C.F. Martin D-41 — 1974 — Natural

The D-41 sits at the upper tier of Martin's production hierarchy — above the D-28 and D-35, and separated from the D-45 by little more than the full abalone body border. What you get is the complete Style 45 ornamentation package: abalone top border, hexagon fingerboard inlays, bound headstock with rosewood overlay and abalone logo, Style 45 mosaic back purfling — applied to a standard dreadnought platform built to the same construction standards as any Martin of the period. For players who want the ornamentation and the tonal pedigree without paying D-45 prices, the D-41 has always represented the most logical point of entry into the upper Martin range.

This 1974 example is from a genuinely good period. Martin had completed their transition to East Indian rosewood by 1969, and the early sets from this era are markedly different from what Martin sources today — old-growth material with tighter grain, more complex figuring, and fifty years of seasoning behind it. The Sitka spruce top will have opened up considerably over time. Mid-1970s Martins built to this specification are increasingly difficult to find in honest, original condition, and the gap between their quality and their price relative to pre-war instruments continues to close.

Good condition consistent with age. Includes original hardshell case.

Specifications

• Serial: 346971
• Year: 1974
• Body: Dreadnought, East Indian rosewood back and sides
• Top: Sitka spruce, X-braced
• Neck: Mahogany
• Fingerboard: Ebony, abalone hexagon inlays
• Scale length: 25.4"
• Bridge: Ebony
• Tuners: Gold
• Binding: Multiple-ply body binding, bound headstock
• Rosette: Style 45 abalone pearl
• Top inlay: Abalone pearl border
• Back purfling: Style 45 mosaic
• Finish: Natural gloss
• Includes: Original hardshell case
• Made in USA