r/martinguitar

So I know I’m breaking the Cardinal rule because this is not a Martin, but in the feeble attempt to educate, I finally have this one in my hands to show people what they are buying.

This was purchased by an acquaintance before he was an acquaintance. He paid $700 and it came with a gig bag. He thought it was real. I pointed out all of the red flags. It won’t something like this.

1. why on earth would somebody sell a D 45 worth $10,000 New and not have the original case?
2. pick guard is not or never was a Martin color or thickness. 3) Grovers don’t typically fall apart like this. 4)The rosette is different. 5) the laser etched logo on the neck block looks like they used a branding iron and almost caught it on fire. 6) it weighs about twice as much as it probably should. 7) nut is registering at finger board angle rather than the headstock that whole area looks wrong. 8) the finish is super thick and feels like plastic.(polyurethane.) and the American Martins don’t come with stickers..
   But for the people who say “it’s a nice Guitar who cares” they have not earned the right to put a different name on their headstock that they did not earn. It’s a forgery. It’s like someone at school if you’re in school doing your homework for you and you graduate because of it, you didn’t earn it. I’m tired of the Gibson Martin scams. And yes, it does sound decent like a Yamaha of a higher quality, but that’s besides the point by a Yamaha then.

Long story short, Facebook Marketplace may have made my dreams come true. A deal that is mind melting if real. My fellow Martin nerds. Is this guitar authentic? It seems like it was well loved however not super well taken care of. But what I really care about is if it is real or not.

Hey y’all, just want to hear your thoughts and experiences for those who own this model. I’m flying to HK soon to celebrate my birthday and one of my goals is to go home with my end game Martin. It’s been a year now since I’ve been hyperfixated to this model.

I love the fact that its build quality is superior from the standard model — the waverlys, liquid metal pins, gold frets and especially the wooden binding. But I’m sure that does not equate to superior sound until I play it in person.

I play fingerstyle and play in the church with the band and I really think this suits my style. But other than that I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with this bad boy. Thanks!

Made the mistake of going into a high end acoustic shop about a month ago and played around with a bunch of fancy guitars. The one that caught my attention the most though was a 000-18GE. Could not get over the sound coming from it. The only one I liked more was a Huss and Dalton OM with sinker mahogany and alpine spruce. Anyways, I really wanted the 000-18GE but I thought the price was too high which led me to seeing what other options would be a good fit and that landed me on a 000-28 authentic aged. Found a seller locally that was willing to work a deal and ending up getting it for just a little more than the GE. They actually sound very similar from what I can remember (the 000-28 feels like it has more clarity though) and after doing a bit of reading it seems like the bracing on the 000-28 authentic may actually be the same as the 000-18GE/authentic? I couldn’t be happier with this thing, it sounds exactly what I hear in my head when I think of an acoustic guitar and the neck feels so good in my hands. A little bit less of a V shape than the GE, I think, and also feels nicely worn in with the rolled fretboard. Wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the aging in person, but it’s actually very nicely done and I feel like it’s helping me not worry about if it’s gets dinged. Really hard to put this thing down, my fingers are a little sore from playing so much.

I received a 1970 Martin d-35s from an elderly family friend completely out of the blue yesterday. It's got the original receipt, case and everything too. She said it had been gathering dust for years due to arthritis.

Of course, I'm going to play it every day I can,

it sounds incredible, but I'm a pretty new guitarist. This is quite the jump from my starter Alverez(which I guess is the travel guitar now); I'm honestly still kind of shocked.

Insurance is taken care of, Mom put it on her musician coverage, and is even more excited than I am to try it out.

What else should I do for longevity? I've got a cleaning kit and humidifier, and this obviously lives in its case. I've contacted Martin too, and asked them for advice as well. I'm not going to be afraid to take it out, but this is something I want to pass on.

Edit D35s, thank you for the catch

Picked this 000-13E up today! I have a 1974 D28 but needed a model with a pickup. Very happy with the tone and hope it will just get better with age!

I've made posts this past week about the 000-15SM and the satin D-18 as I was considering both. I had sort of ruled out the D-28 as it was a little more than I wanted to spend, though it was actually cheaper than a new D-18, but this one just spoke to me. Played it the store for like an hour. Went back and forth with another D-18, and ended up leaving with this.

Played somewhat professionally for many years. Same with my parents and grandparents. I mostly played electric, and have never owned a nice acoustic. Havent played as much the last few years but I am trying to get back into it. I want this to continue to be a part of my life, and my children's lives.

The price was fair, but I wouldn't say I got an insane deal or anything. Just didnt want to pass up a lifetime guitar over an extra $100-$200 or so. Very happy!

I recently purchased a 00-18 Custom Shop, and noticed that there’s slight separation of the bridge in the bottom right hand corner. I’ve read this can be normal on Martins. Is this something you’d have looked at, or should I just stop worrying about it? Thank you!

My heart is happy today - this beauty finally got here! Sounds amazing, and can’t believe Martin doesn’t make more D-18s with burst finishes.

Looking for the bottom part that screws over the Amp cord intake for my Martin. Lost it years ago and haven’t been able to put a strap on it since. Anyone know what this little piece is called? Or where I can find one? I assume it’s probably a universal part and not specific to this model but I have no idea.

Any info helps! Thanks!

Hey everyone! Long time player first time Martin owner. Found this 97(?) d15 and it just arrived today. Bought it through reverb for $1100 plus shipping and tax. Came in a very old beat up Hard case. I let it acclimate to the climate in my home then I tuned it up in open D (what I normally play). All within 12 hours or so.

It feels good and the neck has a lot of beautiful patina and weathering. The strings were old and it stays in tune well. I am bringing it to my guitar tech in two days to evaluate and potentially set up. The body feels cheaper then I expected and the tuners were replaced to gold seigal tuners. They feel good and sturdy. The gold matches the CF Martin foil beautifully. Something about the body feels cheaper to me for some reason. Could be in my head.

I have a 7 day return policy with reverb. Anyone own a D15 from this era? Is this a quality build? I’ve played newer D15m’s (2011, 2022 builds) and this feels a bit different, and like I said sort of cheaper, but maybe because it’s worn in a lot? Also worth noting this is my first “vintage” guitar. Is ‘97 vintage now, god I’m old. Thanks guys!

My late father’s Martin, curious if anyone thinks it’s worth holding on to or letting it go? Had appraised at the $10k mark (I understand that the market will pay what it pays). Happy Sunday.