Another Question about action and Martins

  • Thread starter Thread starter MK-Ultra
  • Start date Start date
Thanks for sharing your experience, guys.

I've decided to try ordering one more time from Thomann, this time a D-15 rather than the 000. 3 times lucky, right?

Cheers,

MK
 
MK-Ultra said:
Thanks for sharing your experience, guys.

I've decided to try ordering one more time from Thomann, this time a D-15 rather than the 000. 3 times lucky, right?

Cheers,

MK
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Thomann, hmmm? I hate the way they refuse to ship a guitar in a hardcase even if you pay for the hardcase seperately. Apparently, it's a logistics issue in the warehouse. :rolleyes:

The D15 comes with a hardcase as standard, so you should be okay.

I've a danelectro on the way from them at the moment, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed too. Thomann haven't let me down in the past, but I've heard plenty of bad stories.
 
32-20-Blues said:
Thomann, hmmm? I hate the way they refuse to ship a guitar in a hardcase even if you pay for the hardcase seperately. Apparently, it's a logistics issue in the warehouse. :rolleyes:

The D15 comes with a hardcase as standard, so you should be okay.

I've a danelectro on the way from them at the moment, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed too. Thomann haven't let me down in the past, but I've heard plenty of bad stories.
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I've done a fair bit of business with Thomann, and the issues I've had with the two 000-15s have been the only issues I've had with them. Also, when I shipped the first guitar back to them, the replacement took twice as long to get here, and sending that one back again took a lot longer than if it was just a standard order, so they must use a cheaper service for the returns. I've been trying to get a guitar from them since the end of October, and here we are coming into the end of November. I decided to give them one more shot at this, though, before I turn elsewhere.

Cheers,

MK
 
Unless you have paid the maufacturer for a "special-order", and provided them specific specs, ALL new guitars need to be set-up. This would definitely include sanding a bit off of the bottom of the plastic bridge-piece.
 
toyL said:
Unless you have paid the maufacturer for a "special-order", and provided them specific specs, ALL new guitars need to be set-up. This would definitely include sanding a bit off of the bottom of the plastic bridge-piece.
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Rubbish.




(10 characters)
 
I suppose go with a different brand, like an old Guild or Washburn.

Couldn't really tell you much, having never owned any guitar over 300$, but I personally think Martins are a rip-off, and if you haven't had any luck with them you might as well start looking elsewhere.
 
Ah well,

My patience seems to have paid off. I have a very sweet sounding D-15 right beside me here. I am glad I held off the OM-21 or the D16GT I tried at the local shop last week. The D-15 is exactly what I was looking for. The saddle needs a little bit of sanding, and I might replace the medium strings with light strings. The workmanship on this guitar appears flawless, and the tone, well, it makes me happy. I am going to let it acclimatize to my place for a couple of days, and then lower the action.

It seems Thomann actually bothered to inspect this guitar before shipping. I decided to give them one more kick at the can after they promptly refunded my money for the 000-15.

As for Martins being a rip-off, my experience so far has been mixed, but for a solid-wood guitar in this price range, I can't imagine anything better. And the tone is sweet, mellow, full, rich, and really very much unlike a spruce or cedar top. A Martin is one of two of the best acoustics I've ever played in my life, the other one was a custom-made that cost over 3 large CAD in the early 1980s. The Martin was old, the laquer cracked all to hell on the top, but man, it played so smooth, sounded so sweet, I actually thought that I might want to mug the owner....:p It must be worth a mint.

If I'd been back in Canada, I'd a gone into one or two of the local shops and tried out as many of the 15's they had in stock. I am sure that I would've walked away with one.

This guitar is SCHWWWEEEET!!!:D

Cheers,

MK
 
MK-Ultra said:
This guitar is SCHWWWEEEET!!!:D
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Congrats! My uncle was a folk player - he bought a D-28 new in the early 1970's, passed away in 1974, leaving it to my father, who didn't play. I picked it up and learned to play on it, and kind of walked out with it when I left home. It really saturates a room - I love it, and I play it a lot.

I've played newer Martins in a store that I thought didn't sound as good, but others that did. I'm currently saving up for a Collings, but even after I have it (in about 30 years, at this rate), I'll still be playing the D-28.

I've never had (nor needed to have) any significant work done on it - just a new pick guard and an internal brace re-glued. As Light was noting below, the action got high and stiff during the last few years - there's no truss rod, and so a neck reset was in order. To put that off, I put on a set of light strings (usually use mediums), and the neck relaxed a bit, and now it's eminently playable again (even with mediums). When the time comes, I'll be doing research on those "questionable practices" - sounds spooky, and sending the D-28 in for that procedure won't feel unlike sending one of my kids in for major surgery (that just happened, and she's fine, and I'm sure it was more nerve-wracking than a neck reset, but you get the point).
 
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