Meanwhile, across the Pacific in the United States, the financial panic of 1907 was shaking the entire nation. Triggered by the collapse of a New York bank, corporate cash flows deteriorated, and the manufacturing sector as a whole took a hit. The economic downturn reached even the small town of Nazareth, and the musical instrument industry was no exception.

In 1908, Martin Guitars was entering a quiet period of transition. The financial panic of 1907 had caused the U.S. economy to slump significantly, and guitar sales plummeted. Production, which had been about 250 guitars in 1906, dropped to about 180 in 1907 and then to approximately 150 in 1908, marking a particularly difficult time.

Even so, Frank Henry Martin did not stop working. In a small factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, about ten craftsmen continued to handcraft gut-string guitars and bowl-back mandolins. Filled with the scent of wood and the sound of planes, that workshop possessed a warmth that no machine could ever replicate.In 1908, Martin was imbued with a quiet passion that honored tradition while looking ahead to a new era of music. Within that quietness lay the steady pulse that would lead to the golden age to come.

One 00-45, born in those times, would later find its way into the hands of a female guitarist, where it would carve out a special history alongside her musical journey.

Hazel Henderson (center in photo)

This name is indispensable when recounting the history of the 1908 Martin 00-45. She was born in 1891 in California, USA. Raised in a wealthy family, she is believed to have received musical education from an early age.In Los Angeles at that time, the guitar was still regarded as a “pastime of high society,” and for a woman to play the guitar was a sign of refinement.

At just 16 years old, Hazel held a recital at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium. Records state, “Hazel Henderson gave a guitar recital at the Los Angeles Philharmonic (age 16).” Considering how rare it was for a woman to take the stage playing the guitar, this speaks volumes about her passion and talent.

A photograph survives of Hazel, around the age of 16, posing alongside her friends before a concert.

Among her personal effects, this 00-45 lay quietly alongside sheet music and photographs.
It appears the guitar was kept by her family, but over the long years, the strings had come loose, and cracks caused by drying had begun to appear on the wood’s surface.
In the latter half of the 20th century, a folk music boom began in the United States, and large steel-string guitars came into the spotlight.
Meanwhile, Martin guitars with nylon strings—like the one Hazel played—were quietly forgotten as the times changed.
Yet, instruments, just like people, “are alive.”
They sense humidity, weather the seasons, and continue to breathe deep within their wood grain.
In that quiet passage of time, this 1908 00-45 waited for the day it would sound again.

In 1970, after Hazel Henderson Conte Stretton passed away at the end of her long musical life, the 1908 Martin 00-45 that had been her lifelong companion was passed down to her grandson, Bill Barto.The guitar, which his grandmother had cherished and played, had accumulated dents and scuffs over the years; the top showed a crack along the inlay, and the back displayed cracks and missing mother-of-pearl. The sides also had numerous cracks and chips in the wood, the bridge was loose, and the fingerboard showed signs of wear and sanding marks. Its condition was the very embodiment of an instrument steeped in history.

In his letter, Barto wrote that as a child, he used to listen to the sound of this guitar while sitting right next to his grandmother as she played. It is clear that the memory of that sound held a special place in his heart. Perhaps those feelings led to his desire to bring this guitar back to life.

In March 1983, Barto submitted a repair request to the Repair Department at Martin’s headquarters in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
The repair order (Repair Order #4880) lists detailed work required to restore the guitar to a playable condition, including “repair of cracks in the top and back,” “gluing of a split in the side,” “replacement of chipped binding and pearl inlays,” “neck reset and fret correction,” and “re-gluing of the bridge.”
The total repair cost was $540, which was by no means a small sum at the time. It was not merely a repair request; rather, it was a sincere and heartfelt act to carry the sound his grandmother loved into the future.
The repair likely took about three months, after which the guitar was returned to Mr. Barto. The moment Mr. Barto played the first note upon receiving the guitar, the sound that had been sealed away since 1970 surely filled the air once again.

In 2007, a 1908 Martin 00-45 was appraised by Gruhn Guitars, a prestigious dealer in Nashville.
Founder George Gruhn is a leading authority in the field of vintage guitars; his evaluations transcend market value and are recognized as benchmarks from both historical and craftsmanship perspectives.
A letter dated September 14, 2007, states that the “1908 Martin 00-45 (S/N 10761)” is valued at $25,000 in its current condition.
Referencing Martin’s repair records, Mr. Gruhn carefully verified the structural and decorative features characteristic of a Style 45, including the Adirondack spruce top, scalloped bracing, a cedar neck with a 12th-fret joint, Brazilian rosewood sides and back, ivory binding, torch inlays, and abalone inlays.
Furthermore, he explicitly states that this guitar was the most luxurious model Martin produced at the time, and that its bracing—designed exclusively for gut strings—is not compatible with modern steel strings.
These descriptions demonstrate that Mr. Gruhn was not merely an appraiser evaluating the guitar’s appearance, but a researcher who made his judgment based on a deep understanding of the structural philosophy of the era in which it was built. Records indicate that this appraisal served as the catalyst for negotiations leading up to the sale.
Having endured more than a century, this guitar was taking a quiet first step toward meeting its next player.

Subsequently, this guitar found its way to Westwood Music, a long-established musical instrument store in Los Angeles. The store was run by legendary dealer Fred Walecki. He was known for his close friendships with many musicians, including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and James Taylor, and for his longstanding support of the West Coast music scene. Westwood Music was more than just a retail store; it was a place where musicians could converse, test the sound of instruments, and share the stories behind them.

An appraisal dated October 2, 2007, states: “Martin 0045, serial number 10761, should be insured for $37,500.” This concise statement conveys Fred Walecki’s characteristic straightforward and sincere approach. Even without any flowery language, that single sentence speaks more eloquently than anything else about the guitar’s value.

Over the years, Walecki has fostered a culture that respects instruments that have lived alongside music. This appraisal, written by his own hand, marked the moment when the 00-45 was recognized not merely as an “old guitar,” but as a “memory of sound passed down through generations.”

Today, this 1908 Martin 00-45 (#10761) is carefully preserved and on display at Advance Guitars in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

The Adirondack spruce top has taken on a deep amber hue, while the rosewood back has grown richer and more lustrous with the passage of time. The iridescence of the abalone inlay shifts from blue to green depending on the angle of the light, and its appearance is like a work of art that seems to encapsulate the very air of a century ago.
When the strings are gently plucked, soft yet deep overtones fill the entire room.

The bass notes are round and deep, while the treble is clear and seems to extend endlessly. Perhaps this sound is vibrating the very same air as the melodies played by Hazel Henderson.