Martin 00-18C 1965

This wonderful and unique guitar in the Martin pantheon is a product of what some call “The Great Folk Scare”. The Martin Company, in response to the rising folk boom of the late-1950s/early-‘60s, in order to have a nylon-string instrument with traditional Martin look in their lineup, took what was basically a 1920s-30s design, the then-standard X-braced 12-fret 00-18, came up with an unusual modified fan-bracing pattern (fan bracing having been standard in the classical guitar world forever), did what they were already doing on everything else they were making in the '60s and VOILA! The 00-18C! Typical wonderful 1960s Martin workmanship, woods, and appointments, and with a bracing pattern that’s from somewhere to the left of outer space. It's got three fans instead of the usual five, coupla typical Martin little “wing” braces and one long diagonal, taken straight from the pre-war Martin X-bracing handbook. AND…….the braces are hand-scalloped in pre-war fashion! Never seen this on a post-war Martin model but I know for a fact that in the 1960s there were still a few workmen who had been at Martin since the 1930s-‘40s. I personally knew a few of them back then. So….. 2” wide at the nut and it plays perfectly; top-grade 1960s Honduras mahogany back and sides; Sitka spruce top with slightly wider grain in the center (yes!); no repairs anywhere, and it sounds fabulous!. There is a nearly undetectable coat of additional lacquer overall, done at the Martin factory apparently a very long time ago; Martin's ultra-high-quality work is like handwriting and I recognize it instantly. Finding another one of these, especially in such fine condition, would be like finding a needle in a haystack except there are no haystacks for these. Comes with its original mid-60s wonderful hard shell case. $1695 w/ohsc