All Martin guitars (except solidbody electrics from 1970s), basses, and tiples made since 1898 are numbered in one consecutive series. The guitar series begins with #8000, which was Martin's estimate of the total number of instruments made before 1898. One can go to the Martin website and look up any serial number to see the year it was built.
See your order even if you are not a registered user. Enter the order number and the billing address ZIP code. Order number. Order Email. Billing ZIP code. Check status. Login-Show controller of the Martin Guitars website.
The two serial number lists are here: The Martin Story - Serialnumberlist As a very rough guide, an Indiana with a serial number between 30,000 and 75,000 will be a 1950's Phase 3 model. Indiana Stencils Here is where my knowledge becomes even more sketchy and unreliable. The history of Olds stencils seems to be very confusing.
Folk music was hitting a peak in the popular consciousness and Martin guitars—like the stalwart D-18 and D-28 dreadnoughts—claimed a reputation as the essential tools of the genre. A simple glance at the Martin serial number chart shows that 4,642 guitars were built in 1960, with the total reaching 12,880 in 1967. Martin had a special custom-made display case fabricated to house the instrument for the show. #1,000,000 is definitely not for sale and will stay in the Martin Museum, but we do have the D-100 limited edition that is a very similar replica. Is serial number 1,000,000 the ultimate C.F. Martin guitar? An Index to Martin Instruments. The top portion of the chart assumes that Martin was in business prior to 1910. One estimate started the chart in 1902. Other information suggests that the Martin brothers were working at Conn in 1902. JH Martin Band Instruments was incorporated in 1904, and reorganized as Martin Band Instrument Co. in 1905. nvWG41m. 371 157 144 425 402 180 367 59 379

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