Details
Southern California Music Co. looms large in Martin's history because they were one of two retailers who pushed the small Pennsylvania workshop to make steel-string guitars to meet the growing demand for instruments to play Hawaiian music. (The other was Ditson in New York and Boston.) A majority of ships leaving for Hawaii from the West Coast sailed from Los Angeles, and the entire southern portion of the state was gripped with Hawaii-mania. Southern California Music provided Martin with the curly koa needed to make genuine Hawaiian-style guitars, and Martin made 3 specific all-koa models with different features than regular Martin models offered at the same time.
This Style 1400, serial #167, was shipped in late September of 1917 and roughly corresponds to Martin's Style 21 except for the koa body. However, one critical difference is that these Southern California styles all had fan-braced tops, not X-bracing. The bracing, especially when combined with a koa soundboard, gives this guitar a unique tone that's significantly different compared to a more typical 0-size Martin.
This example has a replacement ebony bridge in the proper style, and the tuners on it now are old but not the originals. The original shellac varnish on the top has been oversprayed with lacquer, as has the neck heel and barrel. The top crack running up towards the soundhole rosette from treble side of bridge has been repaired. The neck has been reset. Most of these models were sold with a metal riser nut and high bridge saddle for Hawaiian-style playing with bar, instead of being fretted. It has what are probably the original bar frets, but the frets aren't consistently level so string action is high for playing in the conventional "Spanish" style. It works well played Hawaiian style, which also brings out the best tone, so that's how it's presented. Comes with an excellent recent Canadian hardshell case made for 12-fret 0 size Martins.
Specs
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Back sides
Hawaiian Koa
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Binding
rosewood
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Bracing
fan bracing
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Bridge
Ebony
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Fingerboard
Ebony
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Finish
Shellac varnish
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Frets to body
12
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Inlay
slotted squares
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Neck material
Mahogany
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Nut width
1 13/16"
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Rosette
Style 1400
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Top material
Hawaiian Koa
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Total frets
19
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Tuners
period but not original
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Year
1919
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Case type
Hardshell
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Serial number
167
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SKU
SOU1400-167
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UPC
142360
