1940 C. F. Martin 000-18 Natural

SN: 74202. If playwear is an indication of love, then this 1940 000-18 is one of the most beloved instruments on the planet. I know it’s been played in church and I suspect it’s played in bars and brothels but also at picnics and festivals too. After 65 years it remains architecturally solid and has been set up to play for the next generation of minstrels, ministers, songsters and poets.

Number 74202 was one of the earliest guitars stamped in 1940. It has many of the characteristics of prewar guitars and all the design changes implemented in 1938 and 1939. The top is Adirondack and crack free with some charming personalization. There’s a few dings, playwear and ‘sweatwear” that was lightly sealed long ago then played through again in many places. The braces are aggressively scalloped making for a terrific response and resonant, slow decay. The mahogany back and sides add a woody flavor. Mahogany neck with T-bar reinforcement and ebony fingerboard with the long dot pattern. Original Yoda head tuners still work well. She is set up with a strap button.

She has seen a few repairs over the years. There are some well repaired cracks in the rims repaired long ago that have some light overspray. The back, which has quite a bit of buckle rash, shows a little old time spritzer. Much of that has been worn through again. The top looks mostly original with the exception of the sealer mentioned above and possibly something around the decal. I’ve had the neck reset and fully refretted by Mark Tossman. She plays dead solid perfect. She is so light (3.6 lbs!) and lively and fun to play! Comes with an older hardshell case.

Gbase crunches down the photos so if you’d like to see the details in their entire glory let me know.

SPECS:

Top: Adirondack
Band & Sides: Mahogany
Bridge & Fretboard: Ebony
Nut width: 1-11/16”
String spacing: 2-1/4”
Body width: 15 ¼ ”
Depth: 4 1/8”
Scale length: 24.9”
Case: Hardshell