This Instrument came to me as a C.F.Martin F-1 archtop guitar built in 1940. The arched top was in bad shape so the idea occured to take off the arched top  and replace it with an adirondak prewar-style top with forward shifted, scalloped x-bracing and create a  jumbo flat-top guitar with old-growth honduran mahagoni back and sides. Stefan Zirnbauer from Munich Repair Shop had already converted two of my guitars from arch – to flattop before , so he was pretty experienced. I thought we should convert this realy rare model in a barritone-guitar. We could not use the old neck for that purpose and Stefan had to create a completely new neck which turned out to be nearly 7cmlonger than the original one. To keep the optical balance between body bridge and neck and because we did not want to move the bridge back for any reason, the neck would have to give room for 16 frets to the body and 22 frets all over , it’s a hairline over 1 ¾ inches wide at the nut, 2 3/8 at he 12thfret and 2 ½ inches at the 20thfret to allow comfortable playing all over the neck. I use my own costumized string set sporting 0,56 – 0,46 – 0,36 – 0,28 - 0,19 – 0,14  which allows standard tunings down to Bb and all kind of open tunings in that range. Stefan carefully removed the old rosewood headstock veneer, including the Martin – logo and adjusted it to the new mahagoni headstock. He finished the top very lightly shaded, as known from other prewar Martins, covered it with a thin matt clear-coat, and finally aged it  a bit, to match the original back and sides of the guitar. The “ honest “ playwear around the soundhole complete the authentic look of the guitar. As far as I know there was no such thing as a barriton Martin guitar but looking at the size you could call it a 0000-18 barritone. The Mahagoni back and sides combined with a class A andirondak top produce a full, warm and woody , yet brilliant and articulate sound . If you ever played a prewar D-18 , it might come in your mind, when you play this guitar. Unfortunately it is not played very often these days, like many of my guitars, so maybe its time to part also from this, in every way unusual instrument. Comes in a well fitting modern hard-case.
If you are located in the US please be aware, that I do not accept PayPal-payments from overseas. You are welcome to bankwire the purchase-price plus shipping cost to my US- bank account. Please ask every question you need to ask, before you buy. I can send extra pictures, soundclips and whatever you need to come to a decision. I am offering a three day return policy. If the instrument should not be what you expected, you have to inform me latest in 72 hours after the guitar arrived. You send it back on your cost, same way and packed safely, just like it was when it came to you. Once it has arrived back in the shape it was sent off to you , the purchase price will be refunded same way it was payed.