Product: Martin 0-18K
Price Paid: ? 2.600 used
Submitted
03/26/2005
at
03:15pm
by
Ton
Features
:
10
All koa (back, sides and top) concert size, built for gut & silk, in Nazareth, PA.
Neck made of mahogany, 1 7/8 at the nut; brazilian rosewood headplate and body binding, ebony heel cap & end plate.
Original bar frets (20) and 3-on-a-plate tuners on slotted head.
"Martin" stamp on the back of the peghead and on the center strip, serial nr. 46325 in the neck block.
Body may be oversprayed, maybe not; but if so: an expert job and long ago. Ebony pyramid bridge (most likely not original).
Extremely light: 1.3 kilo.
Sound
:
9
With nylon strings ideal for solo fingerstyle.
Tone from base to treble very even and balanced with excellent sustain.
Plenty of volume for use at home and it can even stand up against a mandolin.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
I bought it in 2005 at the age of 74 years at a fair price. Neck still perfect. The story goes that it wasn't used anymore since 1950. No signs of wear or tear.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
It did work since 1931, and I expect it will work another 70 years or so. Don't use picks!
For the rough stuff I have my OM-28.
Customer Support
:
10
The Martin Company was able to give me a few historical details about this specific guitar (thank you Sandy Trach). They are not just perfect guitar builders, they're good bookkeepers too.
Overall Rating
:
9
I play since 1963, since the nineties on Martins. My guitar for general use is an OM-28VR.
The strong point of the 0-18K is that it plays like a gut string, feels like a steel string, sounds like something in between.
Buy one if you find one!
