Martin 000-18NB "Norman Blake" signature Model #43 - Italian Spruce/ Mahogany - w/hsc --- $4599 List Price
Martin Guitars has well over a hundred different signature models that have been part of their production series over the years. Some of the most sought after signature guitars include famous bluegrass flatpickers like Clarence White, and Marty Stuart. Amongst the signature models are guitars that bear other such names like Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie and many more. This one has the signature of Norman Blake, one of the great legends of traditional music.
This is a Standard Martin "000" sized guitar with Mahogany back and sides and an Italian Spruce Top. It has an ebony fretboard, an ebony pyramid bridge, a bone nut, a bone saddle, a modified V Mahogany neck, and Custom Ivoroid Button Waverly tuning machines. It has very nice Tortoise trim around the body. It is quite different from other 000 style guitars because it is a 14-fret body style with a 12-fret neck. Needless to say it is a short scale, and has a large Pickguard instead of the standard Teardrop guard that comes on most small bodied guitars. The nut width is 1 13/16" and the scale length is 24.9".
This is a wonderful collectors guitar. Not only is it very unique in the way it plays and looks, it also has a rich traditional sound that is all its own. Each Martin Signature model has a limited run of each signature, and then it is retired. This guitar caught our eye once we noticed the specifications and we had to get one. Any fan of old time, acoustic, fiddle, celtic, or folk would definitely enjoy this guitar. For more information about this guitar visit the Olde Town Pickin' Parlor, or go to: