C. F. Martin D-45 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1973), made in Nazareth, PA, natural finish, Engleman spruce top, rosewood back & sides, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original molded black plastic hard shell case.
This is a great-playing example of Martin's top-of-the-line guitar in 1973-the then-recently revived D-45. All of 195 of these splendid pearl-trimmed Dreadnoughts were sold that year-the model's largest production year to date, but paltry numbers compared to the almost 6,000 D-28's issued that year! With a lovely tight-grained German spruce top and finely figured Indian rosewood back and sides this is a beautiful guitar even discounting the superlative pearl trim on every edge-all hand cut and inlaid in the old style, no paper-thin ab-lam here! A very fine guitar, in both looks and sound.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Very nice overall, with not much play wear. All original except for an added strap button at the heel. Never needed a neckset, original height bridge-The only repairs are to several old dryness grain cracks in the spruce top-two behind the bridge, one on either side of the pickguard and one on the bass side of the fingerboard. All have been neatly sealed with minimal finish touch up. There is a bit of shrinking to the binding by the neck heel but nothing serious. The guitar plays perfectly and if it had been a bit better humidified over its lifetime (take a lesson here folks!) would present as close to near mint. Maybe it's the pearl, or maybe the stately vibe, but this splendid D-45 is one of the best sounding early 1970's Martins we have had, very smooth and especially even for a rosewood Dreadnought. Excellent - Condition.
