This Is Why I Still Love C.F. Martin & Co.

[edwardofhuncote]

Man, they put out some guitars anymore I wouldn't pull down off the hook long enough to tune up... not that they are bad, just not for me. That last GPCE-whatever-it-was thing... total blah.

Then the YouTube channel lit me up with this one from C.F. IVth this morning...

I am just guitar-nerd enough to know, that's just about the coolest concept guitar they've revived in... years. Since the Ditson 111/333 reissues. And just to get the backstory out there... this guitar bridges the space from 000 to Dreadnought, that never quite caught on. Maybe just wasn't its time? Obviously, they'll sell a fraction of these than the new GPCE, but so cool that they did it for us guitar freaks who 'get it'.

[peoplechipper]

I kinda notice these days that there's Martins and then there's REAL Martins, those Formica and laminated things, etc... I guess they're trying to future-proof themselves of a future short of trees, but I don't know if putting Martin on the headstock is a good idea for the brand...

[cozmik_cowboy]

Cool! 
But (as I may have mentioned once or twice), to my mind the link betwixt 000 & D came much later - 1976, to be exact, with the birth of the M body (AKA 0000); slightly wider lower bout than a D (1/8", IIRC), 000 narrow-waist shape, and 000 depth.

Almost all the volume of a D with the tonal balance and most of the comfort of a 000; equally at home flatpicked, finger-picked, or strummed.

As to new ideas vs. old, I do not find myself drawn to any Martins that fall outside of the traditional 5-4-3-2-1-0-00-000/OM-M/000-D, 15-16-18-21-28-35-36-38-41-42-45 nomenclature. 

I wish Chris would have played a little on each to whet our appetites a bit more, though.

Peter

[edwardofhuncote]

That's a fair point, Coz. The modern M/0000 body that's derived from the Bromberg F-7 conversion is a closer split-the-diff between a modern 14-fret D and 000. The guitar Chris is showcasing here is the midpoint between a pre-1931 Dreadnought and 000, and their ancestry is tied up in that early Ditson pattern. Those guitars were 12-fretters. The 14-fret OM of course, changed course for some other key things before becoming obsolete itself for 50-some years.

*I have my eyes, and a lot of thought$ on a Custom M-38 from the early 90's this very minute. 😉

[cozmik_cowboy]

I'm not sure if a one-off can count as a connection.  But, I'm generally an agreeable sort, so I'll give you and Chris that one.

Peter

[hankster]

I just got some work done on my M36 - new frets, filled and rerouted bridge and compensated saddle, new bone nut. I’m looking no farther.

[edwardofhuncote]

Ka-Boom. 💥

1991 M-38 Custom.... we're still getting acquainted. I agree though; the 0000/M is completely unlike anything else.

I am still quite infatuated with that 12-fret pattern 0000. These M-body guitars are evolved from a converted Martin F-9 archtop. Major Kealakai's 0000 genesis predates even the F guitars that begat M. I gotta' try one.

[adriaan]

[For Sale post and replies moved here https://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=28364.msg288605#msg288605]

[gtrguy]

Always wanted a nice HD28 but I have to content myself with this critter so far... (sorry for the sidetrack!)

[edwardofhuncote]

The sidetrack is cool, especially at this point.  😄

I came within an ace of buying the Style 28 of that bass one time David. The EB-28 was active, (Bartolini?) P/J pickups, mahogany body, sunburst finish...and rare as hens-teeth now. They were even less well-received than the maple EB-18, and very quickly discontinued.


Here was one- https://reverb.com/item/3428263-martin-eb-28-electric-bass-guitar-w-hard-case-26342

[gtrguy]

Wow, I didn't know the EB-28 had active electronics. Mine has kinda 70's styling with a 60's sound and the faux neck-thru look. Very well made (of course), but oh so quirky. I use it on some country recordings and keep the flat wounds on it. I think they only made around 800 or so.

I paid next to nothing for it even though it's in mint condition. It had a bad tone cap, which was an easy fix.

[lbpesq]

I had one of these back in the ‘70s.  Martin F-50.  Nothing special.  I believe Martin made the neck and some guy in upstate New York built the rest.  Single D’Armond pickup.  I traded it for a motorcycle.

Bill, tgo

[cozmik_cowboy]

Did you at least get a Sportster of a Brit-bike for it?

Peter

[edwardofhuncote]

I was triggered by this Martin K-1 reissue from the get-go... and it really hasn't subsided. I was telling someone at the store about it the other day, and the response was more directed at the bridge. Fair enough, even Chris says in his intro that it doesn't evoke "Martin" thoughts. But the design goes directly to the Deichman prototype that Harry Hunt saw on his workbench, and inquired about an order for the Oliver Ditson Co... and you gotta' respect that they went back to the source guitar.


Here's another tangent that unravels part of the Ditson Dreadnought riddle. https://guitars.com/archived-inventory/deichmanD/AA5532.html


I can't help but wonder if the 1916 prototype being referenced in J. Deichman's memory here is the Major Kealakai guitar, and this is a subsequent build, evolved some? Martin has been known to take liberties with reissues. This one just floors me. So cool.

[bigredbass]

Box guitars are just so luck of the draw sometimes, the wood, the bracing, age, you name it.  You could line up ten consecutive serial number Martins of the same model, same production run.  They'd all sound good, but a few would be in the 'skip this one' file and another one or two would just shout 'I'm the good one!'.

When I worked retail, we received a gorgeous, brand new D35. . . . which was right next to a $150 Yamaha, which ate its lunch six ways of Sunday.  Every other Yamaha in that price range we had sounded like the price, but that one . . . just supernatural how good it was.  We had to park it in the other end of the showroom to keep it away from the D35 . . .