The King Mor-Tone has held up perfectly this week, and I'm happy to report it'll be going home this weekend. I'll try to snag an interview and maybe a picture of the reunion. Up next on the benches; a pair of Kay uprights, and that Epiphone carved-top guitar case.
I thought you guys-n-girls might enjoy a little pictorial of a very sweet guitar a buddy of mine came into... a 1930 model 0-18 built by the C.F. Martin & Co. in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. I actually worked on this very guitar in January, 1993... found an index card in my file box on it. The lady who owned it since new, has since died and her estate sold it. The guitar is in remarkably good condition. It does need some work that I am not qualified to do, and so will be handing off to the masterful Ward Elliott for a neck reset and a delicate repair to the original bridgeplate. I will probably assist in some of that. It'll be good as new when done.
Last night though, I replaced the crusty/rusty incorrect tuning machines with a new set of reliced brass Golden Age tuning machines that are near-exact reproductions of the originals. I gave the frets all a once-over, and rubbed in some lemon oil to the ebony fingerboard and bridge, then restrung this little jewel with a set of Thomastik-Infeld Plectrum 12's.
It's 90 year old boards just sing like nothing else... there just ain't a much sweeter tone than a 12-fret Martin.
