Martin / Wolverine 0-28 c.1924 Brazilian Rosewood w/ Case
Martin
Regular price $12,999.00
Unit price per
Wolverine by CF Martin 1924 0 28 Brazilian Rosewood Parlor Style Guitar
Tobias Music - Chicago Area’s Finest Guitars
Your hometown Martin Dealer for the past 46 years.
Here’s a rare find. 1924 ‘Wolverine’ 0-28 made by the master luthiers at CF Martin in Nazareth, PA. Martin supplied guitar to the Grinnell Brothers in the 1920’s. Very nice 100 year old guitar.
This guitar was refurbished at the Martin Factory in 2016. List of work done at the factory is included in the photo gallery. It has been out of the case only a handful of times since the restoration at Martin. Still all original with the original finish. The guitar is in great shape and perfectly playable. You won’t find one in better shape.
The Grinnell Brothers was a major musical instrument retailer and distributor based in Detroit, Michigan. During the 1920s, they contracted with several manufacturers—including Martin—to supply guitars that were often branded under the Grinnell name or had no branding at all but were clearly Martin-made.
These guitars were typically lower-end models, similar in build and style to Martin's own small-body guitars of the time (like the Style 17 or 18). Very rare to have a 28 Style with Brazilian Rosewood. They often lacked the Martin logo on the headstock or decals but were internally stamped with a Martin serial number and sometimes marked “Made in USA.”
Martin was very protective of its premium models and brand identity. During that period making this one even more rare and collectible.
- Custom or higher-end Martins (like Styles 28, 45, etc.) were sold directly under the Martin brand through authorized dealers.
- Grinnell-branded Martins or Martin-made guitars sold by Grinnell were usually not ornamented, lacked herringbone purfling or pearl inlay, and had more basic finishes.
- These instruments will still be excellent quality due to Martin craftsmanship, but they weren’t positioned as high-end.
If a higher-end Martin did go to Grinnell, it would have been a standard Martin sold through them, not a private-label or rebranded model. Again, this one is rare. Possibly one of a kind. No information can be found regarding any other 28 Style / Brazilian Rosewood Grinnell Brothers guitars.