C. F. Martin 00-18G Classical Guitar (1960)
LOADING IMAGES
This item has been sold.
Item # 11876
Prices subject to change without notice.
C. F. Martin 00-18G Model Classical Guitar (1960), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 175285, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This nice-playing "G" model 00-18 guitar was originally the brainchild of Martin's back-pedaling a bit in the mid-1930s. Having switched their entire standard line to steel strings, the company then debuted a new series of specifically gut strung instruments in 1936 signified by a "G" suffix. The 00-18G is built with Martin's traditional materials: mahogany back, sides and neck and a spruce top. It uses the then-new Martin 14-fret 00 body shape but with a 12-fret, wide classical neck and slotted headstock. Internally it is delicately fan-braced like a classical guitar, with a classical tied-string bridge.
This 00-18G dates to late 1960; the 1950s and early '60s Folk boom produced a seemingly insatiable appetite for easy-to-play nylon string guitars, so these "G" models found a much expanded audience. Many aspiring players of the time were not comfortable with steel-string guitars but wanted a genuine Martin; just over 700 of these shipped in 1960 with sold at $165 (plus case).
This sweet-sounding guitar deserves a better reputation than it often gets. The Nylon-string Martin are not well remembered now, but were quite popular at the time with amateur and even some professional folk players strumming in the "Hoots" of the '60s. While neither "fish nor fowl" perhaps to many modern players this is an appealing creation nonetheless, a pleasant-playing and very nice sounding guitar. It makes for a very good knock-around nylon string, a useful studio tool for the non-classical player who needs that sound now and then and a lovely "Folk" instrument for voice accompaniment of solo playing in the original 1960s mode.
Overall length is 38 1/4 in. (97.2 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/4 in. (641 mm.). Width of nut is 2 in. (51 mm.).
This guitar shows some light play wear but overall appears not too heavily used over the last 60+ years. The finish is relatively clean overall with some finish checking and minor dings, dents and scrapes overall. The top once had Flamenco tap plate stickers added to the top that have since been removed, with subtly visible shadows remaining. The only visible repair is a grain split to the top right along what wound have been the lower edge of these, neatly sealed up.
The guitar appears original except the original Waverly tuners were for some reason replaced with European classical machines with oddly re-carved buttons, which probably work better anyway. This is a pleasant-playing and very nice sounding guitar, and while unlikely to challenge anyone's Ramirez in an actual concert hall performs quite well as intended. We think it sounds lovely and has a nice '60s folk vibe. Excellent - Condition.
This nice-playing "G" model 00-18 guitar was originally the brainchild of Martin's back-pedaling a bit in the mid-1930s. Having switched their entire standard line to steel strings, the company then debuted a new series of specifically gut strung instruments in 1936 signified by a "G" suffix. The 00-18G is built with Martin's traditional materials: mahogany back, sides and neck and a spruce top. It uses the then-new Martin 14-fret 00 body shape but with a 12-fret, wide classical neck and slotted headstock. Internally it is delicately fan-braced like a classical guitar, with a classical tied-string bridge.
This 00-18G dates to late 1960; the 1950s and early '60s Folk boom produced a seemingly insatiable appetite for easy-to-play nylon string guitars, so these "G" models found a much expanded audience. Many aspiring players of the time were not comfortable with steel-string guitars but wanted a genuine Martin; just over 700 of these shipped in 1960 with sold at $165 (plus case).
This sweet-sounding guitar deserves a better reputation than it often gets. The Nylon-string Martin are not well remembered now, but were quite popular at the time with amateur and even some professional folk players strumming in the "Hoots" of the '60s. While neither "fish nor fowl" perhaps to many modern players this is an appealing creation nonetheless, a pleasant-playing and very nice sounding guitar. It makes for a very good knock-around nylon string, a useful studio tool for the non-classical player who needs that sound now and then and a lovely "Folk" instrument for voice accompaniment of solo playing in the original 1960s mode.
Overall length is 38 1/4 in. (97.2 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/4 in. (641 mm.). Width of nut is 2 in. (51 mm.).
This guitar shows some light play wear but overall appears not too heavily used over the last 60+ years. The finish is relatively clean overall with some finish checking and minor dings, dents and scrapes overall. The top once had Flamenco tap plate stickers added to the top that have since been removed, with subtly visible shadows remaining. The only visible repair is a grain split to the top right along what wound have been the lower edge of these, neatly sealed up.
The guitar appears original except the original Waverly tuners were for some reason replaced with European classical machines with oddly re-carved buttons, which probably work better anyway. This is a pleasant-playing and very nice sounding guitar, and while unlikely to challenge anyone's Ramirez in an actual concert hall performs quite well as intended. We think it sounds lovely and has a nice '60s folk vibe. Excellent - Condition.