1962 Martin D-18 Dreadnought Guitar

This is a customer's instrument that was in for repair and it looks like it'll pass on in the family... which is the kind of guitar story I like to hear! It's a one-owner guitar and aside from a little bump-crack to treble side on the lower bout, it's survived in beautiful condition and shows much loving playwear on the fretboard and the back of the neck.

It needed the usual stuff for a Martin at 56 years of age -- a bridge reglue, neck reset, new saddle, and fret level/dress. After work, though, it's turned from a ho-hum, high-action old guitar into a lap piano with all of the sustain, clarity, and punch you'd expect from an old D-18. It begs to be flatpicked until the rest of the bluegrass quartet comes home.

The board has minor divots from finger-wear and the frets were really played-in. Suffice to say, the level/dress job was probably the first it's ever seen.

It's hard not to love the old celluloid tortoise material used on these old Martins. It glows.

This guitar will return to its owner with three saddles -- the original one cut quite low, this one which is taller for winter, and a slightly lower version of it for summer.

The Kluson tuners are a bit stiff but work just fine and do hold pitch.