“John, I’ve got this insured for a million dollars. These are the Stradivari of guitar collecting”: Watch Matt Swanson introduce Blackbird Studios’ John McBride to his 1930 Martin OM-45 Deluxe

John McBride and Matt Swanson

Here is a little something to give all the guitar collectors and high-end acoustic guitar aficionados out there a serious case of GAS – a rare sighting of a 1930 Martin OM-45 Deluxe in the wild, in pristine condition.

The 1930 Martin OM-45 Deluxe is the stuff of legend, principally because for all intents and purposes it is a legend. Accounts on exactly how many were made vary. When Martin released a historic accurate reissue in 2015, the figure was quoted as 11, and Martin duly made 11 of the 2015 reissues, each of them priced a cool $99,999. Other sources at the time said 15 OM-45’s were made in 1930.