1924 Martin 0-28K

Bruce Molsky demonstrates a beautiful koa Martin with a cool history.

March 2, 2022

Bruce Molsky teaches Old-Time Fiddle and Old-Time Banjo on Peghead Nation, but he is also an accomplished guitar player. In fact, guitar was Bruce’s first instrument, and his just-released album Everywhere You Go is a return to his roots as a fingerstyle guitarist. Bruce owns several fine guitars (including a Santa Cruz OM, which he previously demoed for us), and in this video, Bruce demonstrates a 1924 Martin 0-28K that has become one of his favorites.

Built during the Hawaiian music craze of the 1920s, Bruce’s 0-28K was originally made for lap-style playing, but by the time he got the guitar, it had already been converted for standard playing. As indicated by the “K” in the model name, the guitar’s 0-size 12-fret body is built with a beautiful koa top, back, and sides. Like other style-28 Martins, the instrument has herringbone purfling and other appointments typical of the series.

As with many instruments that have been around for almost 100 years, Bruce’s guitar has a great history. “It was given to me by my great uncle,” Bruce says. A lawyer in Washington, D.C., Bruce’s uncle was a fan of southern Appalachian music, an amateur musician, and friends with legendary jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd. “He said, ‘Charlie, take me to a shop; I just want to get an old beater guitar to have.’” The pair returned from their shopping expedition with the 0-28K, which wasn’t considered vintage or particularly collectable at the time. Bruce knew about the guitar, and in the 1990s, as he was getting ready to record a CD, he asked whether he could borrow it. “Next time I went to his house, he threw the case at me, and said, ‘put it in the car!’” Bruce has recently rediscovered the guitar, and after years of not being fully comfortable with its playability, he had New York luthier Tom Crandall reshape the neck and do some other setup work. “Now it’s the guitar I can’t put down,” Bruce says.

In this video, Bruce talks about the guitar and its history, and uses it to perform the traditional Peruvian tune “Tostando Cancha,” which he’d originally heard played on accordion, and which is included on Everywhere You Go.

Check out Bruce’s Old-Time Fiddle and Old-Time Banjo courses on Peghead Nation!