The size of the Martin Arch Top C-2 body is equal to the 000 size of the flat top type and it is 15” wide. The top is carved but the back is arched. The sides and the back are made of rosewood. The vintage Martin guitar has a trapeze styled tail piece and all its parts are made of nickel.

The scale of arch tops of the C-series was long just like the 000 model, till 1934. In some cases, the arch top was converted into 000 styled flat top in a C model. The conversion of the short scale C-2 will not be similar to the 000 style if it was made after 1934. The neck of Martin Arch Top C-2 creates the entire difference, since it has to be shortened in length to get the desired shallow angle to have a flat top. Thus, the fret of the neck must be 1/3, but the guitar, in the process, gets a 13 2/3 fret. This causes the bridge on these vintage instruments to be at a lower position just like the OM bridge. However, it is not precisely same. Even the back arch and also the back braces are not the same in the Martin C models as compared to Martin 000 models. The arch top contains more arches in their backs and has tall #3 and #4 back braces. The neck inlay is pearloid of the C-2 models that are made in the year 1939 or later. They also don’t have abalone.

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The Style 28 Martin guitar includes the D-28, 000-28, OM-18, 0-28, 00-28 models which have a spruce top and a rosewood body. This theme has been the most popular line of vintage Martin guitars since the late 1800s.

It has an awesome sound which is the main reason why these guitars have been the favorite of several big stars as well. All the style-28 models including the D-28 model have been higher-end models which have a rosewood body along with a great sound. All the Martin style 28 vintage instruments models which were made before 1947 have a herribone trim look that appears extremely trendy. All the models which are made from Brazilian rosewood look more sleek and better than the models which are made from Indian rosewood. The number ‘28’ indicates the style of the guitar model. The letters that are prefixed before ‘28’ mark the body size. 0-28 is the smallest in the range, 00-28, OM-28,000-28 are bigger than 0-28 and D-28 is the largest of the lot. Considering today’s music trends, D-28, OM-28 and 000-28 are considered to be the best sized models.

The OM-28 was manufactured between 1929 and 1933 and is a very interesting model because its novel design bears some impressive modern features. There are some other 18 models like the OO-28C (1966-1976), OOO-28C (1962-1966), and OO-28 G (1936-1962), which are actually different from other Martin guitar lines. OO-28K is the coolest of them all and the most desirable. The classical tenor and gut models are especially popular among people throughout the world.

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A 1932 Martin C-1 Archtop with round sound hole.

Style C-1 arch top.
Collectibility Rating: D–

Arch top body size is equivalent to the flat top 000 body size, 15″ wide across the top, carved spruce top, back is not carved but is arched by bracing, mahogany back and sides, style 18 flat top trim, trapeze tail piece, rosewood fingerboard, nickel plated parts, sunburst top finish.

1931 Style C-1 specs:

• Vertical pearl “Martin” peghead logo on early models.
• Round sound hole.

• • f-holes introduced instead of round sound hole. Made either way this year.
  • Decal style peghead logo (vertical pearl logo dropped).

1932 Style C-1 specs:

1933 Style C-1 specs:

Round sound hole completely dropped in favor of f-holes.

1935 Style C-1 specs:

White body binding instead of tortoise.

1942 Style C-1 specs:

Style C-1 discontinued.


from: http://www.provide.net/~cfh/martin.html

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A 1942 Martin C-2 Archtop.

Style C-2 arch top.

Arch top body size is equivalent to the flat top 000 body size, 15″ wide across the top, carved sruce top, back is not carved but is arched by bracing, rosewood back and sides, unbound elevated tortoise pickguard, style 28 type multiple bound top and back with white outer layer, zipper zigzag backstripe, trapeze tail piece, rosewood fingerboard, vertical “Martin” peghead logo, nickel plated parts, sunburst top finish.

The C-series archtops were long scale until mid-1934, same as the 000 models. Sometimes a C model is converted from an archtop to a 000 style flat top. A conversion of a short scale C-2 (mid-1934 and later) won’t exactly be a 000 either. The neck must be shortened to get the shallower angle required for a flat top. This amounts to about 1/3 of a fret, so the guitar ends up having a 13 2/3 fret neck. This puts the bridge position a little lower on the top, closer to the OM bridge position (but not exactly the same). The other feature on the C models that is different from a 000 is the back arch and the back braces. The archtops have more arch in the back and taller #3 and #4 back braces. Note the 1939 and later C-2 models have no abalone, the neck inlays are pearloid.

• • Round sound hole.
  • Unbound fingerboard.
  • Slotted diamond fingerboard inlays.

  • f-holes introduced instead of round sound hole. Made either way this year.

  • Round sound hole completely dropped in favor of f-holes.

  • Bound fingerboard.
  • Scale length shortened (much like the 000 models).

  • Fingerboard inlays change to hexagonal pearloid inlays at frets 3,5,7,9,12,15.

1931 Martin C-2 guitar introduction specs:1932 Style C-2 specs:

1933 Style C-2 specs:

1935 Style C-2 specs:

1939 Style C-2 specs:

1942 Martin Style C-2 guitar discontinued.

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Martin has been making some of the best flat top acoustic guitars since the mid 1800’s. Martin’s other lines of instruments (electrics, archtops, mandolins) is not nearly as desirable or collectible as their flat top models. Because of this, any models other than flat tops (such as Martin’s archtops and electrics) are not very collectible.

Brazilian rosewood on a 1965 D-28. Note the rich
color and wavey figuring which is typical of
Brazilian rosewood. Indian rosewood, as used
from late 1969 and later, is much paler in color;
not nearly as rich looking. Indian rosewood is also
very straight grained, without the figuring and
waveyness of Brazilian rosewood. Acoustically, they
sound nearly the same.

Flat top Martins from the 1840’s to the 1920’s represent the earliest generation of the modern flat top design. They have great workmanship, but small bodies designed for gut strings only. Because of this, these models have limited appeal and hence are less collectible than steel string models.

Twelve and fourteen fret steel string models from the mid 1920’s to 1944 are the most collectible of all Martin instruments. They have excellent craftsmenship, sound, and playability, and these model are of great interest to collectors and players. Some musicians prefer the sound and feel of 12 fret models, and these are close in value to 14 fret models of the same size and period. The larger size 14 fret 000 and “D” sizes from the 1930’s are considered by most collectors and musicians to represent the golden era of the flat top Martin. Note war-time models (1941 to 1944) aren’t quite as desirable as the 1930’s models. Lack of materials, manpower, and general social uncertainty during the war contributed to this.

Flat tops from 1945 to 1969 are considered good quality and have good sound, although they are not as collectible as the 1920’s to 1944 steel string models. This is largely due to the change in bracing and materials Martin started using in 1945. Rosewood models of Brazilian rosewood are most collectible from this era. This is because Brazilian rosewood was basically unavailable since 1970 due to export problems. Because of this, these models are considered more collectible.

Martin D-35 from the 1970’s.
Note the Indian rosewood’s color
is much lighter and not as rich
as Brazilian rosewood. Also the
grain is much straighter and boring.
This three piece back was used on
D-35’s to allow Martin to use
narrower rosewood that would
otherwise go to waste.

Flat tops from 1970 to present are considered to be excellent utility instruments, but are not collectible. Staring in 1976, Martin has been undergoing many changes with numerous reissues, new models, limited editions, etc. Workmanship has improved greatly from the early 1970’s, and Martin is now producing some of its best guitars in over 20 years. While not currently collector’s items, these intruments have excellent workmanship, sound, and playability. Classical guitars by Martin are equal in craftsmenship to their steel string models. But unfortunately, their sound and feel is not what classical players seem to want. Therefore they do not have the collectability of the steel string models. I group Martin classical models to include the “NY” series and gut string models made from the 1930’s and later.

1965 Martin 00-21 NY model. A classical model
because of the open peghead style, no fingerboard
inlays, and bracing for gut (nylon) strings only.
The Style 21 model is a combination of the
Style 18 and Style 28 models: The body uses
rosewood (like a 28), and a style 18 neck
(with no “ice cream cone”). This particular
model has nice Brazilian rosewood. The back of
the (style 18 like) neck can clearly been seen
with no “ice cream cone” volute.

Acoustic archtop by Martin, again, have craftsmenship that matches their flat top instruments. But as with classical model, Martin archtops do not have the look, feel, or sound of traditional archtop models as defined by Gibson or Epiphone. They may be quite rare, but they are not collectible, especially compared to Martin flat tops. Ukuleles by Martin are considered amoung the best ukes made. Though ukes in general aren’t particularly valuable, Martin ukes are worth more than most other makes.

Tenor guitars (4 strings) by Martin have little to no collectibility. Tenor guitars were marketed as a way to get banjo players in the 1930s to the 1950s to convert to guitar. There is very little need for this today, hence these four string guitars have little value.

Electric guitars by Martin (any variety: flat top, archtop, solid body) are not sought after and have little to no value.

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Most Martin guitars made are “flat top” models. That is, they have a round sound hole in approximately the center of the flat top of the guitar, with a “pin” style bridge. Martin also made some archtop models during the 1930s. These can have a round sound hole, or two “f” style sound holes (one on each side of the top of the body), and have an arched top, with a “trapeze” style bridge. Martin also made ukuleles. If a guitar only has four strings (and is not a ukulele), this is known as a Tenor guitar. Uke size instruments with ten string are Tiples. Uke size instruments with eight strings are Taropatches. Martin also made mandolins, which have eight strings. To summarize:

• 4 Strings: a ukulele or tenor guitar.
• 10 Strings: Tiple.
• Uke size with 8 strings: Taropatch
• 8 strings (not a Uke): Mandolin.
• Archtop: an arched top to the guitar with either a round soundhole, or two “f” holes on either side of the body. Trapeze style bridge. Made only during the 1930s.
• Flattop: a flat top to the guitar, and a single round sound hole under the strings. Pin style bridge.

Body Size.
Martin flat top guitars were made in various sizes. The bigger the guitar body, the better and more collectible the guitar. This is why guitar body size is so important to identify on a Martin flat top guitar. Starting in October 1930, Martin stamped the guitar body size right above the serial number inside the guitar. This makes identifying body size on October 1930 and later guitar very easy. Body sizes, pretty much from smallest to biggest, include O, OO, OOO, OM, D.

Martin Instrument Styles.
Nearly all Martin instruments come in different styles. The higher the style number, the more fancy (and collectible) the instrument. Again starting in October 1930, Martin stamped all flat top guitars with the style number, directly after the body size (and above the serial number). Style numbers can range from 15 to 45. A letter can follow the style number too, giving some additional info about the instrument. For example, a “T” after the style number indicates a Tenor guitar.

Determine the Originality.
Originality of an instrument is very important. Modifications (any modifications), are a bad thing in the eyes of a collector. This will greatly influence value. Modifications can often be determined by looking at the model specs for a particular year guitar in this web page, and compare to your instrument. On flat top martins, the most common modifications are a replaced bridge, replaced tuners, or replaced frets.

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