C. F. Martin 00-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1952), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 124931, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.

This played-in early-1950s 00-18 may not be one of Martin's rarer creations, but it is a really fine sounding flat top now approaching its 75th birthday. To many players and Martin fans this 14 1/4" mahogany guitar constitutes one of the Nazareth company's most beloved combinations of wood, wire, and inspiration. It is not a flashy instrument; the trim is discreet with tortoise celluloid on the body edges and a simple multiply sound hole ring. In classic Martin style, the elegant understatement speaks for itself.

The 00 sized mahogany body makes for a very light and responsive guitar, with a nice mix of depth and clarity to the sound. This example was built in early-mid 1952, one of a total of 651 00-18s shipped that second year of the Korean War. It has typical period features with tortoise celluloid binding and pickguard, a rosewood belly bridge, and an ambered top finish over the X-braced spruce top which has a darker, more "striped" figure than many. The tuners are open back single-unit Klusons with large baseplates often seen in this period.

While not a particularly expensive guitar by Martin standards, listing at $90.00 (plus case) in 1952 the 00-18 still represented a substantial investment to many players. Despite its smaller size and lack of flash, the 00-18 remains a fully professional instrument popular with pickers of just about any type. This is a lightly played in and great feeling example of one of Martin's most versatile and timeless classics. It sounds "bigger" than it is, an excellent recording, songwriting or performing guitar in a host of styles new and old.

Overall length is 39 1/4 in. (99.7 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 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.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).

This 00-18 has seen some wear and repair over the last 70+ years, bearing some scars but nothing to severe. The original lacquer finish is nicely aged, finely checked and ambered with some pick wear to the wood on the top (mostly behind and below the pickguard) and dings, dents and scratches overall. The finish on the back and sides also has general wear, with some heavier scratches on the back, with a couple of deep scratches and heavier checking from moisture exposure on the lower side. The back of the neck has some dings and dents (most heavily behind the third fret area) but not much rub wear to the finish.

This guitar has seen a decent amount of visible repair, but again nothing drastic. There are two old grain splits to the top along the lower bout of treble side, sealed and cleated with large circular cleats. There is a quite noticeable side impact along treble side at the turn of the upper bout, with a section of mahogany imperfectly re-seated and reinforced from within with bias tape. There is another small side impact crack along the bass side of the lower bout, sealed with no reinforcement added. Ther was no overfinish to either of these, so they are plainly visible.

The neck has been reset and refretted with period appropriate wire; the bone nut was replaced at the time. The fingerboard was lightly trued. The original rosewood bridge has been cleanly reglued, it was shaved somewhat in front of the pins long ago. Internally the original braces and small maple bridgeplate are intact and unaltered. The original Kluson tuners are still intact and functional. This is a superb playing 00 with a bright, upfront sound that never gets thin even when pushed. It resides in a modern HSC. Very Good + Condition.