Description: Martin OOO-40, OOO-40H, OO-40, OO-40H, O-40, 2-40 style flat top guitars
Available: 1860s to 1917, then 1928 to 1941, then 1985 to present.
Collectibility Rating: Pre-WWII model: B (would be higher but most were made for Hawaiian style playing).
General Comments: The Style 40 Martin guitar (000-40, 000-40H, 00-40, 00-40H, 0-40) is a spruce top, rosewood body Martin guitar that is a couple steps below flagship of the Martin guitar style 45 line. Essentially the Style 40 is a water-down version of the Style 45 and Style 42, with only pearl trim on the top (and not the back and sides like the Style 45), and no pearl trim around the top's fingerboard extension (which the style 42/45 had). Still the style 40 has awesome sound and incredible workmanship and pearl/abalone work. The "40" portion of the model indicates the style of the guitar. The letters before the "40" indicate the body size (2-42 and 0-40 being the smallest, 00-40 being larger, and 000-40 being larger still). The models OO-40 and 000-40 are regarded as "the best" size as applicable to today's musical styles. But all the Martin style 40 guitars are interesting, as they are beautiful instruments. Note when refering to the number of "frets", this means the number of frets clear of the body (not the total number of actual frets). This will be either 12 or 14 frets clear of the body.

Here's a list of the body sizes (because before October 1930 the body style and size was not stamped into the neck block above the serial number, so the body size and style number are hard to determine on pre 10/30 models):

If you need to figure out the exact year and body size of your Martin style 40 guitar, use the serial and style/size numbers. This is stamped inside the body's sound hole on the neck block. See the Martin Serial Number Info web page for help determining the exact year.

If you have a vintage Martin style 40 (000-40, 000-40H, 00-42, 00-42H, 0-42, etc.) guitar for sale, please contact me at cfh@provide.net

1860s Style 40 Introduction specs:
• Rosewood back and sides, abalone (pearl) inlay around top edge and soundhole (but not on top around the fingerboard like a style 41,42,45 would have), inlaid bridge pins. Fancy backstripe of horizontal lines between two rows of diagonal lines (like style 45). Most style 40 models made were hawaiian style with flat fingerboard radius, flat flush bar frets, high string action, and no bridge saddle compensation (straight saddle, not angled). Most popular was the OO-40H (though they did made 2-40, 0-40, 000-40 and 000-40H models prior to WW2). Sometimes these are converted to regular "spanish" style guitar (fingerboard radiused, refretted, neck reset, bridge saddle angled). Made from the 1860s to 1917, then 1928 to 1941, then 1985 to present. German silver tuners with pearl buttons. Ivory bound fingerboard and peghead. Ivory bridge found on this model.

1909 Style 40 specs:

• Ivoroid (celluloid) bound top and back.
• Snowflake inlays beginning at 5th fret.
• Unbound fingerboard and peghead.

1917 Style 40 specs:

• Style 40 discontinued.

1928 Style 40 reintroduction specs:

• Style 40 reintroduced.
• Ebony pyramid bridge.
• Tuners have grained pearloid buttons.
• Martin logo pressed into back of peghead.
• Most often seen as the Martin 00-40H (hawaiian) with 12 frets clear of the body, slotted peghead, bar frets. The 00-40H maintained this body/neck configuration until 1941 when it was discontinued (never changed to a 14 fret body and slotted peghead/bar frets kept).

1930 Style 40 specs:

• Bridge changed to a belly bridge.
• Pickguard added.

1931 Style 40 specs:

• Silkscreened gold logo on front of peghead.

1941 Style 40 specs:

• Style 40 discontinued. Reintroduced in 1985 with slightly different specs.