1943 Martin 000-18

From 1942-1945, the war effort and ensuing material shortages disrupted US manufacturing accross the board. Nevertheless, C.F. Martin & Co.—America's oldest guitar maker—continued to build instruments throughout the war. While production was extremely limited and the model catalog was streamlined, many of the Martins produced during the war are exceptional instruments. War-era Martins are also particularly interesting because of the minimal use of metal parts. Most have ebony reinforcement bars instead of metal truss rods, and metal tuner buttons were substituted with plastic (some don't even have tuner bushings!). This 1943 Martin 000-18 is an incredible relic of the wartime era. What's obvious is that someone played it. A lot. The good ones get played, and someone love this one enough to put it through the paces time and again. What's especially interesting, though, is how well it held up to the test of time. In many ways, it is a testament to the structural integrity of Martin