1973 Martin 0-18T Tenor Guitar

The 0-18T is perhaps my favorite "general flattop" tenor guitar. It's got warmth, clarity, volume, and once they're gone-through they play really well, too. I find that it adapts well to lots of different tunings but my favorite for it is octave mandolin (GDAE) tuning, where the low string really gets to stand-out compared to a lot of other flattop tenor models where the low-end is lacking.

This one's a '73 and has been played hard and loved over its lifetime. It was in use as a gigging guitar for decades by the look of it. Martin's smaller-bodied guitars didn't change much in design from the late '40s through the '70s, so -- surprise, surprise! -- it sounds every bit as good as its older siblings and all that playtime couldn't hurt the tone, either.

Post-work this one's playing spot-on and is ready to serve.

Repairs included: a neck reset, fret level/dress, replacement tuners, new bone saddle, replacement bridge pins, setup, etc.


Weight: 2 lbs 14 oz

Scale length: 23"

Nut width: 1 1/4"

Neck shape: medium soft V

Board radius: flat

Body width: 13 1/2"

Body depth: 4"


Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: x

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret:
hair over 1/16" bass and 1/16" treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 42w, 30w, 20w, 12 for GDAE tuning (can restring/retune as desired)

Truss rod: non-adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-low


Condition notes: this thing has been strummed a lot. There's washboard pickwear all around the soundhole and it looks like someone even had an oversize pickguard on it at one point. The endpin hole had been enlarged for a pickup jack but that's been filled and redrilled for a normal endpin. There's about 1/4" hole in the treble bridge wing that used to house a pickup of some sort but that's also been filled. There's a bunch of playwear/worn finish on the back of the neck and light scritchy-scratch handling wear throughout the body. I'm not seeing any cracks. There are a few dings on the top as well. The tuners that came with it were replacements and junky so we put a set of new Gotoh Kluson-style tuners on it to replace them. The pickguard is a replacement as well but looks right.


It comes with: an old hard case.

















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