1939 C. F. Martin 000-18 Sunburst, Very Good, Hard, $15,000.00

SN 72210: It is always special to find a shaded top Martin especially one from the prewar era. There are so many dark top Martins made today emulating an era where there were so few. But this one is the real deal – a 1939 000-18 with a carefully created prewar sunburst top – and cousin to my other ’39 000-18. They are consecutive serial numbers. This is the guitar that was for sale in Bellingham for a time and while there were many suitors, I was the one who stepped up and paid the dowry. The short story is that the young fella who brought it down from Alaska bought it for a song and sold it for an opera. The guitar needed some attention and I made sure that it was properly attended to. First and foremost it’s a solid player with a sweet and complex tone. It’s been played pretty aggressively throughout its career and it’s no wonder. It’s a fabulous accompanist for vocals and a strong rhythm guitar with a healthy mid-range and bass. However, it does reward the finger-stylist with an intimate, balanced tone with great clarity and some extra sparkle in the trebles. The guitar was made prior to the transition to the 1 11/16” nut. It has a full 1 ¾” width at the nut and the prewar string spacing at the bridge. It’s set up with low action and is very fun to play.

There have been some repairs over the years. In 1995 it went back to Martin. The repair invoice notes some temperature cracks in the side and the one crack in the upper bout. These were all capably repaired and are flush, though somewhat detectable. There was some kind of impact crack in the rim on the treble side that was masterfully repaired. I would not have known if it wasn’t on the repair bill. There is some finish touchup on the side repairs but not the top. The bridge was missing so a new one was installed – oversized by about a 16th of an inch in the wings but exactly 6” across as it should be. The bridge plate was worn so it was replaced. It appears to be very close to the original footprint and it is maple. There was a brace that was cracked and repaired in that work order. Additionally, the neck was reset and the worn frets replaced. The nut was replaced. All the work was quite good with the possible exception of the appearance of the bridge. Fast forward to the present. We removed the bridge and recarved it to look like a prewar replica. It’s very close. We reset the neck again and leveled and seated the frets. Two braces needed to be reglued. We also reinstalled the old nut just to improve the appearance a bit. It was set up with a new bone saddle and low action with light strings.

The recent repair work was performed by Paul Stroh, something of a local legend in Seattle music circles. The work is straightforward and as true to the original specs as can be. Other than what has been mentioned, the guitar is original; the tuners, the finish on the top, and, with the exception of the touch-ups, the sides and back. There is some playwear, dings, and the finish oxidation on the guard so common in the bursts. The back of the neck has a few shallow capo marks that go unnoticed by the left hand. Overall, a very cool and rare guitar. The price includes a 1995 thermoplastic Martin 630 case. I should also note that the pictures were taken prior to the bridge being recarved so you are seeing the 1995 Martin bridge.