1973 Martin D-35 Dreadnought Guitar

This is a '73 D-35 that I worked on for Collar City Guitars who will probably have it listed shortly. It's actually in pretty great shape and has that nice, "toasty brown" color to its rosewood from UV light yellowing the finish. I always like these '70s ones when they get that look.

It had previously had a neck reset but -- somehow -- the fellow who did it didn't get the joint tight enough for it to stay put. He or she had cut the joint to the right angle, though, so my work on that side was just getting the neck off and resetting it again -- this time with a little shim to snug the joint up.

After that it just needed a new saddle and a fret level/dress and setup to be on its way and playing spot-on.

Unlike a lot of period Martin dreadnoughts, the top is thinly-cut enough that it sounds glorious and huge when you're playing it -- more like an early '60s rosewood D. The neck is also, thankfully, straight. Many '70s Martins get a small kink-up just in the first fret position under tension that needs to be worked-around.

The saddle is currently a little tall but I expect it will settle-in within the week and need to be taken down about 1/16" overall. It's exacerbated by the bridge having had a mild shave in the past.














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