1951 Martin 000-18 Flattop Guitar

This thing's a champ through-and-through -- from the Adirondack "mystery wood" spruce milled right up the road in Hancock, VT, to the solid mahogany back and sides, classic curvy-V neck shape, and lived-in comfort given to the guitar by many years of playing-in. It sounds lovely -- full and warm and woody and sculpted -- just as you would expect from what I consider Martin's best era.

I like their guitars from around '50 to '55 best as they're built a little heavier in the soundboard than the '30s and '40s ones (so they survive normal use with regular-gauge strings and don't "move around" on you as much) and they have a big, wide, open sound to them with plenty of mids thrown-in.

Anyhow, after work this guitar plays spot-on, has a good amount of saddle, and looks delightful. It's ready to go.

Repairs included: a neck reset, fret level/dress, new rosewood bridge, new bone saddle, hairline crack repairs/cleats where necessary, cleaning, setup.


Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: x

Bridge: rosewood (replacement, ever so slightly oversized)

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret:
3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 54w-12 lights

Neck shape: medium soft V

Board radius: 14"

Truss rod: non-adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium


Scale length: 24 7/8"

Nut width: 1 21/32"

Body width: 15"

Body depth: 4 1/8"

Weight: 3 lbs 11 oz


Condition notes: it's in good health overall, but does have a repaired center seam crack on the lower-bout top, a small one by the pickguard (also repaired), a 1" right at the waist on the bass side, and a ~4" one on the side upper bout bass -- all have been repaired in the past and checked-on by myself. There are numerous small scratches, nicks, and dings throughout the finish and the finish has weather-checked as it should throughout. Overall, however, it looks quite nice. It was refretted at some point in the past and there's plenty of life in the frets even after our level/dress job. A few small nail-divots in the fretboard in first position were filled/leveled by someone in the past. The bridge is a replacement and the pins, endpin, and saddle are as well. The nut appears to be original but adjusted now and then in the past.


It comes with: a good hard case.
























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