Guitar
Maker
C. F. Martin & Co.
Date1935
Place MadeNazareth, Pennsylvania, United States, North America
ModelStyle 000-18 Orchestra Model, Auditorium Size
Serial No.61690
SignedBranded on back graft: [lettering curved downward at each end] C.F.MARTIN & Co / ―∙― / NAZARETH, PA.Gold and black decal on head: [lettering curved downward at each end] CFMartin&Co. [sic] / EST. 1833
MarkingsBranded on neck block: 000-18 / 61690
Stamped on tuner plates, the lettering curved downward at each end: GROVER
DescriptionMartin first made the 000 model in 1902 in its Style 21 and 28 trim levels. Also called the Auditorium size, at fifteen inches wide, it was one of the largest flat-top guitars of the time. The 000-18, with mahogany back and ribs, entered production in 1911. In 1929, Martin introduced a new version of the 000 body size, with fourteen frets clear of the body, rather than the previously standard twelve. This new design, called the Orchestra Model, was created at the request of Perry Bechtel, a virtuoso banjoist, who wanted a flat top guitar with a longer neck, like that of his Gibson L-5 archtop. In 1932-1933, Martin changed the Auditorium size Style 18 to the new long scale (25.4″), fourteen-fret OM design. The instrument was re-launched in 1934 under the old model number, 000-18, preserving the OM body, but with the earlier short scale (24.5″). It was offered for $55.00 in the July 1935 catalog, with a "dark color top instead of natural finish on special order at no extra charge."
Stringing: six steel strings
Soundboard: two-piece Adirondack spruce, wide grain
Back: two-piece mahogany; grain angled to converge in upper bouts
Ribs: two-piece mahogany divided by ebony graft strip (slightly wider toward top than bottom)
Head: mahogany veneered with rosewood on face
Neck: mahogany
Heel cap: ebony
Binding: imitation-tortoise-shell celluloid; three-ply, white-black-white thin celluloid strip trim
Fingerboard: rosewood; 20 nickel-silver frets; single abalone dots behind 5th, 7th (smaller than dot behind 5th fret), 9th (smaller than dot behind 7th fret), and 15th frets (smaller than dot behind 7th fret); double abalone dots behind 12th fret (smaller than dot behind 7th fret); white celluloid side dots behind 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 17th frets
Nut: ivory
Bridge: rosewood with curved lower edge; angled, bone saddle; black celluloid bridge pins
Tuners: six Grover chrome-plated steel worm-gear machine tuners with convex head surfaces and decoratively cut plate outlines
Endpin: black celluloid
Rosette: wide band of white and black striped celluloid (9 strips), surrounded on each side with narrow black celluloid strips, with natural wood in between
Pick guard: imitation tortoise shell celluloid
Lacquer: dark red-brown to blonde sunburst with craquelure on top; clear with slight craquelure on back, ribs, neck, and head
Linings: kerfed mahogany; 14 reinforcement strips of black ribbon glued to inside of ribs, perpendicular to top and back
Neck block: mahogany; chamfered corners
End block: mahogany; chamfered corners; maple graft at center, perpendicular to top and back
Top braces: spruce X-brace, the joint of main cross brace reinforced with brown canvas; scalloped transverse braces and finger braces in lower bouts; maple 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: 1002 mm (39-7/16″)
Back length: 489 mm (19-1/4″)
Upper bout width: 287 mm (11-5/16″)
Waist width: 235 mm (9-1/4″)
Lower bout width: 384 mm (15-1/8″)
Rib height (including edging) at heel: 83 mm (3-1/4″)
Rib height, at waist: 93 mm (3-21/32″)
Rib height, at end block: 104 mm (4-3/32″)
Head length: 162 mm (6-3/8″)
Head width, top: 73 mm (2-7/8″)
Head width, bottom: 56 mm (2-3/16″)
Neck length (nut to ribs): 351 mm (13-13/16″)
Neck width, nut: 43 mm (1-11/16″)
Neck width, heel: 58 mm (2-9/32″)
Soundhole diameter: 98 mm (3-7/8″)
Vibrating string length (nut to bridge edge): high E: 633 mm (24-15/16″); low E: 635 mm (25″)
Credit LineJohn R. Barmeyer Collection, 2006
Object number12573
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