Welcome to our shop! Please note that most of our online inventory is for sale on Reverb, on our independent website, and in our brick & mortar showroom in Canton, Georgia (Canton Music Shoppe), and are therefore subject to be sold elsewhere. We try our absolute best to make sure our inventory listings are updated across all platforms, but there is a tiny chance something you are seeing has been sold. If you have questions, please feel free to give us a call: (678) 493-0570
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This item is preowned / used, but tested in shop to be fully functional unless otherwise noted in the description. Any case, box, manuals, or accessories included will be either shown in the photos or mentioned specifically in the description. Otherwise, you can assume they are not included.
Note: This is a consignment item, and we therefore cannot accept returns or exchanges. Please carefully review the pictures and ask any and all questions you may have. We'd be happy to send additional pictures, or even do an in-hand review over the phone.
Description:
Up for sale is a vintage one-owner 1960 Martin 5-18 Terz Acoustic Guitar with its original chipboard case. It is on consignment from the original owner who acquired this guitar as a child in 1961. It also includes a printed copy of a 2003 email from Martin verifying its date of manufacture as October 17, 1960. Only 126 examples of the 5-18 were produced during 1960, making this a particularly scarce vintage Martin with documented provenance and a long single-owner history.
The 5-18 is Martin’s smallest traditional flat-top guitar, built around the company’s historic Size 5 "terz" body shape and scale length. Made popular by Marty Robbins and several other pickers from that era. It features a solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, a mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Its compact body, 12-fret neck joint and approximately 21.4" scale were originally intended for terz tuning (a minor third above E standard tuning) which gives the guitar a clear, focused voice with surprising projection for its size. It is currently set up in standard E-to-E tuning and plays comfortably there, but it also handles traditional terz tuning without issue.
This is a true one-owner instrument with extensive honest playwear from more than six decades of use. The owner remembers playing it with a bobby pin instead of a traditional guitar pick after he saw the Monkees playing electric guitar on TV. And that checks out becuase the finish shows numerous scratches, dings, dents, impressions and worn areas throughout. A couple of cracks have been professionally repaired and cleated. The lower bout shows some visible belly behind the bridge, but the internal bracing remains intact. It is definitely "player grade", but the guitar remains structurally stable, plays well and retains the lively, projecting voice these vintage Size 5 Martins are known for. Action is about 3/32" at the 9/10th fret on the bass side, and a bit lower on the treble side. Saddle is pretty low in the bridge slot, so nut much room for further adjustment, but it is playing comfortable in its currrent setup.
The included original chipboard case is in rough condition and should be viewed primarily as an important original accessory rather than a dependable shipping or everyday protective case. With only 126 examples made that year, its one-owner history and factory-supplied dating documentation, this is a very cool and unusual vintage Martin at a very affordable price!
Specs:
- Brand: Martin
- Model: 5-18
- Year: 1960
- Date of Manufacture: October 17, 1960
- Type: Terz Acoustic Guitar
- Body Shape: Martin Size 5, 12-Fret
- Top Wood: Solid Spruce
- Back & Sides: Solid Mahogany
- Neck Wood: Mahogany
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Bridge: Rosewood
- Scale Length: Approximately 21.4"
- Lower Bout Width: Approximately 11.25"
- Tuning: Currently Set Up in E Standard; Suitable for Traditional Terz Tuning
- Handedness: Right-handed
- Box & Accessories: Original chipboard case; 2003 Martin email verifying manufacture date
- Condition: Good, played vintage condition
- Test Notes: Two cracks professionally cleated; bracing intact; lower bout shows some belly; fully functional and playing properly
Every instrument we sell is fully tested in our shop to ensure reliable performance, and optimal setup. Fretted instruments receive a full pro setup with fresh strings, polished frets, optimal truss rod relief, dialed in string action height and precise intonation (when applicable). This one’s clean, plays we as-is in the condition as described, and is ready for the next player. If we are shipping it to you, trust that it will be packed securely and fully insured.
Domestic Shipping: for items not picked up in store, we are happy to ship them to your door! Most larger domestic packages ship UPS Ground fully insured. Smaller packages typically ship via USPS. We typically use brand new, high crush strength boxes and we pack very carefully. So, you can purchase with confidence that your item will arrive safely, and in the very rare cases where damage occurs we will work with the shipper to make it right.
International Shipping: we ship WORLDWIDE when we can (some countries have size limits for incoming packages). Please reach out for a shipping quote if you are interested in this item. Any shipping prices generated by our website, or by Reverb are just a placeholder so we can provide an accurate quote.
