Exactly when did C.F. Martin begin formally using the two-part system indicating size and level of ornamentation on his instruments? Nobody knows for certain.
Photos: William Ritter. Instrument courtesy of George Gruhn.
Martin was thinking along these lines by 1848, when he received an order for “1 large Degoni (sic), ivory edges and double side screws, ff (very fine) case $26.00” – clearly the description for a style 1-26 – and the system was definitely in place by October 26, 1856, when C.A.Zoebisch placed an order referencing such designations.
Martin’s original sizes spanned from 1 (the largest) to 5 (smallest, a terz guitar) and included fractions. As time passed, requests came for larger bodies, necessitating the addition of nomenclature. Beginning in 1854, he applied 0 and as demand increased for a still-larger bodies, 00 (1858), then 000 (1901). Martin researcher/scholar Greig Hutton cites C.F. Martin, Sr.’s preferred size – the 0 body over the larger 00 – for its “more balanced” sound. This statement is best evaluated by the knowledge Martin used only gut strings, which work best on smaller bodies.
The first style 28 guitar was a 2½-28 shipped February 16, 1854. A special order, it appears to have originated as a slightly fancier style 26 (several 2½-26 guitars were made in this period). Early style 28 guitars are rare indeed, with only four 2-28, two 2½-28, and one 1-28 produced between 1854 and 1860. Early style 28s may be hard to differentiate from the style 26 because the “ornament” (purfling) is specified as “fine” for both and, in fact, specs for style 26 and 28 are practically identical in ledgers. Both had pearl sound-hole decorations, but the 28 was given German-silver machines instead of the brass used on the 26. Surprisingly, early style 28 guitars may not have herringbone purfling or cedar necks, as the two 2½-28s were specified with ebonized necks.
The 0-28 shown here was built in 1887 with ivory friction pegs – surprisingly, the choice of professionals in the 19th century. Geared machine heads were available going back to the early 1800s, but generally disliked for their tendency to rattle and the time required to change a string on a guitar so equipped. Conversely, friction pegs allowed a player to quickly bring a replacement string to pitch. It’s also worth noting Martin’s solid peghead was obviously copied from Spanish guitars brought to the U.S. in the 19th century and seen by C.F. Martin, Sr. and John Coupa. The latter influenced Martin very much from 1837 onward.
Interestingly, Martin’s V-shaped volute was also directly copied from Spanish makers such as Reyes, of Cadiz, but the Spanish peghead graft was quite different; Martin used a German-style dovetail that worked well for incorporating the shape of the volute, whereas Spaniards did not incorporate it with the dovetail joint. Martin also used a dovetail neck joint to fasten the neck to the body – very different from the Spanish heel joint, in which the neck and neck block are the same piece of wood slotted for the sides to fit. The Spanish system is sturdy, but it does not permit the neck to be re-set, which can be a significant problem on older guitars.
This guitar has a narrow (real) tortoiseshell inlaid guard that appears to be original. This is a very early example and does not appear to be a pickguard, but is likely intended to minimize fingernail damage from a player’s hands resting on the top. At the time, virtually all Martin guitars were designed for gut strings, and most people played classical rather than anything similar to country or blues as we know it. It wasn’t until the introduction of Hawaiian guitars that Martin made a significant number braced for steel, even though they produced steel-string mandolins beginning in 1894. Celluloid was available as early as the 1870s, but Martin did not begin purchasing it for “guard plates” (Martin’s designation for pickguards) until 1894 on mandolins and 1895 on guitars.
Martin did not begin to use celluloid-imitation ivory/ivoroid on guitars until 1918. The white bindings, nut, saddle, friction-peg tuners, and bridge pins are all genuine African-elephant ivory on Martins prior to 1918, and the company continued to use ivory nuts and saddles well into the 1960s.
This article originally appeared in VG April 2017 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Modern guitars are almost always sold with a hard case or modestly priced upgrade from a gig bag. However, this has not always been… the case.
A 1960 Les Paul Standard in a Geib four-latch case. Photos: William Ritter. Instrument courtesy of George Gruhn.
Prior to 1970, instruments were usually sold without a case, and obtaining that protection was significantly more expensive – 20 to 25 percent of the instrument’s price – sometimes almost as much as a low-end instrument.
Today, cases typically account for six percent or less of the cost. The difference is due in part to increases in guitar prices (even after adjustment for inflation) and partially due to technological changes in case construction.
In 1936, a Gibson Advanced Jumbo retailed for $80; a #418 “red line” Faultless hard case (with black Keratol covering and plush interior) was available separately for $15 (18.75 percent of the price of the guitar) and a Challenge “soft” case was $6 (7.5 percent). The Gibson J-35 debuted in ’36 at $35, which meant adding the #418 Faultless increased the player’s payout 42 percent. Even the Challenge case created a 17 percent jump in expenditure. Similarly, Martin’s D-28 had a retail price of $100 and was offered with three choices for a case – Style B for $9, Style C for $16.50, or the Style D for $27. For less-expensive guitars like Martin’s 0-17 (priced at $30) the $25 cost of a Style D case represented 83 percent of the cost of the guitar. Even at $7.50, the Style B case was expensive.
A ’61 Strat in a brown-Tolex G&G case.
Until the 1970s, case construction was dominated by American companies like Geib, Lifton, Ess & Ess, Stone, Victoria, and G&G. Their best models had a wood-laminate frame, cover material like Keratol, Airplane Cloth (tweed) or Tolex, and a padded flannel or silk lining. Though adaptable in size or shape (prior to World War II, Geib advertised made-to-order cases), they had issues including weight and susceptibility to water damage. Also, because their construction required woodworking, making them required a trained labor pool.
In ’68, Martin began offering its D-45 with a case made of injection-molded plastic and a foam lining that had a tendency to expand; leaving guitars in one for extended periods often resulted in crush damage. In 1970, they redesigned the case, making it from blue ABS plastic with a pseudo-leather texture. Known as the 600 series, it had a blue plush interior lining and a layer of polyurethane foam under the lining. Built by Alfred Freistat, Martin advertised the case as “virtually uncrushable, with unified, lightweight thermal protection.” They were certainly more water-resistant and lighter than their wooden predecessors, but many came to dislike their appearance and prominent logo, believing it caused them more likely to be targeted by thieves. They were also less resistant to impact, making them susceptible to hinges and latches being broken off or becoming semi-functional.
In ’79, the Martin 600 cases retailed for $105, and a style HD-28 to carry inside it was $1,145 more. At only nine percent of the guitar price, they represented a significant decrease in relative cost.
One of the earliest companies to follow Martin with injection-molded cases was Ovation. By May of ’72, its model 9110 case was $73.50, and the shape of its extruded foam mirrored the parabolic plastic back of the instruments, making is usable only for Ovation instruments. A Balladeer retailed at $265 (the case 28 percent of that), while the Glen Campbell model was $365, so a case added 20 percent.
A ’41 Gibson SJ-100 in its Geib & Schaefer #606 “red line” case.
To increase profit, retailers often made separate deals with case manufacturers. However, beginning in 1970, Martin guitars were sold only as a “uni-pack” (with case) and were mandatory for dealers – likely the first example of any such requirement.
Major U.S. manufacturers of traditional cases fared okay for several years, until the market came to heavily favor the plastic variety, and until the U.S. economy experienced a decline in the early ’80s, which eventually helped put builders like Geib, Lifton, and Ess & Ess out of business. Remaining traditional cases were often not of the best quality, but demand for them never completely abated, creating an opening for Canadian and Asian companies. These exact circumstances caused Taylor Guitars to begin building cases in-house.
Today, the D-28 Marquis has a list price of $5,339, which includes $460 for the Geib replica #545 case, which equates to only 8.6 percent of the cost of the guitar.
(LEFT TO RIGHT) The Faultless #418 “red line” case represented a significant co-investment for those who bought a Gibson flat-top beginning in the 1930s. The Geib replica #545 case sold with modern Martin guitars makes up less than 10 percent of the cost of the guitar. Martin’s 600 series case fell out of favor because players believed the large logo made them targets for thieves.
Using the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation-adjustment calculator, the ’36 D-28 would cost $1,731 in today’s dollars, while the Style D case would be $467 ($27 in ’36). After adjustment for inflation, the traditional-design modern case is about the same as it was in ’36. Performing the calculation in reverse, the D-28 Marquis would have been priced at $308 in ’36, the D-28 Authentic 1937 at $469.71, and the Geib case would be $26.57.
Cases for electric guitars followed a similar pattern. In April of ’54, Fender advertised its best “Spanish electric” hard case (for Telecaster or Stratocaster) at $39.95. At that time, a Telecaster sold for $189.50 (list), while the Strat was $249.50. A case required an additional 21 percent for a Tele and 16 percent for the Strat. Today, adjusted retail price on a ’52 reissue American Vintage Telecaster is $1,879 after a $119.99 deduction of the Deluxe Vintage Tweed case, representing six percent of the cost of the guitar. A ’56 reissue American Vintage Strat has an adjusted retail of $2,179 and is supplied with the same case at five percent of the cost of the guitar.
Present-day manufacturers of heavy-duty road cases like Calton (fiberglass or carbon fiber construction) and Hoffee (carbon-fiber construction) have no pre-World War II equivalents. However, at an average suggested retail price of $1,000, they approach the cost percentages of their less-protective pre-war predecessors (unless they’re used to house a guitar valued at more than $18,000).
Changes in materials and manufacturing have reduced the cost of protecting a guitar, even in the face of increased labor costs and inflation. With the decimation of American manufacturers and radical expansion of guitar production, no U.S.-based manufacturer of traditional cases could keep up with demand, so the influx of Asian and Canadian-made cases helps fill the gap.
This article originally appeared in VG February 2017 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Creating “one-off” custom instruments has always been problematic for companies designed to manufacture in any sort of quantity. In a factory environment, where costs are based on producing large numbers of identical instruments, building a one-off presents a particular challenge.
The largest modern manufacturers address the issue by creating “custom shop” departments that do not directly affect labor costs on the main production lines. Restricting the number of workers in these divisions helps control expenses, but they nonetheless operate on a bubble because overhead is measured directly against the amount of goodwill they produce. In the 20th century, large manufacturers typically solved these issues by creating custom instruments based on existing models, often with simple modifications like finish, change in trim level or other minor alterations.
Gibson, in particular, has a long history of building unique instruments for musicians. Insight can be gained from a 1940 letter written by Gibson employee Julius Bellson in answering a request for a special L-12 with a blond finish.
“Since the first of the year, we have discontinued the practice of making any special instruments,” Bellson wrote. “In checking our cost last year, we were amazed at the amount of time, effort, and excess cost this extra work entailed.”
Clearly, the policy did not remain in effect, as Gibson continued to build one-offs after 1940, but it does demonstrate the struggle between the company’s accounting and public relations departments!
The guitar here is one such instrument. Built for the Ganus Brothers and described on its label as “L-3 Special.”
The Ganus family, of Birmingham, Alabama, was involved in gospel and country music. In the ’20s, brothers Walter, Stancel, and Alva Floyd Ganus (along with another member) sang in the Birmingham area as the Ganus Brothers Quartette. Walter was part-owner of the A.J. Showalter Company, then in 1914 started his own music publishing company. In ’28, a younger Ganus Quartet came along made up of four of Walter’s sons – Claude, Clyde, Clarence, and Cecil. Each was proficient with several instruments, and they toured as performers while also conducting singing schools throughout the southeast, instructing vocal and instrumental skills. Their concerts included vocal, instrumental, and comedy songs.
The younger quartet was also based in Birmingham. They sold songbooks from their family’s music publishing company, and they had their own line of musical instruments. W.P. Ganus often accompanied his sons at the schools and concerts at the piano. In the early years they were sometimes called the W.P. Ganus Quartet or the Ganus Brothers Junior Quartet. The quartet was billed in the late ’30s as being “recording artists and radio singers.” A 1939 article stated they were “famous in 28 states for their talent as singers and entertainers…,” and “They are one of the few groups of musicians who offer a general variety of entertainment featuring music produced by electricity, novelties and many kinds of instruments. One of the special features will be music from a $1,050 accordion made in their own factory in Birmingham.”
The L-3 Special built for the Ganus Brothers is a good example of a custom instrument created in a mass-production environment by making basic changes. The factory order number indicates it was ordered in October of 1930 and the serial number shows it shipped in November. While this may seem like quick turnaround, there are other documented examples of pre-war custom Gibsons created in the same time-frame. One advantage of limiting custom work to simple modifications of existing models is that it can be accomplished quickly.
Some of the simple variations in the Ganus Brothers L-3 include star-shaped mother-of-pearl fingerboard inlays (rather than dots) and an oversize Florentine-style peghead shape with inlaid script pearl Gibson logo and “Ganus Bros Special” in pearl. The altered peghead shape was created from a template for the K-4 and K-5 mando-cello and the mother-of-pearl inlays required only a call to Gibson’s pearl subcontractor, Aumann Brothers, in Detroit. The only real customization was a modification of the body depth to 41/2″.
In other respects, the instrument conforms to model specs of the period, with a 131/2″ body, carved spruce top with oval soundhole, birch back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard, and adjustable-height bridge, elevated tortoiseshell-grain pickguard, trapeze tailpiece, three-on-a-strip tuners, and nickel-plated hardware. Typical of an L-3, it has a hand-rubbed sunburst stain finish on the top, but unlike the standard uniform red-mahogany stain on the back and sides, the Ganus Brothers Special has sunburst finish on the back and sides.
Overall the guitar is in fine structural and cosmetic condition after surviving almost nine decades of use. The scroll on the treble side of the peghead has been re-glued – a common repair on Gibsons with the Florentine scroll peghead. The back seam at the end block has also been re-glued.
The Ganus Quartet disbanded at the beginning of World War II, and the brothers went their separate ways. Several continued in the music business as teachers, music-store operators, performers, and songwriters. Clarence P. Ganus (born 1910) later penned the Little Jimmy Dickens hit “Take an Old Cold Tater and Wait.”
Gibson records show another L-3 Special – with a serial number consecutive to this one. The instrument was returned to the factory for repair and on May 13, 1936, was shipped back to Mr. H. Baird c/o E.E. Forbes & Son Piano Company of Birmingham, Alabama, in a #410 case. While its whereabouts are unknown, it suggests the Ganus Brothers ordered more than one, or that Gibson required more than one be built, as a cost-cutting measure. Whichever the case, at least one more “Ganus Brothers Special L-3” may be out there.
This article originally appeared in VG January 2017 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
1953 Gibson Les Paul Junior photo courtesy George Gruhn.
Gibson’s records say the Les Paul Junior was introduced in 1954. But here we have what appears to be a 1953 example.
This instrument has no serial number on the back of the peghead, though the tone and volume pot codes indicate they were made in 1953, and the guitar differs in specifications from any other Les Paul Junior.
On first glance, it’s evident the guitar has a pickguard shaped similar to that of a goldtop Les Paul. But, typical of a Les Paul Junior, it’s black and screwed directly onto the top of the instrument. Further inspection reveals numerous other differences between this guitar and a typical Junior. The neck is set into the body such that the fingerboard is significantly higher than the level of the top. This neck joint (see inset), while obviously original, differs from other Les Pauls. Additionally, the instrument differs from a typical Les Paul Junior with its darker sunburst, with brown (rather than yellow) stain in the middle. This finish is similar to that on the ES-125 of the time. Further, the P-90 pickup is the same type used on the ES-125 and ES-175 of the period, with a black plastic cover different in dimension from those on typical Juniors. The silkscreened Les Paul Junior logo on the peghead is the same style used from 1954 onward, and the body shape is the typical single-cutaway Les Paul-style.
Beginning in the ’70s, Gibson marked prototypes on the back of the peghead with a special stamp. But when this guitar was made, prototypes received no such treatment, so we can only speculate as to whether it’s a prototype or merely an early example with different specs. We must also speculate as to why Gibson made this guitar with such an unusual neck joint, or why they chose to introduce a different color, different pickguard shape, and different neck joint on the standard production model from 1954 onward. To the best of our knowledge, there are no records that would shed light on these questions, but from a practical point of view, several observations are worth noting:
• This guitar has zero neck-angle pitch, which necessitates a .4″-thick riser under the fingerboard to raise it off the top. The standard Les Paul Junior design has a 3° neck pitch, permitting a much lower riser.
• The production model’s pickguard permitted an exposed end of the tenon joint, which is much simpler for the manufacturer.
• The later sunburst was done by first spraying a light opaque color (similar to the TV model’s limed mahogany), then applying the sunburst stain to give greater contrast.
The non-traditional neck joint of this early Les Paul Junior.
From a practical point of view, while it differs significantly from a typical Junior, this guitar functions extremely well as a practical musical instrument. It feels and sounds very much like a typical Les Paul Junior, and is certainly good enough to be used onstage or in the studio, though some players might find that the elevation of the fingerboard feels awkward.
While the Junior featured much less ornamentation than the more expensive Les Paul models, the workmanship and materials conform to Gibson quality standards. With only one pickup, a Les Paul Junior has less versatility of sound than a double-pickup guitar, but the quality of sound produced by one single-coil P-90 is as good as the lead sound on a double-pickup guitar. Just as most jazz players use only the rhythm pickup and have no need for a double-pickup guitar, many rock and blues players find that a single pickup in the lead or bridge position meets all of their requirements.
From a functional point of view, this early Les Paul Junior is fully comparable in quality to the production version. From a collector’s point of view, however, it is far more appealing; it’s not only a very early example, but it carries an aura of mystery, since there are no records to indicate whether it’s a prototype, or whether any others like it may be lurking out there!
This article originally appeared in VG June 2005 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
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Prior to World War II, only three dreadnought guitars were featured in the Martin catalog – the D-18, D-28, and D-45. The two with rosewood back and sides, the 28 and 45, have both been inducted into the Vintage Guitar magazine Hall of Fame.
A 1941 Martin D-28. All photos courtesy of Gruhn Guitars.
Dreadnought-sized guitars were first made by Martin for the Oliver Ditson Company, a retail and wholesale distributor with outlets in Boston and New York. The Ditson Company distributed instruments made for them by several different makers, however, those most prized today are the ones made by C.F. Martin. Ditson had Martin produce a variety of models, including ukuleles, mandolins, and guitars. The Ditson/Martin guitars and ukes featured a distinctive body shape with a less pinched-in waist than standard Martins and had distinctive Ditson-style soundhole rosettes. The dreadnought shape is actually very much in line with the typical Ditson specifications.
Ditson guitars made by Martin were offered in three body sizes, each available in three levels of ornamentation. All featured 12-fret necks with slotted pegheads, so dreadnoughts were essentially the same size and shape as the modern 12-fret style D guitars. The smaller Ditsons, and even the ukuleles, looked very much like miniature versions of the 12-fret D-sized instruments.
The first of the Ditson/Martin dreadnoughts were produced in 1916. These earliest instruments had fan bracing very much like a classical guitar. Subsequent Ditson/Martin dreadnoughts had X bracing. Ditson-style dreadnoughts were discontinued after January ’21, however, in June ’23 the company asked Martin to begin production again on the style 111 mahogany dreadnought guitar. Between then and ’30, 19 more of this style were produced. Martin-made Ditson dreadnoughts are extremely scarce. Although Mike Longworth’s research of Martin records reveals seven of the style 111 mahogany dreadnoughts and seven of the style 222 early dreadnoughts, as well as his statement that 19 111s were produced between ’23 and ’30, these instruments are so scarce I have personally seen only three. While they obviously had little direct impact on the market due to the fact they are so scarce they have not been used by many musicians, these instruments are historically very important as the first dreadnought Martin guitars and as the inspiration for Martin to produce subsequent dreadnoughts under their own name.
1931 marked the introduction of Martin brand D-sized guitars. Previous Ditson models did not have a “D” designation. Rather than stamping the neck block “0000,” which seemed awkward, the ’31 models were named after the largest British battleship, the Dreadnought, hence the “D” stamp. Two models were offered, the D-1 equivalent to a 12-fret D-18, and the D-2 equivalent to the 12-fret D-28. These are extremely scarce instruments. Longworth’s research indicates only two D-1s were produced in ’31, and none after that, whereas he shows four D-2s in ’31, two in ’32, and one in ’34. The best-known D-2 is one made for the performer known as “Arkie” the Arkansas wood chopper who performed on WLS radio in Chicago. This guitar is inlaid “Arkie” on the fingerboard and is now on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.
A 1935 Martin D-45.
In ’31, Martin issued the first guitars stamped with the designations D-18 and D-28. Martin records indicate production totals as: D-18 – ’31 one, ’32 three, ’33 nine, and; D-28 – ’31 one, ’32 four, ’33 12. There is essentially no difference in specs between an early D-1 and D-18 or between the D-2 and an early 12-fret D-28. The 12-fret dreadnought guitars from this period were considered experimental. They were not offered in the Martin catalog.
In ’34, Martin altered the specifications of the dreadnought guitars to the 14-fret version with the body style still in production today. The 14-fret specs were in line with changes taking place throughout Martin production. The OM models with 14-fret neck first introduced in late ’29 had become so popular Martin decided to utilize this basic design throughout much of its model line. The ’34 14-fret D-18 and D-28 were the first dreadnought guitars featured in Martin catalogs.
The pre-WWII D-18s and D-28s conformed to typical Martin specs of the period. Early ’34 models were fitted with bar frets and had an ebony reinforcement in the neck rather than a steel T bar. By the end of ’34, specs on dreadnoughts and other models were altered to feature a steel T bar reinforcement in the neck and modern-style frets. The ornamentation of the pre WWII D-18 conforms to the typical specifications of the style 18 models throughout the Martin line with mahogany neck, back, and sides, Adirondak spruce top with scalloped bracing, ebony fingerboard and bridge, and dark body bindings, whereas the style 28 similarly conforms to standard 28-style specifications of the period with Brazilian rosewood back, sides, and peghead veneer, mahogany neck, Adirondak spruce top with herringbone trim and scalloped bracing, ebony fingerboard with slotted diamond inlays, “zipper”-style backstripe and white ivoroid body bindings.
In mid ’39, Martin altered neck dimensions and narrowed the string spacing on all 14-fret models and altered the position of braces from the so-called “high X” pattern to the “low X” pattern in which the juncture of the main X is further from the soundhole. In late ’44, scalloping of the bracing was discontinued and the fingerboard inlays were changed from slotted diamonds to small dots. In ’46, Martin continued to use herringbone trim on the tops. However, they altered the specifications from Adirondak spruce to Sitka spruce and larger dots were used on the fingerboards. After the first production run in ’47, herringbone trim was discontinued and the D-28 guitars subsequent to that time were bound in the standard post-WWII style. The D-18s underwent the same changes in neck dimensions, string spacing, and bracing as the D-28s. D-18s continued to feature ebony fingerboards through ’46, whereas other style 18s had gone to rosewood fingerboards as of about ’40.
The first D-45 (serial number 53177) was made for Gene Autry in ’33 as a custom order. It features a 12-fret slothead neck with the typical Martin torch inlay used on early style 45s, and has the “Gene Autry” inlaid on the fingerboard. This instrument is now on display at the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles. A second 12-fret D-45 was made in ’34 for a performer named Jackie “Kid” Moore in Milwaukee. It has a solid peghead. Another solid-peghead 12-fret D-45 was produced as a custom order in ’37. While these are obviously exceedingly scarce instruments, all three have survived and have been carefully examined by knowledgable professionals.
In ’36, two 16 ¼" are at least strongly influenced by the Martin originals.
Pre-WWII Martin D-28 and D-45 models richly deserve a place in the Vintage Guitar magazine Hall of Fame.
And the D-18, though less ornamented, should be viewed on par with the other two. Many fine musicians have found the mahogany back and sides of the style 18 produces an extremely fine midrange sound often deemed superior in the studio to rosewood instruments, which tend to have more “boom” and rumble.
D-18s from the 1930s are incredibly fine instruments that compare favorably to similarly-aged D-28s and D-45s in tone, volume, and projection. Although they are less elaborately ornamented, they are beautifully crafted, wonderfully functional musical instruments deserving of attention from the most discriminating players.
This article originally appeared in VG April 2000 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
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The D’Angelico New Yorker has rightfully earned its place in the Vintage Guitar Hall of Fame as one of the finest guitars in the history of the instrument. While models such as the Gibson ES-150 Charlie Christian, Fender Broadcaster, and Gibson ES-335 have achieved recognition and are worthy of Hall of Fame status based on their innovative qualities and superb quality, the D’Angelico New Yorker is significant primarily due to its superb quality and aesthetic artistic appeal, rather than being an innovative instrument.
John D’Angelico’s reputation was based on producing superb-quality handmade instruments, rather than competing head-on with companies such as Gibson or Epiphone, which had factories capable of producing large quantities of guitars. While the Gibson company introduced many innovative new designs as well as very high-quality production-grade instruments, D’Angelico took the leading popular designs of his time and refined them into the most sophisticated handmade instruments available in his era. While D’Angelico’s instruments may not have been at the leading edge of design or technology, there’s no doubt his superb craftsmanship and fine sense of aesthetics raised his instruments to a level not obtainable in factory-made guitars.
D’Angelico was born in New York City in 1905. When he was nine years old, he was apprenticed to a granduncle who made violins, mandolins, and flat-top guitars. From early childhood, D’Angelico learned how to run an instrument building and repair shop from the ground up, and he opened his own shop in 1932 to make violins, mandolins, and archtop guitars. His earliest guitars were very closely modeled after the Gibson L-5; the peghead shape was virtually identical. Although the bodies were typically ½" wider than the 16″ Gibson L-5 (measured across the lower bout at its widest point) of the time, D’Angelico’s early instruments were virtually identical in appearance to the L-5, with the exception of the peghead inlay. What set his instruments apart from his competitors was their superb quality, rather than radical new design.
When Gibson introduced the 18″ Super 400 and the 17″ Advanced L-5, L-7, L-10, and L-12 in late ’34, D’Angelico followed Gibson’s lead. His 17″ Excel was closely modeled after Gibson’s L-5 in size and shape, although it differed in ornamentation, and his 18″ New Yorker was very strongly influenced by the Super 400. The 18″ body, split-block fingerboard inlays, X-pattern bracing, and the art deco ornamentation of the New Yorker were not introduced until after Gibson had introduced these concepts with the Super 400. But D’Angelico clearly took the concept to a new plateau with his superb craftsmanship and fine sense of aesthetics.
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In ’39, Gibson introduced an optional natural blond finish, and cutaway models. D’Angelico followed soon afterward, offering blond finishes as an option. Although there are very few cutaway D’Angelicos until the ’50s, from the mid ’50s until his death on September 1, 1964, the bulk of his production was cutaway models.
Although D’Angelico had a standard line consisting of his top model, the New Yorker, as well as the 17″ Excel, the 17″ style B (roughly equivalent to Gibson’s L-10 or L-12), and the 17″ style A (roughly equivalent to Gibson’s L-7), his instruments were usually built on custom order. While the vast majority of D’Angelico guitars conform to the normal ornamental specifications of his primary four models, neck sizes differ considerably according to individual musician’s requests and the maker varied top thickness and other specifications in his efforts to produce the tone requested by individual musicians. Late in his life, he concentrated primarily on the 18″ New Yorker cutaway, a similarly ornamented 17″ New Yorker Special, and the cutaway 17″ Excel.
D’Angelico left a legacy of over 1,100 guitars and an estimated mandolin production of 300 to 350 instruments. In addition, he did a considerable volume of repair and custom work on such a variety of brand-name instruments that there are now Gibson and Epiphone guitars with D’Angelico necks. He even built one of the first extended-length five-string banjo necks for Pete Seeger.
While collectors today view D’Angelico instruments with awe and pay premium prices for them, in his lifetime, D’Angelico charged little more than the retail list price for an equivalent Gibson instrument. To bolster his income, he did repairs and even orders as oddball as a gun-shaped solidbody eight-string tenor electric. At the time of his death, archtop acoustic guitars were not nearly as popular as they had been when he first went into business. Unlike his apprentice, James D’Aquisto, D’Angelico did not live to see the reemergence of the archtop jazz guitar as an icon of American culture and a highly prized, expensive collectible.
This article originally appeared in VG March 2000 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
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Click to enlarge. Photos: William Ritter. Instrument courtesy of George Gruhn.
The earliest origins of the 12-string guitar in America remain murky, but it’s likely the idea originated with immigrants from Italy and Mexico; both countries have a long history of instruments with double-string courses – the mandolin, tiple, and many versions of the Mexican guitar being great examples.
By the turn of the 20th century, Oscar Schmidt and Lyon & Healy were building 12-string guitars, the earliest marketed as “Mexican Style” – 12-strings with a longer scale (26″) and tuned three half-steps lower than standard pitch.
Neither Gibson nor Martin produced a 12-string guitar until the 1960s, probably because there was a small potential market for the instrument. Blues musicians like Leadbelly and Blind Willie McTell used 12-string flat-tops in the ’20s, but by the mid ’30s, the 12-string form had fallen into relative obscurity and would remain so until the folk-music boom of the late ’50s/early ’60s. Pete Seeger used a long scale/low-tuned 12-string jumbo flat-top and in ’63, when the Rooftop Singers recorded “Walk Right In” using two ’61 Gibson B-45-12s, the form rose in popularity and public demand increased considerably. That interest prompted Martin and Guild to start making 12-strings.
Gibson introduced the B-45-12 in ’61 as a 14-fret slope-shouldered dreadnought, and by late ’62 shifted it to a square shoulders. Guild followed in ’64 with the F-212 and F-312 – both 14-fret jumbos with lower bouts measuring 16″ and 157/8", respectively. Martin then launched the 12-fret/slope-shouldered D-12-20 (’64) and D-12-35 (’65). By ’66, Gibson, Martin, and Guild were producing 12-strings with commercial success, but none with 17″/jumbo bodies.
Guild used double truss rods in many of their 12-string guitars, thus necessitating the large truss rod cover seen here.
Also in ’66, Carlo Greco, the foreman in Guild’s woodshop, started building prototype jumbo flat-top 12-strings. By the end of ’67, they were being sold as the F-412 Special, a small batch of which were given Brazilian-rosewood back and sides – some solid, others arched and laminated like the F-512. There were also examples of the F-412 with maple back and sides. At this time, the rosewood-bodied jumbo 12s were renamed F-512s. Until 1974, the F-412 and F-512 were available only by special order, and Guild did not keep records of special orders.
While F-412s manufactured between ’68 and ’74 were relatively consistent in specifications, F-512s of the period were not. Only 23 were made from ’68 to ’69 and they typically had back and sides made with solid Brazilian rosewood along with DeLuxe fingerboard inlays. Those made after ’72 typically had Indian rosewood back and sides and block-pearl inlays with abalone center wedges. Those made after ’69 and before ’72 were consistently inconsistent. The period was particularly experimental for Guild, since the company had just moved from Hoboken, New Jersey to Westerly, Rhode Island; with the larger factory came the freedom for new designs and experimentation.
The F-512 you see here is no ordinary example. Made in late 1970, it does not conform to the specs of the catalog version. While most F-512s had three piece necks made of mahogany or padouk with maple center strips, this guitar has a one-piece mahogany neck with a stacked heel. Additionally, it has a mahogany veneer on the back of the peghead – a feature primarily seen on high-end Guild classical Mark series guitars from the era. The fingerboard has fancy “DeLuxe” German pearl fingerboard inlays rather than the block pearl with abalone center wedges seen on later F-512 models. Lastly, this guitar has Brazilian rosewood back and sides, with the back being arched, laminated, and without interior bracing.
This 1970 Guild F-512 deviates from standard specs for the model with a one-piece mahogany neck and a stacked heel. The laminated Brazilian rosewood used in the back of this Guild F-512 is arched without the use of interior braces.The “DeLuxe” German pearl fingerboard inlays were atypical of later F-512 models.
Regarding the stacked neck heel, Carlo Greco built a number of necks for Guild classical Mark VI and Mark VII guitars using this same construction and design, and may also have experimented with the concept on a few flat-tops. According to Guild expert Hans Moust, author of The Guild Guitar Book: The Company and the Instruments, 1952-1977, the stacked heel was “an effort to make more efficient use of the wood necessary to make a neck.”
Moust notes that stacked heels were used on other F-512 (and F-50) models of the same period, but the practice of building the heel from various blocks was not continued.
American production of acoustic guitars was impacted significantly in 1969, when Brazil placed an embargo on logs of Brazilian rosewood. Because Guild, Martin, and Gibson were accustomed to buying logs from Brazil and having them quartersawn in the U.S., the embargo forced the companies to purchase logs elsewhere, initiating the switch from Brazilian to Indian rosewood. This F-512 is likely one of the last guitars Guild made with Brazilian rosewood back and sides, and by that time, it was laminating the wood rather than using it in its solid form.
While modern musicians more often equate the 12-string with manufacturers like Taylor and Martin, the F-512 remains one of the most iconic. When it became available in 1974, it played an important role in sustaining the popularity of the instrument among folk musicians, rock musicians, and singer/songwriters into the late ’70s. Artists as diverse as Pete Townsend, Brian May, Tim Buckley, John Denver, and Dan Fogelberg have all used them in live performance and in the recording studio. The current revival of the 12-string makes this F-512 even more historically significant, as it shows evolution in the model and its unique features are appealing to players and collectors alike.
This article originally appeared in VG November 2016 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
With 14 frets clear of the body, f-shaped sound holes, parallel tone-bar bracing, and tap-tuned tops and backs, the Master Model L-5 was unlike any other Gibson guitar. Photos: William Ritter. Instrument courtesy of George Gruhn.
While the Gibson L-5 and F-5 are today recognized as visionary stringed-instrument designs, when introduced as part of the Master Model line in 1922, they incurred vastly increased production costs and lacked a viable market, thus creating an enormous fiscal drag on the company.
Most historians associate Gibson’s creation of the Master Model instruments with Lloyd A. Loar (1886-1943), perhaps the first acoustical engineer to work at a musical-instrument manufacturing company. During his tenure (June ’19 to December ’24) Loar was indeed a catalyst for the Master Model concept, designing innovations that changed stringed instruments. However, it was the influence, vision, and support of general manager Lewis A. Williams (1878-1951) that brought Loar’s designs to fruition.
Beginning in 1902, Williams led Gibson through the innovative marketing of Orville Gibson’s mandolin design, with shallower bodies made possible through violin-like carved tops and backs. These were easier to hold, had a radical new look, and produced more volume, projection, and better tone than their bowl-back predecessors. The mandolin was also relatively easy to learn, and because it’s tuned the same as a violin, a ready supply of classical and popular sheet music could be used without rearrangement or transposition.
During the first two decades of the 20th century, the popularity of the mandolin soared and Gibson sales increased proportionally. Gibson promoted the creation of mandolin “orchestras” with the addition of familial instruments like the mandola, mando-cello, and mando-bass to reproduce the viola, cello, and bass viol parts of a regular orchestra. As the result of these factors and with aggressive inspired marketing, Williams and Gibson dominated the mandolin market in its bullish period.
But the boom did not last.
By 1924, Cremona Brown on Master Models was considerably darker, as seen on this L-5.
By the end of the second decade of the 20th century, the American psyche would undergo tremendous change. U.S. participation in World War I began in 1917 and produced casualties on a scale previously unimaginable. Soldiers returned with bodies and minds maimed in ways unlike anything in history. And while the war raged in Europe, the influenza pandemic of 1918 killed more than half a million Americans at home (along with three percent of the population worldwide), making it the deadliest recorded natural disaster in human history.
By 1920, the genteel Edwardian era that had embraced the mandolin was a thing of the past and the coming decade would bring a harder, faster society, one in which life was lived in the moment. It was to be the age of Dixieland and Jazz music, a time in which the mandolin would play a radically diminished role.
The sharp decline in mandolin interest can be graphically demonstrated by looking at Gibson production. Exact figures do not exist, but can be estimated based on reconstructed serial number lists. In the final year of the war (1919), Gibson manufactured about 7,000 mandolin-family instruments. In 1920, production dropped to around 6,000; by ’21, only 3,800 instruments shipped, and in ’25 the count dropped below 2,000. The mandolin would never again be produced by Gibson in large numbers.
But Williams didn’t get the message. Or even worse, he deliberately ignored the obvious signs and instead hired his friend Lloyd Loar in June of 1919 to help Gibson produce a line of newer, better instruments based on Loar’s ideas about tap-tuning and air-chamber resonances.
They began with the mandolin and, after three years of development, produced a truly superior instrument with parallel bracing, tuned top and back, and f-shaped sound holes instead of a single oval. The first Master Model F-5 probably reached the shipping department mid-year and appeared on the Gibson dealer price list in August.
The Cremona Brown sunburst used on Master Model instruments was the invention of Fred Miller, foreman of the finishing department. It was first used on select F-4 models in January of 1921.
Unlike other Gibson instruments, the Master Models had a Loar signature label stating that “the top, back, tone-bars and air-chamber of this instrument were tested, tuned and the assembled instrument tried and approved.” Loar dated labels and signed his name as the “Acoustic Engineer.” It would be tempting to think he personally approved each Master Model, but this seems unlikely.
Loar’s research and design work alone were not enough to justify his salary, so he also was required to serve as credit manager, production manager, purchasing officer, and supervisor of the repair department. Each July and August, he toured as a concert performer. During this time, he also received a master’s degree in music. So, he could not possibly have had time to personally test every Master Model.
If the F-5 had been introduced before 1917, there’s little doubt it would have been a triumph, but by ’22 there was simply no viable market for it, especially when factoring cost of development. At an initial list price of $200 ($250 in ’23), they were far too expensive for entry-level/amateur musicians, leaving a small number of professional classical players as a possible niche. After the initial orders were filled in ’22, Gibson had a difficult time selling them. Eventually, it resorted to placing instruments with teacher-agents on a trial basis, hoping they or their students would be impressed. This strategy had little success and many were returned to the factory.
Between 1922 and ’24, an estimated 250 Loar-signed Master Model F-5 mandos were made. The last didn’t clear inventory until ’26; their lackluster reception and public disinterest may be gleaned from an ad placed in the October ’31 issue of The Crescendo magazine, which offered, “Gibson F-5 artist mandolin and square case, cannot be told from new, cost new with case $288, sell for $110.” Even promoting the 62 percent discount, the ad appeared for many months.
Some F-5 mandos had one-piece backs, others (like this) example had two. The earliest had three-piece necks, but by 1923, they were one piece.
Like the F-5, the Master Model L-5 guitar had a carved and tuned top, f holes like a violin, and parallel top bracing. It also had 14 frets clear of the body. It has often been said that Martin was the first to bring the 14-fret neck to production guitars, at the behest of banjoist Perry Bechtel. However, Gibson produced the L-5 with 14 frets clear of the body from 1922 onward (including the four earliest examples in shipping ledgers). Beyond that, the Gibson style O guitar had 15 frets clear of the body even earlier. There’s little doubt that Bechtel saw an L-5 and simply made a suggestion to Martin.
The L-5 first appeared in dealer price lists in January of ’24, and in the following eight years, approximately 200 were built, accounting for less than .2 percent of Gibson’s output over that period. It did not help that, at $275 (without a case), it was prohibitively expensive. Compared to the Martin 000-45 ($170 in ’26) or OM-45 ($180 in 1930), the price seems outrageous. Multiply by an inflation-adjustment factor of 50 or 60, and today the L-5 would retail new for $14,000 to $16,000.
One indicator of success for any high-quality instrument is the time required before the manufacturer releases a less-expensive version. In the case of the L-5, it took seven years for Gibson to create the L-10 (released in November of ’31) as a more-accessible f-hole archtop. It’s tempting to say the L-10 ($175 without the case) and others that followed in ’32 – the L-12 (priced at $200) and L-50 ($50) – were a response to increasing popularity of the L-5 or even an attempt to bring lesser-priced product to market in a failing economy. However, it’s far more likely they were a response to the threat of competition. In June of ’31, Epiphone brought nine new archtops to market, the largest being 163/8” wide – bigger than the L-5. Gibson countered with three models in late ’31/early ’32 and then, to be certain they had control of the market, in ’34 they “advanced” the 16″ archtops by making them an inch wider. By ’34, Gibson had built more than 100 L-10s, about 60 L-12s, and more than 300 L-5s, trampling the previous 10 years of its f-hole archtop production in a fraction of the time.
The change in attitude may well be attributable to the rise in popularity of Salvatore Massaro, known professionally as Eddie Lang, whose compositions are still widely studied today as prototype jazz on the guitar. As early as 1927, he was recording jazz solos with Bix Beiderbecke and by ’29 in the Paul Whiteman Orchestra with singer Bing Crosby. He made audio recordings with jazz violinist Joe Venuti, blues man Lonnie Johnson, and fellow jazz guitarist Carl Kress that were very popular at the time. Later, Django Reinhardt and Les Paul were strongly influenced by him.
At first, Lang played a short-necked Gibson L-4, but in the mid/late ’20s switched to the L-5, raising the profile of the instrument through his records, radio, movies, and personal appearances. Lang performed on at least two L-5s before his untimely death in 1933 following a tonsillectomy. No matter how brief his career, his choice of the L-5 influenced many musicians.
While the popularity of archtops steadily increased in the ’30s, the same could not be said for the mandolin. Gibson produced fewer and fewer in the ’30s, and F-5 production ceased altogether during World War II. In the late ’40s and early ’50s, a limited number were produced, including a substantially modified F-5 that superficially resembled the first Master Models but was not highly regarded. It remained for country musician Bill Monroe to bring the pre-war Master Model F-5 mando to prominence in the mid/late ’40s.
Early in his career, Monroe played an F-7. Circa 1940, he was performing in Miami when he spotted a ’23 F-5 in a barber shop and purchased it for $125. While he did not know he was purchasing a Loar-signed instrument, he did notice its volume allowed him to take solos that could be heard in a group with five-string banjo. Plus, its longer neck allowed him to create a closed-chord “chop-style” rhythm similar to the comping technique used by jazz guitarists on the L-5 in orchestral situations.
Loar-signed labels for use in the Master Model instruments on at least 35 separate occasions.
The instrument changed Monroe’s playing style; had he found an F-5 from the later ’30s or ’40s, his style would not have evolved as it did because F-5s from the later period lack what would come to be known as the “bluegrass bark.” As the popularity of Monroe’s bluegrass music increased in the ’60s, so did the demand for Loar-signed F-5s.
There were other Master Model instruments that did not find commercial success. The H-5 mandola, K-5 mando-cello, and TL tenor lute guitar were all created at the same time but never found a niche and have since been relegated to obscurity. Loar also worked on the development of a banjo, but most of his ideas eventually proved to be impractical. The name “Mastertone” was first applied to Gibson banjos during this time, perhaps linked to employees’ respect for “Master” Loar.
Neither of the men responsible for creating the Master Models lived to see the full success of their ideas. Following months of poor financial performance, Williams tendered his resignation in October of 1923, and died in Los Angeles in 1951, following a string of failed business attempts. Late in ’23, new manager Harry Ferris began to correct finances at Gibson, and Loar struggled to find a place in the new regime. In December of ’24, he accepted a teaching position at Northwestern University and left Gibson. Loar briefly partnered with Williams in November of ’33 to create Vivi-Tone instrument manufacturing, but it was not a success. Loar died in Chicago in 1943.
The Master Model label documented model name and serial number, as well as the guarantee.
Because of Eddie Lang and Bill Monroe, the L-5 and F-5 Master Models would find larger audiences and wider acceptance in the last half of the 20th century. Today, both remain in production and have seen development of many derivatives. More importantly, both continue to occupy roles in popular music.
The F-5 and L-5 Master Models were created too late to be part of the mandolin orchestra and too early for the role they’d play in forming jazz and bluegrass music. For Williams, Loar, and the Gibson workforce, vindication was delayed for years, but their influence changed music.
This article originally appeared in VG October 2016 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
The Stromberg Master 400, measuring a gigantic 19″, is considered by many to be the ultimate orchestral rhythm guitar. The instrument of choice for Freddy Green with the Count Basie Orchestra and other players who needed the ultimate in power and projection to cut through a brass band or full orchestra without the benefit of electronic amplification. From 1940 onward, Stromberg’s top models, the 17 1/8" (measured across the lower bout) Deluxe and 19″ Master 300 and Master 400, featured one diagonal brace on the underside of the top. These guitars are among the most sought-after of all rhythm guitars, and possess a sound of their own, epitomized by a power and projection unsurpassed by any other archtop acoustic.
Stromberg guitars are exceedingly scarce. Charles Stromberg and his son, Elmer, worked alone in a small shop in Boston. They started building guitars in the early 1930s, about the same time as D’Angelico. But while D’Angelico produced approximately 1,100 guitars in his lifetime, Stromberg serial numbers only run up to 636 (a G-5 cutaway model finished at the time of Elmer’s death), but they appear to start at about 300.
Prior to producing guitars, Charles made drums and banjos. Higher-grade Stromberg tenor banjos are very fine instruments with a distinct Stromberg Marimba-Tone sound quality, and fancy ornamentation. While these banjos are valuable, the Stromberg reputation today is based primarily on guitars.
Early Strombergs employ pressed arched tops with two parallel top braces running lengthwise, transverse cross braces, and they have laminated backs and sides. The F holes on early models are three-piece, similar to the hole/slot/hole design used on early Epiphones. Makers such as Gibson, Epiphone, and D’Angelico were producing guitars with carved tops and backs, and all solid wood. It’s remarkable that a hand-builder such as Stromberg was using pressed tops and laminated backs in much the same manner as Kay or Harmony. But the tonal quality of early Strombergs, while not equal to their later productions, is so good that these instruments are still highly sought by collectors.
Click image to enlarge.
Starting about 1940, Stromberg instruments went through radical design changes such that those produced from that time onward are notably different from earlier examples. The three-piece F holes were replaced by one-piece F holes and the tops were carved and graduated rather than pressed. The earliest examples with the one-piece F holes have two parallel top braces, but shortly thereafter the top models featured one diagonal brace. At least one Master 300 model, with a serial number in the mid 480s, has parallel top braces. The earliest diagonal-braced Stromberg I’m aware of is Master 300 serial number 497 with one diagonal brace. Serial number 498 is a Master 400 in natural finish with one diagonal brace, and serial number 500 is another diagonally braced Master 400. 501 is a diagonally braced Master 300. At about the same time, Stromberg introduced an adjustable truss rod in the neck with the adjustment nut located under the removable bone string nut.
The Master 400 pictured here (SN 503) is typical of the period, with a 19″ body, carved top, with one diagonal brace, one-piece F holes, and pearl inlay on the peghead rather than the plastic engraved-and-painted peghead veneer with beveled edges used on earlier and later model Strombergs. This inlaid peghead was used only briefly on top-of-the-line Strombergs. At the time this guitar was made, though the top construction had evolved to being carved and graduated with one diagonal brace, the back and sides were still made in Stromberg’s earlier-style construction, since they are laminated rather than solid. Strombergs made shortly after this guitar feature carved graduated backs and tops, but the sound of this guitar is remarkably similar to those with the carved backs.
Master 400 number 498 also has laminated back and sides, so it’s reasonable to assume this was standard construction at this time; the serial number of the first Stromberg to feature a solid-wood carved and graduated back would likely have been during (or not long after) 1940. But even after 1940, and quite late into his career, Stromberg used laminated backs on an almost random basis, such that some guitars from the same period have laminated backs, while others have solid backs.
Unfortunately, Stromberg left virtually nothing in the way of written records, making it exceedingly difficult to know exactly what roles were played by Charles and Elmer, but their customers recall that Charles was primarily involved with drums and banjos while Elmer was the primary guitar builder. In fact, the radical change in construction was likely the result of Elmer taking over production.
Unfortunately, Charles and Elmer died within a few months of each other in 1955, so the “golden age” of Stromberg guitars lasted only 15 years, during which time only about 150 guitars were made. Few were the top model Master 300 and Master 400. Of these, only a fraction were cutaway models. Stromberg’s greatest reputation was for orchestral rhythm guitars. The exceedingly scarce cutaway Strombergs are superb instruments and are among the most valuable of all vintage archtop guitars. Interestingly, the cutaway Master 400s measured 18 ½", while the non-cutaway version was 19″.
While Stromberg guitars exhibit very fine craftsmanship, their binding, inlay, and finish work is not as slick and smooth as many modern makers. While Stromberg did pay attention to cosmetics, its guitars were designed to be working tools rather than strictly pieces of art. While many modern makers are rather obsessive about cosmetics, Stromberg was much more in the tradition of early violin makers, for whom it was acceptable to have a few visible chisel marks and asymmetry in work, as long as the end result showed artistic character and combined superb sound with great playability.
Stromberg guitars produced from 1940 onward are very innovative instruments. No maker before or since has produced archtop guitars with one diagonal brace on the top. Many have made parallel-braced or X-braced archtops. Most modern archtop makers have strived for smooth, mellow sound with good sustain suitable for studio use, whereas Stromberg aimed for a more percussive sound with great projection, specifically to cut through a band or orchestra. For this purpose, not only are Strombergs unsurpassed, but no other maker has even come close. They don’t pretend to be solo lead guitars or “modern jazz” instruments, nor are they ideal instruments to be fitted with a pickup. They are superb acoustic projection machines, but they seem to fight amplification. Just as a Mac truck and a Ferrari are both superb for their intended function, but are clearly not interchangeable, a Stromberg guitar does not make any pretense of being a multi-purpose instrument. For its intended function, though, the Master 400 is unsurpassed.
This article originally appeared in VG December 2004 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
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It has often been said that today’s Martin guitars are direct descendants of the instruments made in Vienna by Johan Georg Stauffer, whose apprentices included one C.F. Martin, Sr.
It is indeed true that about 25 percent of the earliest Martins labeled with the New York address (made after he moved from Germany in 1833) look virtually identical to Stauffer instruments, with a peghead having six tuners on a side, German-made gears, hourglass-shaped body with upper bout almost as wide as the lower, simple bracing without a fan or X pattern, three-piece necks with a cone-shaped heel grafted to the neck, and a grafted peghead with V-shaped joint.
This 1830s guitar, the earliest known Martin, shows the influence of Stauffer’s style on C.F. Martin in elements like six-on-a-side tuners, body shape, and pin-type bridge. Less-apparent features like ladder bracing and key-operated neck adjustment were similarly German-derived.
According to Martin historian Greig Hutton, another 25 percent had tuners on both sides of the peghead and the remaining 50 percent had friction pegs. These early guitars were given paper labels as well as Martin’s burned-in logo, and their Stauffer-designed bridges were more elaborately shaped than Martin’s later rectangle. The use of bridge pins for attaching strings was also Viennese/German in origin.
In late 1837, influential Spanish-style New York guitarist/music teacher John Coupa became a customer of C.F. Martin, Sr. In March of 1840, that relationship became a business venture. At the time, high-quality guitars were not viewed as folk instruments, but were played by those aspiring to learn classical compositions such as those of Fernando Sor. Beginning in the late 1830s, a number of talented Spanish performers toured the United States and were influential in the New York guitar scene. One notable artist was Madame DeGoni; in 1843, Martin made a guitar for her with Spanish design concepts including the diamond-shaped volute and squared peghead seen today as typical Martin. It’s also the earliest datable Martin guitar with X-bracing – believed to be a C.F. Martin innovation. Spanish guitars had a peghead graft line which did not follow the contour of the volute, while Martin used the German-style V-shaped joint with the volute, rather than the Spanish technique, which was rather crude by comparison.
Martin also used a German-style dovetail joint for attaching the neck versus the Spanish heel design in which the neck block and neck itself were one piece, and sides which were inserted to the neck. He also adopted a Spanish-style body modeled after the guitars of Cadiz. The Spaniards tied the strings to the bridge rather than using pins, and Martin did likewise on a few guitars constructed between 1837 and 1840. These also used the fan-style top bracing. Hutton has proposed that Martin developed the X-bracing pattern by 1843 to open space near the bridge so drilling bridge pin holes would not damage the bracing. In any case, C.F. Martin soon returned to using bridge pins on all of his guitars.
An 1839 DeLorca (left) built in Malaga and 1853 Recio, made in Cadiz, are exemplary of Spanish guitars that influenced C.F. Martin when he built the Martin & Coupa guitar (right) after he arrived in New York City. Its body shape, squared peghead, three-on-a-side tuners, tie-on bridge, and fan-style bracing became features of Martin’s work at the time.The back of the Martin & Coupa from 1841-’43 shows many features of modern Martin instruments, including the diamond-shaped volute and squared peghead.
What is notable is that in a period of five or six years, C.F. Martin experienced a creative burst during which the design of his instruments shifted from a Stauffer style to a design strongly influenced by Spaniards. Specifically, the squared peghead, heel shape, Cadiz body shape, and three-ring sound hole rosette and other ornamental features. Remarkably little remained of the Stauffer design – bridge pins, the graft for the peghead, and dovetail neck attachment.
But not all of the innovations on the 1843 guitar made for Madame DeGoni were copied. The DeGoni is quite different from the Spanish design and Martin’s workmanship was far neater than guitars made in Cadiz. However, the body shape, neck shape, and ornamental similarities are too much to be coincidence. Clearly, Martin had a radical turn in design concepts, and started producing guitars capable of putting forth far greater volume and dynamic range than his Stauffer-style instruments.
From the mid 1850s through the mid 1920s, Martin’s guitar designs evolved more slowly, the most notable difference being the gradual introduction of larger bodies. Martin customers continued to be primarily classical players, but the company was certainly swayed by musical trends – in the 1890s, the popularity of mandolins compelled Martin to produce bowlbacks, and its mandolin production during the early 20th century was as much, in some years more, than its guitar production.
The Hawaiian-music craze of the ’20s and early ’30s prompted the company to make ukuleles and steel-string Hawaiian-style guitars – ukes in greater quantities though the majority don’t have serial numbers, so it’s difficult to quantify. And, because ukes are small and fragile, relatively few survived, but they were an important source of income at the time.
Another creative burst in the late ’20s saw Martin introduce steel-string guitars with 14-fret necks, belly bridges, pickguards, and T-style frets (rather than the bar frets).
By late ’34, Martin guitars looked essentially the same as today, being direct descendants of those designed by C.F. Martin in the 1840s (the Spanish designs he copied were pre-Torres, of Cadiz).
Many years later, another great German maker, Hermann Hauser ,Sr., was strongly influenced by Spanish designs. Hauser had been making fine Stauffer-style guitars, but there was no great demand for them. In 1924, Hauser met classical guitarist Andre Segovia and built a copy of Segovia’s Ramirez. Unsatisfied with Hauser’s initial efforts, over the next decade, Segovia received increasingly better instruments based on that design until 1937, when he accepted the Hauser that he would use the rest of his life and describe as “the greatest guitar of our epoch.”
This success caused Hauser’s reputation to soar, and today, Spanish-design Hausers bring more than $100,000, whereas his Stauffer-design guitars, though they feature very fine workmanship, will typically sell for well under $10,000.
One crucial element in the history of the modern acoustic guitar hinges on how Martin and Hauser achieved the reputations they enjoy today only after each abandoned Stauffer designs.
This article originally appeared in VG September 2016 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Exactly when did C.F. Martin begin formally using the two-part system indicating size and level of ornamentation on his instruments? Nobody knows for certain.
The 0-28 shown here was built in 1887 with ivory friction pegs – surprisingly, the choice of professionals in the 19th century. Geared machine heads were available going back to the early 1800s, but generally disliked for their tendency to rattle and the time required to change a string on a guitar so equipped. Conversely, friction pegs allowed a player to quickly bring a replacement string to pitch. It’s also worth noting Martin’s solid peghead was obviously copied from Spanish guitars brought to the U.S. in the 19th century and seen by C.F. Martin, Sr. and John Coupa. The latter influenced Martin very much from 1837 onward.
