Keith....

I'm forced to review my earlier post; while I can't see the herringbone (it's not clear enough) I will now admit to the snowflake neck inlays! I hadn't noticed them before. That pretty much makes it an early-1940s guitar - or even older. Were they all herringbone back then?

I'm not too big to admit I might be wrong..... I know a bit about Martins, but Keith knows more!

Keith - again....

That 'number plate' on the back of the Daimler is a dealer's trade-plate; look carefully and you'll see the rubber bands attaching it to the chrome handles on the lower boot-lid. As you'll no doubt recall, dealers trade-plates had white digits on a red background. Probably means the car didn't as yet have a tax disc in place, so it could be driven under the Dealer's blanket insurance policy. In fact, I don't see a tax-disc now I look more closely. I do see a nice Triumph Renown in the background at the top of the street.....

Who knows what Lonnie had for breakfast on the day before these photos were taken? (Just kidding.....)

Seriously - if that's a pre-war Martin, all we've done is further confuse the issue! I can safely say that I never saw another shot of Lonnie with this very guitar (maybe it wasn't his...?)