Mark Twain's $15 Million Dollar Martin Guitar

 

Mark Twain

Hands down, my favorite author is Mark Twain. 

In the early days of our marriage my wife joined a book club. She wanted to stock our bookcase with the classics. For years they just sat on the shelf looking respectable. I eventually made a goal of reading each book. 

A Few Mark Twain Books

About a dozen of the books were by Twain. They included Puddi'n head Wilson, Those Extraordinary Twins, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Roughing It, Innocents Abroad, The Guided Age, The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, Life on The Mississippi, and of course Tom Sawyer, and Huckleberry Finn, as well as others.

Mark Twain's 
Other Woman

I also read Twain's autobiography, and a book by Laura Skandera Trombly called Mark Twain’s Other Woman. This was a book about Samuel Clements’ secretary, Isabel Van Kleek Lyon. The title sounds salacious, but it was a scholarly work, and was an interesting look into Twain’s everyday life. 

All of this to say that I have learned a lot about Samuel Clements, his family, and his life. 

But the one thing that I did not know was that Sam Clements enjoyed playing guitar and owned one of the very first C.F Martin guitars ever built. 

C.F. Martin

Christian Frederick Martin began building guitars In 1833. Martin apprenticed under the legendary Viennese master luthier Johann Stauffer. Martin then returned to Germany taking with him all that he had learned. In those days European trades operated under a strict guild system. Upon returning home he became embroiled in a dispute between the cabinet makers and violin makers guilds over who had the rights to make the then relatively new invention the ‘guitar’. 

Marker 196 Hudson St. NYC

This dispute inspired Martin to relocate to America. In 1833 he opened a shop on the lower West Side of New York City. Five years later, at the insistence of his wife, Martin moved to Nazareth Pennsylvania. 

In 1861, shortly after the Civil War started, Samuel Clements purchased a used Martin Size 2 ½ 17 parlor guitar reportedly costing him $10. He used this 1835 Martin extensively as a singer-guitarist, bringing it along to his many travels. 

Twain's 
Martin

In fact Mark Twain began his career by traveling and writing stories for a newspaper. Those serialized publications became his first popular book, Innocents Abroad. Twain continued to travel far and wide, often with only his 1835 Martin guitar, paper and ink to accompany him. 

Twain played his 1835 Martin guitar frequently for friends and fellow travelers. He entertained the miners of the infamous California’s Gold Rush and the newspaper men of the Nevada Territories. 

Illustration of Sam and his guitar
from St. Nicholas, January 1916

He also rocked the joint with the passengers aboard the steamship Quaker City, bound for Europe and The Holy Lands, and the clipper ship Ajax, bound for the Hawaiian Islands. Many guitarists of his day would approve saying, "Twain prefers to play his Martin guitar for the 'willing women of the West.' ” 

John Hancock III

Just before his death in 1910, the 1835 Martin guitar was entrusted to Colonel John Hancock III, who was the great grandson of American founding father John Hancock. Aside from being a U.S. Cavalryman and a horse breeder, he was a guitar collector. 

The guitar remained in the Hancock family for four generations until it was purchased by renowned guitar collector Hank Risan in the mid-nineteen nineties. 

Hank Risan

Risan then worked with UC Berkeley to authenticate the guitar and helped to create the Mark Twain Project. The guitar came with it’s original coffin case and had a genuine shipping label dated 1866, with “Mr. M. Twain, New York.” 

Twain's 1835 Martin

In today’s dollars and due to its provenance, it is valued at over $15 million dollars. In doing research on the instrument Risan also uncovered an unpublished poem by Twain called Genuis. The guitar’s original coffin case bears a shipping label dated 1866, with Mr. M. Twain, New York written on it in script that was penned in Mark Twain’s own hand. 

Twain's Martin

As of 2015 Risan went on to establish The Private Life of Mark Twain exhibit at the Museum of Musical Instruments, MoMI. This is where the guitar and poem currently reside.

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Micro Frets Guitars

 

Microfrets Orbiter

I used to read all the latest guitar magazines, Guitar Player, Guitarist, Vintage Guitar, and others. I can still remember the old advertisements in those publications. 

Micro Frets

One that stood out was from a company called Micro Frets. This was a guitar that appeared to be cross between a Gibson and a Fender. What stood out was the adjustable nut. The bridge on these guitars had six adjustable saddles that were like a Tune-O-Matic bridge, but the guitar nut also could be moved enabling fine tuning. This feature was known as the Micro-Nut. Although this may be a redundant feature, I found it impressive. 

Micro Frets
Orbiter
Wireless 
Guitar

In the late 1960’s one Micro Frets guitars was even designed with a built-in wireless transmitter that broadcast the signal on a standard FM frequency which was tunable via a variable capacitor. Of course similar technology is used exclusively today, but in 1967 this was an amazing feature.

The Micro Tech Company was started in 1967 by a guitar builder named Ralph Jones and his business partner Francis Marion Huggins. The partners set up a 15,000 square foot factory in Frederick, Maryland, where they were joined by a small group of guitar builders. Jones concentrated on innovation and creating parts while leaving the woodworking chores to the other craftsmen.

Micro Tech Nut

In the shop they were cutting the bodies and necks as well as machining the metallic components. Jones invented the unique parts, such as the Micro Tech nut, that set Micro Frets up as distinct from their competition.

The Calibrato Tremolo

The Calibrato tailpiece was a unique tremolo unit. This sophisticated design invented by Ralph Jones kept strings in tune better than existing units. 

Plainsman, Covington,
Huntington, Orbiter

The company was renamed Micro Frets.  Initially Micro-Frets offered four models – the Plainsman, the Covington, the Huntington, and the Orbiter. These instruments came to be known as Stage 1.

Construction

The instruments bodies were built by using two slabs of wood, usually poplar or maple, that were sandwiched together. On early models the bodies were secured by clips and held together by screws in the neck plate and bridge. (See the last video)

Spacetone with
Fabric F-Holes

A Masonite trim gasket surrounded the two body sections. This unique method allowed access and instillation of the guitar’s electronics. Some of the guitars had front facing “F” holes. This construction method also allowed instillation of grill cloth material that covered the sound hole from inside. 

Micro Frets Thumbwheels

Instead of the usual potentiometers, Jones fashioned thumbwheel controls on the edge of the guitars bi-level pickguards. This was eventually rejected as cumbersome for players and replaced by the usual volume and tone pots along with a pickup selector switch. 

Differences In Pickups

The pickups on the first Micro Frets guitars were initially made by DeArmond, but later models used a design created by Bill Lawrence. These pickups were wound and assembled in the plant by Jones’ wife Hazel and production manager Gary Free. 

 

The following year brought changes in production. The guitars in this group are known as Stage 2.

Micro Frets
Stage 2

The Masonite gasket was eliminated as were the thumbwheel controls in favor of a simple volume and tone control. This changed allowed the bi-level pickguards to be simplified. The grill cloth behind the sound holes was gone. 

1971 Spacetone - Stage 3

By the next year, 1971, the two body sections were glued together eliminating the need for metal clips and screw joining them.  The guitars made at this time are noted as Stage 3. 

Sadly in April of 1972 Ralph Jones died of a sudden heart attack. His widow, Hazel, and plant manager Gary Free kept the business in operation for the next four years allowing the company to continue employment of workers and utilize existing inventory. By 1975 the building and inventory were auctioned off. 

Approximately 3000 Micro Frets guitars were built and sold during the companies tenure. These guitars were truly unique creations and were ahead of their time. 

Will Meadors & Paul Rose

In 2004 Will Meadors and Paul Rose purchased the Micro Frets brand name and he built a limited run of about two dozen guitars based on Ralph Jones’ design. After that production ended.

The New Micro Frets

Then in 2017, 50 years after the company was created, Micro Frets went back into production, with an initial launch of three models: Signature, Spacetone, and Orbiter.

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Fender's Affordable American Made Guitars - Part Two - 1981 To 1983

 

1981 Fender Bullet

The Fender Bullet guitar was designed in 1981 as a low cost student instrument to take the place of the Duo Sonic and Music Master.

1981 Ad For Bullet  Guitar
with 20 watt Harvard amp

Fender designer John Page put together the original instrument design for these guitars. The first models were to be made in Korea and shipped un-assembled to the US.

But Fender did not think the Asian work was up to par, so Fender U.S.A. in Fullerton, California produced the original 1981 guitars by putting to use left over parts from other guitars.

1981 Bullet

The original bodies were designed to resemble a smaller and thinner version of the Telecaster. In fact the necks on the first models were actual Telecaster necks. The dual pickups were left over Mustang pickups which were positioned like those on the Duo Sonic.

That is the neck pickup was angled on the treble side and the bridge pickup was parallel to the bridge. The switch was a three position Stratocaster Switchcraft version. The two potentiometer knobs for volume and tone were black Stratocaster knobs.

Advertisement for Fender Bullet

The guitars came in two colors and two versions. The colors were either red or cream. Pickguards were either white or black. 

The Bullet Standard (see the  first picture) had an anodized steel pickguard with the distal lip behind the bridge raised at a 90% angle to anchor the strings. Page stated that he got the idea for the "star" on the logo from the record industry charts. "This song is #2 with a star" meant the record was moving up.  Fender management nixed the idea, but never changed the logo. The star remained on all of the Bullet series instruments.

Fender Bullet Deluxe

The Bullet Deluxe had a plastic pickguard and the strings went through the body. The bridge assembly was a barrel type and was adjusted by screws for intonation and an Allen wrench for height. The headstock decal had a 5 point star with a number 1 in the center.

I've seen them with both rosewood and maple necks.

By 1982 through 1983 the American made Bullet guitar was redesigned to look like a slightly smaller version of the Stratocaster. The guitar came in several versions. These were made in the U.S.A through 1983. Subsequent models were made by Fender Japan.

American Bullet S-3 

The Fender Bullet S-3 had 3 Mustang pickups with white covers positioned in the normal Strat fashion and a five way blade switch.  It had a single volume and a single tone control. Fender now offered four colours; black, sunburst, red, and cream. The pickguard on these was plastic, and the bridge/saddle with nickel chrome. Strings went through the body and were anchored with ferrules on the back.

Bullet S-2

Fender also produced the American made S-2, which was very similar to the original Bullet, but this time with a Stratocaster style body. This guitar came with the anodized metal pickguard with the bridge/saddles attached to a lip at the end of the body. It had volume and tone controls and a three way selector switch. Fender came out with two other model Bullet guitars. 

Bullet H-1

The Bullet H-1 featured a single Humbucking pickup in the bridge position. This guitar came with a volume and tone control and a pushbutton switch to change from humbucking to single coil mode. It too came with the anodized aircraft metal pickguard, with the lip on the end where  the strings attached.

Bullet H-2

The Bullet H-2 had 2 Fender humbuckers (that were actually Mustang pickups side to side. Alongside the 3 way blade switch were two pushbutton switches that enable coil tapping. 

1982 Bullet Bass

An American made  Fender Bullet Bass was also produced from 1981 through 1983. It was a smaller bodied version of a Precision bass with Mustang bass pickups.

1982 Fender Bullet S-3

All of the original 1982-83 Bullet guitars came in black, white, red or cream. The controls were volume and tone. The input was on the top where the second tone control would be found on a Stratocaster. These were hard tail instruments.

1981 Fender Bullet with case

The price for the instruments in 1981 was $199 which included a molded Fender case. During this time there was also a set sold at a slightly higher price that included a Fender Bullet guitar and a Fender Harvard Reverb solid state amplifier.

Fender Squier Bullets - MIJ

By 1984 Fender Bullets were produced in Japan under the Squire Bullet label. These came in several versions including style similar to the late 1981- 83. 

This change came at a time when Fender management was changing from CBS to FMIC. These instruments came with plastic pickguards, and chromed metal bridges. The anodized aluminum pickguard were no longer offered.  Fender contracted with the Fujigen company.

1984 Squier Bullet with tremolo 

Some of the key differences were these were no longer labeled as Fender guitars, but now known as Squier Bullet guitars. The pickups on most had enclosed covers, and most were bridge saddle assemblies were hardtails. However some came with tremolos. The MIJ Bullet Series maintained the Telecaster style headstock. Tuners were stamped "Fender Japan".

 

MIJ Squier Bullet Neckplate

The serial number on the Squier Bullet neck plate began with "SQ", though the first models were stamped "JV".  While the neckplates on the 1981 - 1983 American made Fender Bullet guitars were just stamped with the stylized Fender "F" and no serial number. Although they were originally made as student instruments, in my opinion they are still great players. I owned one for a few years and I hated to part with it. The resale prices for these guitars are skyrocketing.

Junior Brown's Guit Steel

Junior Brown had his original Guit-Steel made from Fender Bullet parts.

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Fender's Affordable American Made Guitars - 1956 - 1981

 

Through the years Fender has come up with some guitars that were interesting concepts. Though the designers were thinking mostly about the professional market, they also had their eye on the beginners and students. They designed instruments to meet a beginning player's needs, including their budgets. 

1956 Fender Musicmaster

As far back as 1956 Fender offered a student model called the Musicmaster. This was a short scale, 22 ½” neck length instrument with just a single pickup on it anodized pickguard. 

1964 Musicmaster

It was updated in 1964 with a plastic tortoise shell guard and a chromed metal control plate. 

1956
Duo Sonic

In 1956 Fender offered a two pickup version with the same attributes called The Duo-Sonic. At that time it came in one color, “Desert Sand”, and had a gold-colored anodized pickguard. Later models had a plastic pickguard and came in different colors. The neck pickup had a slight slant. 

1964 Duo Sonic

Both of these models started with a maple fingerboard until 1964 when a rosewood board was standard. This guitar also had the short 22½ " scale.

The Duo Sonic sported a three-way pickup selector switch on its lower horn.  Both the Musicmaster and the Duo Sonic came with a three-section bridge/saddle unit that originally had a chrome cover. 

1966 Duo Sonic II

By mid year of 1964 the two pickup versions were redesigned and updated to the Duo Sonic II.  There were had a lot of changes. The neck scale was increased to 24”, though it was still available with a short 22 ½ " scale neck. The plastic pickguard was now offered with Olympic white or tortoise shell. 

The two single coil pickups were now both slanted and had individual slider switches for each one. These switches could change polarity for some cool sounds. The volume and tone pots were housed under a chromed plate. 

The three section bridge/saddle was update with chrome unit that had a lip where the strings attached. This guitar was the precursor to The Fender Mustang. 

1964 Fender Mustang

The Fender Mustang was essentially a Duo Sonic II with a vibrato added. The unique vibrato unit was a spring-loaded contraption with the springs beneath its rocking bridge.

1964 Fender Mustang

This guitar had six individual brass adjustable saddles. A chromed bridge cover was original equipment. This guitar was designed to be a more affordable option for players.

1966 Fender
Mustang Bass

In 1966 the Fender Mustang Bass was the last guitar that Leo Fender designed before leaving the company following the sale to CBS. This short scale bass guitar used the same body as the Mustang guitar. 

This bass, designed as a student instrument, had a short 30" neck scale length. The maple neck was topped with a 19 fret rosewood fingerboard. The headstock had four Fender open back bass tuners. 

1966 Mustang Bass

The instrument strings were held in place with a uniquely designed bridge/saddle unit that was mounted on a chromed plate. Each of the four strings had it's own adjustment for length and height on the through-the-body unit. 

The bass originally came with a foam rubber mute strip that was adjustable with two screws. On most surviving examples the mute has been removed. 

The split pickups were similar to Precision Bass pickups of this era. The plastic pickguard came in white, pearl-white, or tortoise shell. The electronic controls and jack were housed under a chrome plate. A pull-bar finger rest was on the treble side of the pickguard. 

'66 Lake Placid Blue
Mustang Bass

The standard finishes were red, white, and blue, although many blue examples have faded to more of a green color. Originally this bass had a nitrocellulose lacquer, but in 1968 it was changed to polyester. (Back finish has faded to green on this example).

Competition Mustang Bass

In 1969 the Mustang Guitar and Bass were made with "Competition" finishes; Orange, Red, and Burgundy, and the "Racing Stripes" were added to the bodies. 

Late '70's Mustang Bass

Color options changed in 1977 when the "Completion" finishes concluded and replaced by Black, White, Sunburst, and Natural. 

It was not until 1981 that a left-handed model was an available option. The Mustang Bass was no longer offered in 1982.

1967 Fender Bronco

In 1967 Fender designed a budget single pickup version it called The Bronco for beginning players. This guitar had a pickup in the bridge position and a unique tremolo unit, "The Bronc Trem" or "Steel Trem" that came to be Fender's least popular design. 

1967 Bronco Package

This guitar had a 24" scale with a rosewood fretboard on it's maple neck. Fender packaged this with a "Bronco" amp, which was actually a silver face Vibro Champ amplifier with a red label that said Bronco. In 1967 the guitar with the amplifier was priced at $150.

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