Built from 1918 to 1935, the C F Martin 0-18K is a small body Koa wood guitar intended for Hawaiian music, which was very popular at the time. Another very similar version, the 0-18KH (for Hawaiian) was built between 1927 and 1928. Based on the proven ‘parlor’ size 0 body, the 0-18K used Koa for the top, sides and back, Mahogany for the neck with an unbound Ebony fingerboard and Ebony bridge. At the time this example was built – likely around November 1930, given the serial number – straight Bar frets were still used.
Koa
The GS Mini-e Koa is built for tone, playability, portability, and durability. The top is solid Koa, but the sides and back are a 3-layer Koa laminate with a Poplar core, and this will help keep it stable in the varied temperature and humidity conditions guitars of this type are often subjected to. The neck is Sapele, with Ebony for the fingerboard and bridge, and the headstock has an overlay of Copaifera wood.
Continuing our Off The MAP sale – a new, old stock Taylor K14ce Koa from 2015, with cutaway Grand Auditorium body, with a Sitka Spruce top and Koa back and sides, full warranties and a huge discount. As a note, the photos you see in these postings are of the guitar offered for sale – no stock images are used. This sale applies to in-stock instruments only; when they’re gone, they’re gone!
This instrument has sold
MORE →The J-50 appeared in 1942 as a ‘higher grade’ version of the J-45 and the Gibson J-50 Koa is a slight variation, with Sitka Spruce top and Hawaiian Koa for the back and sides, and an Ebony fingerboard and bridge.
The primary difference between the J-45 and the J-50 is the use of visually higher graded woods, allowing the J-45’s sunburst to be replaced with the J-50’s natural top.
Here’s a wonderful piece of Canadian music history – a very good condition Greenfield Hawaiian Style 2 lap style guitar, built in Edmonton Alberta and dated to April 1930.
By the late 1950’s Gibson head Ted McCarty was looking for futuristic, fresh new designs, and in 1958 the radically different Gibson Explorer, Flying V and supremely rare Moderne made appearances. None were successful at the time – fewer than 50 Explorers were built over a few years and the Moderne didn’t make it past prototype. Both the Explorer and Flying V were officially discontinued in 1959.
This instrument has sold
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