1994 Martin D-45 Brazilian Rosewood Acoustic Guitar – Used

Gryphon sold this D-45 thirty years ago when it was new, and it’s obvious the original owner had other guitars to play as this one could almost pass for New Old Stock! The “Brazil” ink stamp on the neck block, above the D-45 model code, is one we hadn’t seen previously, but Martin struggled to find the already-rare rosewood and how they marked them varies (Martin didn’t want to promise availability of Brazilian guitars with the exception of Limited Editions).

It would be impossible to find a cleaner example, and the Brazilian used for the back and sides is dark and bookmatched. Thanks to scalloped top bracing and a maple bridge plate this guitar will reward those who play it with impressive bass response and plenty of volume. Although there’s no actual surface wear, the original lacquer has settled nicely into the pores of the wood, resulting in a nice patina.

Of course Martin still offers Style 45 pearl bordering, but for many years the pearl work has been done with Abalam, pearl pieces laminated together and supplied in small sheets which are then laser cut to follow the contours of the guitar. This D-45, however, was done the old-fashioned way, using short strips cut from small pieces of the actual abalone shell. If you look closely, you can see the tiny pieces that were inlaid by hand, one by one, much as Martin had done it in the 1930s (and for decades before that).