Levin W36

After checking the serial number i found out this W36 was made in 1976. It is a beautiful simple swedish-made solid top acoustic, Mahogany neck, back and sides with a rosewood fingerboard. 20 frets.

A warm dry tone. Lots of body and complex deep harmonic content. The low-end frequencies are round and tight and the high-end is smooth. Excellent sustain and feel. Extremely responsive to playing dynamics. I play an eclectic mix on this guitar, but it sounds best playing jazz fingerstyle, or big open chords with a plectrum.

Guitar has had damage to neck (puppy knocked it from a stand) fracture was only partial and repair shop did a wonderful job of splinting and re-finishing the guitar. While it was in the shop, it was sorted for action and the bridge was planed due to slight bellying on the body. After getting the guitar back it felt wonderful, and comparable to many high end martins in terms of playability and sound quality.

Never played it live, and I don't plan to. I'm sure it would fare well in intimate surroundings though due to its lovely sound-projection and tonal characteristics. It feels solid though and i don't doubt its longevity.

An incredible guitar, i would be very upset if it was stolen or irrepairably damaged. I would recommend this guitar to anyone lucky enough to find one on the used market. A real players guitar.

Swedish made western from 1976. This a Gibson Hummingbird copy and the pickguard is very beautiful. Seems to be a spruce top with mahogany sides and back and the neck looks like ebony, but it might just have darkened over the years. The neck is thin, but still very playable. 20 frets. There's a Fishman pickup in there too, but I think it was added later. The pu has no EQ and that's what takes the rating down a little.

This baby sounds like a million (not really, but it sounds more like one of the more expensive Martin guitars). The sound is really full, very round. Also the sound is very responsive. You can hit this thing hard or soft anything and it will bring out the sound delightfully.

The action is just right. Unfortunately the frets have been worn down over the years (the original ones from 1976 are still there) so it's a bitch to play sometimes. A re-fretting would solve this problem, but I don't think it would be the same afterwards.

This guitar has been in live play for years and years. This was owned by the Danish sixties player C?sar and later by the guitarist of another Danish entertainer Gustav Winckler. I can't think of anything more dependable.
PS. The reason this guitar was so cheap is because it was once used to hit someone during a bar gig. The Mahogany side took a little blow and this was repaired rather clumsily. This is not audible however.

THis little baby is the best acoustic I have ever played. Apart from being incredibly beautiful it sounds amazing. These guitars seem to be one-of-a-kind deals. You don't see them everyday and these things are sought after. If this was stolen I would try and find myself another one, but the hummingbird design isn't seen very often.

1978, Sweden
20 frets
Solid top (S.American Pine, as I was told by a Martin rep I spoke to on the phone who was working for the company back when Martin took them over.)
Mahogany neck/back/sides
Beatiful, clean design; individually screw-tapped saddles as mentioned in previous review (Anyone know where I can get replacements of these?)
Tuners of unkown make, but continue to work very smoothly, stay in tune nicely.

I play folk/folk-rock/rock... perfect sound for my style. Big and mellow. Not overly loud, but that's okay, too.
I love to go to the local shop and goof around on their Taylors, Gibsons and Martins... My Levin always sounds better when I get home from these outings. I've played on several old Martins and haven't found one that sounds better. I'd love to get a new guitar, but why?

Action is a bit high for my taste, but lowering gives me a few buzzes... so I live with it. No big deal.
Finished nicely... (For ex. soundhole's edges are tapered from the top-in.)
Flaws are all my own doing - dings and scratches add character as far as I'm concerned. Finish on back shows hairline cracks (What can I say, I play hard:)

24 years and still going strong... It WILL last a lifetime.
Okay, reality check: I have had to have the bridge relaminated and the top reworked (was warping), but my man did a great job and the sound is as good as when I bought it.

N/A - Folks at Martin Co. were very helpful when I called (~1993) asking for information about the brand. They immediately hooked me up with one of the only guys still working for them who was involved with Levin back when they took it over. He actually dropped what he was doing and spoke with me for about an hour about the guitar. In fact, he offered to buy it... told him a big, fat NO.

I really would like another Levin, but I have rarely found ANYTHING to do with the brand, much less one for sale. The guy I spoke with at Martin was the Director of Advertising - he said the Levin was worth (in close to mint condition) somewhere around $2500, US. Those of us who have played one understand what he is talking about. Lucky for us, few people know what quality these instruments were built with.

Built by Levin and Martin organisation.
Made in 1978, in Goteborg, Sweden.
20-fret neck.
Solid spruce top, mahogony neck and sides.

I use this guitar mostly for recording, and it's great. It answers immedietly. The tone is very rich and full with overtones.

The string height is pretty high from the neck, but that's the way I like it. It is in mint condition.

If it lasted these 23 years, it will probably last forever. I hope.

The factory doesent excist anymore, the trademark "Levin" however lives on.

I've been looking for a good steelstring acoustic for quite a while. I tried Taylor, Martin, Furch to mention a few. I was willing to pay up to 3000 US dollars. It was then I found this guitar. I fell in love. It's kind of hard to play, but I like it.

Built in Sweden. Unknown year but pre Martin. 20 frets,dreadnought acoustic steel string.
Individual saddles with adjustable string height. The saddles are actually screws that goes in or out of the deck. Brilliant, because you can set the action for each string as you like but you cant mount a piezo pickup though.

I play a little country, blue grass and basic bonfire songs and its got the perfect sound, though not to loud. Somebody compared the sound of a W32J with the sound of Angel Harps - I agree.
Actually I think this was the guitar that made Martin buy the company and terminate it.

Perfect finish - except for the scratches, crack and bumps I gave it. The neck is like silk in your hand and rapid as any electric.

I'll gig without backup anytime.

No customer support since Martin killed the company

If this guitar was stolen - I'd give up playing until I found a new. I never tried a Martin or a Larrivee which might be better guitars (as they should be at five to ten times the cost) but at this price it is absolutely unbeatable. Actually I met a girl who has one just the same - so maybe soon I'll have two!