1933 Martin R-18

ARCHIVED • SOLD

1933 Martin R-18

The early 1930s was an interesting time for both Martin and Gibson as each company struggled to develop the right steel string guitar for a developing market and newly emerging musical styles. One of Martin’s evolutionary cul-de-sacs was their archtop guitar line, introduced in 1932, and discontinued a decade later. The R-18 was the archtop equivalent to the 00-18, with a braced mahogany back, style 18 appointments, and a shaded top finish that was typical of 1932/3 style 18 guitars. The top was pressed into an arched shape - but not carved - and featured X bracing and a round soundhole. Not surprisingly, the guitar’s tone is quite exactly half archtop and half flat top. You might think of it as a darkly voiced archtop with a lot more warmth and bass presence than normal, or a flat-top with a pronounced midrange and quick attack and short sustain; either way, it’s a very unique and appealing tone to dive into, and quite unlike any other guitar we’ve ever played.

This example is in quite wonderful condition and has survived the years remarkably well. It is crack free and has seen no structural repairwork or finish repair and plays perfectly, with freshly crowned frets and setup in our shop. The guitar’s only flaws are some extra screw-holes hiding under the tuner plates, and a weld-repair on the tailpiece. Original tuners are now reinstalled with original bushings that were never changed out. The original bridge and pickguard are perfect, and the original ebony nut has never been off the guitar.

X-braced Adirondack spruce top, mahogany back and sides, black bindings with 4-ply top purflings, shade-top sunburst, and simple ring rosette to match the top’s purflings. Rosewood fingerboard and adjustable bridge, long-pattern dot inlays, bar frets, ebony nut. Early style all-gold headstock decal, C.F. Martin & Co stamp on the headstock’s back side, Grover clipped-plate tuners. Soft-V neck carve with 1-3/4” nut, .848" depth at the 1st fret, 24.9” scale, and a string spread of 2-5/16” at the bridge.

With deluxe modern hardshell case
1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18
  • 1933 Martin R-18

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