C. F. Martin "Rolondo" 00-28K Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1919), made in Nazareth, PA, natural varnish finish, koa wood body, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge, black tolex hard shell case.
A particularly rare and beautiful Martin koa wood guitar, and one of the earliest steel string Martins ever made. This instrument is one of several batches of koa wood Hawaiian guitars made between 1916-1920 for the Southern California Music Company, one of Martin's largest West Coast dealers. Apparently the earliest ones were labeled Manuel Nunes, as that Hawaiian guitar and uke maker's name was more prestigious than C.F. Martin among Hawaiian guitarists!
These instruments are not only the first koa Martin guitars; they are also the first Martins expressly built for steel stringing, and represent Martin's first foray outside the "serious" world of gut string guitars and semi-classical players and teachers.
Hawaiian guitar playing was all the rage in California and the West Coast in the late 1910's, after the Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915. Chris Knutsen, Herman Weissenborn, and the Shireson Brothers were all active in Los Angeles in that era, designing and building the various unique lap-style guitars sold under a number of brands by local stores and teachers.
Frank J. Hart's Southern California Music Company, already a Martin dealer, simply ordered conventional guitars from Martin but built entirely of koa, which could be set up with a nut extender for Hawaiian use. Martin's own range of koa guitars is the direct descendant of these originally custom-ordered instruments.
This particular guitar has a unique and unusual mix of features, and represents a transition between the original "So-Cal" Model 1500 (47 built 1916-18) and the later "regular" Martin 00-28k, of which only a total of 40 appear to have ever been made by 1940. Early top-of-the-line So-Cal Model 1500's have a more "Hawaiian" appearance, without Martin's familiar trim patterns.
This guitar has the regular Style 28 appointments, including white celluloid binding, herringbone trim, and diamond fingerboard markers, but is still fan-braced like the earlier custom-ordered instruments. Martin seems (perversely in retrospect) to have considered its proprietary X-bracing system unsuitable for steel strings, and all the early Martin Hawaiian guitars (including the first Ditson Dreadnaughts) carry this unusual fan bracing pattern.
The instrument is branded both "C.F.Martin" (on the backstrip) and "Southern California Music Company, Los Angeles" on the back of the headstock�this stamp being upside down! There is an elaborate label inside reading "ROLONDO Koa Wood Guitar - Made expressly for the Hawaiian Style Of Playing".
In fact, unlike later 1920's koa martins, these guitars were delivered with the standard bar frets and low nut of a Spanish guitar, and would have required a nut raiser to play suitably in the lap. Today the instrument requires no conversion and plays perfectly in either style, with a very loud and bright singing tone. A spectacular Martin rarity and a wonderfully unique guitar.
Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 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.).
Extremely fine original condition. Excellent professional neck reset with subtly compensated original saddle, and original bar frets with very little wear.
Slight separation in top center seam glued up. Very minor finger wear on top and light handling wear overall.
Plays and sounds excellent; it is increasingly rare to find Martin guitars this old in such a well-preserved state. Excellent + Condition.
