Guitar
Maker
C. F. Martin & Co.
Date1971
Place MadeNazareth, Pennsylvania, United States, North America
ModelD-28 / Dreadnaught Orchestra / Dreadnaught / Dreadnought
Serial No.291114
SignedBranded on back graft: [lettering curved downward at each end] C.F.MARTIN & Co / ―∙― / NAZARETH, PA. / MADE IN U.S.A.Gold and black decal on head: [lettering curved downward at each end] CFMartin&Co. [sic] / EST. 1833
MarkingsBranded on neck block: D-28 / 291114
In raised lettering on each machine head shaft cover: GROVER
Stamped on each machine head mechanism cover: PAT. PEND / U.S.A.
Scratched into top in cursive lettering, lower treble bass bout: Johnnie
DescriptionThis 1971 Martin D-28 guitar, known as The Bon Aqua, was kept at Johnny Cash’s 100-acre farm near Bon Aqua, Tennessee, 35 miles southwest of Nashville. Returning from extensive tours in the U.S. and abroad, Johnny would go there alone, as he wrote in his autobiography, “to cook my own food, read my own books, tend my own garden, water my own land, and think, write, compose, rest, and reflect in peace.” As such, the guitar, which Johnny used while writing songs during the last 30 years of his life, was more intimately connected with him than the hundreds of other guitars that came and went through his hands on the road.
Stringing: six steel strings
Soundboard: two-piece spruce, wide grain narrowing toward the flanks
Back: two-piece book-matched East Indian rosewood; back stripe comprised of alternating sections of light-dark-light and dark-light-dark purfling strips, every fourth strip a light-dark-light strip three times longer than the others, surrounded on each side with one strip of light hardwood purfling
Ribs: two-piece East Indian rosewood divided by white celluloid end graft strip (slightly wider toward top than bottom) surrounded by thin white and black celluloid purfling on each side (2 strips each)
Head: mahogany veneered with rosewood on front face
Neck: mahogany; hole from strap button, now missing
Heel cap: white celluloid
Binding: white celluloid; top trim comprised of black-white-black-white-black celluloid purfling strips; back trim comprised of two purfling strips of black and white celluloid
Fingerboard: ebony; 20 nickel-silver frets; single mother-of-pearl dots behind 5th, 9th, 15th, and 17th frets; two abalone dots behind 7th and 12th frets; white celluloid side dots behind 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 17th frets
Nut: ivory
Bridge: ebony with curved lower edge; angled, white celluloid saddle; white celluloid bridge pins with black celluloid eyes
Pegs: six chrome-plated steel worm-gear machine tuners by Grover with convex head surfaces and enclosed worm gear mechanisms
Endpin: white celluloid with black celluloid eye
Rosette: wide band of white and black striped celluloid (9 strips), surrounded on each side with narrower bands of the same material (5 strips each), with natural wood in between
Pick guard: later black plastic
Varnish: clear with fine craquelure
Linings: kerfed mahogany
Neck block: mahogany; chamfered corners
End block: mahogany; chamfered corners; mahogany graft at center, perpendicular to top and back
Top braces: spruce X-brace, the joint of main cross brace reinforced with white canvas; rosewood bridge plate
Back braces: spruce back graft; four spruce back braces, the two braces in the lower bouts with rounded edges, and wider and lower in height than the two braces in the upper bouts
DimensionsTotal guitar length: 1035 mm (40-3/4″)
Back length: 510 mm (20-3/32″)
Upper bout width: 292 mm (11-1/2″)
Waist width: 275 mm (10-27/32″)
Lower bout width: 400 mm (15-3/4″)
Rib height (including edging) at heel: 99 mm (3-30/32″)
Rib height, at waist: 112 mm (4-13/32″)
Rib height, at end block: 125 mm (4-15/16″)
Head length: 161 mm (6-5/16″)
Head width, top: 73 mm (2-27/32″)
Head width, bottom: 59 mm (2-5/16″)
Neck length (nut to ribs): 358 mm (14-1/8″)
Neck width, nut: 42 mm (1-5/8″)
Neck width, heel: 54 mm (2-1/8″)
Soundhole diameter: 102 mm (4″)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): high E: 643 mm (25-5/16″); low E: 644 mm (25-11/32″)
ProvenanceUsed by Johnny Cash at his farm near Bon Aqua, Tennessee. Purchased by the National Music Museum at Sotheby’s September 14-16, 2004 auction, Property from the Estate of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, N08048, Lot 200.
Published ReferencesAndré P. Larson, "Recent Acquisitions," National Music Museum Newsletter Vol. 33,
No. 3 (August 2006), p. 6.
Newspaper:
"Cash Guitar Now S.D. Museum Piece," Sioux Falls Argus Leader, (October 30, 2004), p.1D.
"Cash: Instruments To Be Displayed In Spring," Sioux Falls Argus Leader, (October 30, 2004).
Robert Morast, "Famous Guitars; Music Museum Buys Guitar Used By Johnny Cash," Sioux Falls Argus Leader, (October 30, 2004).
"First Dakota Remembers Johnny Cash Advertisement," Argus Leader, (November 10, 2004), p.7A.
"For Yankton's Information, Nov. 20, 'A Celebration of Johnny Cash,"' Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, (November 19, 2004), p.4.
"Johnny Cash Celebration," Sioux City Weekender, (November 11, 2004).
"Johnny Cash Celebration In Vermillion On Nov. 20," Vermillion Plain Talk/Wakonda Times, (November 12, 2004), p.2.
"Johnny Cash Celebration In Vermillion Saturday," Vermillion Plain Talk, (November 18, 2004).
Travis Coleman, “Museum Acquires Cash Guitars,” Volante, (November 23, 2004), The Verve, B1-B2
"Museum Gets Cash Guitars," Sioux City Journal, (November 5, 2004).
"Music Museum Acquires Johnny, June Carter Cash Guitars," Vermillion Plain Talk, (November 5, 2004).
"Saturday Concert Showcases Cash Guitar," Sioux Falls Argus Leader, (November 19, 2004), p.6D.
"South Dakota: Vermillion," USA TODAY, (November 8, 2004), p.13A.
"Vermillion Celebrates Johnny Cash Nov. 20," Sioux City Weekender, (November 18, 2004).
Christopher Vondracek, “Acoustic Vault: Intriguing visitors and evoking tales, museum’s guitar collection holds more than American icons,” Volante, (April 5, 2007), The Verve, B1, B3.
“Museum’s Guitars Featured on Show,” Yankton Press and Dakotan (June 1, 2006).
David Lias, “Garrison Keillor Revisits Vermillion,” Yankton Press and Dakotan (June 1, 2006).
Internet:
"Cash instruments go to university," Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc., (November 19, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13400942&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_i…
"Gitarren von Johnny Cash komme ins Museum," Letzter Steckbriefaufruf von: Entertainer Ralf, Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://www.onlinemusik.de/default.asp?ssid=&id1=3057&id2=
"Johnny Cash-Instrumente im Museum," Country Music Special Radio Berlin (CSR), (November 9, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:bIAE-1JapscJ:www.csr-berlinweb.de/HOT.htm+%…, p.9-10.
"Johnny Cash-Instrumente im Museum," Schattenkinder e.V., (November 9, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://www.radiounion.de/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=12.
"Johnny Cash," CompuServe Celebrity, Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://webcenters.compuserve.com/compuserve/celebrity/bigpic.jsp?photoid=20041108NY…, p.1-2.
"Johnny Cash," Netscape Music, Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://channels.netscape.com/ns/music/news/bigpic.jsp?photoid=20041108NYET139.
"Johnny Cash," YAHOO! News, UK & Ireland, (November 8, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://uk.fc.yahoo.com/041030/46/f5mz9.html.
"Lund At Large," KELOLAND NEWS, (November 12, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://keloland.com/News/NewsDetail4514.cfm?ID=22,35953.
"Museum Acquires Cash Guitars," Volante-Verve, (November 23, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://www.volanteonline.com/global_user_elements/printpage.cfm?storyid=814813.
"Museum to display Cash guitars," THE SUN NEWS, (November 9, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/sunnews/2004/11/10/news/nation/10133729.htm
"Music Museum Acquires Cash Guitars," Comcast, (November 8, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://www.comcast.net/News/ENTERTAINMENT/XML.1403_Recordings/07alb438-25…
"National Music Museum in South Dakota Acquires Two Guitars From Johnny Cash Estate," COX. net, (November 8, 2004), Retrieved November 21, 2004 from http://rhodeisland.cox.net/cci/entertainmentnews/national?_mode=view&_state=maximized&view=article&id=D867THR80.
"Music Museum Acquires Cash Guitars," The Washington Chorus, (November 8, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=114&sid=952.
"Music Museum Acquires Cash Guitars," The Herald Sun, (November 8, 2004), Retrieved on November 22, 2004 from http://www.herald-sun.com/features/wire/29-541833.html, p.1-2.
"National Music Museum Acquires Johnny and June Carter Cash Guitars," Bluegrass Music News Network, (November 10, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://www.cybergrass.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=648.
"U.S. & World News: People In The News: VERMILLION, S.D.," Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://amarillo.com/stories/110904/usn_552841.shtml.
"Vermillion celebrates Johnny Cash Nov. 20," Siouxland.net, (November 18, 2004), Retrieved on December 3, 2004 from http://www.siouxland.net/index.cfm?cat=62&artid=4424.
Radio:
Susan Hanson, “Celebrating Johnny Cash,” SDPB Feature, South Dakota Public Radio (December 3, 2004)
Ben Walker, “Johnny and June Carter Cash Estate Auction,” Day to Day, National Public Radio (September 14, 2004).
Credit LinePurchase funds gift of First Dakota National Bank - Yankton, 2004
Object number10770
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