C. F. Martin 00-42 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1928), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 35350, natural lacquer finish, Brazilian rosewood body, Adirondack spruce top, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.

This well-gigged Martin is a wonderful playing guitar if not a prime collector's piece; still it is a pearl-trimmed 00 from the earliest period of steel-string bracing for these instruments, always in the pantheon of the world's great acoustic guitars. Just before Martin altered their basic designs to the 14-fret neck "Orchestra Model' pattern, the company crafted a fairly small number of 12-fret Style 42 and 45 highest-grade instruments intended for steel strings instead of the gut used before then. This pearl-edged 00-42 dates to this earliest steel-string period.

The 00-42 was built only in small numbers with the peak coming in the late 1920's; the pearl-tops were the last Martins to be cataloged with steel strings as standard. The 00 size body was in the middle size of three models offered at this quality level. This fancy and expensive Martin ($110.00 list price, plus case) was made in early/mid 1928 and is one of the only 27 shipped that year.

This 00-42 was built of the finest materials Martin had available; superb straight-grained Brazilian rosewood for the back and sides, beautifully straight grained Appalachian spruce for the top and extravagant green-and pinkish hued abalone for the border inlay. The mahogany neck has a more round profile neck than many period Martins with some dress-away to the sides but not a "V" spine. This is topped with a bound ebony fingerboard inlaid with delicate shaped pearl in a snowflake pattern. The unadorned slotted headstock is simply capped in rosewood with no adornment (unlike the fanciest Style 45) and equipped with engraved Waverly strip tuners. "Martin designs are notable for their rich dignity and neatness" the Style 42 catalog page advised "There is only a little ornament and this is in good taste".

These pearl-trimmed Martins were both expensive and labor intensive to build so were never made in large batches; it would be rare for any but the largest dealer to order more than one at a time or even hold an example in stock. Even in the opulent times of the late 1920's there were not a lot of guitar players in a position to purchase such an elaborate flat top. This 00-42 is a special guitar; it has been heavily used for generations and the sound is rich and full with perfect definition; it stands as a wonderful example of the C.F. Martin company's enduring legacy.

Overall length is 38 3/8 in. (97.5 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.).

This Martin has obviously been a heavily-gigged instrument over the last 98 years and must have many tales to tell! The guitar is in very good playing condition, but has had quite a bit of work done over the years. There have been two headstock repairs, one a long time ago and one about 20 years back, with some added French polish to the peghead and to the back of the neck, which also shows overfinish to the neck heel from a reset and removal of a strap button. All is solid but the old split lines on the base of the headstock are visible along both sides and through the ornamental carved diamond.

The body finish is largely original, with a light overspray to the side just in the area of the endpin over some tiny old filled tailpiece holes. There is considerable wear overall with dings, scratches, scrapes and dents over the entire instrument, several worn-through areas on the sides and substantial picking wear to the top. This is most evident on either side of the fingerboard extension and around the lower lip of the soundhole rim. It looks like a little finish was rubbed into these areas long ago to help protect the bare wood, but no wholesale overspray was done. A small "teardrop" pickguard was added at some point long ago and later removed; it is still in the case. That spot on the top has had some French polishing to blend it in with the rest of the top. The armwear spot on the upper top and side is worn largely to the wood.

For such a well-traveled guitar the body has remained remarkably crack free, the headstock apparently having absorbed the brunt of its mishaps. Long ago the fingerboard was replaced re-using the original inlay; this was fairly common before bar fret stock was widely available again when an older Martin needed to be refretted. It is fretted with tang frets appropriate to the 1940s and '50s. The nut appears original but has been re-worked over the years.

The ebony bridge is a nearly 20 year old pyramid repro made by T. J. Thompson in the correct period style. There is noticeable finish disturbance all along the perimeter; there have likely been several bridges on over the last. The delicate scalloped X bracing, tiny maple bridgeplate, and interior in general remain original; several back braces appear to have been reglued and there is a tiny maple cap just along the pin holes of the bridgeplate to support the string ends. All the elaborate pearl bordering is intact and the tuners are the original deluxe Waverly strips with celluloid buttons; the bridge pins are original or at least older celluloid as well.

The guitar plays very well with light steel strings with a comfortable action; the bone saddle is slightly wider over the slot allowing subtle compensation for better intonation. It sounds simply spectacular; huge; extremely detailed and superbly responsive to both finger and flatpicking. The guitar comes with what appears to be the original period red-lined hardshell case with markings from "Broyles' Music- Shreveport Louisiana" so the instrument may have well had an interesting history in local music of that area. Wherever it has traveled over nearly a century this guitar has obviously been played and loved for generations and has much more music still in it. Overall Very Good Condition.