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1959 Martin 00-18G
A remarkably well-preserved instrument, this Martin 00-18G is without cracks, repairs, or any significant playwear. The finish is beautiful, the action is comfortable, and playability is excellent. It’s a warmer and more darkly voiced classical than a traditional Spanish-style instrument and offers some of the open, dry, and articulate midrange that vintage Martin steel strings are famous for. Its body shape, comfortably rounded neck carve, and contemporary scale length will appeal to a steel-string player who’s after the voice of a classical in a more familiar feeling package. It’s a compelling instrument to pick on, and a hard one to put down.
The guitar’s body outline is the same as a 14 fret 00, and the mahogany back and sides, binding and rosette style are congruous with other Style 18 instruments of the period. The top is sitka spruce and braced with a three-fan/two finger classical style bracing that was possibly inspired by the Martin and Coupa instruments built in the 1840s. The neck has a rounded V carve, 2” nut, and an OM scale of 25.4”. The neck depth at the 1st fret is .923”. The guitar weighs a scant 2.9 lbs. We have it set up with normal tension D’Addario Carbon Pro Arte EJ45FF strings, which bring out all the complexity and subtlety the guitar has to offer. The action is set low, which will appeal to the steel string players out there; a concert classical action can be achieve with a taller saddle.
With hardshell case
