Martin - Custom Shop Size 5 12-Fret 18-Style Terz - Acoustic Guitar - Mahogany/Mahogany - Hardshell Case

This is a striking and uncommon Martin Custom Shop Size 5 guitar, built in 18‑style tradition with an all‑mahogany construction and configured for Terz tuning. Compact, expressive, and deeply musical, this custom instrument delivers a voice that’s both intimate and surprisingly complex.
The Size 5 body is Martin’s small‑bodied parlor design, offering exceptional clarity and immediacy. Paired here with a mahogany top, back, and sides, the tone is warm, dry, and focused, with a strong midrange presence and quick response—perfect for fingerstyle playing, melodic accompaniment, or layering in the studio. Scalloped X‑bracing with Sitka spruce braces keeps the top lively while maintaining structural integrity at this smaller scale.
With a 21.38" short scale length and 12‑fret neck joint, this guitar has a relaxed feel and a distinctly vintage playing experience. The Low Profile neck with standard taper, ebony fingerboard, and wide string spacing make it comfortable and articulate, especially for nuanced fingerstyle work.
Visually, this guitar leans into understated elegance. The mahogany stain top, antique white binding, Old Style 18 appointments, and gloss body with satin neck create a refined, traditional look that perfectly complements the historic Size 5 silhouette.
Handcrafted by the Martin Custom Shop in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, this is a rare and thoughtfully specified instrument—ideal for players seeking something unique, expressive, and rooted in Martin’s early parlor guitar heritage.

In House Serial: 2993486

Specifications:

Body Shape: Size 5 (Parlor)
Style: 18 Style
Construction: Dovetail Neck Joint
Frets Clear of Body: 12
Top: Mahogany (Grade 4)
Top Bracing:

Sitka Spruce
Scalloped X‑Bracing
Pattern: 23‑A Size 5
1/4" brace size
Hand‑scalloped after glue‑up

Back & Sides: Mahogany

2‑piece back
Style 18 back purfling

Scale Length: 21.38" (Compensated 21.500")
Tuning: Terz Tuning
Neck Material: Select Hardwood
Neck Profile: Low Profile
Neck Taper: Standard Taper
Fingerboard: Black Ebony

Radius: 16"
Inlays: Old Style 18 (Select Abalone)
Nut Width: 1 3/4"
Width at 12th Fret: 2 1/4"
String Spacing: 2 1/4"

Frets: 18 total
Nut: Bone
Bridge: Black Ebony

Mini Martin style
Drop‑in compensated bone saddle

Bridge Pins / End Pin: Black
Tuners: Grover Nickel Sta‑Tite 18:1 (Vintage Buttons)
Finish:

Gloss body
Satin neck
Mahogany stain top

Binding: Antique White
Pickguard: None
Electronics: None
Strings: Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespan 2.0

Extra Light gauge

Case: 3‑Ply Hardshell Case (Flat Top)
Orientation: Right‑Handed
Custom Shop Credentials Book: Included
Built By: C.F. Martin Custom Shop (Nazareth, PA, USA)