C. F. Martin 0-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1964), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 193926, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, original black chipboard case.
This is a lovely little 0-18 from the beginning of 1964, just as the Kingston Trio-fueled "Folk Era" was about to be supplanted by Beatlemania as the main driver of youthful guitar obsession. That surge in demand had pretty much forced Martin to build a new modern factory in Nazareth, PA which opened on July 6 1964. This guitar is a late product of the old red brick North Street Martin factory, built before the move to the updated facility down the road resulted in cascading changes to the instruments. These early '60s 0-18s are still lovely-sounding instruments, no longer scallop braced but more lightly built with full hide glue construction, mush "older' feeling than those from later in the decade.
The mahogany body carries traditional older-style Martin features including the tortoise celluloid binding and pickguard, long-saddle Brazilian rosewood bridge and 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.
Exactly 551 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. Many of these would be products of the new factory, built by the same hands but not always the same way. This is a lovely, superb playing and fine sounding example of one of these final North Street guitars, better preserved than many from this period.
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 very nice guitar overall showing some typical fairly light wear, maintenance repairs and no modifications. The all original lacquer finish has small marks overall; the top has some dings, scrapes and pick marks mostly to the area below the pickguard and around the edge of the soundhole. The back of the neck is relatively clean as well with some small scuffs and dinks and one feelable ding behind the fourth fret
The top has a sealed and cleated grain split in the typical spot along the upper edge of the pickguard, glued up with no added finish. The original tortoise celluloid pickguard shows slight shrinkage but is not pulling up seriously. There are no other cracks to the instrument.
The original rosewood bridge has been lowered slightly from the top and previously reglued, with minimal scarring around the edges. The original braces and maple bridgeplate remain intact and unaltered. The neck has been neatly reset and refretted with appropriate wire. The original open back Grover tuners are intact and functional. This is a fine playing and sounding 62 year old 0-18 with a bright ringing sound, residing in a more modern HSC. Overall Excellent - Condition.
