2009 Martin OM-21 Special

I noticed this Martin OM-21 Special via a Craigslist listing by a fellow local guitar aficionado and arranged to stop by and check it out. The Martin OM-21 Special first started production in 2007 and was discontinued in 2011. It is a sweet little 000-sized guitar with many vintage features found on mostly pricier instruments so consider yourself lucky if you find a used one.

Vintage features on the OM-21 Special include a maple herringbone rosette and back center strip, a black ebony pyramid bridge, bone nut and compensated saddle, and black ebony bridge pins with grained Ivoroid dots. Also special is the Indian Rosewood binding, maple purfling, Ebony heel cap, and scalloped Sitka Spruce bracing. The black ebony fingerboard features abalone diamond fretboard markers in the old-fashioned "short pattern" unique to pre-war Style 21 models. The vintage vibe is completed by the polished gloss Sitka Spruce top with vintage toner, small teardrop tortoise pick guard, Martin-branded open-geared Gotoh Nickel butter bean tuners, and a large old-style logo decal on the Rosewood head plate.

Once this OM-21 Special was in my hands, I savored the lush smell of the solid East Indian Rosewood body and appreciated its comfortable solid Cedar low profile neck with Satin finish that is 1-3/4'' at the nut. This is a wonderful small-bodied finger-picking guitar, with responsive and crisp tones. Projection and sustain are surprisingly robust. This guitar was just too pleasing and enjoyable to leave behind. Unfortunately, heavy pick marks had worn through the finish between the pick guard and bridge. An ill-conceived cosmetic fix of what looks like clear nail polish over the affected area will look better once reversed. Meanwhile, an installed K&K Western Mini under-saddle pickup was an added bonus. Having negotiated a fair price, I look forward to enjoying this special guitar for years to come.

1989 Guild D-15M

Could not resist a Craigslist posting last week for a 1989 Guild D-15M, of Westerly RI-vintage, with several upgrades for short money. The D-15 "Mahogany Rush" is a dreadnought-sized guitar made from 1983 to 1994 that is listed on the old Westerly Guild Guitars site (and in the Blue Book) as having a Mahogany top, back, and sides. This 1989 D-15M, though, appears to have a Mahogany-stained Spruce top and has an arched laminated back, both features also available in later D-25 models that also originally came in solid Mahogany. The sides appear to be maple as opposed to the darker Mahogany on my 1981 D-25M. Unfortunately, Guild is notorious for having incomplete production records, so it is not surprising to have a Guild guitar that is not officially recognized anywhere!

Turns out this was a lefty model that was later converted to a righty with a new bridge and compensated bone saddle, bone nut, and second pick guard a la Richie Havens' Guild Signature Model. The original tuners had also been replaced with Sperzel locking tuners. Condition-wise, this D-15 was in good shape besides a few small dings. The action was good and the sound clean. The seller, a professional musician, was winnowing the herd. With a few other interested parties in the wings, I was only able to negotiate a small reduction in the asking price, but it was too good a deal on a classic Guild to pass up.

Another 30-Year Closet Find (1981 Yamaha FG-750S)

I have not had time lately to monitor Craigslist or eBay listings consistently, so serendipity has to strike for me to catch a good deal before it disappears. That was the case when a vintage Yamaha FG-750S was listed on my local Craigslist for short money. By the time I emailed the seller, someone else had already expressed some interest earlier in the day, but had not followed through so I was able to schedule to check it out that evening in a neighboring town.

The Yamaha FG-750S made from 1979 to 1981 should not be confused with the later model going by the same designation. Both have a solid Sitka Spruce top (designated by the "S" suffix), but the older model has a Mahogany body while the newer model is Sycamore. The 1981 FG-750S also still has the tension rod adjustment in the head of the guitar instead of the body. Note the cool wood truss rod cover that is characteristic of the late 70s Yamaha guitars versus the later headstock featuring Yamaha's leaf logo. These mid-level guitars (top of the line Yamaha production models of this era were designated as the L series beginning in 1978) are valued for their solid craftsmanship, durability, and playability. I find the tone on these older Yamahas to be much richer and less tinny than the more recent models. If you are lucky enough to find one in good shape, these guitars will give you years of enjoyment without having to break the bank.

Turns out this was another great closet find! The guitar had been the current owner's dad's and the seller had never learned to play it. As a result, the guitar was in great shape overall, with tell-tale ancient strings that clearly had not been changed in decades. The fretboard was dirty but not indented, the frets showed only minimum wear, and all of the original saddle height was intact for any needed adjustments. The top was the golden honey tone one would expect from over three decades of mellowing. Only the nut showed damage, having been chipped, but it was an easy replacement for my luthier to make. It's always gratifying to bring a classic Yamaha acoustic back to life.

As an unexpected bonus, the guitar came with a newer TKL hardshell case, worth at least a third of what I ended up paying for the guitar, and which I promptly adopted for my recent 1970 Martin D28 acquisition whose case I had had to trash due to mildew. Outstanding.

Guitar Shrubbery

In case you have a large plot of land in need of some shrubbery, here's some inspiration for your own guitar-inspired design!

7,000 Cypress and Eucalyptus trees make up this guitar design on a farm in Argentina. Read the whole story here.

1998 Martin HD-28

I traveled a little out of my way for this 1998 Martin HD-28, enticed by its alleged great condition and a drop in asking price below Blue Book value. I pounced immediately and was not disappointed. This is another Craigslist beauty!

The Martin HD-28 is an updated version of the 1930s/1940s version of the Martin D-28 that features the herringbone purfling (hence the "H"), scalloped bracing, and the tortoise-colored pickguard of that era. Introduced in 1976, the Martin HD-28 is a dreadnought-style guitar with a solid Spruce top and Indian Rosewood body, and has featured Martin's new low-profile neck since 1987. The current Martin HD-28 model lists for $3,649, with a street value of $2,700 and a Blue Book value up to $1,850 second-hand. Models from the 1990s, 80s, and 70s, are progressively more valuable with age.

This 1998 Martin HD-28 was kept as a "house" guitar by a fellow guitar aficionado who had other guitars for use out on his occasional gigs. The guitar was ding-free and showed no signs of play wear on the neck or body. Even better, the Spruce top had started darkening to a beautiful golden hue. The set up looked to be perfect with a bone compensated saddle upgrade so I was initially puzzled to hear a mysterious buzzing as I played the guitar. When I tapped the lower bout behind the bridge, however, the tell-tale vibrations of a loose brace under the top of the guitar were unmistakeable. Without a luthier's mirror to investigate the full extent of the needed repair, I negotiated an additional discount from the asking price, and made off with my prize. My luthier will have to tell me whether the brace simply needs re-gluing or is broken and needs to be replaced. Regardless, this is a beautiful guitar that deserves to be restored to its full glory.

Martin Guitars Exhibit at the Met!

Happy New Year fellow pickers! If you will be in New York City in 2014, do not miss the Metropolitan Museum of Art's special exhibit sponsored by The Martin Guitar Company featuring Martin guitars gathered from private collections, the Martin Museum in Nazareth, PA, and the Met's own collection. This early American guitars exhibit just opened and will be up through December 7th, 2014.

Among the 35 historic Martin instruments on display are the earliest known guitar signed by C.F. Martin who came to America in 1833, the first known Martin model featuring the now preferred x-bracing construction supporting the guitar top, and Eric Clapton's 1939 Martin 000-42 featured in his Unplugged MTV concert in 1992. This last guitar sold at auction in 2004 for $791,500 to benefit Eric Clapton's Crossroads rehabilitation centre in Antigua, setting a world auction record for a Martin guitar!

Please drop a comment if you get to see these one-of-a-kind guitars before I do. Here's a preview and another!

2011 Martin D-18P

In another eBay bargain purchase, I decided to give the 2011 Martin D-18P a try. This is the classic D-18 with a solid Sitka Spruce top and Mahogany body, but Martin put its slimmer performance artist profile neck on this guitar and called the model the D-18P. Apparently, the high performance neck was popular because Martin went ahead and made it standard on the 2012 D-18, along with some other changes, making the D-18P designation obsolete after only one year. (Note that one should not confuse this model with the 1987-1989 D-18P, which was the designation made by Martin for D-18 model guitars that they continued to make with the old neck style after a change to a lower profile neck on the standard D-18 in 1987). Street value new for the 2011 Martin D-18P is $2,000, while current Blue Book value in excellent condition is between $1,175 and $1,375.

When I received this brand new guitar I was initially disappointed as it played all buzzy and was in serious need of a proper set-up. Now that I have gotten it back from my guitar tech, though, I can't stop playing it. What a difference! This is a responsive guitar that is wonderfully playable all the way up and down the frets. It sports a 1.75 inch nut (compared to the earlier D-18 nut at 1.6875 in.), a compensated saddle, and a low profile high performance neck, which makes it easier on the hands and ideal for finger picking. The tone is super clear and bright. I applaud Martin's move to the faster neck on its iconic D-18 model, which makes this dreadnaught an even better workhorse for the serious player. If you haven't played any of these new Martin D-18's, I think you'll be impressed when you finally do.