C. F. Martin 0-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1959), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 168016, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black chipboard case.
This is a lovely little 0-18 from the beginning of the "Folk era", built just as the Kingston Trio was making the Martin guitar the height of youthful fashion! The mahogany body carries traditional Martin features including the old-style tortoise celluloid binding and pickguard, long-saddle Brazilian rosewood bridge and a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. The peghead corners are the rounded style typical of the period, with the face adorned with the "CF Martin" gold decal on the face and Grover openback Sta-Tite tuners with hexagonal bushings.
This guitar like all made prior to 1964 is the product of the old red brick Martin factory, built before the move to the modern facility down the road in 1964 resulted in many changes. Late '50s/early '60s 0-18s are still lovely-sounding instruments, no longer scallop braced but still more lightly built compared to those from later in the decade. Exactly 500 of these small mahogany-and-spruce guitars were shipped from Nazareth in 1959, priced at $125 (Plus case) for most of the year, marked up to $135 in 1960. This is a lovely, superb playing and fine sounding guitar better preserved than many from this period.
Overall length is 39 in. (99.1 cm.), 13 1/2 in. (34.3 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.).
This is a nice clean guitar overall with only some light wear, typical minor repairs and no modifications. The top has some small dings, scrapes and pick marks mostly above the soundhole but less pickwear than most. There is one cleated pickguard crack off the lower edge and a tiny grain crack with a barely noticeable touch up on the treble side of the lower bout. The back center seam looks to have been resealed at the top end. The pickguard shows slight shrinkage but is not pulling up seriously. There are no other repairs, and really only fairly minor evidence use other than a bit of wear to the fingerboard in the lower positions. This is a fine playing and sounding 65 year old 0-18, complete with the original chipboard case in better than average condition. Overall Excellent Condition.
