1929 Martin 00-18

In the decades leading up to the late-'20s, larger body sizes had begun to replace smaller Martin designs. Although the 12-fret 00 may be considered a small guitar by modern standards, this 00-18 was a proper-size guitar in 1929. That year, Martin made 227 00-18s, and in 1934 the model permanently changed from a 12-fret neck to 14-fret.  When you consider Martin's history, the steel-string 12-fret 00-18 was only made for a short time. Sure, the 00 goes back to 1877, but Martin only started bracing tops for steel strings in 1922. At 14-1/8" across, the 12-fret 00-18 feels small and manageable guitar in your hands, but it produces a robust sound that belies its size. The model is lauded for its well-rounded voice with impressive balance, bass content, and output for a small-body guitar. A lot of that has to do with the old-world craftsmanship that was C.F. Martin at the time, but credit is also due to the Adirondack Spruce top and the hand-scalloped X-bracing under the hood.  This 1929