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1926 Martin 000-18

$9,500​

 

 

I don't really have any desire to sell this guitar, but I am listing it just in case someone out there is really motivated to buy an amazing pre-war 000-18.

 

At nearly 100 years old, this Martin has definitely developed its own voice.  Dry and woody, and surprisingly loud for such a small and lightweight guitar.  Boy, how I wish we had a record of all the people who have played this guitar and all the places where it has been played over the last 99 years!!  

 

This is a 1926 Martin 000-18 (Serial # 25077).  According to Grieg Hutton, it was stamped on May 13, 1926 and shipped to the Landay Brothers in NYC on July 25, 1926.  (Source: Greig Hutton, UMGF) (https://umgf.com/viewtopic.php?p=2782055#p2782055) 

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As you can readily see in the photos, it has had numerous repairs over the years.  I don't know who did them or anything else about them, other than what I can observe myself and will attempt to describe below.  

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The most significant repair is a long crack along the bass side of the body.  It appears that the crack was originally repaired using screws.  On the positive side, that repair was subsequently "undone" and the crack was sealed with hide glue and cleats.  On the negative side, the cleats and glue were sloppily applied (see photos).  This could probably be improved by a skilled luthier, if one was inclined to spend the money.  I doubt it affects the tone of the guitar, and it seems to be 100% stable and functional.

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Other than the aforementioned side crack, there are (remarkably) no other cracks on the guitar anywhere. 

 

The Adirondack top appears to be the proper thickness and I do not observe any areas where the top has been thinned.  Having said that, the there is significant bellying behind the bridge. According to the best sources, this is not unusual and is usually not a reason to be concerned.  In this case, the bellying appears to be very stable.  The guitar stays in tune remarkably well - better than most of my modern Martins - so I am not inclined to do anything about the bellying.

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The neck was re-set and sits at the perfect angle.  The bellying was obviously taken into consideration when setting the neck angle, so the result is a very, very playable guitar that couldn't be any better (in my opinion) in terms of comfort and playability.

 

The bridge is an ebony replacement "belly" style bridge with a drop-in bone saddle.  Obviously, this is not the original factory spec, but it looks very nice and functions perfectly.

 

The bridge plate is a thin maple replacement in very good condition.  It appears to be properly sized and fitted.

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The bar frets are in very good condition with lots of life left in them.  They are perfectly crowned and the guitar intonates perfectly. 

 

Since the frets are so good, I suspect that this guitar has been re-fretted at some point in the past. However, there is no visible evidence of a re-fret.  If it has been re-fretted, the work was done beautifully.  

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The top, back, and sides of the guitar have been refinished with a very nice French polish, and that is most likely how this guitar was finished when it left the factory in 1926.  According to all the best sources, Martin started transitioning to nitrocellulose lacquer finishes in 1927.  In any event, the refinish on this guitar is very nicely done.  It is silky smooth to the touch with no "tackiness," and it appears to be a very light, thin finish.  ​

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With D'Addario extra lights (.010) the action at the 12th fret measures .087" on the bass side and .072" on the treble side.  The saddle is tall enough that the action could be lowered if desired, but I seriously doubt you would want to lower it.  It plays perfectly in my opinion.  

The neck is straight and the fretboard is nice and flat.  The neck has only .005" of relief at the 6th fret.

 

The braces are all original (hand scalloped, forward shifted Adirondack spruce) and none of them are loose.  There is evidence of re-gluing braces in a couple of places, but the work appears to have been done very well.

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I do not know if the tuners are original to the guitar, but they appear to be the correct type for 1926.  All tuners work smoothly and none of the pegs are bent or cracking.

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1 13/16” nut width, 2 1/4” spacing at the saddle.

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Comes in a like new Martin / TKL premium hard case with the wine-colored interior.  

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Specifications:

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• Adirondack spruce top

• Honduran mahogany back and sides

• Forward shifted hand scalloped Adirondack bracing

• 1 3/4" nut width

• 2 1/4" string spacing at the saddle

• Bar frets in very good condition

• Replacement bone nut and drop-in bone saddle 

• Period correct tuners 

• Strung with .010 D-Addario phosphor bronze strings

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All TERMS OF SALE apply.

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