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Hi everyone!

I borrowed a Lmi Parlor acrylic template from a from, wanting to build one. From the begining, I thought it was a Martin size 1, (1-18), but when I checked the buy the plan, and saw the dimensions, I understood that my template was smaller. So after verification... the template is ''small concert (parlor), Martin™-style'', refering to the plan PL29. The dimensions are 12 3/16'' for the LB, 18 3/8'' for the lenght and 4'' deep.

I just can't figure out which model it is... Refering to a chart I've found, It's close to a size 2...

Size Frets Width Depth Body Len Tot Len Year Introduced
---- ----- ----- ----- ------- ------ --------------
1/4 12 6 3/16 2 7/8 12 (early version)
1/4 12 8 15/16 3 9/16 12 1/16 (later version)
1/2 12 10 1/8 3 3/8 15 1/16
7 12 13 11/16 4 3/8 17 1/2
5 12 11 1/4 3 7/8 16
4 12 11 1/2 3 3/4 16
3 1/2 12 10 11/16 3 7/8 16 7/8
3 12 11 1/4 3 13/16 17 3/8
2 1/2 12 11 5/8 3 7/8 17 7/8
2 12 12 4 18 1/4
1 12 12 3/4 4 3/16 18 7/8
O 12 13 1/2 4 3/16 19 1/8 1852
O 14 13 1/2 4 1/4 18 3/8 38 3/8 1932
OO 12 14 1/8 4 1/16 19 5/8 1877
OO 14 14 5/16 4 1/8 18 7/8 38 5/8 1934
OOO 12 15 4 1/16 20 7/16 1902
OOO 14 15 4 1/8 19 3/8 39 3/8 1934
OM 14 15 4 1/8 19 3/8 1929
D 12 15 5/8 4 3/4 20 15/16 1931
D 14 15 5/8 4 7/8 20 40 1/4 1934

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

It is between a Martin size 2 and a Martin Size 1 but really neither (strictly speaking).

Well, that's what I see... but Martin never did 1½ for what I know.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

I think that may be a template from an Antes drawing of a small 12 fret . The difference in size and shape won't hurt things. I built a few off that print though I did learn the bracing was way heavy for the guitar. David LaPlante forgot more than I know. I wish I knew what he has stored in his brain .

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

My feeling is that the Antes' parlor looks like a Washburn shape with a Martin bracing plan.

Did you make changes on the bracing? I don't have the plan so I don't know how high is the X, but I was thinking something like 7/16, maybe a bit less, and a very thin double X crossing over the main X to become the finger braces.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

GAL now offers a really accurate drawing of a small Martin by Jeff Livermore.
We have also arranged for him to make a couple drawings of both a Stauffer Martin and a rare Spanish style Martin which we hope to include in our upcoming book from Hal Leonard on the guitar in early America.

Check out his GAL Martin drawing (#57).
It's excellent.