This pearl-laden, custom-ordered Martin was inspired by the OM-45 Deluxe of 1930, Martin’s most highly ornamented catalog model.

The first OMs (for Orchestra Model), introduced in 1929, were offered in Styles 18 and 28, but the new 14-fret necks were well-enough received for Martin to add the fancy Style 45 to the offering.

Even though it was the beginning of The Great Depression in 1930, it was also the tail end of the Jazz Age, a period of highly ornamented banjos. The demand for opulence apparently carried over to the guitar, and in 1930 Martin made 14 OM-45 Deluxe models, featuring the typical Style 45 pearl borders with additional inlays in the pickguard and on the ends of the bridge.

Martin brought back the OM-45 Deluxe in limited production in 1977, and one customer took it to the next level by rodering an elaborate fingerboard inlay pattern. By the end of the 1980s, the demand for fancy guitars like this one led Martin to create more fancy custom and limited edition models.