1947 C. F. Martin 000-28 Natural, Very Good, Hard, $9,500.00

SN: 99451. Gorgeous postwar 000-28 in remarkable condition and crazy good tone. The voice has some dreadnought characteristics with a big attack. There are overtones up and down the neck, nice volume and no dead spaces anywhere. I’ve had two luthiers tell me the top is Adi and it may be but it is developing that wonderful dark look that old Sitka gets. This is the first year after the herringbone so the top is bound with a multi-ply white and black motif which is echoed in the rosette. It’s very handsome and understated. Ebony bridge and fretboard, with the large dot position markers and nut measuring 1 11/16ths. Bridge is original. Tuners are the original “arrowhead” or “Fleur de Lis” flat backs with the oval buttons. The star of the show is the dreamy Brazilian rosewood. There are no cracks. The finish is original with a few touch-ups and was frequently polished (hand, not machine fortunately). The exceptions are that the mark on the top seems to be drop filled and there’s a small area of strap burn on the back that shows some touchup under the black light. Nothing is detectable without the black light. The rest of the guitar shows cleanly though I suspect there’s some touchup on the neck in the first position. The setup is perfect thanks to a recent neck reset with a nice tall saddle and refret and strap button properly installed. It comes with a recent Martin Geib-style case with the padded green interior.