Martin only produced 56 of these guitars total in 1984 and they did not offer this particular style guitar until 13 years later, officially debuting the official “Vintage Series”. This guitar was more of a prototype to what would become the Vintage Series, and to make it even more special, the label is signed by CF Martin III & IV.
These are not to be confused with the standard Martins of that era and are very much different. Recently, a well-known professional bluegrass musician described this guitar as a “monster of a guitar” and that it surely is. VERY loud and responsive, with tons of tone and clarity. This is partially due to a few minor mods including a neck reset, popsicle brace removal and the bridge has been thinned down a bit. It also has a fairly tall saddle which also helps with the volume and responsiveness.
There are no visible repairs or cracks in the guitar, and the finish is also clean with no checking. The tuners have been changed out from the originals with Grover open back with no obvious signs of being changed. Frets appear to be the originals and have plenty of life left in them, bridge plate is also very clean and shows no signs of wear. All in all, we would describe the guitar in excellent condition for it’s age. It is an absolute bluegrass machine, and rivals much older and more expensive pre 70’s Martins!
Neck Profile- V
Ebony Fingerboard and bridge
1 11/16″ nut width
Sitka Spruce top
Mahogany Back and Sides (appears to be old growth/choice)
Vintage style, cut through saddle
Standard Placed Scalloped X bracing
Tuners- grover open gear
Pickguard- 50’s style cleared over
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