.. speaking of 67ish' Martins..

[mixsit]

I dunno, apl - I have different tuners on just about all of my guitars and they all seem to work fine. The Grovers on my '67 Martin are still very smooth after all these years so that's a testament to their quality.

.. and not to hijack the exciting tuna' thread..

How's the intonation? We have a similar vintage that is out (enough to easily notice for up the neck work), one local guitar tech that says it's not unusual, and now I find my band mate/jammin friend's has the same isue.
WTF?
My 'Take's true all the way up.

 

[Zaphod B]

It's not perfect but it's acceptable. It would never be perfect in any case since the bridge saddle is not compensated.

That said, I can play up in the neighborhood of the 12th fret and it sounds fine.

If yours is noticeably off, you can have an experienced luthier reset the bridge.

 

[apl]

Do those have adjustable truss rods?

 

[Zaphod B]

Do those have adjustable truss rods?

Mine doesn't. If I'm not mistaken there is an ebony spline running under the fretboard that gives the neck some bending resistance.

 

[muttley600]

Mine doesn't. If I'm not mistaken there is an ebony spline running under the fretboard that gives the neck some bending resistance.

A lot had unadjustable steel T bar rods, later in the sixties they switched to a square section. They are fine to a point. After that they switched to an adjustable rod.

If the intonation is too far gone that it can't be fixed by traditional methods and setup, it's likely that a neck reset is required rather than the bridge.

 

[mixsit]

Do those have adjustable truss rods?

Is that a way to set intonation? I could see how adjusting a neck would have some effect on distance nut to bridge, but ultimately doesn't it need to land where ever needed for string height and I guess neck shape?

 

[Light]

Is that a way to set intonation? I could see how adjusting a neck would have some effect on distance nut to bridge, but ultimately doesn't it need to land where ever needed for string height and I guess neck shape?

No, it isn't. Not even a little bit.


It's uncommon for a `67 Martin to have the bridge in the wrong place, but it does happen from time to time (sad to say). If your the original owner (and can either prove it or are registered with the factory), it's covered under the warranty. Yes, even 41 years latter - they mean it when they say it's a lifetime warranty. We've done warranty work for them on Martins from the 1930s within the last ten years. The guy got the guitar as a teenager, and it was beat to hell, but they covered just about everything (and the cost of the repair FAR exceeded the original sales price of the guitar). That's why they still have the best warranty in the business.

A neck reset won't fix the issue, though, because if anything you will be moving shit the wrong way (closer to the bridge, which if your intonation is going sharp you want it further). You either need to fill the saddle slot and rerout a new one if there is room (which there probably won't be) or replace the bridge with what Martin calls a Saddleback bridge (a special bridge they sell which moves the saddle and the bridge pins back a bit - as big of a job as it sounds, it's even bigger because you have to fill all the holes in the top from the original bridge pins). The saddle back bridge is the standard warranty repair for 1970s Martin's (when all the bridges where in the wrong place - apparently something to do with Frank M. and the idiot engineer responsible being drinking buddies).

Whichever way it goes, it's a Very Big Job which MUST be left to the professionals. Bring it to your friendly neighborhood Martin Authorized repair shop, and get it taken care of because there is no reason to put up with a guitar that doesn't work.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[apl]

We've done warranty work for them on Martins from the 1930s within the last ten years. The guy got the guitar as a teenager, and it was beat to hell, but they covered just about everything (and the cost of the repair FAR exceeded the original sales price of the guitar). That's why they still have the best warranty in the business.

Wow. What's it worth now?

...when all the bridges where in the wrong place...

Doh! How far off?

 

[Light]

Wow. What's it worth now?

I don't know, but it was a OOO, not a D, so somewhere in the low to mid five figures.

Doh! How far off?

About 1/16th-1/8th of an inch too far forward (to close to the neck). These days they acknowledge the fuck up, and pay for the repair for the original owner (or any owner of a D76, which have a transferable warranty!)


They had dealers back then calling them up and saying, "this isn't right!" but they wouldn't listen. Go figure.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[mixsit]

About 1/16th-1/8th of an inch too far forward (to close to the neck). These days they acknowledge the fuck up, and pay for the repair for the original owner (or any owner of a D76, which have a transferable warranty!)

Wow. Amazing info here. Although I can't imagine ours is that far off -maybe. I'll have to check. (I found out her's (it's my wife's ) is a 69'.

 

[Light]

Wow. Amazing info here. Although I can't imagine ours is that far off -maybe. I'll have to check. (I found out her's (it's my wife's ) is a 69'.

Typically, on the seventies Martin's, the high E saddle is right at the theoretical scale length of the guitar (i.e., exactly double the distance from the nut as the twelfth fret). As I said, on a `69, that would be unusual, but not unheard of.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[muttley600]

Typically, on the seventies Martin's, the high E saddle is right at the theoretical scale length of the guitar (i.e., exactly double the distance from the nut as the twelfth fret). As I said, on a `69, that would be unusual, but not unheard of.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

I've never seen a 69 with the bridge problem. In fact I haven't seen any in the last few years. I think most have been done. There will still be a few kicking about but the number is dropping.

I used to do a full bridge plate replacement on them as well as the bridge.

 

[Light]

I used to do a full bridge plate replacement on them as well as the bridge.

So did we, but then Stew-Mac came out with the Bridge Plate Saver, which is probably the single best thing they've ever thought up. First of all, because it makes an incredibly invasive, time consuming, and complicated job (replacing the bridge plate) into a much easier, cheaper, and low impact job; and second of all because it keeps guitars more original (which is important to the vintage weenies). It's also what Martin wants warranty centers to use.

I've seen one or two from the sixties with the bridges in the wrong place, and a few as late as 1983, but most of the time it is indeed only on guitars from 1970 to 1980. I know what you mean about having done them all, but every time I start to think that, we get in a rash of the damn things.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[muttley600]

A while back I got one of those and I've only had about three or four chances to use it. As I said I don't see many of those Martins any more and most of the bridge plates I get are from idiots ramming bridge pins in so hard they split the plate. I hate replacing bridge plates almost as much as reglueing braces. I've got a couple on my to do list right now and can't bring myself to start on them.