MARTIN STYLE 45
Few flat-tops command the reverence of a Martin 45. Emerging in the early part of the 20th century and few in number, they are now some of the most collectible acoustic guitars known. Among them are the D-45s. These Dreadnoughts are to Martin what the ’Burst is to Gibson: a Holy Grail guitar worth hundreds of thousands of pounds valued not only in terms of scarcity and looks, but also on its merits as a playing instrument.
When ’Burst/rare guitar collector Andrew Raymond happened to show us this 1937 Martin 000-45 on a recent shoot, we thought we’d take the opportunity to perform some close-up camerawork and bring our readers a little nearer to what Martin still considers to be the apex of flat-tops.
“A beautiful guitar both in tone and in appearance,” reads the 000-45 entry in Martin’s 1937 catalogue. While the website today, declares: “It’s the perfect guitar for any discerning collector or musician. Nothing says you’ve arrived like a D-45.” It seems the decades have done little to dampen the lustre of these artful instruments or quell the lust of collectors and players.
“We have a pre-war D-45 that’s part of our museum collection,” begins Martin’s museum and archives specialist, Jason Ahner. “And on
