Howard,

I know for a fact that Herman Carlson Levin never did work for Martin during his N.Y. years in the late 1800:s. For a period he worked as a polisher in a guitart factory but it was not Martin.

In the late 1880:s he started his own operation on Manhattan with an american companion, but after a visit in Sweden he found a market for stringed instruments in his home country, and went home and started the Levin company in the year 1900.

For a period around 1960 the year 1900 was added on the brass plate covering the trussrod, but this was only on archtops and flattops. I think it was to highlight the 60th aniversary. I have a 1961 archtop, an there is no 1900 marking on this.

If Your Levin is a Goliath size sunburst, it is the original "Goliath" with model name LM-26. If it has blond spruce top it is likely the LS-18, back then called "the Super Goliath".

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Thanks.
-Joe Offer-