ARCHIVED • SOLD
1886 Martin 0-28
Figured Brazilian rosewood back and sides, Red spruce top, Spanish cedar neck with rosewood headstock overlay, ebony fingerboard and original full height pyramid bridge. Ivory bindings, herringbone top purfling, multicolored back strip, typical Style 28 rosette in a 5-9-5 pattern but with ivory center-rings. Original ivory nut, saddle, pearl-inlaid bridge pins, and end-graft. Original German-made engraved brass tuning machines with ivory buttons, and original endpin. Scalloped braces and original maple bridge plate, original French-polish shellac finish throughout. 0-size body measures 13.5" wide at lower bout, and 4.25" deep at the endpin. 24.9" scale length, 1-7/8" wide nut, soft-V neck profile.
This guitar is in excellent condition and is completely original. The top's center seam has been reglued, but there are otherwise no cracks anywhere on the instrument. The guitar arrived to us with a small section of binding and purfling missing from the lower back/side margin, which we have seamlessly repaired (see photo). We don't often toot our own horn, so to speak, about the quality of our restoration work, but this repair is second to none. You would be hard-pressed to notice that anything had been done to this guitar. The purfling material we spliced in was custom cut to match the original, as was the ivory we selected for the binding. We have a big box of antique piano keys that we painstakingly sorted through to find a piece of ivory that was of the same hue and opacity as the original Martin stock! The French-polish finish touch-up does not extend on the back beyond 1/4" from the edge. In addition, we've dressed the original bar frets, installed a new compensated bone saddle (the original full height ivory saddle will accompany the guitar), and have set up the instrument with Silk and Steel strings and a comfortable fingerstyle action. The guitar is feather-light, weighing in at 3 pounds, and has oodles of rich, open, vintage tone. Its treble strings are fat and round, and its wound strings have that poppy, almost classical attack that comes from a lightly built top. The instrument is breathy and airy, with woody and complex overtones and endless sustain. Defined basses, and balanced string to string volumes make this instrument one of the loveliest fingerstyle guitars you'll have the chance to play.
Due to the nature of the instrument, its value, and the unpredictable climate, we will only ship this guitar with Overnight service (about $300).
TKL Deluxe fitted hardshell case included
On Consignment
SOLD
