c.2002 Martin D-16GT Dreadnought Guitar

It was 50 degrees out today so a bit of Martin in the snowmelt seemed like a nice way to go (I get tired of shooting photos on the porch in winter)! This is my friend's D-16GT that he bought new in 2002 when he got back into playing. He picked up a D-35 shortly thereafter and this guy became second fiddle. It's a great player (really quick neck) and has that good old D-18 sort of tone to it. There's a lot of punch and bass coming out of this guy for bluegrass or old-time picking styles.

Last year I did some work on it -- the bolt-on tenon neck had come loose and the setup had drifted -- and it's as spot-on today as it was when it left the workshop then. It plays great! It's near-mint (I noticed a tiny ding on the top of the headstock and an even tinier one on the back upper bout) and comes with its original TKL hard case. The clean workmanship is up to the usual Martin standards and it simply feels like a good, no-frills, practical working guitar.

The top is solid Sitka spruce while the back and sides are (laminate, I believe) mahogany. The neck is mahogany as well and the bridge and fretboard are black Micarta. Don't knock it, though -- the stuff feels good and I've always liked its tonal response on bridges and nuts. It's a pretty practical material and wears well.

Rosewood headstock veneer... and... thankfully some "mini" Rotomatic-style tuners. I'm so glad they stopped using those oversize buttons for the most part these days.

Pearl dots.

The herringbone rosette and vintage-style tortoise pickguard give a nice old-timey look to the guitar.

Just clean and well-built...

There's the neck bolt that Martin hides under their wooden serial number plate. The serial plate is stowed in the case compartment, though it could easily be affixed on the interior if desired. I figured when I last set this up that it would be easier to leave the plate off for later adjustment of this bolt (the "stuff" on the neck block is the double-sided adhesive foamy-sort of gunk that Martin used to hold the serial plate on with).

...and there's the original TKL Martin-branded case, too.