Martin 00-18 Guide

The size code 00 means Grand Concert. Familiar examples measure about 14 1/8 inches across the lower bout, between the 0 and 000 families. The Martin model-number reference explains how size and style combine. On the usual later steel-string 00-18, a spruce top and mahogany back and sides accompany plain Style 18 appointments.

Count the strings as well as the zeros. A tenor belongs with the four-string tenor models, and a long-neck plectrum needs the plectrum reference. A different bridge, neck width or tuner count may identify another factory model before it suggests a modification.

Robert Corwin’s photographed Wurlitzer research identifies the 2086 with the Martin 00-18 family and dates the specially designated Company Line to 1922. A dealer’s name can therefore be part of an old instrument’s history. Establish the individual guitar through its dimensions, internal marks, construction and surviving records.

A Wurlitzer name alone cannot settle who built a guitar or when it was made. Keep a seller’s attribution separate from the evidence that supports it. If an archive date conflicts with a documented model chronology, retain both records and ask for the serial photograph before assigning a precise year.

A Hawaiian-origin guitar needs its current playing setup described separately from its factory identity. A conversion for ordinary fretted playing can involve the nut, saddle, frets, neck geometry and other work. A comfortable action today doesn’t show how that result was achieved. Ask for the conversion invoice and photographs of the fingerboard, bridge and neck heel.

The small-body Martin guide identifies Hawaiian forms and warns that conversions require scrutiny. On a claimed 00-18H, preserve the suffix in the record and check the construction against that model. Don’t call it a standard 12-fret 00-18 simply because it now plays in the usual position.

The K family needs wood identification as well as setup history. Koa on the top, back and sides differs from the familiar spruce-over-mahogany recipe. Photograph each surface in neutral light and include the inside where practical. Figure, stain and a warm photograph can mislead; the model, serial and complete wood set should support the conclusion.

Unconverted and converted examples cannot be silently substituted for each other in a price comparison. The companion value page explicitly labels its converted 00-18H row. This guide’s 1952 spruce-top guitar is a standard 00-18 example, not a photographic stand-in for a Hawaiian model or an all-koa guitar.

Check another guitar with Martin’s year-end serial table or the house serial lookup. Photograph the full block so the model, number and surrounding wood remain visible together. A copied plausible number isn’t a certificate of manufacture.

Earlier instruments may show a serial without a model line because routine model stamping began around October 1930. The stamp reference illustrates that difference. Uneven hand-stamping needs a period comparison; it shouldn’t be treated as an automatic sign of a fake. Sanding, added markings or repairs around the block require a separate explanation.

The headstock views show the logo on one side and the tuner plates on the other. Read them together with the logo photographs and tuner reference. The same general gold-script appearance spans more than one production period. Scratches and darkened lacquer can make a recent replacement look older in a low-resolution image.

The bridge photograph shows the saddle and the top surface around the footprint. A separate interior view is still needed to assess the bridge plate, string-ball wear and any cap or patch. Ask for the plate’s outer edges and its relationship to the X-braces. A close-up of the six pin ends leaves much of that work outside the frame.

The back and side views show the wood and binding edges, but don’t establish that the finish is untouched. Compare protected areas, checking, pore texture and changes in color around hardware. Use the finish inspection guide if a refinished or oversprayed area is suspected. The conclusion should identify the area involved, rather than treating the entire guitar as one uniform surface.