A very rare early example of the Standard model Ditson, built by the Martin Guitar Company. Martin began production for the Oliver Ditson Company in 1917, with builds true to the Martin catalog. The Standard Model would be the smallest offering from the company, with a uniquely wide waist design - fun fact, with the "Extra Large" model becoming the worlds first Dreadnaught sized instrument.
This example is stamped "13" on its interior heel block, denoting a very early build, likely within its first year of 1917. The body is designed with a unique 11 1/8" lower bout, the top made of lightly ambered spruce, fully bound, with a mahogany back & sides. The peanut shape yields a sweet tone that can function with steel strings - thanks to its Hawaiian inspired fan bracing with the additional thin maple bridge plate - as seen on this example. The bridge appears to be a correct original Chicago style Lyon & Healy bridge that the company had been known to use. The spruce top is in excellent shape, likely well preserved with an old light overspray - buffed to a nice looking sheen. No previous signs of repair or damage present - interestingly with very light colored bracing with a bit of excess glue present in its popsicle stick brace (underneath the fingerboard extension). The top, while having a bit of wave behind the bridge, shows no signs of cracks or previous repair, nor is there any clear indication that the top or back had ever been removed. Clean, light braces compliment the rest of the build nature and yield a really fantastic player - strung up here currently with light gauge steel strings. The Oliver Ditson Co stamp present on its spine brace.

The neck is designed with a 24.5" scale length, joining the body at the twelfth fret. The neck is made of mahogany with an ebony fingerboard with simple MOP dot inlay at the 5th,7th and 9th frets. The nut width measures 1 27/32", the profile a standard V from the era, has a depth of Original bar frets are present and well seated - with no indication of a neck reset in its past. This clean example retains a nice neck angle, yielding easy to play action that measures 7/64" in height at the twelfth fret, the original saddle (presumably) actually *raised* with a wound guitar string underneath - "if its not broken, don't fix it" mentality. The saddle stands about 8/64" over the slot in this fashion - which one should consider putting a new saddle for better surface area contact, and to preserve the bridge. Era correct bridge pins are present, 5 of which are made of ebony with a MOP dot, the 6th string made of bone - the mismatched set yielding a functional replacement. Standard slot headstock design with rosewood veneer. Original brass plate tuners present with cream buttons all functional.

Includes newer hardshell case