help with this early Martin

[Walt Kuhlman]

A friend stopped by with her grandmothers mandolin and was wondering what it might be worth. It's in good condition with normal wear. I think it's a 'B' but what is throwing me is the pick guards shape. Everything is original, it is missing the tailpiece cover, but other then that it's original. She pulled it out of grandma's attic when she was about 13 and grandma passed away about 25 years ago. The serial # is 4893, NFI just trying to help her out.

Walt

[Walt Kuhlman]

BTW it has rosewood back and sides w/holly bindings

[allenhopkins]

It's a Style B; serial number dates it to 1916. That was the last year of what Mike Longworth called the "odd shaped" pickguard, so that shape is right for a '16. The catalog specs were "rosewood bindings" until 1919, when they went to "rosewood with white holly inlay," but that's catalog language, and they could have switched to holly earlier, or been in the process of switching in 1916. Twenty-five Style B's made in 1916. (Source: Mike Longworth, Martin Guitars, A History, published 1980.)

Later: quick Google search reveals prices running between $850 and $1500 for Style B's.

[Walt Kuhlman]

Thanks Allen, pretty much what I thought, just the pickguard wasn't making sense.

[Eddie Sheehy]

As for value... these days they seem to be sub $1,000 for the B styles - not "just" sub $1,000, probably $700 - $800, I haven't seen them going for more than $800 - the dealers still list them at $1,600 plus... they'll be there for a long while. A styles seem to be in the $400 - $550 bracket. Not a good market for Martins. Unless the "pickguard" add collector value... of course you have to find a collector with money... Hopefully someone will disagree with me... I have a 1926 B-style taking up space...

[mrmando]

Waverly cloud tailpiece cover is missing, but there's been a spate of those on eBay of late.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Yes, but the Waverly Cloud tailpiece cover for a B-style is ornately engraved. Harder to come by and not cheap.