C. F. Martin R-18 Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1934), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 57196, sunburst top, natural back and sides finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, period black hard shell case.
This is a worn-in example one of C. F. Martin & Co.'s most overlooked guitars, the F-hole R-18. It represents the lower end of the company's noble but ultimately doomed attempts to challenge Gibson and Epiphone for the swing-era archtop market. The R-series were Martin's budget archtop guitars, introduced in 1933 sporting a mix of flat- and arch-top style features. From the modern perspective Martin arch-tops have never been well-appreciated compared to flat tops, but in the middle of the Depression this was a surprisingly popular guitar with 486 sold in 1934 alone.
Unlike Epiphone (and eventually many others) when designing their archtop line Martin chose not to directly copy Gibson but created what could best be described as hybrid instruments, built on their flat-top forms. The R-18 essentially took their 00-18-body, pitched the 14-fret neck way back and gave the top a gentle arch with segmented F-holes. Similar guitars emerged around this time from Washburn, Vega, and Weymann, among others. The R-18 was briefly introduced with a round soundhole before being quickly redesigned with F-holes in later 1933.
This version of the R-18 was produced up through the end of the decade. The model stood near the bottom of the Martin arch top line, with only the similar mahogany-top R-17 below it. The list price was $55 in 1934, $5 more than the cost of a Gibson L-50. The features are distinctly Martin; the flat-backed mahogany body has a dark sunburst finished spruce top with typical Style 18 trim. The top on these earlier R-18's are solid spruce but pressed into shape over braces, not carved. In 1937 the top was altered to a carved pattern but by then the model was already in decline.
Like all prewar Martins of any price the workmanship is impeccable and all woods top-notch. The neck has a lovely rounded profile with just the faint hint of a soft "V"; the unbound rosewood fingerboard has a pearl dot inlay. The tailpiece is a heavy Grover piece with an engraved Martin logo on the base while the adjustable bridge is a lovely carved two-piece unit that is a work of art in itself.
The sound is very bright and punchy, quite focused but thinner than the typical mid-1930's Gibson. The feel is halfway between the typical arch top and flat top, with the smaller body making it more comfortable to a typical Martin player. This makes an excellent "acoustic lead" guitar as it has a lot of cut, if not that much depth to the sound. While admittedly a minority taste, we find these Martin arch tops can be a fun guitar to play and are quite suited to some string band or similar playing applications, if the player is not expecting a conventional flat top sound. This one is fairly well battered but may be the best sounding of these we have had, and a serious bargain in a prewar Martin!
Overall length is 39 in. (99.1 cm.), 14 3/8 in. (36.5 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
The R-18 has fairly heavy wear overall and some typical repair, but remains a nice player. The all-original finish shows a large collection of scratches, nicks, and dings overall, most heavily on the top and sides. The back of the neck is worn to the wood over much of its length, with a few old capo dings rubbed smooth again and dings and chips to the remaining lacquer closer to the heel
The spruce top is crack free. The mahogany back has several grain splits off the lower bass bout, with another on the upper bass bout, all sealed with no touch ups. The back center seam has been resealed and there are a couple of deeper scratches on the back as well. The lower side has several grain splits similarly sealer at the turn of the loser bass bout, and one back closer to the endpin. The lower back/side seams have been resealed in a couple of spots.
The neck remains nicely straight, the original bar frets have been lightly polished with a bit of wear just in the first position, the ebony nut remains original. The original Martin-logo Grover trapeze tailpiece and elegant carved bridge are still intact. The original tuners have been replaced with modern openback Kluson style machines. The original pickguard has cupped upwards and has a repair just below the bracket screw. Although looking like a bit of a beater the guitar plays very well, and sounds better than most we have heard with a bit more depth than some. It is housed in an original 1930's case, very battered and more sized for a Gibson-style arch top. Perhaps that what all the dealer had that day in 1934! Overall Very Good Condition.
