Official Luthiers Forum!

So apparently my uncle is selling this beautiful 100 year old Martin Guitar (built in 1907). This was the first and probably last time I will ever get the chance to see it. I tuned it up and got a chance to play it and it sounded really quite amazing. It was as light as a feather, and I wish I would have weighed it. The projection was incredible, it was much louder than I thought it could have been. I think...someone please confirm or deny.... that it was a Sitka top and Brazilian Rosewood back and sides.  If I could I would lay the money down for it just to keep it in the family. I think my dad is putting it on ebay in a day or two. Too bad.

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

By the way... that's my Dad in the pic, not my uncle who owns the guitar.

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

It'll be BRW and Adi, not Sitka. Make sure he puts a good reserve on it, I'm not sure eBay is the best place to sell a classic instruments like this. I've got three 30's Martins and no way would I put them for sale on eBay, they'd either go into a specialist musical instrument sale or to one of the specialist dealers.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Wow! Amazing guitar and it seems in amazing condition too!

I agree with Colin. He better make sure he puts a very good reserve. I'd try selling it somewhere that specializes in these kinds of sales...

He can send it to me, I'll take care of it... It's Alain Desforges, 2116 County Road 2...

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

i would tend to agree with colin and others on the likely probability of the materials used and also with the method of marketing this little gem.

i recall reading of an interview done with cfm III who stated that early on martin tended to use only adi but that later they used whatever was cheaper. the timing of later was, iirc, from the '20s on. and it surely does look like old, straight grain brw in the photos.

as for the marketing: on ebay serious folks tend not to trust the provenance of expensive instruments. there have been a number of incidences of such auctions being the subject of threads here. i don't know where you are located, but a valuation from an authoritative source such as gruhns, mandolin bros, elderly, etc. would be a starting point in the selling process.

isn't it a shame you weren't a better little ankle biting rugrat all those years ago and thus you uncles favourite nephew, you might have conned it out of him.

My goodness ,What a beauty ! It looks in super condition!
I would love to get the chance to play a guitar like that someday.Too bad you can't finaggle it from your uncle somehow!

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Tell you will custom build him a guitar or two in exchange for it. That is the kind of thing I'd want to keep in the family, kind of like my grandfather's violin.

It looks like it has been refinished. The bindings are too white, and the neck is too light for the finish to be original. Knock thousands off the value for that.

Neat guitar. I hope you put on a new set of strings - and poked around inside while they were off. You really need to keep a body tracing and drawing of the bracing - and share it.

Christian,

     That is Sitka and Brazilian. It is a beautiful guitar and appears to be in
great shape. How long has your uncle owned it?

    Be sure to let your Dad know to place a hefty reserve on it for the
auction. The instrument at Elderly was price at $8k ans the guys there are
known for their considerate and fair pricing.

     Let us know when it's up on eBay.I know a few collectors that I'll point
toward the auction.....and they have way more money than they do self
control.

     Your uncle my want to contact Chris Martin, too. The company will
sometimes buy instruments back from owners or the beautiful museum
at the plant in Nazareth. Just a thought.

Great guitar in any case and it's a shame to see it leave your family.

Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars

The bindings aren't as white as the photo makes them appear. It has had some slight work done on it by an certified Martin person. On the bottom the binding had about a two inch section either missing or just in really bad shape - the repair is good but visible. Also, I had a close look and I am almost positive that it has not been refinished (small cracks in the finish). But hey Kent.... if you look that good when you're 100 years old I'll be quite impressed.

Alain, I was about to send it but I realized I didn't have your full address...

Thanks for the tips guys! I will make sure that a good reserve is placed and I will look around for other channels to sell it and appraise. The last thing I want to see is this thing to sell too cheap. That would break my heart.

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

Thanks Kevin,
I'll see about that too. My wife asked if Martin would buy it back, I'll check into it.

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

    The top as Kevin pointed out is Sitka. Adi was not the wood of choice as is thought. Martin used what was available and at the price they wanted to pay. It was economics. Adi wasn't used as much it is credited. Sitka was used most.
john hall
blues creek guitars

I had ol' Pops weigh this one in due to the recent post about what light really is. I'm not sure about the accuracy, but he said it registered at 2lbs 10oz (actually he told be 2 and 5/8 lbs).... could that be right??? Like I said it felt light when I held it, and it is a very small body style, but that seems impossible. Anyone think that could be right??

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

Here are some more pics from the ebay ad.
http://cgi.ebay.com/1907-Martin-Guitar-Size-1-Style-28-Extre mely-Nice_W0QQitemZ120113245336QQihZ002QQcategoryZ33028QQrdZ 1QQcmdZViewItem

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

2lbs 10oz is close to three pounds and in another thread, folks were talking about getting dreds in the three pound range. So, it is entirely possible. Remember, the wood in this guitar has had well over 100 years to dry out.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Wow. Take off the tuning machines and the strings, and it'll float!    Man, I bet that guitar has a sweet sound!