This is a 1936 Martin D-18 with a shaded top – probably the cleanest one in the world. Shipping records show they shipped two shaded top guitars in ’36. The Martin ledger goes all the way back to before the American Civil War, which is pretty amazing. It’s possible that not all ‘dark tops’, as they were referred to in the Martin catalogue, were recorded being shipped as such, and some collectors estimate the figures to be higher. Even so, there aren’t many out there.
