2003 Martin OM-42 Flattop Guitar



Overview: My friend Rob has owned this guitar since it was new and given it decades of play. As a result, it's really opened-up and sounds excellent. He's moved-on to playing a ton of Dobro, though, and so "it's made its way to Jake's" to find its next owner. As you'd expect, it's a beaut and built to a high spec. Who can argue with all that pearl and trim?


We've just done a bunch of fresh work to it, too, and so it's truly a player's guitar as well. It's got fresh frets and a K&K pickup installed (with a good, oversize strap button adapter as well) so it's ready to go out and play some shows. Rob splurged one some fossilized mammoth ivory bridge pins, too.


The long, OM-style scale length gives it a bit more oomph and snap compared to a normal 000-28 or similar and it has the slightly wider nut of an OM-style as well.


Repairs included: I gave it a neck reset. Ancel fully refretted it with modern, medium stock with long tangs (he did a gorgeous job) and (as a result) the truss rod barely needs engagement to be effective. I then gave it a mild cleaning and setup work. Dave Richard (over in Corinth, VT) had previously repaired a dryness hairline top crack that extends from the bottom of the bridge to the edge of the top. It's playing spot-on and is ready to serve.

  • Weight: 4 lbs 5 oz
  • Scale length: 25 3/8"
  • Nut width: 1 3/4"
  • Neck shape: slim-medium oval/C
  • Board radius: 16"
  • Depth at first fret: .83"
  • Depth at seventh fret: .88"
  • Body width: 15 1/8"
  • Body depth: 4"
  • Top wood: solid spruce
  • Back & sides wood: solid Indian rosewood
  • Bracing type: x
  • Bridge: ebony
  • Fretboard: ebony
  • Neck wood: mahogany
  • Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
  • String gauges: 54w-12 lights
  • Truss rod: adjustable
  • Neck relief: straight
  • Fret style: medium modern (slightly taller than typical wire)

Condition notes: It looks great but it does show light finish checking on the top here and there and it has a few small nicks, dings, and scratches here and there as well (mostly confined to the top). It has a K&K pickup installed (non-original) and a strap button added at the heel. The saddle is non-original bone and it has non-original fossilized mammoth ivory bridge pins. The frets are brand new and a huge improvement over the original wire. There is a repaired hairline crack (cleated/filled) extending from the bottom of the bridge on the top to the endblock area (pictured).


It comes with: It has its original hard case.


Consignor tag: ROBG






















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Rob Gardner said…
You know, (speaking as the original owner) there is a nice story that goes with this guitar. I was working with the Martin company on a project that never came to fruition, but in course of it I asked them if I could buy an OM-42 from the factory and choose the best one they had in stock (they had eight). They said I couldn’t do that, but Dick Boak, their A&R guy (who chooses what guitars to send to the players who have signature guitars, like Paul Simon) said he would go down and pick the best two of the eight, and I could make the final choice and this is that guitar. So it is really a special instrument. I think it still has the factory tag, with “Spray” as the last step.
March 15, 2026 at 11:46 PM
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