finally got a line on a Martin 00-18 ?

[AndUandI]

I know its not high end.. but if I buy it .. it will be high end for me.. anything I should be looking for? its used.. its a 2020. he said it has not be touched.. factory setup. Any concerns ? should I just worry about the neck shape and sound since action can be adj. later?

thanks

[rollypolly]

I just got a 2016 00-18 on reverb. Haven't done a NGD yet. I'd just look for the binding issue - mine has some loose near the waist. Also make sure the neck is straight or that it can be straight with a slight setup. They seem very lightly built, I even see some dipping on the top of mine, like the opposite of belly bulge. It's very very slight almost imperceptible, but I think it's because they're scalloped braced and very lightly built. The sound is amazingly loud and responsive for a small guitar.

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by AndUandI

I know its not high end.. but if I buy it .. it will be high end for me.. anything I should be looking for? its used.. its a 2020. he said it has not be touched.. factory setup. Any concerns ? should I just worry about the neck shape and sound since action can be adj. later?

thanks

The 00-18 is a nice guitar. Great choice.

Yes, neck shape would be good to look at. It shouldn't have any twist, but I wouldn't think that would be an issue for such a new guitar.

More importantly, I'd check the neck angle. If you have access to the guitar, lay a straight edge along the frets. It needs to be long enough that it will rest on most of the frets and reach back to the bridge. Ideally the straight edge would land on top of the bridge. If it hits well below the top of the bridge, even 1/8", it could mean the neck angle wasn't set correctly. In this case you could see high action and a saddle that has been sanded quite a bit to get acceptable action. If that's the case there wouldn't be sufficient saddle sticking out of the bridge slot to give you room for adjustments. I mention this because there have been a couple of reports on the forum about improper neck angles on new-ish Martins.

If you don't have a straight edge (you should if you're buying used guitars), you can sight down the neck from the nut toward the bridge and visually estimate where the top of the frets would land at the bridge.

As mentioned above, check the binding.

In addition, I usually
- do an overall visual check for any cracking, dings, etc.
- any excessive distortion of the top, possibly from lack of humidity control
- check the back of the bridge to be sure its not lifting off the soundboard
- tap around the body listening for rattles from loose braces
- check all the tuners to be sure they work smoothly
- play all strings on every fret listening for buzz
- any fret ends poking out (too dry)

I wouldn't expect these issues to pop up on a 2020, but you never know if its been properly humidified.

Good luck with it. I really like my 00-18V.

[AndUandI]

Originally Posted by KevinH

The 00-18 is a nice guitar. Great choice.

Yes, neck shape would be good to look at. It shouldn't have any twist, but I wouldn't think that would be an issue for such a new guitar.

More importantly, I'd check the neck angle. If you have access to the guitar, lay a straight edge along the frets. It needs to be long enough that it will rest on most of the frets and reach back to the bridge. Ideally the straight edge would land on top of the bridge. If it hits well below the top of the bridge, even 1/8", it could mean the neck angle wasn't set correctly. In this case you could see high action and a saddle that has been sanded quite a bit to get acceptable action. If that's the case there wouldn't be sufficient saddle sticking out of the bridge slot to give you room for adjustments. I mention this because there have been a couple of reports on the forum about improper neck angles on new-ish Martins.

If you don't have a straight edge (you should if you're buying used guitars), you can sight down the neck from the nut toward the bridge and visually estimate where the top of the frets would land at the bridge.

As mentioned above, check the binding.

In addition, I usually
- do an overall visual check for any cracking, dings, etc.
- any excessive distortion of the top, possibly from lack of humidity control
- check the back of the bridge to be sure its not lifting off the soundboard
- tap around the body listening for rattles from loose braces
- check all the tuners to be sure they work smoothly
- play all strings on every fret listening for buzz
- any fret ends poking out (too dry)

I wouldn't expect these issues to pop up on a 2020, but you never know if its been properly humidified.

Good luck with it. I really like my 00-18V.

thank you!

[mr. beaumont]

The 18 series is where high end begins in my opinion. Maybe not in price for some, but certainly in timeless quality. Congrats.