1967 Martin 00-18C Classical Guitar

The 0 and 00-size Martin classicals are more "folk nylon" than "true classical" in sound and feel and thus appeal to me more directly. They're not as boomy or bombastic as a Spanish-style classical and that makes them a lot more fun for, ya know -- folk singing! They're a bit more balanced and mellow than a concert guitar.

I like these earlier versions because they've also got a shorter scale length and thus have a bit more of a relaxed handling. Later versions had full, 26" scale lengths and I find those a bit more "typical" in sound. The bracing is feather-light on these and ones like this one (which has had high tension strings on it for much of tis life) tend to get a good hump/belly as they age.

This one's owned by a local fellow and it got a plethora of hairline crack and seam repairs as well as a refret, bridge reglue, and new bone saddle before it was returned. It's now a hum-dinger and once again feels sure-footed and "safe" to use full-time.

The only other Martin classical I've handled that I liked better than this one was the rosewood-back-and-side version of the same instrument. Oh, and there was a 00-18G I had through that was the bee's knees as well. Hmm. Pattern emerging?

I love the rounded edges of Martin classical bridges.