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Martin D-45

January 28, 2023

The Martin D-45 is a steel-string acoustic guitar model made by C. F. Martin & Company. The model was manufactured from 1933 to 1942, and in a second production series since 1968. Martin originally made the guitar's sides and backs of Brazilian rosewood. Martins are ranked among the highest-quality, as well as among the most expensive guitars, and the D-45, regarded as one of the first "luxury guitars",[1] was listed in 2011 as the most valuable production-model guitar.[2]

Martin D-45
Gene Autry's original 1933 D-45, s/n 53177, photographed at the Autry National Center; one of only three pre-war D-45s with 12-fret neck (and longer body), all the remainder have 14-fret necks.
ManufacturerC. F. Martin & Company
Period1933–1942, 1968–present
Construction
Body typeSquare-shoulder dreadnought
Neck jointDovetail
Woods
BodySitka Spruce or Adirondack top
Rosewood back and sides
NeckMahogany
FretboardEbony
Hardware
BridgeEbony
Pickup(s)Optional L.R.Baggs Element Active
Colors available
Natural

History

First series, 1933-1942

Main article: List of original (pre-war) Martin D-45s

The first D-45 was a dreadnought guitar based on the Martin D-28 with luxury ornamentation (the "45" designation),[2] made especially for Gene Autry who, in 1933, ordered "the biggest, fanciest Martin he could."[3] This guitar is now encased in glass in the Gene Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, California.[4] The next year, Martin made one for Jackie "Kid" Moore, a "12-year-old singing cowboy from Milwaukee, Wisconsin."[5] These first two had a 12-fret neck; most others (except for the 6th, made in 1937) made afterward had a 14-fret neck.[6] Two more were made in 1936 and two again in 1937;[6] the D-45 wasn't catalogued until 1938.[7] Other versions included a D-45S (with a special neck, 1939) and a D-45L (left handed, 1940).[6] The D-45 was the top model of the dreadnought line,[8] which also included the D-28 and D-18 models, priced much lower.

In 1942, as a result of World War II, Martin officially ceased production of the D-45 (as well as other Martin models such as the archtops).[6] This first series of D-45's consisted of only 91 instruments.[1]

Second series, from 1968

 
David Crosby with his well travelled, second series Martin D-45, live in Belgium, 2018

The luxurious D-45 resembled the less ornate D-28 model enough to entice entrepreneurial guitar builders and craftsmen to modify the latter to look like the former by adding a pearl border and changing the stamps on the neck block, so they could sell them as the more expensive model. One of those craftsmen was Mike Longworth, a banjo player from Tennessee, who Martin hired specifically to bring the D-45 back. The new D-45, released in 1968, cost $1,200 and was the most expensive flat-top steel-string guitar made in the United States at the time. By 1969, Martin sold twice as many D-45s as during the entire 1933–1942 run; customers included David Crosby and Jimi Hendrix.[1] In 1971, a 12-string model was made,[1] and in 1973, another one.[6]

Longworth also designed a more affordable model, the D-41, making sure that the pearl inlays were done in such a way that the guitar could not be modified to look like a D-45.[1] Since 1968, Martin has produced a number of special versions, including the C.F. Martin Sr. Commemorative D-45 (200 guitars in 1996) and the C.F. Martin Sr. Deluxe D-45 (91 guitars in 1996).[6]

Post-1968 models, selection

  • D-45S (with 12-fret neck and slotted peghead, similar to 1936 models, 1969-1993)[6]
  • SD12-45 (12-string, two made in 1971 and 1973)[6]
  • D-45LE (with hexagonal outlines, 1987)[6]
  • D-45 Deluxe (with upgraded binding, inlays, etc., 1993)[6]
  • D-45 Gene Autry (12-fret neck, "Gene Autry" on fingerboard, 1994)[6]
  • D-45SS (Stephen Stills signature model, based on Stills' 1939 model, 1999)[6]
  • D-45 Celtic Knot
  • D-45 Golden Era
  • D-45 Authentic

Value

Models produced between 1933 and 1942 (also referred to as "pre-war Martins") are among the most expensive production-model guitars ever made. A listing for $135,000 was noted in a 2005 publication,[9] and in 2011, a Vintage Guitar ranking of valuable guitars saw the D-45 (models made between 1936 and 1942) in first place, worth between $250,000 and $400,000.[2] George Gruhn remarked that pre-war D-45s fetch "more than 20 times as much as a recent issue D-45, even though there is relatively little difference in design."[10][11]

Notable owners

See also

References

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Martin D-45.
Notes
  1. ^ a b c d e Johnston p. 116–17.
  2. ^ a b c Greenwood 38.
  3. ^ Johnston pp. 82–83.
  4. ^ Boak p. 7.
  5. ^ Soros.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Gruhn p. 450.
  7. ^ Gruhn p. 421.
  8. ^ Bacon p. 12.
  9. ^ Brookes 274-75.
  10. ^ "Martin d45 d-28 hd-28 copy dreadnought acoustic guitar". Music Gear. Tamer Lorin. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  11. ^ Gruhn p. 7.
  12. ^ "The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum-Marty Stuart's D-45".
  13. ^ Boak p. 23.
  14. ^ Schiller p. 180
  15. ^ Gulla p. 243.
  16. ^ "Gabor Szabo's Equipment".
  17. ^ http://www.jamestaylor.com/biography/
Bibliography
  • Bacon, Tony; Dave Burrluck; Paul Day; Michael Wright (2000). Electric Guitars: The Illustrated Encyclopedia. Thunder Bay. ISBN 978-1-57145-281-8.
  • Boak, Dick; Steve Miller (2003). Martin Guitar Masterpieces: A Showcase of Artists' Editions, Limited Editions, and Custom Guitars. Hachette Digital. ISBN 978-0-8212-2835-7.
  • Brookes, Tim (2005). Guitar: an American life. Grove Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-1796-0.
  • Greenwood, Alan; Gil Hembree (April 2011). "25 Most Valuable Guitars". Vintage Guitar. pp. 38–40.
  • Gruhn, George; Walter Carter (1999). Gruhn's guide to vintage guitars: an identification guide for American fretted instruments. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-0-87930-422-5.
  • Gulla, Bob (2009). Guitar Gods: The 25 Players who Made Rock History. ABC_CLIO. ISBN 9780313358067.
  • Johnston, Richard; Dick Boak; Mike Longworth (2008). Martin guitars: a history, Book 1. Music Dispatch. ISBN 978-0-634-03785-6.
  • Schiller, David (2008). Guitars: A Celebration of Pure Mojo. Workman. ISBN 9780761138006.
  • Soros, Bianca (December 1999). "Great Acoustics -- Jackie Kid Moore's 1934 D-45". TheMOMI.org. Retrieved 15 February 2011.

January 28, 2023
martin, this, article, uses, bare, urls, which, uninformative, vulnerable, link, please, consider, converting, them, full, citations, ensure, article, remains, verifiable, maintains, consistent, citation, style, several, templates, tools, available, assist, fo. This article uses bare URLs which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting such as Reflinks documentation reFill documentation and Citation bot documentation August 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Martin D 45 is a steel string acoustic guitar model made by C F Martin amp Company The model was manufactured from 1933 to 1942 and in a second production series since 1968 Martin originally made the guitar s sides and backs of Brazilian rosewood Martins are ranked among the highest quality as well as among the most expensive guitars and the D 45 regarded as one of the first luxury guitars 1 was listed in 2011 as the most valuable production model guitar 2 Martin D 45Gene Autry s original 1933 D 45 s n 53177 photographed at the Autry National Center one of only three pre war D 45s with 12 fret neck and longer body all the remainder have 14 fret necks ManufacturerC F Martin amp CompanyPeriod1933 1942 1968 presentConstructionBody typeSquare shoulder dreadnoughtNeck jointDovetailWoodsBodySitka Spruce or Adirondack top Rosewood back and sidesNeckMahoganyFretboardEbonyHardwareBridgeEbonyPickup s Optional L R Baggs Element ActiveColors availableNatural Contents 1 History 1 1 First series 1933 1942 1 2 Second series from 1968 1 2 1 Post 1968 models selection 2 Value 3 Notable owners 4 See also 5 ReferencesHistory EditFirst series 1933 1942 Edit Main article List of original pre war Martin D 45s The first D 45 was a dreadnought guitar based on the Martin D 28 with luxury ornamentation the 45 designation 2 made especially for Gene Autry who in 1933 ordered the biggest fanciest Martin he could 3 This guitar is now encased in glass in the Gene Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles California 4 The next year Martin made one for Jackie Kid Moore a 12 year old singing cowboy from Milwaukee Wisconsin 5 These first two had a 12 fret neck most others except for the 6th made in 1937 made afterward had a 14 fret neck 6 Two more were made in 1936 and two again in 1937 6 the D 45 wasn t catalogued until 1938 7 Other versions included a D 45S with a special neck 1939 and a D 45L left handed 1940 6 The D 45 was the top model of the dreadnought line 8 which also included the D 28 and D 18 models priced much lower In 1942 as a result of World War II Martin officially ceased production of the D 45 as well as other Martin models such as the archtops 6 This first series of D 45 s consisted of only 91 instruments 1 Second series from 1968 Edit David Crosby with his well travelled second series Martin D 45 live in Belgium 2018 The luxurious D 45 resembled the less ornate D 28 model enough to entice entrepreneurial guitar builders and craftsmen to modify the latter to look like the former by adding a pearl border and changing the stamps on the neck block so they could sell them as the more expensive model One of those craftsmen was Mike Longworth a banjo player from Tennessee who Martin hired specifically to bring the D 45 back The new D 45 released in 1968 cost 1 200 and was the most expensive flat top steel string guitar made in the United States at the time By 1969 Martin sold twice as many D 45s as during the entire 1933 1942 run customers included David Crosby and Jimi Hendrix 1 In 1971 a 12 string model was made 1 and in 1973 another one 6 Longworth also designed a more affordable model the D 41 making sure that the pearl inlays were done in such a way that the guitar could not be modified to look like a D 45 1 Since 1968 Martin has produced a number of special versions including the C F Martin Sr Commemorative D 45 200 guitars in 1996 and the C F Martin Sr Deluxe D 45 91 guitars in 1996 6 Post 1968 models selection Edit D 45S with 12 fret neck and slotted peghead similar to 1936 models 1969 1993 6 SD12 45 12 string two made in 1971 and 1973 6 D 45LE with hexagonal outlines 1987 6 D 45 Deluxe with upgraded binding inlays etc 1993 6 D 45 Gene Autry 12 fret neck Gene Autry on fingerboard 1994 6 D 45SS Stephen Stills signature model based on Stills 1939 model 1999 6 D 45 Celtic Knot D 45 Golden Era D 45 AuthenticValue EditModels produced between 1933 and 1942 also referred to as pre war Martins are among the most expensive production model guitars ever made A listing for 135 000 was noted in a 2005 publication 9 and in 2011 a Vintage Guitar ranking of valuable guitars saw the D 45 models made between 1936 and 1942 in first place worth between 250 000 and 400 000 2 George Gruhn remarked that pre war D 45s fetch more than 20 times as much as a recent issue D 45 even though there is relatively little difference in design 10 11 Notable owners EditDavid Crosby who owns three of these of them at least two are late 60s models Marty Stuart owns a D 45 previously owned by Hank Williams Jr who traded it to Johnny Cash who gave it to Stuart 12 claims that this guitar was once owned by Hank Williams Sr are refuted in that source Stephen Stills owns a 1939 D 45 6 Travis Tritt owns a custom D 45 13 Neil Young s D 45 14 is his principal acoustic guitar on which he wrote many songs including Old Man 15 Gabor Szabo played a D 45 as his primary instrument 16 James Taylor owns a custom D 45 17 John Mayer owns a D 45 and Martin makes a custom John Mayer D 45 Roger Waters owns a D 45 standardSee also EditList of original pre war Martin D 45sReferences Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Martin D 45 Notes a b c d e Johnston p 116 17 a b c Greenwood 38 Johnston pp 82 83 Boak p 7 Soros a b c d e f g h i j k l m Gruhn p 450 Gruhn p 421 Bacon p 12 Brookes 274 75 Martin d45 d 28 hd 28 copy dreadnought acoustic guitar Music Gear Tamer Lorin Retrieved 19 March 2015 Gruhn p 7 The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum Marty Stuart s D 45 Boak p 23 Schiller p 180 Gulla p 243 Gabor Szabo s Equipment http www jamestaylor com biography BibliographyBacon Tony Dave Burrluck Paul Day Michael Wright 2000 Electric Guitars The Illustrated Encyclopedia Thunder Bay ISBN 978 1 57145 281 8 Boak Dick Steve Miller 2003 Martin Guitar Masterpieces A Showcase of Artists Editions Limited Editions and Custom Guitars Hachette Digital ISBN 978 0 8212 2835 7 Brookes Tim 2005 Guitar an American life Grove Press ISBN 978 0 8021 1796 0 Greenwood Alan Gil Hembree April 2011 25 Most Valuable Guitars Vintage Guitar pp 38 40 Gruhn George Walter Carter 1999 Gruhn s guide to vintage guitars an identification guide for American fretted instruments Hal Leonard ISBN 978 0 87930 422 5 Gulla Bob 2009 Guitar Gods The 25 Players who Made Rock History ABC CLIO ISBN 9780313358067 Johnston Richard Dick Boak Mike Longworth 2008 Martin guitars a history Book 1 Music Dispatch ISBN 978 0 634 03785 6 Schiller David 2008 Guitars A Celebration of Pure Mojo Workman ISBN 9780761138006 Soros Bianca December 1999 Great Acoustics Jackie Kid Moore s 1934 D 45 TheMOMI org Retrieved 15 February 2011 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Martin D 45 amp oldid 1104354858, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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