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A wonderfully preserved, crack free 12 fret 000-28 Martin, with gorgeous Brazilian rosewood back and sides. The tone of this instrument is wonderful. It stands up to many high end Spanish made classical guitars of the period for Brazilian rosewood warmth. While intentionally not built for concert hall volume, the bass tone and clarity of the trebles on large-bodied Martin nylon strings guitars with Brazilian back and sides is unsurpassed. This instrument is very well set up to play on stage, plugged in, and to record, if desired. It has great high end Gilbert tuners, with black housing, abalone dot and snakewood buttons. (Original tuners, in perfect condition, are in the case, so you can easily replace the originals if desired.) This instrument has an excellent custom engineered stereo pickup system, installed without altering the guitar: The pickup is the undersaddle type, supplied by EMG. The separate mic element is assembled in a foam mounting block with cable, endpin jack, custom made for this guitar. It is unobtrusive in its mounting. Jack is mounted in the endpin hole, so there are no extra holes in the guitar. The output jack is stereo, TRS (Tip wired to pickup, Ring wired to mic, and Sleeve is ground.) The addition of the internal mic adds a realism and depth that no pickup by itself can capture. The EMG pickup is excellent compared to most others in terms of exhibiting less of that harsh piezo sound. The result is a guitar that plays beautifully amplified, or on its own. The Martin “C” has the old elongated Martin 12 fret body. It was offered in the 00-16C, 00-18C and 000-28C in 1962. 1966 saw the last 000-28C. There were not many nylon string, 000-sized 28 models made, and fewer still with the quality of Brazilian rosewood this one has. And the condition on this instrument is stunning. No cracks anywhere, and very little wear at all. -
Another wonderful instrument with top grade Brazilian Rosewood back and sides. The Brazilian rosewood on this in instrument is more figured on the sides, and the back shows wonderful bookmatched figuring. This is an all-original guitar. There are no cracks that go through the wood. There are several finish/superficial cracks in the finish, one on the top near the bottom/endpin area, and one on the back. And a bit of crazing in the top finish. Set-up and playability is great. Wonderful full tonal range up and down the fretboard. -
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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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. -
The last of the Mohicans, made within a few months before Martin stopped using Brazilian Rosewood on its instruments. Some guitars feel dead right the minute you pick them up. This is on of those. First and foremost, the tone of this instrument is unsurpassed for the bell-like trebles that only come from Brazilian Rosewood. The tone of this guitar, I would hold up to most mid-40’s D-28’s I’ve played. Playability, and set-up: it could not be better, and it’s got that 60’s combination of low action, great tuning speed and accuracy from the Grovers, and superb intonation all the way to the wee frets. More than anything, this guitar stands out for its low action combined with robust tone. Amazingly, the string height at the 12th fret: Just a hair over 2/32” at the high E; and 3/32 at the low E. It plays in our left hand like a dream, fast and fluid… yet the tone is full with no buzzing anywhere. I personally have never played a Martin dreadnought from any period that is so effortless to play, so easy on the left hand and so fast and yet so full of Brazilian tone. BTW, light gauge strings only? No way… I’ve got it strung with medium gauge, and it plays like butter in your left hand. Condition:- all original: finish; frets bridge, bridge plate, saddle. (Bridge pins could be replacements, hard to tell, but they are right.)
- The bridge looks like it has never been off
- Neck has never been set
- There is minor pickwear, with some moderate wear around the soundhole.
- No cracks on top; two, almost indiscernible cracks on back, that have been addressed–glued (no cleats). You have to look very hard to see these two back cracks, they are hairline cracks, each about 6 inches long.. but they are not visible from more than a few inches away, and impossible to photograph.
- Minor nicks and dings, most are visible in photos
- No strap lugs ever added
- Original end pin
- Throw away the book on this one… This is one of the best Brazilian rosewood Dreadnought Martins you’ll play, period, in fine original condition.
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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. -
Kohno Classical Guitar. 1976 This instrument is being sold for a customer in Houston with a large collection of guitars. This guitar was originally purchased from VintageAmericanGuitar some five years ago– and its tone has aged and improved. The original Kohno design was specifically different from the high-end Spanish "concert" guitars of the day which had high action and beefy necks (and often long 664 or longer scale lengths). The Kohno necks were moderately thin in profile and shaped for very fluid playability. They’re a joy to play, physically. The 660 scale length– not overly long to begin with– actually “feels” shorter because of the neck design. (And the string spacing at the 2-inch nut: 1 11/16 inches, is also a great feature that adds to the great left hand feel.) We’ve seen/played many Kohnos– this one is unique in the combination of woods, and tone. Cedar top (not spruce), and Indian Rosewood back and sides. The combination, and this guitar’s age and unique voicing produce a dark, bass-rich tone and super clear and strong mids rarely found in a Kohno. It’s louder, darker and deeper than other Kohnos, yet is has great string separation– and the high E string is bell-like and loud.- Solid Cedar top
- Solid Indian rosewood back and sides.
- Mahogany neck with 2 ebony strips
- Ebony fretboard
- 19 frets
- Rosewood bridge
- Gold engraved Fostero tuners. Fustero tuners are individually made by hand in Spain from the best materials…for decades they have adorned high end instruments built by Fleta, Ramirez, Kohno, Contreras, Bernabe and others.
- 660mm scale length
- 2" nut width
- String spacing at the nut: 1 11/16 inch
- Condition: One, repaired cracks:4 1/2 inches long, about 2 inches to the north (bass side) of the fretboard extension over the body.
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Many players consider the best Martin D-28’s from the 70’s great guitars– and the best value around if you want a vintage D-28 on a budget. The best ones deliver great tone– a darker, richer voice than 50's or 60’s D-28’s. The non-adjustable truss rod, and great Indian rosewood Martin used in those years, and the nice bear claw sitka on top on this example, all make for a lovely instrument. A few nicks and dings, but in remarkable original condition. This instrument delivers. It’s all original, and it’s 100% crack-free (not even the common “pickguard crack”). The original pickguard is not lifting as you often see on these Martins. Original bridge that's never been off the guitar, pins, everything. It has the typical slight finish crazing on top, visible from an angle– it’s common on this vintage. The neck has never been set. Frets in fine shape. Original Grovers. With a low-ish saddle, it plays fine. And in tune everywhere. At some point in the future the new owner may want to do a neck set, but we prefer to keep it all original (and the action is fine as is). ... no longer available – see the newly listed 1970 Martin D-28 in the Featured Instruments section. -
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. -
Martin established the X-brace as the standard in American guitars, but that was never pre-ordained, or set in stone. The fan-bracing of the Spanish guitar has equally appealing qualities, and is a century-plus long standard that continues to dominate the design of the classical and flamenco guitar. Not an “Estudio” (student) model, this is the top of line model, 1a Ramirez flamenco. If you’ve never played one of these exquisite cypress Ramirez flamenco guitars–you’ll be surprised at the tone. Spanish cypress back and sides. Cedar top. First of all, the guitar is so light. It floats in your hands, yet it’s tight as a drum. It’s one of the lightest guitars you will ever play (due to the lightness of the wood, and also to the use of tuning pegs–so that the head and neck of the guitar are not pulled down by gravity, allowing the head to float effortlessly at about eye level. And the raspy bass is unbelievable. It’s all about that percussive tone and throaty bass. Conventional wisdom says rosewood for a “classical” guitar, for sustain; and cypress for a flamenco guitar, for the percussive, throaty quality, and more volume. Action is low, as it should be for flamenco. And that wonderful wide nut (2-1/8 inch), you’ve got so much room to move on this beautiful ebony fingerboard. Original finish. As with almost all these old Ramirez flamencos with the tap plate on top, there are shallow, thin hairline cracks where the top edge, and bottom edge, of the tap plate (clear plastic) meets the top (similar to the small cracks you get on an old martin, due to the guard being glued to the top). There is also a six-inch long hairline finish crack on the top above and parallel to the fingerboard (does not go through the wood), and a 3-inch long hairline finish crack below the fingerboard. A few dings here and there, but finish is that original, beautiful high polish reddish-amber. -
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
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Out of stock
Guitars from the world-renown luthier Lester Devoe are highly sought after – to the extent of a formidable wait list for a new one. And vintage Devoe guitars – especially ones from this era – are hard to come by. So this guitar is a gem. And with close to 30 years of aged wood/tone, its sound is amazing. We’ve had several Devoe's over the years, but none like this one. The age, the fact that it’s a cedar top, its light build, and Lester’s magical touch combine to give this vintage Devoe a tone that is in a class by itself, with both the bold flamenco presence you’d expect, and nuances of color and timbre that many great/expensive classical guitars lack. Like a great classical guitar it responds to the lightest touch, and with deep round rosewood color, yet it’s a lightning storm for flamenco. You can hear/see this guitar in the sound/video clip posted here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m-M9yI6u9g 1995 Lester Devoe "Flamenco Negra", the term for a Flamenco guitar that has rosewood back and sides. See photo of label.- Cedar top, and Indian Rosewood back and sides
- Rosewood bridge
- Ebony fretboard
- 650mm scale length
- Sloan tuners
- Clear tap plate treble side
- All original nitrocellulose finish
- Rosette with “roses” design in the classic Andalusia tradition
- Great condition:
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Read the full description below. If you're interested in this guitar, please call 512.922.8596 or contact us here. -
This 10 string harp guitar has no markings no it, i.e. no maker's label, stamp, signature etc. Probably American, likely a one-of-a-kind made by someone we'll never know – but it’s very similar to the 1860 "Renaissance" Martin harp guitar that’s well documented. See/hear the video of this guitar being played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddxma5gCI7Q 10 string Harp guitar: • Width at lower bout: 12 1/4 inches • It’s deep: 4 ¼ inches at bottom/end pin, 3 /12 deep at neck joint. • Scale length: 24 1/2 inches • Nut width of six-string portion: 1 7/8 inches; string spacing of six strings on the regular guitar portion: 1 ½ inches • Ladder braced – no cracks, bellying, etc, on the original top • Solid Adirondack top, with original finish • Back, and sides: Brazilian rosewood and spruce laminate (similar to some Ashborns, and some Martins from that era). There has been some restoration to the sides, where a few pieces of Brazilian were missing/chipped, as well as to the back (in other words: sections of the outer brazilian layer have been replaced. • Ebony bridge, original. It has been off, and back on • The tuners are modern banjo tuners • Ice cream cone heel, and the neck's been "ebonized". While the neck, fretboard, and head have been restored (recently), the original design is intact. • Neck is Maple – "ebonized" but it's a solid maple neck Price: $6950. -
This full-size violin, is a wonderful example of New England whaler culture of the 19th century. The violin itself is probably German made, early 1800’s, with maple back and sides. But the whale inlays (bone) on the fingerboard were no doubt done locally in New England. And the custom, hand made wood case, original to the instrument, also features a brass whale on the top. (Note, the brass handle on the case, is the exact kind used by CF Martin on their coffin cases for guitars in the mid-19th century.) The bridge, and tailpiece are modern. Bone inlays on the tuning pegs also. The instrument is fully set up and ready to play. Price: $2150. In its original wood case, with a brass whale inlay on top. -
Mint condition. Period. Exceptional Larrivee 12-fret parlor guitar with a straight grained Sitka Spruce top and beautifully figured Brazilian Rosewood back & sides. Part of a very limited run of guitars built of high grade old stock Brazilian rosewood. Abalone rosette and tortoise shell pickguard. Ebony bridge w/ compensated saddle. Mahogany neck w/ microdot inlays, ivoroid bound ebony fingerboard, 1-3/4" nut, 24-1/4" scale, 13-1/4" lower bout, Larrivee logo peghead inlay, chrome tuners w/ebony buttons. -
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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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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Martin has refined their “Authentic” series 1930’s recreations. When the first D-28A came out a about 5 years ago, it was Brazilian rosewood, with a price tag north of $20K. So when Martin decided to produce a Madagascar rosewood version, it was very welcome. In fact Martin learned from the earlier “Authentic” models and this guitar, one of the very first D-28 Authentics’s made with Madagascar rosewood, is a best of the breed– a recreation of the original 1937 D-28 model but now offered with Madagascar rosewood back and sides. And this instrument has a particularly good set of Madagascar.- It’s in virtually unplayed, mint condition.
- Forward shifted hand-scalloped X-bracing
- Fingerboard Width At Nut: 1 3/4''
- Mahogany Blocks/Dovetail Neck Joint - Hide Glue
- Top: Solid Adirondack Spruce
- Top Braces: Solid Adirondack Spruce 5/16''
- Back Material: Solid Madagascar Rosewood
- Back Purfling: 28 Style Zig-Zag (Authentic)
- Side Material: Solid Madagascar Rosewood
- Neck Shape: Authentic 1937 Barrel & Heel
- Scale Length: 25.4''
- Bridge String Spacing: 2-5/16''
- Saddle: 16'' Radius/Long Bone
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52 Broadcaster. Impeccable attention to detail. Great sound, and feel. No, it never left the Fullerton factory as you see it here. This is one of the best tribute builds you'll find, at any price, done by real players. You can spend $6K plus, on a recent Fender Custom Shop version, but it won't look this good and it won't play like this. The best nitro cellulose finish, with light relic, and crazing. MJT body. Warmoth Fender licensed birds eye maple neck, chunky C-shape. Duncan Antiquity pickups. The bridge– with the numbers you see– is not available on a "Custom Shop" or reissue. It was custom made and on the instrument when we acquired it. Price: $3750. Ships in a well-worn modern tele case. -
Out of stock
This could be the best blackguard telecaster tribute ever. An homage to the great early 50’s telecaster. But it only gets accolades if it’s a great player. This one is a great player–its light weight (same weight range as on original early 50s telecaster), pickups, setup, and attention to detail make for a great sounding tele. A joy to play. There appear to be a few original 1952/1953 parts on this guitar– but this guitar is being offered strictly as a reproduction/tribute. And it’s a tribute, in its way, to the art of the (great) copy– and on that note, it comes with Nacho Baños’ great book, The Blackguard book (out of print and a $300-400 value in itself), with matching serial number on the cover of the book. (Click here for a story on Baños.) So the purchaser can follow along the narrative of some of the great original early Blackguards in the book–and how to identify original early 50’s Telecaster, Nocaster, and Esquire elements and parts– while having fun with this intriguing tribute guitar. • The bridge, a good reproduction of unknown origin. The photos tell the story. (Original early 50’s brass saddles?). Reproduction tuners. • The pickguard looks convincing, but we're calling it a reproduction. • Seymour Duncan Antiquity pickups. • The pots, and the pickup switch, appear to be original 1952 or 1953 Fender parts (but not with original solder joints etc). • The control plate appears to be an original 1952/1953 Fender plate. Tone, volume knobs are (good) reproductions. • Neck is from Mark Jenny, stamped on heel as official Fender “Licensed” neck. Medium C profile. Great feel– not baseball bat, and not too thin. • Weight, with strings: 6.625 lbs. This is in the same weight range as original early 50s telecasters. Compare to the weight of mediocre telecaster “reissues” on the market today, all of which weigh much more. • The body is by Mark Jenny. We waited patiently for over a year until the right Jenny body became available, to complete this instrument in the best way possible and to remove from the market the (nice light weight) reproduction body that was in place when we acquired the guitar that had a non-authentic 1952 date and signature in the neck pocket. The right thing to do– and the Mark Jenny body in place now has crazing and other elements characteristic to the early blackguard look, weight, wear, and feel. • Set up perfectly, and ready to play. Sold as a reproduction/tribute guitar only, together with the Nacho Baños The Blackguard book (book in as-new condition in original box) that will school the new owner on how to evaluate the fine, fully pedigreed, great Blackguards of the early 50’s. Price: $5950. -
63 Surf Green Strat tribute. Impeccable attention to detail. And more importantly, the right sound, and feel. It never left the Fullerton factory as you see it here – it’s a great tribute build that not only looks right, it plays like a dream. Loud and resonant, even when not plugged in. You can spend $6K plus, on a recent Fender Custom Shop versions, but it won't look this good and it won't play like this. Thin nitro cellulose finish, with light relic. Klein pickups, the choice of players who need the best authentic sound. Includes many Fender licensed parts, that makes it legit on the market. Strat is '63 spec, and note it has a chunky neck. Surf Green is as it should be, with the just a tiny touch of yellowy tint in places on guitar top, as what happens to a true vintage Surf Green finish after years of fading. Price: $3650. Ships in a well-used modern strat case. -
Alessi, Hauser style machine head tuners. More rare, deep silver plating. Hand made in Italy. Engraved with high detail. These are new, old stock. Made circa 2009, they have never been used or mounted on a guitar, and they come with the original mounting screws, and in their original wood presentation case. Synthetic ivory kidney shaped buttons (rare style). 35mm on center. Perfect, unused condition. Price: $895.