1940 C. F. Martin 000-18 Natural
SN: 75752. Friends, here is an honest little prewar 000-18 from 1940 that has been a faithful musical companion to just two owners in its lifetime. It’s in wonderful original condition with light checking throughout; just a few errant pick scratches on the top, minor handling dings and a couple of shallow case bites.
The years 1938, 1939 and 1940 were transitional years for most Martin models and the 000-18 was included in the overhaul. By 1940, the nut width measures 1-11/16" with string spacing at the saddle of 2-1/8”. The neck profile is still the gently “modified V”. The neck reinforcement is still the steel T-bar and the braces are scalloped. The pick guard material in 1940 has a cool figured transparency with a reddish tint matching the binding. Tuners transitioned from Grover G93s to the Waverly 12/1 machines with the Yoda heads on each end. And the Adirondack tops in 1940? Some of the brightest and brightest with the finest grained of any Martin year. This particular top is gorgeous.
All the maintenance has been taken care of – neck reset, new frets, repro bridge, nut, saddle and fresh setup – all done my Mark Tossman the “D-28 whisperer”. There is a very small rise in the top behind the bridge which sometimes indicates a sustained period of inactivity. In some light the top shows a little "runout" but turn it again and it goes away. There’s a little variation in color in the top which also occurs in certain light. The black light confirms there no funny business.
For case aficionados, there is an original Bulls Head Protex case in reasonably good shape. Two of the three hinges work and all latches snap into place. The latches and hinges all have some rust. The ribbon holds the top when open and the little latch for the string box lid is still there though the string box lid needs repair. The felted purple cloth interior is in nice shape and the color is bright. As cool as this is, we might want to ship in a modern case and have this one trail along behind.
Top: Adirondack Spruce
Band & Sides: Honduran Mahogany
Bridge & Fretboard: Ebony
Appointments: Dot position markers, faux tortoise binding, b/w trim and rosette
Nut width: 1-11/16”
String spacing: 2-1/8”
Body width: 15-1/8”
Depth: 4-1/8”
Scale length: 24.9”
Case: OSSC
Payment is by personal check or money order. Payment in full, including shipping and insurance, is required before shipment. Personal checks must clear your bank. Please specify preferred shipping method when you order the instrument and we will calculate the exact price for you.
We represent the instruments as accurately as we can. All instruments are shipped on 48-hour approval. If there is damage as a result of the shipping, please contact us immediately and we will deal with the insurance company. If the instrument is damaged in transit from you to me, then you are responsible for dealing with the damage and insurance. For refunds, all instruments must be returned in the same condition as we shipped them in.
All instruments are shipped on 48-hour approval. If there is damage as a result of the shipping, please contact us immediately and we will deal with the insurance company. If the instrument is damaged in transit from you to me, then you are responsible for dealing with the damage and insurance. For refunds, all instruments must be returned in the same condition as we shipped them in.