1930 Martin OM-45 Deluxe (Orchestra Model)

There are rare guitars, and then there are instruments in a category essentially by themselves. The 1930 Martin OM-45 Deluxe occupies that second category. Only 14 examples were recorded as ever having been made, all produced in 1930, making it one of the most genuinely scarce acoustic guitars in existence. One example has been insured for $1,000,000. A Christie's auction in 2009 realized $554,500 for another. These are not aberrations: they are the market telling you what it thinks of the finest production acoustic guitar Martin ever offered.

The Orchestra Model Era

Martin introduced the Orchestra Model (OM) in 1930. The form differed from Martin's standard 000 body in key ways: a longer 25.4-inch scale length (versus the 000's 24.9 inches) and a 1-11/16-inch nut width. The longer scale suited steel string use and gave the instrument more projection and brightness. The OM body shape, with its comfortable waist and relatively tight lower bout compared to later dreadnoughts, provided excellent balance between treble clarity and bass warmth.

The OM series ran only briefly in its original form. By 1932, Martin had moved to the 000-45 designation, and the long-scale Orchestra Model configuration had been abandoned. The original OM production window was remarkably short, and the OM-45 Deluxe was produced for essentially a single year.

The OM-45 Deluxe: What Made It Different

The OM-45 Deluxe was the most expensive guitar in the Martin catalogue at its introduction, priced at $225 in 1930. To put that in context, a competent worker might earn $20-30 per week in 1930. This was not a casual purchase.

What justified that price was the ornamentation, which represents the fullest expression of Martin's Style 45 abalone work:

• Brazilian rosewood back and sides (Adirondack spruce top)

• Abalone pearl inlaid around the entire top border

• Abalone inlaid on the back and sides as well (the standard 45 only had abalone on the top)

• Abalone-inlaid pickguard and bridge (unique to the Deluxe model)

• Torch headstock inlay

• Flower pattern fingerboard inlay

• Gold-plated banjo-style tuners with engraved plates and pearl buttons

• Ivoroid bindings throughout

The abalone work was done by hand, with pieces selected to match in color and pattern. The effect is continuous around the edges of the instrument, with no obvious joints. This level of craft is rarely attempted even today and reflects a standard of production that made economic sense only in small quantities.

The Wood Question

Brazilian rosewood is central to the OM-45 Deluxe's appeal and its legal complexity. Brazil restricted rosewood exports in 1965, and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) places additional controls on its international movement today. Genuine 1930 examples predate all these restrictions.

Adirondack (red) spruce, used for the tops, is also largely unavailable today in the old-growth dimensions used in pre-war Martins. The combination of old-growth Adirondack spruce and Brazilian rosewood produces a tonal character that contemporary luthiers spend careers trying to approximate.

Why Only 14?

The 1930 economic context explains the limited production. The stock market had crashed in October 1929, the Depression was underway, and selling a $225 guitar in that environment required a buyer with significant means and a very specific desire. Martin's production records indicate roughly 14 guitars, though some researchers place the number slightly higher given possible unrecorded examples. At any case, the surviving population is tiny.

Several examples have come to light in recent decades in various conditions, including one that arrived in an estate with no known provenance. The discovery of a previously unknown OM-45 Deluxe is a significant event in the guitar world.

Values and What to Expect

All 14-ish examples are essentially priceless in the sense that they are not regularly offered for sale, and when they are, the prices are extraordinary:

The 2009 Christie's auction result of $554,500 remains a reference point, but subsequent sales have pushed further. One example circulated by Dream Guitars was offered in 2023 at a price reflecting seven-figure valuation.

Who Plays These?

For most OM-45 Deluxe owners, the guitar is primarily a collectible. However, these instruments were built to be played and several known examples are in playable condition. The sound of a correctly set-up 1930 OM-45 Deluxe is described consistently by those who have played them as unlike anything made since, with an openness, dynamic range, and tonal complexity that reflect both the exceptional materials and the 90 years of wood movement and playing-in.

For collectors who want to be in the OM-45 Deluxe world without the seven-figure commitment, Martin has issued limited reissues. The 2015 reissue was priced at $99,999, itself a statement about what a new guitar trying to approximate the original is worth.

Browse all Musical Instruments →

Related Items