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C. F. Martin 00-42 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1928), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 40036, natural lacquer finish, Brazilian rosewood body, Appalachian spruce top, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case. In the pantheon of the world's greatest acoustic guitars the pearl-trimmed, 12 fret steel strung Martins of the late 1920s are well represented. Just before Martin altered their basic designs to the 14-fret neck "Orchestra Model' pattern, the company crafted a fairly small number of 12-fret highest grade Style 42 and 45 instruments intended for steel strings instead of the gut used before then. This beautiful Martin is a pearl-edged 00-42 from this earliest period of steel-stringing. This model was only built in small numbers with the peak coming in the late 1920's; the pearl-tops were the last Martins to be cataloged with steel strings as standard. The 00 size body was in the middle of three models offered at this top quality level. This fancy and expensive ($115.00) Martin was made right at the end of 1928; it would by one of the last of 27 shipped that year or perhaps counted as one of the 65 shipped in 1929. This 00-42 was built of the finest materials Martin had available; superb straight-grained Brazilian rosewood for the back and sides, beautifully grained Appalachian spruce for the top and extravagant green-and pinkish hued abalone for the border inlay. The mahogany neck has a very soft "V" profile topped with a bound ebony fingerboard inlaid with delicate shaped pearl in a snowflake pattern. The unadorned slotted headstock is simply capped in rosewood with no adornment (unlike the fanciest Style 45) and equipped with engraved Waverly strip tuners. "Martin designs are notable for their rich dignity and neatness" the Style 42 catalog page advised "There is only a little ornament and this is in good taste". These pearl-trimmed Martins were both expensive and labor intensive to build and never made in large batches; it would be rare for any but the largest dealer to order more than one at a time or even hold an example in stock. Even in the opulent times of the late 1920's there were not a lot of guitar players in a position to purchase such an elaborate flat top. This 00-42 is a special guitar; the sound is rich and full with perfect definition and it stands as a wonderful example of the C.F. Martin company's enduring legacy. Overall length is 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 7/8 in. (48 mm.). Even with nearly a century on Earth this beautiful pearl Martin remains a true gem, a spectacular sounding and playing guitar from Martin's classic period. The original thin lacquer finish has dings, dents and scrapes overall, with the heaviest wear to the top. There is strum wear to the wood below and behind the soundhole and above and below the fingerboard. This area appears to have had some very light varnish added to the worn-through areas only; the rest of the finish was not altered. The back of the neck has some very small feelable scratches, dings and dents but remains surprisingly clean with no finish worn through. This venerable Martin also rather amazingly shows no cracks to the top, back, sides or neck. There is one repaired grain split to the top of the bridge, very cleanly repaired and very inconspicuous. The original ebony bridge has been reglued (probably more than once) with some scarring around the perimeter especially off the bottom treble wing, which has had some touch up added. Internally the original small maple bridgeplate and delicate scalloped braces remain all original and comparatively clean except for one very small scraped spot (likely resulting from an errant clamp) in the rear upper leg of the X-brace. The neck has been cleanly reset making for an excellent player. The frets appear original and show some wear in the lower positions, but still play well. This Martin shows wear but not abuse, soon to enter its second century as one of the finest 12-fret 00 sized guitars one could imagine, complete in the very rare original HSC. Overall Excellent - Condition.