1926 Martin 000-18

Peghead Nation instructor Doug Young demonstrates his vintage 12-fret.

Peghead Nation Alternate Tunings Fingerstyle Guitar instructor Doug Young owns a variety of great contemporary guitars, but until recently, he never had any vintage instruments. This changed when fellow fingerstyle guitarist Al Petteway announced that he was selling some of his vintage Martins earlier this year, one of which was a 1926 000-18 that caught Doug’s eye (coincidentally, another one of the guitars ended up with Peghead Nation instructor Steve Baughman!). 

Like all Martins made at the time, the 1926 000-18 is a 12-fret guitar, and when it was built, 000’s had the largest body option Martin offered. With a long 25.4-inch scale and a wide fingerboard (about 1⅞ inches at the nut) and and roomy string spacing (2⅜ inches at the saddle), 12-fret 000’s have long been popular with fingerstyle players. Doug’s guitar could be considered a “player’s” instrument, rather than a pristine collector’s item. At some point in the guitar’s life, the bridge was replaced with one with a larger footprint, and even though this was later swapped for an original-size bridge, the outline of the replacement is still visible on the top. Also, the guitar’s original bar frets have been replaced with modern fret wire, and it has several repaired cracks in its mahogany back and spruce top. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the guitar is that it was apparently covered in flower-shaped decals for a while, as the outlines of the stickers are still visible in the finish. Petteway installed a K&K pickup in the guitar using a Vintage Jack (which doesn’t require enlargement of the original enpin hole), and the guitar was most recently set up by Randy Hughes in North Carolina. 

Although Doug is no stranger to high-end instruments, he feels that there is some undeniable magic in a great vintage instrument. “The guitar weighs under three pounds, and when you play it, it just resonates; the whole guitar just rings and you feel it vibrating,” he says. In this video, Doug talks about the guitar and how he acquired it, and uses it to play a DADGAD arrangement of the traditional “The Water Is Wide.”

To study with Doug, enroll in his Alternate Tunings Fingerstyle Guitar course now!

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