NGD: A foray into Acoustic-ville

Quantum Strummer

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I'd never bought a "project" guitar before this one, but it gave me no choice but to pull the trigger. I hadn't been on the lookout for a Martin in particular either, just a small mahogany or koa guitar with a sweet & punchy sound. I like small acoustics…dreads and jumbos don't do much for me. Typically too much bottom. (YMMV of course.) My local guitar emporium has a new Guild M20 too, which I tried and liked very much. But this one, even with its issues, is on its own plane of aliveness.

Anyway it's a 1942 Martin 0-15, the plainest and least expensive guitar Martin made during the so-called "golden age." Also one of 506 0-15s made that year. Cool tortoiseshell headstock faceplate. It needs a back crack repaired, a neck reset & (likely) refret and a replacement pickguard. And a proper setup, of course. The original 'guard, while still attached to the guitar, has shrunk & cracked into pieces. The nut and tuners were replaced some time back. The original ebony nut is in the (non-original & very nice) case. The new nut is bone. The action is fine for slide but too high for comfortable fretting. The sound is loud & glorious: bright high end, rich mids, firm bass. I expect it'll be quieter, for awhile anyway, after the neck reset. But so long as the tonal balance doesn't shift I'll be a happy guy.

So it's in the shop right now. Can't wait to get my hands on it post-restoration!

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-Dave-
 
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davismanLV

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Didn't you want a guitar to do some neck work on? That'd be a good candidate! Or am I thinking about someone else... I get confused after happy hour... LOL!!:encouragement:
 

Quantum Strummer

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Hmm, doesn't really look like it needs a restoration, but good luck, Dave.

If you had your hands on it… :) The action is pretty wicked beyond the first few frets. A good thing is that the bridge hasn't been messed with to compensate—no shaved down saddle—so nothing needs to be done to it. And the photo doesn't show what a mess the pickguard is in. All the pieces are adhering to the body, but there are lotsa pieces. The back crack isn't too bad but it is open and might as well be fixed. Overall it's a little dynamo of a guitar, so I figure I'm not only putting it right for myself but keeping it healthy for future owners.

-Dave-
 

Quantum Strummer

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Didn't you want a guitar to do some neck work on? That'd be a good candidate! Or am I thinking about someone else... I get confused after happy hour... LOL!!:encouragement:

Tom, that musta been someone else. I'm handy with nut files & such but I leave major neck issues to the experts.

My happy hour tonight involved a bottle of Corner Creek bourbon, recommended by my friend Mary Ellen. Pretty good stuff! :very_drunk:

-Dave-
 

Quantum Strummer

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I finally got the Martin 0-15 back from the shop this morning. (I had 'em put it on the backburner for awhile due to being out of town for most of the past five weeks.) I'm out & about this afternoon so I haven't had a chance to play it yet. But it's all fixed up. Neck reset, back crack repaired, pickguard replaced. It turned out not to need a refret, just a good dressing. I did have 'em put in a new saddle too.

A few pics to come.

-Dave-
 

Quantum Strummer

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iPhone pics from last night, after a long playing session. Sounds fantastic! Rich, warm & clear at the same time. Fingerpicked it's responsive to a subtle touch while flatpicked it handles strong strumming with ease. The neck reset has done nothing to diminish tone or volume, and it now plays super easy. Intonation is now very good too. It's set up for PB lights, currently D'Addarios. IMO it couldn't have turned out better.

Pics:

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-Dave-
 
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davismanLV

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HOLY CRAP, Dave!! You've got a $hit ton of break angle on that thing!! Should be driving the hell out of the sound board. Glad you've resurrected this beautiful old Martin!! The only thing I don't care for is the bright white strap button..... I think a nice brushed or antique nickel finish would've been better but, that's just a personal taste thing. Congrats on resurrecting this beautiful guitar!!! :encouragement:
 

Westerly Wood

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fantastic! got a sound clip?
i wonder the tonal difference between an old F20 and this martin...
 

Quantum Strummer

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HOLY CRAP, Dave!! You've got a $hit ton of break angle on that thing!! Should be driving the hell out of the sound board. Glad you've resurrected this beautiful old Martin!! The only thing I don't care for is the bright white strap button..... I think a nice brushed or antique nickel finish would've been better but, that's just a personal taste thing. Congrats on resurrecting this beautiful guitar!!! :encouragement:

Soundboard…yep! :boxing: It's a loud 'un. And the action is still nice & easy. I'm just thrilled with it.

The upper strap button is still the one it came with. Though originally I don't think it would've had a button at all. Looking at it last night I was thinking black would be a nice color. :)

-Dave-
 

adorshki

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Soundboard…yep! :boxing: It's a loud 'un. And the action is still nice & easy. I'm just thrilled with it.
Sweet! Congrats!

The upper strap button is still the one it came with. Though originally I don't think it would've had a button at all.
I suspect you're right, but it does match the tuning pegs, which is a touch of class in my book.
Kinda like making sure you don't wear a brown belt with black shoes.
If you're into leather, that is.
Tom?
:glee:
 

Quantum Strummer

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fantastic! got a sound clip?
i wonder the tonal difference between an old F20 and this martin...

No clips at the moment, though that could change.

This 0-15 is very close in size to my F-20. They both have a focused small but loud sound. I'd say the Guild is a more dynamic guitar when played gently, as when fingerpicking, with more high-end harmonic stuff happening. Spruce top & all. But it doesn't particularly like to be pushed. The Martin is more of an all-rounder. You can see from the lower wear pattern that someone strummed it a lot. Yet there's also an upper wear pattern—above the soundhole and less visible—due to someone's fingers rubbing on the top, almost surely while fingerpicking. I wonder if it's all from the same person or from two (or even more) people? Part of the fun with an old & well-used instrument comes from speculating about details of its history you'll likely never learn.

Judging by the M-20s I've played I'd say they're very much in the same ballpark as this Martin. Great all-rounders.

-Dave-
 

Quantum Strummer

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I suspect you're right, but it does match the tuning pegs, which is a touch of class in my book.
Kinda like making sure you don't wear a brown belt with black shoes.

:) The button matches the lower butt-end one too, color-wise. That's gotta count for something! Maybe I'll leave it be…

-Dave-
 
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