1932 C. F. Martin 0-18 Shade Top (Sunburst)
- Seductive player with an enchanting voice once abandoned in a barn near London Ontario. The restoration began in a fine shop in Canada and continued here outside Seattle. Details of the restoration in Canada can still be found online. Additional luthiery by Mark Tossman. Until 1929 Martin’s guitars were characterized by wide necks, 12-frets clean, slotted headstocks, and rectangular bridges. In 1929 Martin released the short-lived OM-28 followed by the OM-18. But in 1932 Martin realized most buyers wanted longer thinner necks with shorter scales. Martin responded with the updated 0-18. Cataloged as the “0-18 Special” it sported a 1 ¾” nut, 24.9” scale, 14-frets clear of the body, belly bridge, paddle headstock, shaded top with pickguard, and the iconic decal (though this still has the emboss on the back of the headstock and the "Made in the USA" stanp typical of exported product). An incredible number of repair hours have brought this sweety back into great playing condition. Two cracks emanate from the bridge toward the lower bout (one reaches one gets 1/3 there), one hairline in the upper bout, and one on the back. There is some very slight bellying but the bridge and saddle are sitting proudly where they should be. Several frets were replaced to give the neck its proper relief (just a “gnat’s ass worth” in Mark’s words). The final frontier for this guitar would be a good cleaning. I’m sure Mark was tempted but in the end we decided to leave it as it was found. It’s as original as can be except for the bridge plate and an end pin that was lost along the way. It’s a fine fingerpicker with a sound that is woody, balanced and articulate with a nice resonance on the bass end. The bar frets give it bite and the “modified V” neck has a very comfortable modern feel. It ships with a very nice, great fitting modern hard case.
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We represent the instruments as accurately as we can. All instruments are shipped on 48-hour approval. If there is damage as a result of the shipping, please contact us immediately and we will deal with the insurance company. If the instrument is damaged in transit from you to me, then you are responsible for dealing with the damage and insurance. For refunds, all instruments must be returned in the same condition as we shipped them in.
All instruments are shipped on 48-hour approval. If there is damage as a result of the shipping, please contact us immediately and we will deal with the insurance company. If the instrument is damaged in transit from you to me, then you are responsible for dealing with the damage and insurance. For refunds, all instruments must be returned in the same condition as we shipped them in.