1939 C. F. Martin 0-18 Natural, Excellent, Hard, Call For Price!

72324 – Very crisp and clean example from an interesting transitional period for Martin – late 1938 and early 1939. This little beauty has mahogany back and sides, red spruce top, ebony bridge, fretboard, and rosewood headstock overlay. No repairs but the usual maintenance – neck reset, new frets, and exact repro bridge. The bridge plate appears to be a replacement but it’s the correct thickness, shape, material (old maple) and is tucked under the X-brace. Incredibly clean work. The top has runout and there is a slight bellying behind the thickest part of the bridge but the bridge is not pitched forward. The setup is the most interesting thing about this guitar to me. The nut is the transitional 1 23/32” and the string spacing at the bridge is still the wider 2 3/8”. Overall, it is as light as a feather and the braces look as tiny and as finely crafted as a 19th century Martin. Consequently, I currently have X-lights on the wound strings and lights for the unwound strings. The tone is very expressive with great volume, sustain, and balance. There is an inside pickguard crack under the B string and a faint little grain separation under the E that does not show inside. There is a little strap burn around the endpin and on the back which could probably be buffed out…but why bother? It ships in a new Martin Geib-style case with the burgundy interior.