'53 D-28 up for sale (from: This Is Why I Still Love C.F. Martin & Co.)

[lbpesq]

If anyone is interested, I have a ‘53 D-28 up for sale.  Includes a Calton case.   Get in touch if you’re interested.  I’ll give a F&F deal to club members.   I have to sell it to get up some $ for a new car.   I rolled and totaled my Highlander during a blizzard near Mt. Lassen a couple of days ago.  I was very lucky, only a few small cuts on my right hand.  I’m still snowed in, waiting for the roads to clear.

Bill, tgo

[hankster]

Ouch! Bill!

[edwardofhuncote]

Double-Ouch, Bill! 😳

There's a good number of '53-'57 Martin guitars that are confirmed to have been built with Englemann spruce tops, rather than the stock of Sitka spruce they'd been using for several years. (Adirondack Red Spruce ran out in late-'45) These guitars are often referred to colloquially as "mystery-tops", but there isn't much mystery at all. Structurally, there is no difference in the guitars, but be aware the ones with the alternate tops will generally fetch more now.

I hate for you to have to sell it, either way, but I don't borrow $$$ for cars either, so I get it! Glad you're not hurt too badly. 😊

[rv_bass]

Glad you are OK, Bill!

[cozmik_cowboy]

If anyone is interested, I have a ‘53 D-28 up for sale.  Includes a Calton case.   Get in touch if you’re interested.  I’ll give a F&F deal to club members.   I have to sell it to get up some $ for a new car.   I rolled and totaled my Highlander during a blizzard near Mt. Lassen a couple of days ago.  I was very lucky, only a few small cuts on my right hand.  I’m still snowed in, waiting for the roads to clear.

Bill, tgo

Interested?  Damn skippy!
Able? Alas, not even close.

For those whose interest is piqued by Bill's sad announcement - I have played this guitar, and I loved it! 

Peter (who wishes Brother Panzer the best of luck with the sale, and mourns it with him)

[pauldo]

Glad you are ok.

I have always wanted a D-28 since I discovered Michael Hedges…

Shouldn’t insurance cover replacement cost, or are you seeking an upgrade?

[lbpesq]

Thanks for all the kind words.  I really was quite fortunate to walk away from this one.   I just wish the roads would clear so I can go home.  Hopefully it will be tomorrow. 

The car was an ‘06 hybrid in outstanding condition, but the insurance company will likely just tell me “it‘s old”.  We’ll go around a few times and I’ll squeeze a little more out of them, but, in my experience, insurance never covers the actual cost of a comparable replacement.   And I thought this would be a good opportunity to get a newer Highlander with lower mileage.   This will be my third Highlander.  I sold the first at 297,000 miles and it was still running.  The second just saved my life.  So Highlander #3 is in the cards.  They are great reliable cars and hold a lot of stuff when I have to bring my PA along with my own rig to gigs. 

The truth is that I rarely play the guitar.  It’s my #3 acoustic after an exceptional 90’s Taylor 810 that had the braces shaved (#2), and my #1, an amazing guitar made by Canadian luthier Allan Beardsell.   And I sort of view my guitar collection as an alternative savings account.   So the equation appears to be:  insurance settlement + D-28 = new to me used Highlander. 

Greg, how do I determine which top I have?

Bill, tgo (who doesn’t believe in new cars, considering a new Highlander is more than a new Series II or even a new Classico Deluxe at MSRP prices!)

[gtrguy]

Glad you are OK! I have an 07 Highlander with low miles and it has saved my life several times with it's great handling.

[edwardofhuncote]

Out where you are Bill, Frank Ford at Gryphon would've been my first go-to for experienced eyes. I expect they could still give you an opinion. For that matter, I've seen quite a few myself. The guy though, is Greig Hutton. He has access to Martin's records. Literally, wrote the book.


It's sometimes hard to tell them apart unless an example of each is seen side-by-side for comparison. The Englemann tops are generally more golden in color as they age, the Sitka turns brown. This is a generalization.

[cozmik_cowboy]

  It’s my #3 acoustic after an exceptional 90’s Taylor 810 that had the braces shaved (#2), and my #1, an amazing guitar made by Canadian luthier Allan Beardsell.   And I sort of view my guitar collection as an alternative savings account.

Bill, tgo (who doesn’t believe in new cars, considering a new Highlander is more than a new Series II or even a new Classico Deluxe at MSRP prices!)

Don't think I've played the Taylor, but I will concur the Beardsell is, indeed, amazing; one of the 3 finest guitars I've ever played (the other 2 being a 1900 00-21 and my buddy Mick Scott's M-bodied David Dolack custom).

Peter (who hasn't bought a new car since 1985 - for himself, anyway; She sometimes insists for Herself.......)

[David Houck]

Bill; very glad you are okay, and sorry about your car.  Hope you get to go home soon.

[jazzyvee]

Wow sorry to hear about the accident, and so glad that you managed to get through it okay.  I hope all works out with the insurance and that you find another car. 

[StephenR]

That is really scary Bill, glad to hear you are okay. Cars can be replaced. Lots of people stranded in the mountains during this blizzard. When you are able to leave get home safe!

[keith_h]

Bill, It's good to hear you are ok. Possessions can be replaced or lived without the same can't be said about someone's life. I'm not sure where you're snowed in but hopefully it isn't in one of the areas where the snow doesn't melt until June.
 

[lbpesq]

With another storm coming in Tuesday, Monday was the window to getting out.  I had a rented Nissan Rogue AWD and bought a pair of autosocks (if you haven't heard of them, google it.  Pretty cool and super easy to install/remove).  I drove about 80 miles on snow, taking it slow and easy in a caravan of about five cars led by a big truck a lot of the way.  Stopped off and got the rest of my stuff out of the Highlander.   Made it through without having to mount the autosocks.   It was a relief to get below the snow line.  Great to be home!  Thanks for all the kind thoughts.  Going through something like this can give one pause. 

Bill, tgo