A Final Nail in the Coffin - Coffin Cases for Martin Guitars

A Final Nail in the Coffin

Coffin Cases For Martin Guitars

From Martin's earliest years, coffin shaped felt-lined wooden cases constructed in the Martin factory from poplar not only served the owners of their guitars,
but first and foremost were used to ship guitars to Martin's distributors by stage coach. Many of these cases are still affixed with remnants of shipping labels
and wax seals. Martin shipped their guitars in coffin cases from the 1830's through the end of the Nineteenth Century.

After 1930, Martin stamped the size and style name on the neck block inside the guitar. In earlier years, this information was indicated on a label inside the case.

Martin cases are typically lined with felt, most often in a purple or plum color.

Martin coffin cases always have heavy brass handles which are beautifully contoured. These are consistently of the type of "bail handle" known as "lifting handles", originally designed for British blanket chests, with a built in stop that allows the handle to be lifted to 90 or 105 degrees, and no further, and secured not by built in posts, as a standard bail handle, but by screws passing through the face of each of the two brass plates or rosettes.

Early brass handles were as small as 2 3/8". Over the years, the handles gradually increased in size, with later handles reaching 3 3/4" on plates with screws set at 4 1/4".

Many old Martins are found today in coffin cases that are assumed to be Martin cases, but are not. As often as not, these cases have thinner handles that look more like a thick bent wire. You will never find these handles on cases supplied by Martin.

Several versions of the early Martin brass case latch used a beautifully machined button which slid downward to release a hook:

Martin 1840's Spanish 1-28

Matin 1870's 2-27

Early Martins, such as this 1837 Hudson Street Martin, often have latches with a twist mechanism to secure the latch. These latches are extremely effective, and usually can be found in fine working order even today.

1837 Hudson Street Martin

1840 Spanish Martin

Some of the hardware on Martin coffin cases polishes up to a nice shine when cleaned of dirt. Some of this hardware, when polished carefully, retains the rich patina of brass that has been dipped in shellac.

These shellaced latches have a button on the side that slides downward to release the latch.

Martin 0-28 case

1885 Martin 0-34

1870's Martin 1-28

Simple hooks and eyes are usually the sign of an inexpensive non-Martin case, but some Martin cases do have simple hooks and eyes, typically quite long, at 2, 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 inches, and elegantly shaped.

1860's Martin 2 1/2 - 20

This latch design, common in the 1890's utilised hooks which secured a hinged latch.

Late 19th Century Martin 2 1/2 - 17

Martin 1893 2 1/2 - 17

Martin coffin cases were always fitted with a lock and key. Many of the earliest Martin locks were enclosed in heavy brass plates, many without name, this one with an engraved eagle and the name "Liebrich, Phila."

Martin 1840's Spanish 1-28

2 3/4" handle, 1 1/4" base

Through the years, Martin cases used many different designs for decorative plates covering their keyholes.

Martin 1850's 2-20

2 5/8" handle, 1" base

Martin 1855 2-23

2 5/8" handle, 1" base

Martin 1860's 2 1/2 - 20

3 3/8" handle, 1 3/8" base

Martin 1870's 0-21

3 3/4" handle, 1 11/16" base

Martin 1870's 1-28

This Martin coffin case has a white keyhole cover that appears to made of ivory.

3 3/8" handle, 1 3/8" base

Martin 1880's 1-21

3" handle, 1 1/8" base

Martin cases can usually be distinguished by triangular interior supports at the corners, and often by contoured wooden inserts to fit the waist of the guitar.

1885 Martin 0-34

Some Martin cases have no inserts at the waist, but do have the triangular corner reinforcements.

1893 Martin 2 1/2 - 17

Cases made by James Ashborn for his guitars are among the most finely crafted cases. Note the perfectly fitted lip on the edge of the case to ensure that the case closes precisely:

If you look again to compare the Martin cases, you will see that the corner reinforcements rise above the level of the sides, simply serving much the same purpose, aligning the case when closing.

1880's Martin 1-21

This 1840's early Spanish Style Martin still has sealing wax on the case from a previously attached shipping label.

1840 Spanish Style Martin

And this Martin coffin case still has a label attached from a COD delivery in 1914.

Unusual Linings for Martin Coffin Cases

While most coffin cases for Martin guitars have simple solid color felt linings, some early Martin coffin cases had linings with fancy designs more similar to the bold linings Ashborn guitar are known for.

This case belongs to an unusual 1850's Size 1 Style 21 Martin with a unique zig zag rosette.

This beautiful case belongs to an unusual 1850's Size 1 Style 26 Martin with a unique zig zag top border.

Note the three dimensional textured pattern, with puffy cloud like figures.

This coffin case is like no other I've seen, belonging to a guitar built by C.F. Martin in his Hudson Street shop in New York City in 1837.

This perfectly form fitting case fits like a glove and is lined with fine glove suede, with a pearl inlaid ebony button matching the end pin of the guitar on the compartment door. The brass case handle is on the opposite side from most cases, on the same side as the hinges. The oringinal owner's name and address in Philadelphia is printed on the suede lining in ink.

Case Labels

Case Labels

Martin used a number of various labels in their cases, with minor differences in typefaces and design.

This is the very first Martin label to appear, showing up in 1867, the year Martin incorporated.

No labels were made for Martins in coffin cases before incorporation was signified with "& Co." affixed to the Martin name.

The earliest labels appear to be cut by hand with irregular edges and borders, and measure roughly 1 5/16" x 1 5/8".

1867 to c.1874

This similar looking label appears in the 1870s, with the same information, but a simpler typeface, with bold horizontal serifs and lacking the fancy ornamentation in the mid line of the letters, and using a noticeably less bold type style for the "size" and "quality".

My Terz guitar with a pencil date of July, 1874 has the first label, so this label appeared in the second half of 1874 at the earliest.

c.1874 to c.1886

The larger Martin labels measure roughly 2" x 2 3/4".

This style, with care instructions, appears about the time the guitars are first consistently dated in pencil under the top, in 1886.

c. 1886 to 1888

1888 2 1/2 -24

The next larger label appears c. 1889 and must have been used until 1895, when Martin mandolins were introduced, since the next label says "Guitars & Mandolins".

c. 1889 to 1895

1893 2 -1/2 17

This last label, for Martin "Guitars and Mandolins", must have been the last Martin label to appear, as Martin only began to sell mandolins in 1895. By 1899, Martin was selling two thirds as many mandolins as guitars, so it is understandable that Martin would begin to give mandolins equal billing on their labels. These were used until leather cases replaced the coffin cases in 1898.

1895 to 1898

MARTIN COFFIN CASE SIZES

EASY COFFIN CASE IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

The chart below will help you identify the sizes of Martin coffin cases by their measurements.

Dimensions at Widest Point

                                                OUTSIDE CASE LENGTH        OUTSIDE CASE WIDTH        GUITAR WIDTH

                SIZE 2 1/2              37 7/8 - 38 3/8                                13 1/8 - 13 1/2                            11 1/2 - 11 11/16

                SIZE 2                    38                                                   14                                                12 - 12 1/16

                SIZE 1                    39 1/2 - 40                                      14 3/4 - 15                                  12 13/16 - 13

                SIZE 0                    39 7/8                                            15 1/4                                          13 1/2

This chart shows the width of the lower bout of a selection of Martin Guitars appearing on this web site as well as the exterior and interior length and maximum lower bout width of their coffin cases, and the interior width where the case meets the lower bout of the guitar.

                                                               Guitar                  Case
                                                               W - Lower Bout L- Outside    W - Outside    L - Inside    W - Inside    Case fit    Case type

            Size 2 1/2 Martin Cases
            Martin & Coupa Koa                11 7/16                    38                  13 3/4            37 1/8        12 7/8          12 3/8        Early Martin
            Martin 1850 2 1/2 - 24 Gura    11 9/16                    38 1/4            13 1/4              37 1/2        12 5/8        12 1/8        old Martin
            Martin 1860 2 1/2 20                11.5                         38 3/8            13 3/8              37 5/8        12 3/4        12 1/4        old Martin
            Martin 1870 2 1/2 - 26              11 11/16                38 1/4            13 1/2              37 1/2        12 5/8        12 1/8        2 1/2 - 26 Martin label
            Martin 1893 2 1/2 - 17              11 5/8                    37 7/8            13 1/8              37 1/4        12 3/8        12              2 1/2 - 17 Martin label

            Size 2 Martin Cases
            Martin 1850 2-23 dk Diamnd 12                            38 7/8            14                    38              13 1/8        12 5/8        old Martin
            Martin 1860 2-22                      12 1/16                    38 3/4            14                    38 1/8      13 1/4        12 3/4        old Martin

            Size 1 Martin Cases
            Martin 1840 1-28 Spanish       12 13/16                39 7/8            14 3/4              39              14              13 5/8        old Martin
            Martin 1850 1-28 prl zz            12 13/16                39 7/8            14 3/4              39 1/8        14              13 5/8        old Martin
            Martin 1860 1-21 zig                12 13/16                40                15 1/4              39              14              13 5/8        old Martin
            Martin 1860 1-26 zz top           12 15/16                39 3/4            15                    38 7/8        14              13 3/8        Martin - printed design
            Martin 1870 1-28                    13                            39 7/8            14 3/4            39            14 1/8        13 5/8        old Martin
            Martin 1880 1-21                     12 7/8                      39 1/2            15                   38 5/8        14 1/2        13 1/3        1-21 Martin Label
            Martin 1880 1-21 inl PG          12 13/16                39 1/2            15                   38 5/8        14 1/8        13 5/8        1-21 Martin Label

            Size 0 Martin Cases
            Martin 1867 0-34                    13.5                       39 7/8        15 1/4            39 3/16       14 1/4        14             Size 0 Martin label

            Ashborn Cases
            Ashborn 6                                11 3/8                       37 5/8            13 1/8            36 15/16    12 3/8        12              green
            Ashborn 2                                11 5/16                    37 1/2            13 3/16          36 3/4        12 7/16    12 1/16
            Ashborn                                   11 3/8                       37 1/2            13                   36 7/8        12 1/4        11 7/8        print

Around the turn of the century, coffin cases were replaced with hand tooled leather cases, or canvas cases for the less expensive models.

Martin 1899 Style 5 Mandolin

vintagemartin.com

To See Robert Corwin's Classic Photography of Folk and Roots Musicians, visit: