{"product_id":"c-f-martin-0-18-flat-top-acoustic-guitar-1951-13453","title":"C. F. Martin 0-18 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1951)","description":"C. F. Martin 0-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1951), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 121455, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, period black chipboard case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a really lovely little Martin 0-18 from late 1951, very well preserved apparently not having seen all that much play time since the Truman era. The mahogany body carries typical period features including tortoise celluloid binding on the edges, tortoise celluloid pickguard and long-saddle Brazilian rosewood bridge. The spruce top shows a nicely ambered thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish. The headstock corners are the somewhat rounded style typical of the period, with the peghead face adorned with the \"CF Martin\" gold decal on the face and individual large-plate openback Kluson tuners with hexagonal bushings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis guitar, like all made prior to 1964, is the product of the \"old\" red brick Martin factory, before the move to the modern facility down the road that year resulted in many changes in the way the guitars were made. These early 1950s 0-18s are lovely-sounding instruments, no longer scallop braced but still more lightly built compared to examples from a decade or so later. Exactly 575 of these small mahogany-and-spruce marvels were shipped from Nazareth in 1951, priced at $80 (Plus case) which was up considerably from its $60 list in 1949, the result of rapid inflation in the early '50s. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis 0-18 has plenty of volume (more than many expect in a smaller body guitar) and a nicely even ringing tone. This is a superb-playing and sounding small-body Martin, showing only relatively minor wear considering the passage of over seven decades since it first left Nazareth PA.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 38 3\/4 in. (98.4 cm.), 13 9\/16 in. (34.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1\/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3\/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11\/16 in. (43 mm.). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a very well preserved guitar, showing some general light wear and typical maintenance repairs. The original finish is intact showing only light scrapes, chips and dings throughout. The top has some very light dings and a few pickwear scratches into but not through the finish. The back shows scuffs and scratches with one decent sized chip. The back of the neck is free of capo marks or major finish loss, with a few small dings and dents mostly up by the heel. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe only crack repair is a very small grain split off the bottom edge of the pickguard near the waist, topically sealed with no touch up. The interior, including the bridge plate, remains original. The neck was reset and the fingerboard refretted at Mandolin Bros. some years back, including a rosewood shim added under the fingerboard extension and a small amount of touch up around the heel. The bone nut is original but the saddle was replaced; the original bridge has been reglued with some light scarring around the base. The openback Kluson tuners are original and still work well. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe correctly replaced frets show only very minor wear and have plenty of life left in them. This guitar plays extremely well with a comfortable action and offers a lot of sound for a small body instrument, sweet and even but surprisingly powerful when pushed. It includes a solid period chipboard case, probably from the 1960s. Overall Excellent - Condition.","brand":"C. F. Martin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853693866124,"sku":"13453","price":5950.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_a77f2bce-fae8-42dc-8c40-55b0defee728.jpg?v=1774343212","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/c-f-martin-0-18-flat-top-acoustic-guitar-1951-13453","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}