1961 Martin 0-18 Poor, GigBag, $695.00
I wish I could tell you how much fun it is just to hold this gem—it feels kind of like you’re holding a Stradivarius violin. Produced continuously from 1898 to 1995, the 0-18 was one of a series of Concert (O Series), parlor, and smaller guitars created by Martin starting in the 1890’s. In the post-World War II version of the 0-18, the top is solid spruce, while the neck, back, and sides are all solid mahogany. The belly bridge and fingerboard are rosewood—possibly Brazilian--with pearl dot inlays. The multi-stripe rosette, the vintage tortoise pick guard, the beautifully intact tortoise binding (top and back), and the original Grover nickel-plated open-gear tuners complete the picture of a wonderful vintage guitar. Please note that this is NOT a tenor guitar (the 0-18T); vintage Martin six-string 0-18s are currently available on-line for anywhere from $1600 to $3500.
The 0-18’s body length is 18 3/8”, with a lower bout of 13 ½”, a 14/20-fret scale length of 24.9”, and a depth at the lower bout of 4 ¼”. This instrument (serial number 179321) is 56 years old, with light wear on the apparently original frets. However, there was some kind of natural—or unnatural—disaster which fractured the treble side of this gem, cracking the back and bass side in the process. My luthier rejected this project as too time-consuming, and upon re-examination, it would be a tedious job to properly re-construct this little gem.
I hadn't realized that what I thought was original wood in the damaged area was essentially a patch by the previous owner which allowed him to play it as a very musical "couch guitar." Having done that, he apparently lost interest and presumably got another guitar, or took up chess, or something, leaving this quite fixable project for someone with a bit more talent and/or determination than he or I possess. It is structurally rather fragile as is; it needs some serious splicing in of new wood, or the damaged side simply replaced. Martin’s luthiers' shop will sell a side panel for less than $100, but replacing the side would be rather challenging and certainly beyond my skill set.
So: the bad news is that there are extensive cracks and splits in the sides and back and the guitar will probably need to be re-finished to correct the existing re-finish of the top and merge the finish of the repaired areas. The good news is that structurally, it otherwise seems quite sound: the neck is straight and well set, I believe the braces are in place (although some will no doubt need to be re-glued), and I see no cracks in the neck or the top. Still in place are the original tuners, nut, bridge, saddle, bridge pins, pick guard, and rosette decal. And above all, shining on the untouched headstock is the gold C. F. Martin logo, certifying that it was born and bred in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and that it is fully capable of singing again.
The included inexpensive vinyl gig bag is primarily for shipping purposes, to protect the exposed parts. I am sure you will want to acquire a solid hard shell case for this valuable guitar after its restoration.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $45 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashier’s checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.
I have made every effort to describe and illustrate this PROJECT guitar with scrupulous accuracy, but be advised that I am not a luthier. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy it. Its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing.
Thank you for your interest in this cool Martin project.
Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.
From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.
I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.