The 1942 Martin D-18 (#81197) once owned by Lester Flatt, which we reported on last spring, has been listed for sale by auction at Heritage Auctions online.
As the story goes, this is the guitar that Lester bought when he joined Monroe as a Blue Grass Boy in 1945, as he didn’t own a pro grade instrument. Monroe had lent him his own D-28 to use in the interim. Tut Taylor bought it from Flatt during the time that Lester and Earl were working on WDBJ radio in Roanoke, VA, and then sold it on in 1969 to Texas guitarist Dan Jones when he needed the money.
Jones kept it for another decade before selling it on to the father of its current owner, who left it to him upon his passing. Last year the guitar, with its original case and the strap with Lester’s name on it, were displayed at the Bluegrass Heritage Festival in Dallas.
Now the owner is ready to part with this guitar, which he had kept as a legacy to his dad.
The auction will run through October 8, and is live now with an opening bid of $50,000.
Bids can be placed, and the auction followed, online.
