First 70's PRO MARTIN W180  MARTIN STYLE COPY  1° Serie Made in Japan code Excellent conditions straight neck nice fingerboard with very good frets and low action.Mahogany laminated back and sides, solid Spuce top Rosewood fingerboard Comes with a Gig Bag as you see in photo Code AC88

 Pro Martin was a Japanese company that made Martin copies for the Japanese domestic market during the 1970's. They attempted to enter the US market but C.F. Martin & Co. took them to court and won, which put them out of business in the US. (It's quite possible they entered the European market at the same time, but I have no knowledge about that.) Although a lot of people talk loosely about "lawsuit era" Takamine guitars, when Martin supposedly sued Takamine for making Martin copies, the only actual lawsuit Martin ever filed was against this Japanese firm Pro Martin. When they dealt with Takamine, Martin's attorneys sent a cease and desist letter telling them to quit making such close copies. Takamine complied without the matter having to go any further. But Pro Martin must have ignored the cease and desist letters that C.F. Martin's attorneys sent them, because Martin did actually have to sue them. And won, as I mentioned.