- MARTIN
- chevron_right VISUAL IDENTIFICATION FEATURES
Martin has been in the same small town for 160 years and serialization has remained intact and consistent since its first instrument. When trying to determine the year of an instrument´s construction, some quick notes about features can be helpful. The few notes contained herein are for readily identifying the instrument upon sight and are by no means meant to be used for truly accurate dating of an instrument. All items discussed are for flattop steel string guitars and involve instruments that are standard production models.
The earliest dreadnoughts, and indeed just about all instruments produced with a neck that joins the body at the twelfth fret, have bodies that are bell-shaped on the top, as opposed to the more square-shouldered styles of most dreadnoughts. Between 1929 and 1934, Martin began placing fourteen-fret necks on most of their instruments and this brought about the square-shouldered body style. A few models maintained twelve-fret necks into the late 1940s and several had a twelve-fret neck until the late 1980s.
Turn-of-the-century instruments have square-slotted pegheads with the higher end models (models 42 and 45) displaying an intricate pearl fern inlay that runs vertically up the peghead. This was replaced by a vertical inlay known as the flowerpot or the torch inlay, in approximately 1905. In 1932, the "C.F. Martin & Co. Est. 1833" scroll logo began appearing on certain models' pegheads. By approximately 1934, a solid peghead with a vertical pearl "C.F. Martin" inlay had replaced the former peghead design.
Bridges from the 1900s are rectangular with pyramid wings. In approximately 1929, the belly bridge replaced the rectangle bridge. This bridge has a straight slot cut across the entire length of the center section of the bridge. In 1965, the straight cut saddle slot was changed to a routed slot. It was in approximately 1936, that Martin began using the tied bridge on their classical instruments.
Pickguards were not standard features on instruments until 1931 (1930 on some OM models) when tortoiseshell pickguards were introduced. In 1967, black pickguards became standard. In 1969, Martin stopped using Brazilian rosewood for its regular production instruments, ending with serial number 254498. As a result, premiums are being asked for instruments manufactured from this exotic wood. After 1969, Martin began to use East Indian rosewood backs and sides on standard production instruments in Style 21 or higher (D-21, D-28, etc.); and mahogany backs and sides on Style 20 or lower (D-18, D-1220, etc.) production models.
The earliest dreadnoughts, and indeed just about all instruments produced with a neck that joins the body at the twelfth fret, have bodies that are bell-shaped on the top, as opposed to the more square-shouldered styles of most dreadnoughts. Between 1929 and 1934, Martin began placing fourteen-fret necks on most of their instruments and this brought about the square-shouldered body style. A few models maintained twelve-fret necks into the late 1940s and several had a twelve-fret neck until the late 1980s.
Turn-of-the-century instruments have square-slotted pegheads with the higher end models (models 42 and 45) displaying an intricate pearl fern inlay that runs vertically up the peghead. This was replaced by a vertical inlay known as the flowerpot or the torch inlay, in approximately 1905. In 1932, the "C.F. Martin & Co. Est. 1833" scroll logo began appearing on certain models' pegheads. By approximately 1934, a solid peghead with a vertical pearl "C.F. Martin" inlay had replaced the former peghead design.
Bridges from the 1900s are rectangular with pyramid wings. In approximately 1929, the belly bridge replaced the rectangle bridge. This bridge has a straight slot cut across the entire length of the center section of the bridge. In 1965, the straight cut saddle slot was changed to a routed slot. It was in approximately 1936, that Martin began using the tied bridge on their classical instruments.
Pickguards were not standard features on instruments until 1931 (1930 on some OM models) when tortoiseshell pickguards were introduced. In 1967, black pickguards became standard. In 1969, Martin stopped using Brazilian rosewood for its regular production instruments, ending with serial number 254498. As a result, premiums are being asked for instruments manufactured from this exotic wood. After 1969, Martin began to use East Indian rosewood backs and sides on standard production instruments in Style 21 or higher (D-21, D-28, etc.); and mahogany backs and sides on Style 20 or lower (D-18, D-1220, etc.) production models.