Below is my buddy Ron takes a spin on this gem... Yes he plays funny...:)
1942 Orig Pre War 000-18 Martin Excellent Playing Sounding Acoustic
For the player who wants the tone and rarity of a rare pre-War Martin, plus a much thinner neck, I got one that’s priced to delight, but yet has the sweet tone and very good playability that most will love.
I’ll begin by saying that this guitar is way under the $12K-$16K you’ll usually see unmodified examples selling for.
It has it’s share of repaired cracks: top, back, and sides, totaling 20 cracks that we’ve repaired (bass side, treb side). This isn’t to say that it’s at all fragile. It’s a solid guitar that I wouldn’t hesitate to strum hardly without hesitation. No rattles anywhere.. watch and listen in video's...
Additionally, and perhaps most notably, at some point a long time ago someone had the neck shaved to a much thinner profile (front to back), as well as nut width. It measures around 1.5” at the nut and the sides of the neck were shaved from the nut to the point where it meets the body. Lastly, it appears as though it had a volume control and output jack at some point, with the characteristic round dot visible on the front. It also has replaced tuners – vintage style Klusons with nickel buttons.Best I can tell and believe it black lights to be an original finish,(see Nitro Yellow Glow under black light..pics...) other than the repaired areas, and has the the beautiful tone of old growth air dried Honduran Mahogany and an Adirondack spruce top. In ’1942 very few supplies were available for guitar building, and the only luthiers available were the experienced luthiers who were too old for the draft, which is why pre-War Martins are so cherished.
This will likely be the only one I’ll ever have at anything close to this price!!!!
If you’re a player with smaller hands, you’ll delight in the feel, and in the knowledge that you have a 73+ year old Martin that cost about the same as a new 000-18.
Includes recent Martin case with plush green lining,and some old pics and strings for case candy**** I want to say, just playing a 73 year old Guitar that plays very well and has that True Bell Tone.. is a trip.. I bond to stuff like this, and playing it by yourself takes you back when times were better (in my opinion) and a blessing to experience these old guitar's.. No new green wood.. does this to me.. and you???? :)
