1931 Martin C-2, Shaded Top
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
Summary
Model: C-2
Year: 1931
Finish: Shaded top / Sunburst
Modifications: Change G tuner, Bridge/saddle
Fingerboard: Ebony
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Tuners: Grover StaTite
Neck Profile: V
Nut Width: 45.3
Neck Depth 1: 21.8
Neck Depth 12: 26.7
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.
1931 Martin C-2, Shaded Top
Regular price
- Unit price
- / per
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1931 Martin C-2, Shaded Top
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Description
A rare and beautifully preserved piece of Martin history, this 1931 Martin C-2 is one of the cleanest and most original examples we've had. Introduced in 1931 as part of Martin’s first foray into archtop guitars, the C-series consisted of the C-1 (mahogany), C-2 (rosewood), and the more ornate C-3 (rosewood with gold hardware). All three shared a hand-carved, round-soundhole top, flat back, and a 25.4" scale length—rooted more in Martin's flattop heritage than the louder, punchier f-hole designs that were quickly defining the archtop market.
At 15" across the lower bout, with a body depth ranging from 3 3/8" to 4 1/8"—the C-2 was modestly sized for an archtop. Compared to Gibson’s L-5 at 16" wide (soon hit 17"), the Martin felt more intimate and was acoustically more refined, though notably less powerful. That gentler, more lyrical tone proved a tough sell in an era dominated by big band volume demands, and by late 1932 Martin had shifted toward f-hole designs, making early roundhole C-series models like this one relatively scarce today.
This particular example is in excellent shape. It features a tight-grained, hand-carved Adirondack spruce top, stunning figured bookmatched Brazilian rosewood back and sides, and a single-piece Mahogany neck. The ebony fingerboard is bound and inlaid with elegant mother-of-pearl snowflakes, paired with a vertical “C.F. Martin” peghead logo. Triple body binding, a shaded top finish, original Grover Sta-Tite tuners, floating Ebony bridge and trapeze tailpiece round out the spec. Many surviving C-series Martin's have been converted to OM flat tops, making clean, original examples like this one a fairly rare find.
Sonically, it delivers a warm, articulate voice with more richness and nuance than its Gibson contemporaries—ideal for fingerstyle and chord-melody playing.
A remarkable piece of Martin’s early experimentation as they enter their golden era, this 1931 C-2 offers not just a window into the company’s transitionary years but also a tonally rewarding, highly collectible vintage archtop in outstanding condition. A real gem for the discerning player or collector.
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Summary
Model: C-2
Year: 1931
Finish: Shaded top / Sunburst
Modifications: Change G tuner, Bridge/saddle
Fingerboard: Ebony
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Tuners: Grover StaTite
Neck Profile: V
Nut Width: 45.3
Neck Depth 1: 21.8
Neck Depth 12: 26.7
We are not box shifters, we take your packing and shipping very seriously..!
We have to. You're considering spending a lot of money with us and you would obviously like your valuable musical instrument to arrive at your door, without drama, fuss or damage.
We have many years (stretching way back in to the last century) of packing and shipping fragile musical items all over the world - in fact the number of sometimes priceless, vintage instruments we have shipped is in the thousands.
When you buy a vintage or second hand item from us, it will be hand packed by one or more of our specialist, in house staff and then shipped in our own custom made cardboard boxes (If applicable).
We normally ship via our preferred carriers UPS, DPD, Parcelforce and Royal Mail for smaller items such as straps and leads. Tracking numbers are always provided.
Shipping prices vary by item and by location, please see the individual products for details but as a guide, prices for a guitar is usually:
UK - £50
Mainland Europe - £75
USA - £200
Rest of World (rates can vary a lot depending on country) - £250
How can I pay?
All our base prices are in £GBP Sterling and exclude delivery.
Payments can be made by bank transfer (up to any amount) or credit/debit card through our website (up to £10,000.) Due to fraud risks we do not take payment by phone. We accept and use many online payment services that work by way of bank transfer and recommend Wise.com who will in generally offer far better exchange rates than banks.
Do your prices include VAT?
All prices include UK VAT but most used or vintage guitars are sold under the UK marginal scheme for secondhand goods which means you will not get an invoice with the VAT amount shown separately, neither will you be able to claim this VAT element back if you are VAT registered, and the VAT element cannot be deducted for export sales.
For new items such as some guitars, pedals, straps, cables etc 20% UK VAT is included and if you are in an export country, which since Brexit now includes Europe and of course the US, this 20% VAT will automatically be deducted at checkout for you. You may have to pay local taxes and duties when your goods arrive in your home country, we advise you to check with your local customs office to be sure.
Can I reserve or put an item on hold?
Yes you can. Items can be put on hold for a deposit payment of 10%. This will hold the item for up to 30 days but this deposit payment is non refundable in the event of the buyer failing to complete the sale.
A further 10% payment at the end of the initial 30 day period will extend this period for another 30 days and subject to individual approval, this arrangement can be extended at our discretion. ATB Guitars holds title to the goods until paid for in full and if the buyer should change his/her mind for any reason, a restocking fee equivalent to to 15% of the total purchase price will be deducted from any refund given.
Do you have a mailing list?
The best way to get on our mailing list is to submit the form at the bottom of every page on our website. Also follow us on Facebook and Instagram @ATBguitars as most new items are posted there as soon as we buy them and before they go on the website. If you are searching for a specific guitar then send us an email and we will attempt to alert you once one has been found.