1937 Martin C-1

A while ago I wrote about a very nice Martin C-1, Martin’s first attempt to enter the archtop guitar market. The first version of the C-1 was introduced in 1931 and it had a round soundhole, a style that was out of fashion pretty much the day it was built. Martin realized their miscalculation almost immediately and in 1933 they introduced a version of the C-1 with f-holes. (They made both versions concurrently until they discontinued the roundhole style in 1934.)  Viewed from the front the new C-1 looked pretty much like the offerings from Gibson or Epiphone but when you flipped it over it had a flat, mahogany back rather than a carved maple back. The C-1 also measured about 15 inches across the lower bout, making it an inch smaller than the early 1930s Gibson L-5s and Epiphone De Luxes. In a way, the C-1 was a 000-18 with a carved top.

Martin’s archtops never made much of a dent in the marketplace. They had a lighter, more delicate sound than archtops with carved backs. They were also a little quieter, which was a real problem for a style of guitar that was supposed to drive the rhythm section in a big band. I’ve played quite a few Martin archtops over the years and I’ve really come to appreciate them for their particular charms. Unlike most archtops that require a heavy touch to sound their best, Martin archtops sound good without the need to pound on them. They also have a little more sustain that traditional archtops while being louder and brighter than traditional flattops. They are neither fish nor fowl, which means that they tend to get ignored. Which, if you like the unique sound they have to offer, means they are real bargain. This fine example is priced at $2450, a fraction of the price that a 000-18 from the same year would bring. If you would like to adopt this little orphan into you home, just call the good folks at Gryphon Stringed Instruments and they will be happy to help you out.

Click here for the original listing.