C. F. Martin 00-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1955), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 146576, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
The 1950s 00-18 is not one of Martin's rarer creations, but to many players and Martin fans constitutes one of the company's most beloved combinations of wood, wire, and inspiration. This is not a flashy guitar; the trim is discreet with tortoise celluloid on the body edges and a simple multiply sound hole ring. In classic Martin style, the elegant understatement speaks for itself.
The 14 1/4" light mahogany body makes for a very responsive guitar, with a nice mix of depth and clarity to the sound. This example was built late in 1955, one of a total of 651 00-18s shipped that year. It has typical period features with tortoise celluloid binding and pickguard, a rosewood belly bridge, and an ambered top finish over some nicely grained spruce. The tuners are the postwar open back single-unit Waverlys, more familiarly used by Gretsch and Danelectro, among others.
While not a particularly expensive guitar by Martin standards, listing at $115.00 (plus case) the 00-18 still represented a substantial investment to many players. Despite its smaller size and lack of flash, the 00-18 remains a fully professional instrument popular with pickers of many styles, and one of Martin's most versatile and timeless classics.
Overall length is 39 1/4 in. (99.7 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a fairly well-used example, showing some requisite wear but still an excellent player. The finish shows minor checking and general wear overall; small scratches, scuffs, and dings mostly. There is some concentrated pick wear off the back edge of the pickguard on the treble side of the soundhole, down to the wood. The top also has a somewhat inexplicable area of wear below the bridge down towards the tailblock with some fairly deep scratches, scuffs and press marks, some through the finish. The back and sides have minor scuffs and dings; the lower side has a few deeper dings. The back of the neck is shows scuffs, scratches and some finish loss around the spine from the first position up to the seventh fret or so.
There is a typical pickguard crack repaired running along the top edge of the guard; this is caused by shrinking of the celluloid. It is sealed up neatly but visible on close inspection; and a short half inch sealed grain crack right next to the treble side fingerboard extension. There is also a short sealed grain crack on the bass side rim at the apex of the upper bout.
The guitar has had a cleanly done neckset but appears otherwise unaltered. The bridge is original; it has been lowered very slightly just ahead of the pins and is fitted with a new lightly compensated bone saddle. The original small maple bridgeplate is intact and unaltered. The fingerboard has been cleanly refretted and show only some very light play wear making for an excellent player. This is a very lightly built guitar compared to later examples, with a bright ringing sound still with considerable depth. It would make an excellent recording, writing, or performance instrument and is ready to gig, in a lightly built but solid 1970s hard shell case. Very Good + Condition.
