This guitar has a rarely seen Type 4 label, I have been able to confirm only one other example. The type 4 label was only used from about September 1836 to the end of March 1837 (the type 5 label came into use on April 1, 1837).
The label in this guitar has no serial number while the second example has No. 1114 hand-written on the bottom right corner.
Serial number 1114 was completed around the end of November 1837. Assuming the first serial number was 1100 (it can't really be much lower considering the production records), the first serialized guitar was finished towards the end of October 1836. The type 4 label without a serial number must have been made prior to this. Since it is known the type 3 label was in use until at least early August 1836, it stands to reason this guitar was made some time between late August and late September 1836.
Martin Custom Shop 000 28 Authentic 1937 Stage 1 Aging Natural
I apologize for the logic experiment but Martin used 7 different labels between 1834 and 1839 and it is very useful for dating guitars to be able to identify when particular labels were in use.
This guitar has the Stauffer shape, with the upper and lower bouts being almost the same width. This shape was used for Martin guitars until 1839.
Like many early Martin guitars it has an elevated fingerboard and a clock key mechanism for adjusting the neck angle. The neck has 22 frets.
Is This The Oldest Guitar Alive?
The guitar also has what is commonly known as a Stauffer headstock, although Martin referred to these as Vienna machines or “one side screws”. There seems to be two sub-types of the Vienna machines but I have only seen the trapezoid holes cut in tuner back plate in one other example. The most commonly encountered kind of Stauffer machines has no holes in the backing plate.
The guitar has bird's-eye maple back and sides which is commonly seen on Martin guitars of the period. The back is veneered on the inside with what appears to be maple, judging by the curl in the wood. The back is in one piece and has “C. F. Martin” stamped into the back near the neck heel.
The top is very fine grained European spruce, a supply of which Martin brought with him when he immigrated in 1833. This type of spruce is the only type of top wood seen on Martin guitars until early 1840.
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The moustache bridge was referred to by Martin as “steg mit hertzchen” or “bridge with little hearts”. On Martin guitars the ends always curl downwards.
The five trefoil pearl inlays and the German silver wire box around the bridge pins are also seen on some early Martin guitars.
This guitar is currently in the collection of the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle WA although it is not currently on public display.On Martin guitars, this is pretty easy. Every Martin guitar made in 1898 and later, there is a serial number inside the guitar. This number can be used to determine the exact year of manufacture. See the serial number section below for details.
Collings D2h Acoustic Guitar Rare Low Serial Number 306 First Year 1990 Indian Rosewood
A 1947 Martin 0-17T Tenor guitar (4 strings). Note the nicely grained mahogany top. Tenor guitar are not very collectible though, as they were sold from the 1930s to the 1950s mostly to transition banjo players to guitar!
Most Martin guitars made are flat top models. That is, they have a round sound hole in approximately the center of the flat top of the guitar, with a pin style bridge. Martin also made some archtop models during the 1930s. These can have a round sound hole, or two f style sound holes (one on each side of the top of the body), and have an arched top, with a trapeze style bridge. Martin also made ukuleles. If a guitar only has four strings (and is not a ukulele), this is known as a Tenor guitar. Uke size instruments with ten string are Tiples. Uke size instruments with eight strings are Taropatches. Martin also made mandolins, which have eight strings. To summarize:
Martin flat top guitars were made in various sizes. The bigger the guitar body, the better and more collectible the guitar. This is why guitar body size is so important to identify on a Martin flat top guitar. Starting in October 1930, Martin stamped the guitar body size right above the serial number inside the guitar. This makes identifying body size on October 1930 and later guitar very easy. For flat top guitars made before October 1930, the easiest way to figure out the body size is to use the flat top guitar body size chart below. Body sizes, pretty much from smallest to biggest, include O, OO, OOO, OM, D.
Martin 2 1/2
Nearly all Martin instruments come in different styles. The higher the style number, the more fancy (and collectible) the instrument. Again starting in October 1930, Martin stamped all flat top guitars with the style number, directly after the body size (and above the serial number). Style numbers can range from 15 to 45. A letter can follow the style number too, giving some additional info about the instrument. For example, a T after the style number indicates a Tenor guitar. See the general specs section for a full list of these suffixes.
Originality of an instrument is very important. Modifications (any modifications), are a bad thing in the eyes of a collector. This will greatly influence value. Modifications can often be determined by looking at the model specs for a particular year guitar in this web page, and compare to your instrument. On flat top martins, the most common modifications are a replaced bridge, replaced tuners, or replaced frets.
On Martin guitars, this is a really big deal. Martins all seem to have a problem with the neck set on many of their guitars before 1970. High string action is the result, making the guitar very difficult to play. This can only be fixed correctly by a neck set (removing the neck on the guitar, and refitting the neck at a slightly increased angle, which lowers the string action). If done correctly, this does not affect the value of the guitar (and in fact can make it more valuable, as the guitar is much more playable). Generally speaking, most players would agree if the string action is more than 3/16 inch (5 mm) at the 12th fret, the guitar needs a neck set. This measurement is taken from the bottom of the low-E string, to the top of the 12th fret.
Martin Custom Shop Expert 000 28 Authentic 1937 Guitar
Regarding truss rods, all vintage Martin instruments post-1934 have *non-adustable* truss rods (T rod). This means the neck better be straight, otherwise an expensive repair will be in order. To check neck straightness on a guitar, first tune the guitar to pitch. Then hold the low-E string down at the 1st and 14th frets. Note the distance between the bottom of the low-E string, and the 7th fret. You should be able to put a medium guitar pick in this space. Any more, and the neck is bowed. Any less, and the neck is back bowed. Repeat this with the high-E string (the same results should be seen; if not, the neck has a twist to it).
Martin has been making some of the best flat top acoustic guitars since the mid 1800's. Martin's other lines of instruments (electrics, archtops, mandolins) is not nearly as desirable or collectible as their flat top models. Because of this, any models other than flat tops (such as Martin's archtops and electrics) are not very collectible.
Brazilian rosewood on a 1965 D-28. Note the rich color and wavey figuring which is typical of Brazilian rosewood. Indian rosewood, as used from late 1969 and later, is much paler in color; not nearly as rich looking. Indian rosewood is also very straight grained, without the figuring and waveyness of Brazilian rosewood. Acoustically, they sound nearly the same.
Martin D 18 (674)
Flat top Martins from the 1840's to the 1920's represent the earliest generation of the modern flat top design. They have great workmanship, but small bodies designed for gut strings only. Because of this, these models have limited appeal and hence are less collectible than steel string models.
Twelve and fourteen fret steel string models from the mid 1920's to 1944 are the most collectible of all Martin instruments. They have excellent craftsmenship, sound, and playability, and these model are of great interest to collectors and players. Some musicians prefer the sound and feel of 12 fret models, and these are close in value to 14 fret models of the same size and period. The larger size 14 fret 000 and D sizes from the 1930's are considered by most collectors and musicians to represent the golden era of the flat top Martin. Note war-time models (1941 to 1944) aren't quite as desirable as the 1930's models. Lack of materials, manpower, and general social uncertainty during the war contributed to this.
Flat tops from 1945 to 1969 are considered good quality and have good sound, although they are not as collectible as the 1920's to 1944 steel string
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