Martin D-18

[Kate]

Enjoy your new Martin! Years ago I got to play an old beat up D35 at a recording studio. The thing had a hole worn on the front. But the sound was so amazing that I was hooked. It became my dream to have a Martin. I've had a D41 for 20 years, now. Rich! My only complaint is the low E tends to go sharp as I capo up. Same with the D35 we had in the band. Maybe Martin has fixed that problem in the last 2 decades. I'd be interested to know if yours does that.

[greg]

(05-04-2013 11:17 AM)Kate Wrote:  Enjoy your new Martin! Years ago I got to play an old beat up D35 at a recording studio. The thing had a hole worn on the front. But the sound was so amazing that I was hooked. It became my dream to have a Martin. I've had a D41 for 20 years, now. Rich! My only complaint is the low E tends to go sharp as I capo up. Same with the D35 we had in the band. Maybe Martin has fixed that problem in the last 2 decades. I'd be interested to know if yours does that.

I haven't noticed the E getting sharp, and I've got quite a few hours on it now. I have noticed (in the past) that sometimes playing high up the neck you'll get a buzz, and I checked that out immediately on mine and fortunately it doesn't! If you are the original owner of that Martin, they would probably fix that for free! My brother recd a gift of a D-35 from his father in law some few yrs ago! What a gift! But we were jamming yesterday and I noticed that it appears to be a plastic pick guard on it! That something I need to investigate today, I thought all Martin's higher end guitars had tortoise shell pick guards!

[Kate]

(05-06-2013 08:01 AM)greg Wrote:  

(05-04-2013 11:17 AM)Kate Wrote:  Enjoy your new Martin! Years ago I got to play an old beat up D35 at a recording studio. The thing had a hole worn on the front. But the sound was so amazing that I was hooked. It became my dream to have a Martin. I've had a D41 for 20 years, now. Rich! My only complaint is the low E tends to go sharp as I capo up. Same with the D35 we had in the band. Maybe Martin has fixed that problem in the last 2 decades. I'd be interested to know if yours does that.

I haven't noticed the E getting sharp, and I've got quite a few hours on it now. I have noticed (in the past) that sometimes playing high up the neck you'll get a buzz, and I checked that out immediately on mine and fortunately it doesn't! If you are the original owner of that Martin, they would probably fix that for free! My brother recd a gift of a D-35 from his father in law some few yrs ago! What a gift! But we were jamming yesterday and I noticed that it appears to be a plastic pick guard on it! That something I need to investigate today, I thought all Martin's higher end guitars had tortoise shell pick guards!

How funny. I had to go check my guitar's pick guard. You'd think after 20 years I'd know what it's made of. It is tortoise shell. I played the D35 in March at a festival because I didn't want to transport my 41 on the plane from England and cart it around airports. I don't recall what the pick guard is made of, so I just checked a photo of us on stage, but it's hard to tell. Seems to me it's black. I met a Martin dealer/musician at a festival years ago who told me that the D41 and the D45 (more expensive top of the line) are actually the same guitar, same construction. The D45 just has more candy on it: MOP inlay around the edge, etc. I did have some work done on the 41 four years ago, new edge binding where it was coming loose, new frets, basic set-up to the tune of $800. Ouch! But worth it and quite necessary after all those years of lots of play time. I asked about the E going sharp. It would have been a tricky thing to do to fix it. Something with raising the bridge on the end under the low E. They indicated that was a common problem with that vintage of Martins. I didn't have the work done. I just tune it ever so slightly flat if I am going to be using the capo much. BTW, and you may know this, but if you live in a dry climate you'll want to keep a humidifier in your Martin. They are, or at least were, built in Pennsylvania. I split my time between Wyoming, Arizona and Colorado and tried to be consistent with keeping the humidifier charged. Yet, the edge binding still came loose. I haven't had to use the humidifier in England; too much humidity is just as bad, and it is humid here. I'll have to retrain myself to keep up with it when we move back to the States!

[Dave_KC]

Enjoy the Martin.... I've got an old Sigma that I really enjoy, and play at church (great proof I don't attend an IFB church... )