Description: Martin D-45, OM-45, OOO-45, OO-45, O-45 style flat top guitars
Available: 1904 to present. In particular, the 14 fret Martin D-45 and 000-45 were available in 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942 (then reissued recently by Martin). Also the OM-45 was only available in 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 (but again reissued). The smaller 0-45 and 00-45 models were discontinued by 1930. The Martin D-45 was also available in Brazlian rosewood in 1968, 1969 only (this was Martin's first real "reissue" of the pre-WW2 pearl style 45). Starting in 1969 Martin switched to Indian rosewood, and the D-45 "reissue" continued with that body wood.

Collectibility Rating: Pre-WWII OOO-45 and D-45: A++, OO-45: A+, O-45: B+, 1968-1969 D-45: B+.
General Comments: The Style 45 Martin guitar (D-45, OM-45, 000-45, 00-45, 0-45) is a spruce top, rosewood body Martin guitar that has been the flagship of the Martin guitar line since the early-1900s. Awesome sound and incredible workmanship and pearl/abalone work, many famous stars have used the Style 45 as their main guitar (for example Roy Rogers used a 1930s Martin OM-45 guitar as his main instrument, and Gene Autry used a 1933 Martin D-45, the first D-45 ever made). The Martin D-45 and other style 45 models are the fanciest Martin model, The "45" portion of the model indicates the style of the guitar. The letters before the "45" indicate the body size (0-45 being the smallest, 00-45 being larger, OM-45 and 000-45 being larger still, and D-45 being the largest). The models D-45 and OM-45 and 000-45 are regarded as "the best" sizes as applicable to today's musical styles. The OM-45 (1930-1933) is particularly interesting because of it's early design with modern features. But all the Martin style 45 guitars are interesting, as they are the pinacle of guitar craftsmanship. 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 45 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 45 (D-45, OM-45, 000-45, 00-45, 0-45, etc.) guitar for sale, please contact me at cfh@provide.net

Rosewood back and sides, inlaid bridge pins, abalone inlay along the top, back, sides, around edge of fingerboard, and around the soundhole, around the neck heal, around the butt (by endpin). Fancy backstripe, ebony fingerboard. First listed in 1904.

1904 Martin Style 45 guitar introduction specs:

• Scroll peghead inlay.
• Snowflake pattern fingerboard inlays at 5/7/9/12/15 frets.
• Ivory bridge and body binding.

1906 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• Torch or flowerpot inlay on peghead.

1910 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• Snowflake fingerboard inlay pattern at frets 5/7/9/12/15/17.

1918 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• Ebony bridge instead of ivory.
• Celluloid grained plastic white binding instead of ivory.

1919 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• Ebony bridge.
• Ivoroid binding.

1930 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• OM-45 introduced with small tortoise pickguard, 25.4" scale, 14 fret neck with solid peghead, gold plated banjo tuners, torch peghead inlay.
• Martin OM-45 Deluxe guitar (only made in 1930). The OM-45 Deluxe pickguard had a pearl inlay in the tortoise pickguard, the bridge wings have snowflake pearl inlays, and the banjo tuners were gold plated with engraved buttons. It is not uncommon to see 'regular' OM-45 models that have a replaced bridge with the pearl snowflakes (as a customer upgrade).

1931 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• OM-45: Larger pickguard and right angled tuners.

1932 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• Tortoise pickguard.

1933 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• D-45 introduced (91 total made from 1933 to 1942), first two made (1933/1934) with 12 fret neck (all other had 14 fret neck),

Late 1933 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• Martin OM-45 discontinued (reintroduced in 1977).

1934 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• Changed from 12 fret clear body style to 14 frets clear.
• "C.F. Martin" inlaid in pearl on peghead, 14 fret models only.

1937 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• One D-45 made with a 12 fret neck and a solid peghead (sixth D-45 ever made). The remaining 85 (of 91) D-45s were made from 1937 to 1942.

1938 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• 00-45 no longer made (until 1970).

1939 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• Hexagonal fingerboard inlays on D-45 replace snowflakes.
• All Martin models change the neck nut width from 1 3/4" to 1 11/16".
• Top X bracing changes from "advance" or "forward bracing" to "rear shifted" bracing.

Martin Style 45 guitar discontinued in 1942. Last D-45 serial number was 82572 (in 1942).

1968 Martin Style 45 guitar reintroduction specs:

• Black and white plastic purfling boardering abalone top and side inlay.
• Hexagonal fingerboard inlays on all sizes.
• D-size has boxed endpiece (double border) with abalone.
• 230 Brazilian rosewood D-45 models made in 1968-1969.
• On 1968 D-45 models only, the white endpin area has a "double layer" of abalone at the top and bottom sides of the white endpin area. Again this only happened in 1968.

1970 Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• Old-style endpiece with abalone mitered into side-border abalone.

1988 to present Martin Style 45 guitar specs:

• Scalloped bracing.