1937 Martin 000-18 Pre-War Acoustic Guitar (Player's Grade).

As part of a wider downsize I am selling my Martin 000-18 1937 Acoustic Guitar.

This is explicitly being listed as ‘Players Grade’. It’s been through the wars - both figuratively and literally - and it’s served me well during the time I’ve owned it, mainly for playing folk and pub gigs in the UK, and for home practice since residing in the US.  

Setup & Neck Specs:

• Nut Width: 1-3/4" (Original pre-war spec)
• Action at 12th Fret: ~5/64" (Low E) / ~4/64" (High E)
• Playability: Low, comfortable action across the entire fingerboard following the recent neck reset and refret.

It’s a genuine, working vintage guitar and not without its faults. I’m including its known history as openly and honestly as best I can.

I first purchased it from No.Tom Vintage & Classic Guitars in Denmark Street, London (Tin Pan Alley) in May 2016.  I have the certificate of insurance from that time and it was recommended to insure it for £9000 (approximately $12,000).  It’s been both played and worked on since then, so the original description is now a little out of date.

It’s had plenty of work done to it over the years, some of it before my time and some more recently.  In late 2023 it was taken to Austin Vintage Guitars for some major TLC including a new bridge, neck reset, refret and replacement pick guard. It was also refinished - although I wasn’t happy with the final result due to some hairline finish cracks - but due to relocating to Central NY I wasn’t able to leave it with them any longer and the back and sides were further over sprayed and repaired. The quality of the finish indicates this and should be visible in the pictures. That work totaled $3,700 in 2024.  Additionally, as part of that refinish, they didn’t successfully glue the bridge and I spotted some minor lifting in early 2026. This has since been repaired by a local luthier.

My honest assessment is that if I were to hold on to the guitar for longer I would probably invest in another respray, but its condition today appears to be stable. The other work completed by Austin Vintage Guitars does seem to be solid and the guitar has benefited from the reset and refret in particular. 

I know for certain that repairs were made to it prior to my ownership of it in 2016, but know nothing of the provenance or where they were made prior to my purchase.

I have the original insurance valuation from No.Tom and repair invoice from Austin Vintage Guitars available.

Please examine the pictures carefully. I’m trying to sell this as openly and honestly as I can and will answer any questions to genuinely interested buyers promptly.  

Sale includes the pictured Hiscox hard case.

Pickup & Shipping:

• Local Collection: Strongly preferred (Central NY area). I am open to reasonable offers for in-person collection.
• Shipping: Shipping costs are the responsibility of the buyer. The guitar will be dispatched via expedited 2-day/overnight courier with full third-party insurance and mandatory signature confirmation.

This instrument is sold As-Described due to its vintage, player's grade status. Please review all photos and description details carefully before purchasing or submitting an offer.