FRETS.COM
Museum
The original
Martin Ditson Dreadnought
© Frank Ford, 2000; Photos by FF
Most Martin aficionados are well aware that Martin made their first Dreadnought guitars
for the Oliver Ditson Company, a big New York music distributor, starting at the
close of World War I. Unfortunately, most Martin aficionados have never actually
seen one of these seminal instruments because they are so impossibly rare.
Simple to the point of austerity, this basic mahogany Dreadnought has the typical
early 12-fret body shape, and is marked only with the Ditson brand. Early Ditson
Dreadnoughts had the fan bracing more typical of smaller gut strung instruments.
This one was made in 1929, making it just about the last of its breed. It has the
X-bracing more suited to the tension of steel strings.
Please click the small image
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