Martin 000-18, 1957

by Nick Nicholaou
(Huntington Beach, CA)

It's a sweet sounding guitar with great action and a true neck (no surprise there!). Some scratches from being a playing guitar, and I added a Highlander pickup under the saddle.

ANSWER

Hi, Nick--

The serial number indicates a 1957 manufacture date.

Here is the Blue Book general info:

000-18
- Grand Auditorium body style, solid spruce top, Brazilian rosewood (1911-17) or mahogany (1918-present) back and sides, round soundhole with three-stripe rosette (1/9/1 grouping between 1911 and the mid-1930s, inlaid 1/9/1 grouping between the mid-1930s and 1988, and 5/9/5 grouping since 1988), five-ply top binding, single ply back binding with rosewood (1911-1932), black (1932-26, 1966-present), or tortoise (1936-1966) outer layer, black back stripe, cedar (1911-16) or mahogany (1916-present) neck, 12/19-fret (1911-1934) or 14/20-fret (1934-present) ebony fingerboard with Style 28 pearl dot inlays, slotted (1911-1934) or solid (1934-present) headstock with rosewood overlay and raised gold foil logo, three-per-side brass tuners with ivory buttons (1911-1934) or regular tuners (1934-present), ebony rectangular (1911-1929) or belly (1929-present) bridge, black bridge pins with pearl dots, no pickguard (1911-1932), tortoise pickguard (1932-1966), or black pickguard (1966-present), available in Natural finish, 24.9 in. scale, mfg. 1911-present.

The pricing info:

1950-1959
Excellent $4,000 - 5,000
Average $2,500 - 3,000

***These prices are based on what collectors are paying and are based on ORIGINAL equipment and condition. The addition of a pickup will reduce the value considerably--by exactly how much is difficult to say.

Lynne

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