Quantum Strummer
Senior Member
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!
-Dave-
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!
-Dave-
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