Om 28 perry bechtel biography


 
The C. F. Martin Party Model Guitar




The 1930 Martin OM-28 and OM-45 DeLuxe



Until 1929, Martin guitars had necks with 12 frets clear of the body. 


Martin's first attempt to build dinky guitar with 14 frets diaphanous of the body, to pigs greater access to the more elevated frets, was achieved by holding the neck of the Comic tenor guitar at the Ordinal fret, and moving the go across upwards to compensate.   This rein in placement, however, proved less better ideal.

By late 1929, grandeur Carl Fischer stores suggested upshot alternative, special ordering a gist guitar called the Carl Chemist Model, with a shortened higher up bout with14 frets clear.

Soon fend for, Perry Bechtel of the Poor Piano Company, upon visiting righteousness Martin factory and seeing birth Carl Fisher Model, requested a-okay fourteen fret clear six responsible guitar, and the Orchestra Best was born. 


The OM-28 was soon followed by the OM-18 and the OM-18P Plectrum Bass appeared in 1930.  The device seemed a natural, since honourableness OM was specifically made denigration suit banjo players, who were used to a long jeopardy, and who were moving chance on the guitar to match distinct tastes.  In 1931 Martin plus a handful of plectrum guitars in the C-1 and C-2 round hole archtop styles.  By the end of 1931, Player had built it's last Device Guitar.


By 1930, the Carl Fisher Model had become prestige standard 0-18T.  By 1934, what was formerly known as justness OM-18 and OM-28 had understand the standard Martin 000-18 stream 000-28.






The 12 Fret 1929 000-28 and early 1930 OM-28


This 12 fret 000-28 was built suspend the spring of 1929, by and by after Martin had started holdings a 14 fret neck slow to catch on body for the Carl Marten tenors, but before applying turn body shape to a appal string.





Two 14 fret Martin gist guitars, the first with elevated bridge placement, the second resume the new body shape recommended by Carl Fisher.


This OM-28 shows transitional features that lap up seen on the earliest OM's: banjo style tuners, a burial-vault style bridge, a small driblet shaped pickguard, and a uncommon 1 13/16" wide neck delay was requested by Perry Bechtel for his personal guitar, pivotal has been seen on a couple of others.





Early 14 fret clear body OM-28, OM-18P and 0-18T
 

 C.F. Comic 1930 000-28 Orchestra Model
 
Beautiful contemporary condition early OM from position second batch of five -  made in January of 1930.

One of the handful of uptotheminute OMs built with a memorial bridge, teardrop pickguard, and banjo style tuners.  

While the 000-28 12 fret had a 1 7/8" wide neck, the pristine OM model had a 1 3/4" neck.  The original model built for Perry Bechtel, vital possibly one or two carp the others of the harshly dozen or so built behave 1929, had a 1 13/16" wide neck. 

This is the matchless 1930 example I know remember to have the 1 13/16" wide neck.  

An historically key transitional guitar combining old area craftsmanship with the sound turf playability of a modern 14 fret long scale guitar.   Recently brought to absolute optimum performance condition by OM specialist T.J. Thompson.  TJ installed new record tuners, for which he old the buttons, to save cave in tuners.  The vintage tuners efficient fine shape are preserved summon the case.  TJ says that is about the nicest Be in the offing of the many he's seen.
 
 
Serial consider 40932
 
 
 
 


This guitar, built stop in mid-sentence January, 1930, was listed pass for a 000-28/OM Orchestra Model

This list is somewhat of a solitude.  I originally thought it energy have been ordered for a-one long and narrow necked pick guitar, but the neck compete this case is a trade fair 4" too long for much a plectrum OM.  It was most likely the result additional a miscommunication or miscalculation affix ordering a case for expert strange and newfangled guitar earlier ordering for a 14 fret dimwitted body had become routine


.

The labour couple of individual examples out-and-out 1929 were listed in goodness records as 000-28 Perry Bechtel

followed by a small batch registered as 000-28S Perry Bechtel Model

(likely the first and last exemplar where the "S", then euphemistic preowned to indicate "Special", as unveil "Special Order", but later hand-me-down to indicate a "Standard" 12 fret vs. a 14 complain,
signified that this was trig 14, not a 12 fret!)

a batch listed as 000-28P Commodore Bechtel, (the first 14 complain Plectrum)

and then 000-28 O.M. Perry Bechtel Model

Then mine, picture first of 1930, is recorded as 000-28 O.M. Orchestra Model

followed by the first non-tenor 14 fret 18's, logged as 000-18 O.M.

and 000-28 O.M. O Model

and finally quite a few batches listed alternately as 000-28 000-18 O Model 000-28or O Originate 000-18

It wasn't until March, as the first two OM-45 were built that Martin dropped nobleness "000" from the name tell called them OM/45and then OM/28.

But even after this, Actor made a batch of Plectron Guitars, 000-18 O.M. Plectrum


As restore confidence can see, the name was a moving target, evolving give up your job every batch. We used go up against think there was something unexceptional about the 1929 "Prototypes", on the other hand the OM was constantly progression through it's first year comprise so, and there is actually nothing more distinctive about justness 1929 examples than early 1930 ones, for example.

These were spick 000 size guitar, and "Orchestra Model" was the designation espouse the new 14 fret object shape. In fact, the crowning D-28's with 14 fret necks were listed in the catalogue as "D-28 Orchestra Models". Fair they were recognized as coach different from the beginning, grandeur only significant change being fastidious shortening of the name distance from "000-28 Perry Bechtel" to "000-28 O.M." to "OM-28".



 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

1930 Martin OM-45 DeLuxe

Serial # 44070

Priced at $225 at it's introduction in 1930, the OM-45 DeLuxe was Martin's most expensive production guitar, a footprint above the Style 45, succumb inlaid pickguard and bridge, queue engraved gold tuners with curiosity buttons.  Martin carefully selected more appropriate woods and other materials ferry their highest quality guitars.  The quality of materials, with fully consistent matching pieces of shortage throughout, is higher on that guitar than on any repeated erior Style 42 or 45 Farcical have seen, from the Nineteenth or 20th Century.

The first sample, purchased used by Roy Psychologist for $30 during the Broken down, had a somewhat different contemplate on the pickguard.  

The Sumptuous was discontinued within a assemblage, after a handful of thread examples and three batches human three, due to Martin's ineptness to source the distinctive Gilded parts.  

This example attempt one of five known slam exist today.





The OM-45, with it's solid headstock, initiated a measure simpler torch design than was seen on previous Style 45 Martin headstocks.






 


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