C. F. Martin 0-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1962), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 185119, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This is a lovely clean little Martin 0-18 from right at the height of the early '60s "folk boom", before the Beatles brought electricity roaring back in 1964! To most flat-top players of this era, a Martin guitar was the ultimate goal and the venerable company had trouble keeping up with the demand. This mid/late 1962 guitar was built in Martin's old North Street factory, which the company moved out of less than two years later. It has a look and feel closer to older Martins from the '40s and '50s than to the more heavily built 1960s instruments to come.
The guitar shows a number of older features that would be changed as the decade wore on. The mahogany body a spruce top with a tortoise celluloid pickguard and edge binding, both replaced with black a few years later. Another period feature is the openback Grover Sta-Tite tuners with hexagonal bushings on the typical '60s rounded-edge peghead. The long-saddle rosewood bridge and small maple bridgeplate would also be replaced with stouter fittings later in the decade, the latter of which had more of an effect on sound than any cosmetic changes.
Exactly 500 of these small mahogany-and-spruce guitars were shipped from Nazareth in 1962, priced at $135 (Plus case) at the start of the year and marked up to $145 in June. These early 1960's 0-18's are lovely-sounding instruments, still built fairly lightly compared to even a few years later. This one has plenty of volume (more than many might expect in a smaller guitar) and an even ringing tone. This is a superb-playing and sounding small-body Martin, far better preserved than many and ready for the next 60+ years.
Overall 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.).
This is a lovely clean and original guitar, looking only lightly played over six decades, an extremely well-cared for instrument. There is very little play wear, really just a bit of pick wear to the lower edge of the soundhole rim. Overall the all-original Nitrocellulose lacquer shows with just some small dings and dents. The top shows just one grain crack in the typical spot at the upper edge of the pickguard that has been neatly sealed but visible; there are no other cracks.
The neck has been very neatly reset and the rosewood bridge is a nicely done replica, the cut-down original is in the case pocket. Internally all bracing and the original small maple bridge plate are intact and undisturbed. The original frets have just very light wear and overall this is a very nicely preserved and sweet-sounding 0-18 that plays perfectly, still in its original hard case. Overall Excellent Condition.
