1984 Martin 000-18 Flattop Guitar

This '80s Martin 000 arrived a bit down on its luck but now that it's recovered is quite a gem. It's equally good at flatpicking or fingerpicking and has a lived-in, slightly-woodier-than-average sound to it. It also has a non-adjustable trussrodded neck which I prefer to the adjustable rods in Martins. I think it lends a little more of a steely sustain for one thing and it's hard for a user to "adjust" it into breaking or mucking-up for another. I wish they'd stuck with them. Oh well!

It's all-original save ebony bridge pins, rosewood bridge, and a new bone saddle. I worked on this for a guitar-shop-friend of mine in amongst some other instruments of his and now that the work is all done it plays like a champ and sounds excellent. I wasn't sure how this would shape-up and I love that feeling you get when you strum it for the first time and it exceeds expectations. This sounds just as good or better than a lot of late-'60s 000-18s I've played.

Repairs included: a neck reset, new bridge, new saddle, new pins, fret level/dress, endpin jack-hole fill, new endpin, setup, etc...

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: x

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 54w-12 lights

Neck shape: medium C/very soft V

Board radius: ~14-16"

Truss rod: non-adjustable square steel

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-lower

Scale length: 24 7/8"

Nut width: 1 11/16"

Body width: 15"

Body depth: 4 1/8"

Weight: 4 lbs 0 oz

Condition notes: while it looks gorgeous in the photos (and it is respectable), the whole body has lots of small dings, scratching, scuffs, etc. throughout. I have a few glared photos to give an idea of the condition. This is all over the body and neck but, you know, only really looks bad if you're paying attention. I'm not going to any extra lengths to make the photos give the guitar a better look than it has. It's just most of the blemishes are only seen when you get glared lighting. That said, it's original save the bridge, saddle, and pins and crack-free, too, save for a tiny 1/2" hairline on the center seam below the bridge that's filled/stable. The endpin hole was enlarged for a jack and then filled to allow a normal endpin again. There's a bunch of wear to the fretboard, too. The fretboard extension dips away from the rest of the board slightly over the body but that's not an issue unless you regularly reach past the 17th fret. The binding at the waist on the top had splits in it (as it had shrunken) and so there are two filled small gaps right at the waist and I've pictured them. There's one tiny missing piece of binding on the back near the heel.  The new saddle is tall and has plenty of adjustment room left.

It comes with: its original hard case.