1924 Martin 0-18 ‘Wolverine’ 12 Fret Made for Grinnell Bros

For sale is a very rare 1924 Martin 0-18 made for Grinnell bros under the Wolverine label. All of the ‘Wolverine’ guitars made in Nazareth PA were identical to Martins of that era with the exception of a different label stamped on the headstock. For clarification - others were made for the Wolverine label by Washburn in Chicago and are of lower quality and are much less valuable, and Gibson also made some as well. I have only seen one other example of this Nazareth made Wolverine 0-18 online and it seems that very few are in existence.

On to the guitar - this beauty is light as a feather and produces the sound that pre-war Martin lovers often dream of. It has a stunning amount of dry, open and airy sustain that is unlike any of the 30-40 other guitars I’ve owned and will send shivers down your spine. Currently it is strung with silk and steel for less tension. Has a nice V-shaped neck with 1 13/16 nut spacing typical of this era and original ebony nut. Tuners are original with ivoroid buttons and work well. At some point this was given a French polish on the top, which is much better than the typical overspray as it can be easily removed if desired, and looks very natural as is.

It is in excellent condition for its age, with only one minor hairline crack on the bottom edge of the lower bout which has been cleated and is solid. The bridge lifted 20 or so years ago and was replaced with a handcrafted replica which has been perfectly stable with no bellying. The only difference from the original bridge is this one was intonated for better playing. At some point in its near 100 year history the neck was reset and frets were replaced which appears to be a good job. The action is currently somewhat high but still comfortable for playing, there is still some saddle left for adjustment, another neck reset may be needed down the line. The saddle is currently a simple micarta insert but could easily be replaced with a period-correct bone one. There are various indents and scratches in the finish which as pictured. Lots of pictures included and I do my best to describe everything so there will be no surprises.

All in all here is a great chance to own a piece of guitar history and get a revered pre-war Martin 0-18 with a unique story. Will ship in a nice modern Parlor hard case.