The Martin 00-18 V
 

Hi

I've played 2 Martins with V necks. A 1951 Martin 0-15 with a very hard V. And I also played a 2008 Martin V neck Eric Clapton. Due to my small hands, I had pain issues playing them due to having the stretch my fingers more.

I also played a Gibson Humming bird that had a standard C profile neck and I had no issues whatsoever. Basically the palm of my hand was closer to the fretboard, which made things easier.


But I see a Martin 00-18 V online that I am interested in. I can't try any as I can't find one to try. Will the V neck on the 00-18 be a little better? Or will it be pretty much the same as the Clapton? Or any other V neck?

I think I know what the answer is..which is that it will be pretty much the same. But I thought I'd ask people with more experience.

I'm actually also considering a modern 00-18 with the oval profile. But for some reason the 0018 V's neck looks much nicer. So I'll see. I had a 000-18 with the oval profile and and taper neck. While the profile was great, I thought the taper was kinda annoying. It didn't feel like an acoustic neck. But I guess I'm leaning more towards the modern one as it's probably more comfortable in the end, despite the flimsy feeling artist taper.

Thanks

I would say the 00-18v would be similar to the clapton neck. Sounds like you should stick to the C profile...but I don't like to discourage people from buying a guitar because that would be the ultimate hypocrisy :).

0018v neck profile
 

I own a '09 OO18-v and have played many Claptons. I would say that the "V" on the 00 may be slightly less pronounced then the other, but if you're comfy with a "C" profile, stick with it. You may want to consider the new 00-18...it has the low profile neck and is highly regarded.

You know.... you are probably right. I've had issues with V necks so just to be safe I should stick with the oval shape. I'm not crazy about the artist taper, but whatever. At least I'll be able to play it easier and not fight the instrument like I do with V necks.

It's strange but the V necks just look so much more beautiful. While the slim taper sorta , for me, makes the guitar feel a tad cheaper for some reason.

Thanks.

Hi Zeo. The 00-18v neck is definitely more rounded and less pointy than the Clapton neck. The Clapton mod-v is probably the pointiest mod-v neck in Martin's entire lineup. It's in a category all by itself, though one cannot tell this by looking at Martin's website specs alone.

As far as you not liking the idea of the narrower "PA taper," keep in mind that if you like most Gibson necks, you are already getting sort of a PA taper because most Gibson acoustics come with 2 3/16" string spacing. So the neck is already slim at the 12th to accommodate the narrower string spacing.

Really... I didn't know that.

I might take the 00-18 with more consideration, as I thought the Clapton neck wasn't too bad, not as pointy as the 1951 0-15 I played, but enough to cause discomfort. That being said, if the V neck on the 00 is a little more rounded I'd take a chance on it. I don't mind some meat on the neck.

Thank you for the reply. I did not know about Gibson neck tapering.

I've found variances in the modified V necks. Some are more and some are less pronounced. For the right deal you could take a shot at it. It should be great guitar.

Try the ooo-18 standard year 2014 and up.It has vintage bracing with modern and comfort neck.I am planning to get one myself too.

I'll take a chance. I'd be purchasing it from a big store that has a great return policy.

I do know about the more modern neck.. they actually now have 00-18 with the modern neck. However those are hard to come by used at the moment.

The modern necks are good, but I played a modern 000-18.and then neck felt a bit narrow. The profile was great. I just wished they use a standard taper rather than the artist taper.

The perfect Martin neck for me would be the oval profile with the standard taper. So like a v neck taper with an oval profile.

Hi

I was looking at the new 00-18 because body size it is very similar the the Guild I currently own.

However, the 00-18 has bridge string spacing of 2 5/32" compared to the 00-18v of 2 1/4" (same as my Guild), and is a potential deal breaker.

The narrower bridge spacing on the new model had attracted some criticism on the UMGF, and does seem a strange decision by Martin when the instrument is presumably aimed at fingerstyle players.

I do like the neck on the post 2014 000-18 (same as 00-18), and so may well go with that model (same price for either here in UK). The 000-18 had bridge spacing of 2 3/16".

Unfortunately, if you want the smaller bodied 00 option and wider string spacing, you would have to go with 00-18v, but then have a decision to make re the neck.

Whilst Martin have ceased making the 00-18v, I have noticed that some shops (in UK, so assume also the case in US) still have them available - at the same price as the new 00-18 and 000-18 models.

The 2014 updated 000-18 continues to receive rave reviews from all that have bought one.

Rich