C. F. Martin 00-45 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1924)
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Item #11842
C. F. Martin 00-45 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1924), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 21584, natural lacquer finish, Brazilian rosewood back and sides, Adirondack spruce top; mahogany neck with ebony fingerboatd, black hard shell case.
This is simply a stunningly beautiful guitar, a 00-45 originally built in 1924; a jewel in Martin's crown. It's seen repair work over the decades and has some history behind it; we are told this 00-45 has been referred to as "the Queen of Nashville" though up here in Brooklyn we don't know why, exactly. It IS an extremely stately piece, and worthy of royalty at any rate! We know for sure this exact guitar is cited in a letter Martin sent on July 26, 1933 when a customer complained that a 00-45 he had bought as "new" was in fact from this same batch made in 1924. Martin replied "There has been so little call for guitars of this particular type and style that we still have several instruments in stock that were made nine or ten years ago. Another style 00-45 from the same factory lot, No. 21584, is in stock right now". That is this guitar.
That one reference explains a bit about this instrument, specifically why it is fitted with a typical 1930s pickguard that it would not have had in 1924. It was standard procedure for Martin to re-work instruments to suit the customer or current market, and as this guitar was not sold until 1933 or even later the guard would have been standard at the time. It would also almost certainly have been shipped with steel strings, and though most likely not originally built for them remains in fine structural condition.
The Style 45 was originally an upgrade to Martin's 19th century Style 42, the top-of-the-line since the 1870's. Early in the 20th Century, Martin offered a fancier custom style with pearl inlay on the sides and back as well as the face and soundhole ring. In 1904 Martin codified the new top-of-the-line guitar as the Style 45. In 1924 the 00-45 was just under the top of Martin's line with only the larger 000-45 above it, the finest American made guitars available. By 1933 the guitar world had seismically changed and the small pearly Martins were eclipsed in size and power, if not in beauty or quality. All Style 45 instruments were produced in very small quantities; 14 were made 1924 of less than 150 total 00-45s total in the pre-war period.
This 1924 00-45 remains in fully playable condition, sounds heavenly and is absolutely lovely to behold. The Brazilian rosewood body is the finest, tightest grain; Martin considered evenness preferable to dramatically figured wood. The large elaborate torch inlay in the bound headstock practically glows with multi-hued pearl and abalone and the delicate green abalone body trim is similarly impressive, bound in ivoroid. The scalloped X bracing under the top is light but solid, the neck is a very softly rounded "V" profile. Tuners are Waverly machines with engraved baseplates.
The list price in 1924 was $155; by 1933 this had risen to $160 and the model was gone from the catalog a few years later.
The Style 00-45 is not only a very rare instrument but a testament to Martin's highest standards of quality. While having seen some play time and not absolutely perfectly preserved, this is a superb example with a very sweet sound but considerable projection, an enchantingly beautiful looking and sounding piece of Martin history.
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 14 3/8 in. (36.5 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 13/16 in. (46 mm.).
This 99 year old 00-45 has had a decent amount of work done over the last century, but its original integrity has been well preserved where it counts. The face of the headstock and the top and back of the body were lightly oversprayed long ago, with an area of heavier touch-up along the lower bout of the top noticeably visible under UV light inspection. The sides have some touch ups as well. The finish overall shows small dings, dents and scrapes, some from before and some after the spray work. There is less pickwear than many older Martins, mostly just around the soundhole ring.
The added finish to the back is heavier and more noticeable than on the front; It appears the back was once removed and re-attached, a complex operation on a pearl trimmed guitar. All of the original mother of pearl inlay is well preserved. Internally there are spots of glue under the kerfing, and the signature of a luthier is penciled under the top dated 1977. The only alteration was installation of a well feathered "popsicle brace" under the fingerboard. Besides this all of the original braces and small maple bridge plate are intact and unaltered. The rear leg of the scalloped X-brace along the bass side of the bridge plate has been reglued visibly but is structurally sound.
There are several old spruce grain splits on the top, all neatly repaired before the finish work. Two are on the treble side of the lower bout, with a third small split just at the edge. Another is in the usual spot between the back edge of the pickguard and the bridge, neatly cleated. The back has a five old grain cracks all in the same area on the bass side of the lower bout, solidly sealed but visible. For some reason the endpin was glued in.
The neck has been neatly reset with the original bar frets re-crowned, with some subsequent light wear. The fingerboard has two small chips neatly glued back between the seventh and eighth frets. The original pyramid bridge looks to have been very slightly lowered long ago and reglued with a new bone saddle. The original tuners are still fully functional. The top is slightly arched behind the bridge but very solid, better seasoned in than many from this period. This stunning guitar has been played at least 90 years as a steel string instrument and remains a wonderful instrument to play, hear or just behold. Overall Very Good + Condition.
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This is simply a stunningly beautiful guitar, a 00-45 originally built in 1924; a jewel in Martin's crown. It's seen repair work over the decades and has some history behind it; we are told this 00-45 has been referred to as "the Queen of Nashville" though up here in Brooklyn we don't know why, exactly. It IS an extremely stately piece, and worthy of royalty at any rate! We know for sure this exact guitar is cited in a letter Martin sent on July 26, 1933 when a customer complained that a 00-45 he had bought as "new" was in fact from this same batch made in 1924. Martin replied "There has been so little call for guitars of this particular type and style that we still have several instruments in stock that were made nine or ten years ago. Another style 00-45 from the same factory lot, No. 21584, is in stock right now". That is this guitar.
That one reference explains a bit about this instrument, specifically why it is fitted with a typical 1930s pickguard that it would not have had in 1924. It was standard procedure for Martin to re-work instruments to suit the customer or current market, and as this guitar was not sold until 1933 or even later the guard would have been standard at the time. It would also almost certainly have been shipped with steel strings, and though most likely not originally built for them remains in fine structural condition.
The Style 45 was originally an upgrade to Martin's 19th century Style 42, the top-of-the-line since the 1870's. Early in the 20th Century, Martin offered a fancier custom style with pearl inlay on the sides and back as well as the face and soundhole ring. In 1904 Martin codified the new top-of-the-line guitar as the Style 45. In 1924 the 00-45 was just under the top of Martin's line with only the larger 000-45 above it, the finest American made guitars available. By 1933 the guitar world had seismically changed and the small pearly Martins were eclipsed in size and power, if not in beauty or quality. All Style 45 instruments were produced in very small quantities; 14 were made 1924 of less than 150 total 00-45s total in the pre-war period.
This 1924 00-45 remains in fully playable condition, sounds heavenly and is absolutely lovely to behold. The Brazilian rosewood body is the finest, tightest grain; Martin considered evenness preferable to dramatically figured wood. The large elaborate torch inlay in the bound headstock practically glows with multi-hued pearl and abalone and the delicate green abalone body trim is similarly impressive, bound in ivoroid. The scalloped X bracing under the top is light but solid, the neck is a very softly rounded "V" profile. Tuners are Waverly machines with engraved baseplates.
The list price in 1924 was $155; by 1933 this had risen to $160 and the model was gone from the catalog a few years later.
The Style 00-45 is not only a very rare instrument but a testament to Martin's highest standards of quality. While having seen some play time and not absolutely perfectly preserved, this is a superb example with a very sweet sound but considerable projection, an enchantingly beautiful looking and sounding piece of Martin history.
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 14 3/8 in. (36.5 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 13/16 in. (46 mm.).
This 99 year old 00-45 has had a decent amount of work done over the last century, but its original integrity has been well preserved where it counts. The face of the headstock and the top and back of the body were lightly oversprayed long ago, with an area of heavier touch-up along the lower bout of the top noticeably visible under UV light inspection. The sides have some touch ups as well. The finish overall shows small dings, dents and scrapes, some from before and some after the spray work. There is less pickwear than many older Martins, mostly just around the soundhole ring.
The added finish to the back is heavier and more noticeable than on the front; It appears the back was once removed and re-attached, a complex operation on a pearl trimmed guitar. All of the original mother of pearl inlay is well preserved. Internally there are spots of glue under the kerfing, and the signature of a luthier is penciled under the top dated 1977. The only alteration was installation of a well feathered "popsicle brace" under the fingerboard. Besides this all of the original braces and small maple bridge plate are intact and unaltered. The rear leg of the scalloped X-brace along the bass side of the bridge plate has been reglued visibly but is structurally sound.
There are several old spruce grain splits on the top, all neatly repaired before the finish work. Two are on the treble side of the lower bout, with a third small split just at the edge. Another is in the usual spot between the back edge of the pickguard and the bridge, neatly cleated. The back has a five old grain cracks all in the same area on the bass side of the lower bout, solidly sealed but visible. For some reason the endpin was glued in.
The neck has been neatly reset with the original bar frets re-crowned, with some subsequent light wear. The fingerboard has two small chips neatly glued back between the seventh and eighth frets. The original pyramid bridge looks to have been very slightly lowered long ago and reglued with a new bone saddle. The original tuners are still fully functional. The top is slightly arched behind the bridge but very solid, better seasoned in than many from this period. This stunning guitar has been played at least 90 years as a steel string instrument and remains a wonderful instrument to play, hear or just behold. Overall Very Good + Condition.
