Martin 1930 Model OM-28 described as the "Holy-Grail" of acoustic guitar collecting owned and used by David Rawlings in the writing and arranging of both the "A Friend of a Friend" and "The Harrow & The Harvest" albums (letter included signed by David Rawlings).

Description:

C.F. Martin & Company, Nazareth, 1930, Model OM-28 ("ORCHESTRA MODEL") stamped CF MARTIN & CO NAZARETH, PA serial #43668 at upper block, Brazilian rosewood back (with zipper inlay center strip), rosewood sides, mahogany neck, the ebony fingerboard with slotted pearl inlay, spruce top of medium grain with sound hole inlay and herringbone purfling.

The most sought-after prewar Martins; contemporary vintage-guitar specialists describe the 1930 OM-28 as essentially the benchmark early OM, making it one of the rarest and most desirable acoustic guitars in vintage fretted instrument collecting.

In 1930, Martin stamped just 247 OM-28s in total. Serial #43668 would have gone through the shop alongside a small run of other OMs, 000s, or 00s in the summer/autumn of 1930. Serial number 43668 dates this guitar to mid-to-late 1930 (Martin's serial range for 1930 ran from 40,828 to 44,955). Falling roughly two-thirds of the way through the year's production run, this specific serial number places the guitar right at one of the most critical transition points in Martin history.

Described as the "Holy Grail" by collectors in Acoustic Guitar magazine July 2015 issue (in attached article).

• 1930 Martin OM-28 Serial number 43668
• Rear-projecting banjo tuners and back-of-headstock stamp.
• 14-fret long-scale (25.4") neck, belly bridge, and banjo tuners (move from 12-fret to 14-fret necks in the early ’30s)
• small, teardrop-shaped pick guard (first Martin with a pick guard as standard equipment)
• Back center strip stamp (Martin did not use paper sound hole labels during this era.) The interior spruce back strip running along the center seam is hot-stamped with the traditional line: "C.F. Martin & Co., Nazareth, PA."
• Period correct replacement bridge by Gruhn Guitars in 2015; neck had been slightly cut down in width, grafted back to original dimensions by Gruhn (see attached description of work from Gruhn, described as "superb" guitar).

This is a historically important acoustic guitar that was owned by Dave Rawlings and used professionally by Rawlings and Gillian Welch during the writing and arranging of their "A Friend of a Friend" and "The Harrow & The Harvest" albums (letter included signed by David Rawlings).

Search 1930 Martin OM-28 on YouTube to hear other OM-28's.

 Yours to ship and insure.

 Feel free to reach out for additional questions or photos. Or come by to play it in Houston.