Description
Description & Specifications
1898 Martin 0-28
We present an original 1898 C.F. Martin 0-28 with slotted peghead. Made in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
This exceptional vintage Martin features all-ivory appointments — including tuner buttons, end wedge, nut, saddle, and rosette. The spruce top has beautifully aged to a warm amber hue. It has a classic “V” neck profile and rich rosewood back and sides. A striking herringbone trim surrounds the top. The fingerboard is unadorned, true to the model’s early design. The back features a classic wooden “zipper” backstrip, while delicate herringbone purfling outlines the top. The original ivory bridge pins and engraved open-gear tuners complete this remarkable piece.
There are approximately four top cracks and a small side crack, all expertly repaired by a professional luthier. A neck reset has also been performed. The work is flawless— the guitar could easily be a museum piece based on condition alone. But the tone is so rich and responsive, it demands to be played. Currently strung with new silk and steel strings (which we highly recommend). The original finish remains untouched, with no overspray or touch-ups.
Includes a modern Martin hardshell case in excellent condition.
Historical Significance
Acoustic guitar historians often point to 1898 as a pivotal year in Martin’s legacy.
That year, Frank Henry Martin — grandson of founder C.F. Martin and the company’s then-owner and CEO — introduced the serialization system still used on Martin guitars today. According to the Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, approximately 8,000 guitars had been produced between 1833 and 1898. Serialization began at #8000 and continues unbroken to this day. This guitar is one of those early, numbered instruments.
This 0-28 is built with a 0-size concert body and Style 28 trim, making it the smallest member of the 28 Series (with the iconic D-28 dreadnought later becoming the largest). It features rosewood back and sides, a solid spruce top, a cedar neck with ebony fingerboard, and an elegant ice cream cone volute at the 12th fret. The body is adorned with ivory binding, a herringbone top border, a backstripe, and the classic C.F. Martin & Co., New York internal stamp.
While pre-1898 Martins are often overlooked in favor of the famed pre-war models of the 1930s, this 1898 Martin 0-28 remains a rare and historically significant vintage guitar — a true collector’s item with authentic pre-20th century craftsmanship and a voice that continues to inspire.
