Martin Acoustic Guitars - 1965 000-18 - Used
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This 1965 Martin 000-18 harkens back to the first full year of production at Martin's new facility that was constructed to handle the folk boom in guitar production. Featuring a sitka spruce top over mahogany back and sides, this 000 body dates back to the early days of the steel-string guitar revolution and retains the original 000 short-scale length.
Here with tortoise-style binding, tortoise-style pickguard and a matching rosewood bridge and fingerboard, this '65 build features two important build characters that Martin will come to change later in the decade. First, the guitar retains the smaller footprint maple bridge plate that is seen on Martin guitars going back decades. Second, the neck is reinforced with a steel t-bar, as opposed to the later hollow-tube and truss rods.
There are two very neatly repaired sections on the sides, includes a side crack on the treble side and a more extensive rework to the bass side near the lower bout (see photos). Both repairs were professionally done and have held up over the years. The tuners have been replaced with waverly open-gear tuners. There is finish wear on the back and top, possibly from a naugahyde guitar strap, which not uncommon from guitars of this era.
At some point the guitar was modified internally, and the treble and bass sides of the lower X-brace were scooped, possibly in an effort to open up the guitar and have it respond more like a pre-war guitar. It's hard to know what the guitar sounded like previously, but it is a very open and articulate 000, which makes it stand out amongst guitars of this era.
The guitar has recently benefitted from a PLEK fret dress and setup here in our shop. Inclues the era-appropriate hardshell case.
- 14-Fret 000 body
- Sitka spurce top
- Mahogany back and sides
- Rosewood bridge and fingerboard
- Small maple bridge plate
- 24.9 Scale length
- 1 11/16 nut width
- 2 3/16 string spacing
- Replaced Waverly Tuners
- Serial# 201683
- Era-appropriate hardshell case
