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1970 Martin 0-18L
Stamped 0-18L, the guitar has a 1970 serial number and is pencil dated 04-14-70 under the top. It is lefty braced and has never been converted to right-handed (so there are no righty side dots, and the original bridge is unmodified).
Interestingly, the guitar has a four-piece German spruce top. Martin used German spruce for the tops of their reintroduced style 42 and 45 guitars in the late 60s and early 70s, and must have had off-cuts that were too good not to use for smaller guitars. It’s a serious bonus to have a German spruce top on any post-war vintage Martin as German and Adirondack red spruce are sonically very similar. Additionally, the guitar was built with a small earlier 60s-sized rosewood bridge plate and not the larger bridge plate that was typical of Martin’s larger guitars in the 1970s.
An exceptional sounding small bodied guitar, this 0-18L has surprising volume and presence, beautifully round and full trebles, expressive mids and well defined bases. It’s warmer and more complex than we’d expect, has a lovely sustain, and sounds a lot more like a guitar from the 1950s than one from 1970.
In excellent condition, the guitar has only one crack to report on (it’s small and on the back), and no internal repairs. Lightly worn original finish, original tuners and nut, and original unmodified bridge. The frets and saddle are brand new, and the pickguard is an aged reproduction that was made and installed here. The guitar is set up with 12-53 strings and clean-playing comfortable low action of 5/64”.
Compact feeling neck with a full depth and slightly narrow 1-21/32” nut width. The neck has a rounded feel at the first frets that gradually tapers to a softened V higher up. 24/9” scale, 2-1/8” string spread at the bridge. Mahogany back and sides, German spruce top, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, black bindings and pickguard, gloss lacquer finish.
With original hardshell case
