{"product_id":"c-f-martin-0-18-flat-top-acoustic-guitar-1908-12939","title":"C. F. Martin 0-18 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1908)","description":"C. F. Martin 0-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1908), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 10744, natural varnish finish, Brazlilan rosewood back and sides, spruce top; Spanish cedar neck with ebony fingerboard, black hard shell case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis charming 115+ year old guitar shows its share of old wear and repair but remains a lovely player, a real testament to the care and craftsmanship that has always been the hallmark of the C.F Martin \u0026amp; Co. organization. While Martin's Style 18 is generally thought of today as always having a mahogany body, up until 1917 these were rosewood-body guitars. This \"Original Gilded Age\" 1908 0-18 has colorfully figured Brazilian rosewood back and sides; the top is straight grain Appalachian spruce bound with 5 plys of contrasting woods and a multiply wood inlaid soundhole ring.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe neck is Spanish cedar with a soft \"V\" profile, topped with an ebony fingerboard inlaid with three mix-sized dots and fitted with the traditional Martin bar frets. The slotted headstock is fitted with unplated brass plate strip \"machines\" as Martin called geared tuners at the time. The ebony pyramid-end bridge has wooden pins, there is an ebony endpin as well. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe C.F. Martin stamp is visible on the back of the headstock, the backstrip and on the heelblock over the serial number. This is a beautifully made and delicately X-braced guitar which like all Martins from this era was designed for gut or nylon strings only. Many pre-1920s Martins have been severely damaged by string with the heavy steel popular in the mid-2oth century; this one holds silk-and-steel strings well and produces a clear, strong yet still transparent sound. This is a lovely survivor of the Edwardian age, an austere but delicately beautiful instrument with an enchanting sound. The original tooled leather case is included, as well as a more modern case.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 38 in. (96.5 cm.), 13 5\/8 in. (34.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1\/16 in. (10.3 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3\/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13\/16 in. (46 mm.). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis 0-18 has preserved much of its originality over the last 115+ years, though there have been some typical repairs made over the decades that were unfortunately not as cleanly executed as they might have been. The original very thin varnish finish has amazingly little picking wear to the top, but does carry some fairly ugly scarring around the bridge base from an old removal and reglue, likely done many decades ago. There are also some random glue scars on the top, back and sides which unfortunately are not water soluble; these are fairly minor but visible. There are also nicks, dings and scrapes scattered over the instrument; the back of the neck is relatively clean but the varnish has a slightly rough feel that sometimes develops due to ageing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a top crack sealed and cleated under fingerboard extension along the treble side; apart from this the thinly braced top is amazingly crack free. There are rosewood grain splits to each side in the waist area, sealed with bias tape installed internally along the waist on both sides. The back has some superficial scarring but is crack free. \u003cbr\u003e, \u003cbr\u003eThe neck has been reset and the original bar fret wire polished out with little subsequent wear. The original pyramid bridge had previously been reglued and possibly lowered a bit from beneath; this older work left noticeable scarring around the base. It also appears to have been rolled down slightly in front of the pins with a new drop-in bone saddle added. The guitar has kept all of its original delicate scalloped bracing intact with a very cleanly done exact replica small maple bridgeplate added. The original tuning machines are still intact and fully functional. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis 00-18 is housed in a recent Martin hardshell case, but the original tooled leather case is included in solid if semi-functional condition. With well over a century under it's belt, this little wonder has seen some perhaps less-than-cosmetically -perfect work but managed to avoid the often catastrophic damage caused when these were steel-string starting even in the 1920s. This is still a lovely and stately guitar that still sings beautifully especially to those with a more delicate playing technique. Overall Very Good + Condition.","brand":"C. F. Martin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853691867276,"sku":"12939","price":8500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_14fc2b87-66ac-47fa-87b2-4ae771e7122a.jpg?v=1774343135","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/c-f-martin-0-18-flat-top-acoustic-guitar-1908-12939","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}