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Offered here is a fine guitar that I have been proud to own and play. It is a 1932 Martin C-2 archtop guitar, serial number 51218. It is one of 153 round hole archtops made in 1932, and one of 269 ever produced.
Description: Gorgeous spruce top with shaded top finish, sides and back of absolutely incredible straight grain, quartersawn Brazilian rosewood. Zipper backstripe and slotted diamond fingerboard inlay. The guitar is completely original with its original purple-lined hardshell case. Original pickguard is present but has been removed due to slight deterioration. Original sales receipt/payment book is present.
Condition: Overall excellent condition with minor play wear to the top. Neck is nice and straight, with a comfortable action that could go lower if desired. Original bar frets are in very good condition, as is the fingerboard. No evidence of any repair work is visible, and no repairs are needed. This guitar is completely playable, and worthy of a collector or musician with very high standards and discerning taste.
There is a very, very slight separation along the top center seam towards the tailpiece. It is a very faint line that may indeed be nothing more than a finish crack. It is tight, and has been completely stable in my ownership (as well for the previous owner, who had it since 1981.) It has neither been repaired nor cleated, and considering it's stability I've never seen the need to do so. It's slight to the degree that most people would never notice it, but in the interest of full disclosure I do believe it bears mentioning.
History and Provenance: This guitar was purchased at C.G. Conn's store in Baltimore Maryland, and eventually ended up being played in a North Carolina swing band. While in the possession of its former owner, a well-known mandolin virtuoso and vintage instrument expert, it was selected by David Grisman to be part of the "Tone Poems II" project. It was played by Martin Taylor on track 5, "Mood Indigo". An unopened copy of the Tone Poems II CD will be included with the sale, as well as the strings that Martin Taylor used for the recording.
Sound: Sound is, of course, highly subjective but this is in my opinion a truly exceptional sounding instrument, with an unusually sweet and powerful tone that is very well suited for fingerstyle as well as jazz rhythm. Listening to "Mood Indigo" on the Tone Poems project give a very clear idea of what this guitar is capable of in the recording studio, and Martin Taylor called it one of his favorite guitars on the project. I can't guarantee that you'll sound like Martin Taylor, but you can't blame it on the guitar!
Photos: I've gone to great lengths to photograph this instrument clearly so it's new owner will be very happy with it and know exactly what to expect. The photos are an extremely accurate indication of the instrument's current condition. Additionally, I can email high-res photos upon request.
Shipping: Due to the somewhat nebulous CITES regulations in regards to Brazilian rosewood, this guitar will only be shipped within the United States. Shipping will be by the buyer's choice of carrier (UPS, Fedex, or USPS). Due to the size, shipping may be quite expensive, and I will be unable to give exact quotes while the auction is underway. Please rest assured that I will charge only the actual amount for shipping, with no markups of any kind and no additional expense for time or materials. I will also require, for your protection and mine, that the instrument be insured for its full purchase price. Local pickup would also be welcome - the guitar and I are in the town of Chester, Connecticut 06412.
Payment: Payment accepted by Paypal or cashier's/certified check (preferred) only. if picking up in person, cash is just fine, too. Please contact me for any questions regarding payment.
Bidding: Placing a bid assumes that you have read the item description in its entirety and agree to all the terms described herein. Please ask all questions before placing a bid - I will do my best to answer quickly and honestly. I welcome all serious bidders, but please contact me for permission to bid if you have fewer than 10 feedback ratings, or excessive negative feedback. Failure to adhere to this request will result in your bid being cancelled immediately. Thanks, and best of luck!
On Dec-02-08 at 10:52:38 PST, seller added the following information:12/02 Note: I forgot to mention another unique aspect of this guitar - the neck (which is original) differs from the standard configuration for this model. Most likely it was special ordered this way. The appraisal of the instrument (which will be passed along to its new owner) states:
"Also adding to the rarity of this guitar, instead of the catalog specifications of vertical Martin inlay with C and F on either side, it has the "CF Martin 1833" decal on the front of the peghead and "CF Martin 1833" stamp on back of the peghead, identical to the D-28s of 1934."
12/02: I have added more photos to a flickr page at http://tinyurl.com/63x4qw
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