C. F. Martin 2-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar, c. 1870, made in Nazareth, PA, natural varnish finish, Brazilian rosewood back and sides, spruce top; blacked poplar neck with ebony fingerboard, original black coffin case.
This is an almost incredibly well preserved, fine playing and sounding 19th century Martin Style 2-18, a lovely instrument in near time capsule condition straight from the beginning of America's first Gilded Age. The 2-18 was one of the company's more popular styles (and less expensive) in the 19th century, dating all the way back to the 1850s. It was a comparatively plain and affordable model (Martins were NEVER cheap!) and remained fairly popular through the latter part of the 19th century. Although at just over 12" wide the size "2" is considered a very small guitar today, before the 1850s it was the second largest standard size Martin made.
In the 20th century Style 18 familiarly designates a mahogany guitar, but in the 19th century this was a rosewood model. This 2-18 is ornamented with a colored wood herringbone soundhole rosette and plain multi-ply wood trim around the top edge with an unbound back. The rosewood body has some lovely figure, especially on the lower sides. The red spruce top is very delicately braced with a 3-bar fan system, not an X brace. This was more common earlier in the 19th century but apparently survived up to this point on some lower priced instruments. The bridgeplate is a tiny strip of mahogany under the familiar pyramid-end ebony bridge.
The neck is also a holdover style from earlier instruments, made of "blacked" poplar with the old Stauffer-style "Ice Cream Cone" heel. This is carved to a fairly shallow soft "V" profile, topped with a plain unmarked ebony fingerboard fitted with the traditional Martin bar frets. The slotted headstock is equipped with lovely bone-button unplated brass tuning machines made in Germany by the Seidel company. The "C.F. Martin & Co, New York" stamp is visible on the backstrip and on the heelblock, where it is stamped upside down. "C.F. Martin New York" is stamped on the upper back under the heel.
Martins from this period have no serial numbers and usually do not show internal dating marks. Fortunately this guitar still resides in an amazingly well preserved original coffin case with the Martin label intact under the lid confirming its designation as a 2-18. Recent research by Grieg Hutton dates this particular style of label to between 1867-1875 or so, which makes this package at least 150 years old.
With that much time under it's belt, this little wonder has survived as well as any guitar from this period we have ever seen, entirely escaping the often catastrophic damage to the top commonly caused when 19th century Martins were steel-strung beginning even in the 1910s. This beautifully made and delicately braced guitar like all Martins from this era is suited to gut or nylon strings ONLY. It is currently strung with genuine gut and silk strings as it would have been then, a lovely austere and stately guitar that still sings beautifully with a surprisingly robust sound from another age.
Overall length is 37 in. (94 cm.), 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 in. (10.2 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 1/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
We've had guitars that are 5 years old (or less) that have accumulated more wear and repair than this survivor of a century-and-a-half. The very thin all-original varnish finish has some small dings, dents, scrapes overall and finger marks to the top but no heavy wear at all. The top has a small grain split off the front edge on the treble bout and another off the back edge on the bass bout, both sealed with no overfinish. The ebony bridge has been neatly reglued and has a repaired split through the treble side wing. The bridgepins are all the same 19th century pearl-dot, ebony style but not an exactly matched set; it is possible some may have been replaced early on.
The guitar has never had or needed any major work; it still plays very well and sounds just lovely. It is still housed in the original black coffin case which shows external wear but remains completely solid, with the all-important label under the lid. In the pocket is one of the most delightful pieces of "Case Candy" we have ever found, an original heavy paper string packet from the 4th Avenue New York Carl Fisher store dated 1898-99, with old used gut strings still inside. This guitar has likely been in New York for most or all of its life, a true Gilded Age survivor! Overall Excellent - Condition.
