only light wear) is from Tony Nobles, well-known luthier, and maker of instruments for Joe Walsh, Billy Gibbons and many other artists. The art deco ornamentation compliments an incredibly well built instrument, with meticulous attention to detail. Listen to/watch the video clip where guitar master Redd Volkaert put this instrument through some interesting jazz and blues paces.- Spun-aluminum Quartermane biscuit-style cone (single-cone resonator)
- Solid curly maple, back top, and sides, with light tobaccoburst nitrocellulose lacquer finish
- Art deco coverplate, soundholes, and tailpiece of antiqued brass with a metal mesh covering
- Maple binding on body
- Custom torch inlay on headstock
- Curly maple neck
- Waverly tuners
- Scale: 24.4 inches
- Nut width: 1 7/8 inch
- String spacing at nut: 1 18/32
- Bridge spacing: 2 1/8
- Lower Bout: 14 1/2
- Upper bout: 9 1/2
- Body depth at bottom: 3 ¾ inches
- Body depth at neck joint: 3-20/32
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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
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Circa 1860 parlor guitar style 1 built by well known luthier, James Ashborn of Wolcottville, CT, for William hall & son music store. Brazilian rosewood back and sides; Adirondack top; maple binding. This guitar is crack free save for a couple of minor finish cracks on back, and is 100% original, including all original finish, and down to original nut, original bridge (and saddle) that has never been off the guitar, and original bridge pins. From a just-published article in Vintage Guitar magazine: “Ashborn's design for the guitar was quite innovative for the early 19th century. Instead of making guitars fashioned after the typical parlor-style guitars, he made them in the Spanish style, by taking interior bracing cues from the Spanish while retaining the body of the English guitars. This included a fan brace pattern rather than the more common ladder pattern Ashborn guitars have a very complex dovetail V joint for attaching the head to the neck. The headstock was cut in roughly five steps, using some kind of tracing router, as suggested by the chatter marks on the inside ears of the pegbox. In addition to the complex head design, Ashborn made his own tuning machines in-house. They're made of brass, very much like contemporary machines, with worm gears, cog gears, and rollers. … Ashborn's shop was extremely advanced for its time, having a great deal of know-how and technology. Ashborn understood the need to have the technology as well as the skill, but more importantly he discovered a new way of making high-quality instruments that were affordable. He was able to create a factory environment where workers did what they were good at and, with practice, became very fast and consistent. With a new level of consistency in mass production, he created the path followed by other companies such as Martin, Gibson, and Taylor. Using designs ahead of his time, he was able to bring the sound and change to people who otherwise never would have been able to acquire an instrument of this quality.” This beautiful all-original and crack-free Ashborn guitar is one of the best-preserved examples in existence. -
Joseph Redman, based in Abingdon, VA, makes some nice, hand made, yet affordable classical and flamenco guitars. Their low price tags don’t reflect the quality of materials in each instrument. This was a custom order, featuring European Maple back and sides, and all hand French polished by Redman. Nice, rumbling bass response. The Maple tone here, doesn’t show up in the trebles as much as it does in the bass– adding a Maple crispness to the bass strings.- Finish: hand-rubbed French Polish
- 650mm Scale length
- European Maple back and sides
- Canadian Spruce top
- Ebony fretboard
- Neck: Spanish Cedar
- Bindings:
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Stuart Mossman was one the country’s top luthiers in the 1970s and 80s– working in the tradition of the great American Dreadnought. According to an article in Vintage Guitar magazine: Stuart Mossman “…. began making guitars in 1965 and through his early efforts concentrated on experimenting with bracing of the tops. He spent four years building 40 or 50 prototypes in his garage at home. By the end of the decade, sensing a niche in the market for high quality handmade acoustics, he had incorporated S. L. Mossman Guitars in Winfield, Kansas and moved into facilities at Strother's Field outside of town. Mossman had noticed what was happening with major acoustic guitar manufacturers at the time. The folk music boom had pushed demand for acoustic instruments to an all-time high and while Gibson, Martin and Guild were increasing production, imports from the Pacific rim countries were beginning to exploit the lower end of the market. Mossman was concerned with what he saw as an erosion in materials, design, and craftsmanship in the construction of the traditional flattop acoustic guitar, particularly among the larger manufacturers as they rushed to meet the strong demand. Using only top-quality woods, a proprietary bracing structure, and old-world building techniques, Mossman guitars entered series production in 1970. ‘We were the first of the small manufacturers to make it as a larger company', Stuart Mossman recalls…” The original 70’s Mossman dreadnoughts are very well built, with attention to detail, and craftsmanship unsurpassed in this period. One of the hallmarks of the Mossman guitar is that each instruments has a paper label inside, with the serial number (that included the year date) and model. And the label was always signed or initialed by the craftsmen building that guitar (this one includes Stu Mossman’s initials: SLM). The Flint Hills model featured East Indian Rosewood back and sides, spruce top, ebony fretboard and bridge, and a unique inlay around the soundhole. This example is all original, and is in fine condition, with no cracks. Original West German Schaler tuners. It has an under-saddle pickup installed, and an input jack in the end pin. Tone is fine, and loud, reminiscent of a 60’s Martin– but with a little more punch in the mids and trebles– a perfect bluegrass instrument. -
Crack-free, and superb tone. One of the finest sounding large bodied Gibsons we’ve ever heard. -
This is a wonderful Martin 0-21, but with “the best of both worlds”: the light build of 1924– combined with 1930’s robust, “braced for steel” construction. It left the factory in 1924, but it went back to Martin in 1934 for a neck set, new belly bridge, and to get set up fully for steel strings. Details below.- All original finish
- Original 1934 bridge, and bridge plate from Martin Factory
- Original saddle
- Original “arrowhead” design tuners. The first Waverly tuners showed up in 1924/25 and remained until after the war. The arrowhead design, seen here on the tuner plates, showed up also in 1924, still with the shafts placed underneath the gears / string posts.
- Crack free (there is one cleat inside guitar, on upper bout, back. There is no visible crack that goes through wood to inside, just a tiny finish crack on outside. No doubt the Martin luthier place the cleat there in 1934 as a preventative measure (that worked).
- The combination of the original thin-profile neck, with the braced-for-steel modifications by Martin factory in 1934, make for a very robust guitar– you can play it hard and it holds up and projects like a 30’s Martin.
- Sold by Martin factory and shipped to Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. in Chicago on March 18, 1924. (This guitar does not have “Wulitzer” stamps, rather the normal CF Martin Stamps in all the correct places. This is consistent with Martin/Wurlitzer timetable in “Martin Guitars: A Technical Reference” by Johnston and Boak, 2009, p. 248.)
- June 20, 1933: the owner wrote to Martin that instrument needed a neck set and the bridge was “adrift”. Martin replied on June 23 that the normal guarantee would probably cover this work.
- Owner sent the guitar to Martin on July 3, 1934. Martin reported back to owner on July 16 that readjusting the neck and regluing the bridge would be covered by the warranty, Martin also offered a “new” bridge (meaning belly bridge) for $1.50. Martin also said that some binding could be reglued and repaired for $3.00.
- Work done at Martin, July 1934. The luthier at Martin replaced the bridge with a 1934 spec ebony belly bridge, and replaced the bridge plate with a perfect, tucked, small maple bridge plate. Martin luthier signs underside of spruce top: "7-25-1934”, and put his initials (“W.T.W.”), right by the edge of the X-brace to the top/upper bout. Of course, the back was taken off the guitar to do the above work. But being perfectly done at Martin factory in 1934, there are no visible signs of that– back binding is perfect.
- Total repair bill from Martin factory in 1934: $4.50. Paid by check, and Martin return ships the 0-21 to owner on August 15th, 1934.
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Another fine Kohno classical guitar from Masaru Kohno. This one combines a cedar top with Indian rosewood back and sides for a warm, clear tone. The best sounding Kohno 15 (or 20 for that matter) we’ve had.- Cedar Top
- Indian Rosewood Back and sides
- Ebony Fretboard
- Deluxe Fustero tuners, with pearloid buttons
- Scale length: 660mm
- Nut: 52mm
- Condition is good. Several repaired cracks, all well-repaired:
- treble side, about 1/4 inch off fretboard: 3 2/3 inch
- bass side, 1 1/4 inch off fretboard: 4 ¼ inch
- 1/4 inch bass side of center seam, between bridge and soundhole: 4 inches