Pre Owned Martin 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition Acoustic Guitar With OHSC
The Martin 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition was limited run with only 91 of these special guitars produced. Each 0-45S Stephen Stills Signature Edition guitar bears an interior label personally signed by Stephen Stills and C. F. Martin IV, and numbered in sequence with the total in the edition. We have # 85 here to present to serious acoustic players and collectors.
Based on a guitar in Stills' personal collection, this model recreates a rare vintage Martin 0-45. Originally only produced in small numbers, between 1904 and 1939, only 158 were made. It became known as a bit of a forgotten masterpiece, only recreated once before. Stills worked with Martin to perfect the details to accurately capture the character of the original. The result is a truly spectacular instrument,
Everything starts with body style and tonewoods. The classic 12-fret “0” design – featuring long, rounded upper bouts, deep body and advantageous bridge placement. The result is an exceptionally powerful, rich tone. It's surprising how the projection of this modest, comfortable sized acoustic resonates. Crafted from stunning Madagascar rosewood, the back and sides mimic the Brazilian rosewood of the original 0-45 in both look and sound. The top features Adirondack spruce and scalloped 1/4" braces, providing exceptional tonal clarity and dynamic range. The genuine mahogany neck boasts a modified V shape, elongated diamond volute, and slotted square, tapered headstock with 1 7/8" nut width.
The details closely resemble the original 0-45s. The rosette boasts a vibrant abalone pearl design, bordered by wood fiber inlays. Abalone pearl inlay is also featured on the top (including fingerboard extension), sides, and back, accented by wood fiber inlays, and protected by a vintage-correct 5/32” grained ivoroid binding. Other vintage-correct elements include the colorful Style 45 mosaic backstrip, the mitered abalone pearl and wood fiber inlays on the grained ivoroid endpiece, the genuine ebony pyramid bridge, and the lack of a pickguard.
The 24.9” scale neck, designed with meticulous attention to detail, showcases a Madagascar rosewood headplate bound in thin grained ivoroid with wood fiber insets and inlaid with “C. F. Martin” in Golden Era Style 45 block abalone pearl letters. The vintage look of the headstock is enhanced by the Handsome Waverly Irving Sloane side-mounted tuners with open gears, engraved mounting plates, and ivoroid buttons. The grained ivoroid-bound and mitered genuine ebony fingerboard features abalone-inlaid snowflake position markers and Stephen Stills' signature in mother of pearl between the 17th fret and the end of the fingerboard.
The 0-45S Stephen Stills acousti features a polished gloss lacquer finish with vintage toner on the top and a dark mahogany stain on the neck, accentuated by fossilized ivory components including the nut, uncompensated saddle, bridge, and end pins, with inlaid black pearl dots. The result is a timeless and elegant instrument steeped in scientific craftsmanship.
The guitar comes in the original heavy-duty Geib style vintage series hardshell case. It's in excellent condition and has been setup to play perfectly by the techs in our shop. We did encounter an issue with a separation/crack on the top, which has been fixed by our top luthier in house. It was very cleanly done, so it cannot be felt. You'll see the line in the photos, which looks like the wood grain but we want to disclose it of course. Rest assured that it has been professionally addressed and that the guitar is good to go.
This is a rare guitar, and there are very few out there (remember, less than a hundred were made). For those that value the amazing craftsmanship, love small body acoustics, are fans of Stephen Stills, or want a collectible guitar, it would be hard to find a better addition to your collection.