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#1
05-03-2014, 06:50 PM
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Custom Martin - A Guitar Buying Odyessy
Hi All,
This is my first posting here. I am considered "handicapped" because I play a right-handed guitar left-handed (this is because when I was learning guitar all the guitars I practiced on were right-handed). I've just been through a guitar buying odyssey I'd like to share. In over 50 years of playing guitars I had never owned a Martin. I've had many electrics (if I still had all of them I could easily retire after selling). I decided to go for a Martin D-16GT from GC in January 2014. I loved the guitar, but wanted a bit more low-end so, I returned that one and ordered the D-16RGT. When I received it I fell in love with the tone, feel and general quality of the Martin (read addicted! i.e. "Where has this been all my life"?) Over the first weeks I played it, I got use to the wonderful articulate sound, but became annoyed with the pickguard covering up all that beautiful fine-grained spruce (I have never scratched the top of an acoustic with my pick). Since I had the GC 30-day return policy and being a complete Martin novice, I thought I could order a D-16RGT and have them leave off the pickguard. DOH! Needless to say, I was informed that I would have to order a Martin from the custom shop! I was now completely addicted to the feel and tone of my D-16RGT and had invested over $1200 (more than I'd paid for any acoustic in my life). I decided I deserved a guitar made just for me for probably the last acoustic I would ever buy. I returned the D-16RGT to GC to help pay for the custom shop order. Once I became involved with all the options available I adopted a conservative appearance stance ($$$) and did a lot of homework (AGF, unofficalmartinforum, etc.) plus, a lot of wise guidance from Al at Nazareth Music. Below is what I ended up ordering: Body Style: Right-handed Dreadnought (14 fret), EIR sides & back (w/satin finish), D-28 grade gloss sitka spruce top (w/ageing tint & modified scalloped forward X-bracing), No pickguard, Black ebony fingerboard & bridge (neck has satin finish, D-28 style abalone dots, lefty treble-side binding dots), bone nut/saddle, Headstock: Abalone CF Martin Block (D-45 type) with binding & polished finish, All ivoroid binding, gold Grover locking tuners (I have these). Delivery scheduled for Jul.-Aug.??  So after having a fantastic sounding D16RGT, I was down to no acoustic guitar for 6-8 months! I began the search for a "wait" guitar to tide me over. It had to be between $200-$500 and quickly resellable when the Martin came. Much more frustration, time and homework later I found that I had gone through a Bedell BDD-18M, Washburn WD20S, Bedell HGD-28G, Xaviere XV580SS. Once you've been spoiled by Martin quality & tone... Anyway, I ended up with a near new Bedell TB-28G all solid wood guitar (retail $1599) that sounded really good and came with a new Bedell HC case that had a hydrometer inside! The really weird thing was that the Bedell had nearly identical specs as my custom order (other than the maple binding and gloss poly finish on neck, back & sides) and of course was not made by Martin. Although the tight grained AAA sitka top might actually be better than the Martin I'm getting. Go figure! I took it to my best local luthier for setup and he discovered that the fret heights were uneven, the string spacing at the nut was uneven and the bridge was starting to come up (common on Asian guitars as most are glued onto a finished top). Good grief! I got a handmade bone nut, frets re-seated - leveled - crowned, reseating the bridge by resurfacing the bottom of the bridge & top of guitar then re-glued and finally a full setup. I also added a rush charge to reduce the acoustic withdrawal symptoms I was suffering. Now I have a beautiful, low actioned, great sounding, pretty much technically perfect "wait" guitar that I just might want to keep for those places I would not want to take my Martin custom shop guitar. Thank you all at AGF for your advice and counsel during this whole process! 
Last edited by docliv; 12-13-2015 at 09:47 AM. 
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#2
05-03-2014, 07:26 PM
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Hi Docliv and welcome to the forum.
Great deal on the Bedell, even with the extra work, you are quids in, {that's Britslang for coming out in front}. I've never heard of them previously. That should keep your fingers flexible 'til the custom Martin arrives ! All you have to do now is choose a nice pick guard for each of them ,,,,,, Greven do nice work. 
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#4
05-03-2014, 07:33 PM
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Lots of folks take their pick guards off with no issues...with a brand new guitar you probably wont have a tan line either...
that said, having no pick guard was one of the factors that lead me to ordering a custom shop martin as well  style 45 headplate inlay seals the deal for me. ( I got that too, but with a slotted headstock -- on a 000 though. Slotted might look weird on a Dread) Did nazareth music mock up that graphic for you too? I certainly didn't get one of those 
Last edited by DrRJE; 05-03-2014 at 08:06 PM.
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#5
05-03-2014, 07:44 PM
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Welcome to the AGF, and congrats on ordering your custom Martin. That sounds like it will be a winner. Methinks you will not miss the D16! Very cool pics of both guitars, too!
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Treenewt
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#7
05-03-2014, 09:10 PM
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Welcome to the AGF! Nice job on the graphics.
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#8
05-04-2014, 07:28 AM
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Congrats, the graphic show white binding, you went with Ivoroid, yes?
Hope you CS is everything you want.........
__________________
Rich - rmyAddison Rich Macklin Soundclick Website http://www.youtube.com/rmyaddison Martin OM-18 Authentic '33 Adirondack/Mahogany Martin CS OM-28 Alpine/Madagascar Martin CS 00-42 Adirondack/Madagascar Martin OM-45TB (2005) Engelmann/Tasmanian Blackwood (#23 of 29)
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#10
05-04-2014, 11:14 AM
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Quote:
Epiphone Joe Pass (last left-handed one made) Bedell TB-28G Coming: Custom Shop Martin Fender Blues Jr. Amp 
Last edited by docliv; 06-03-2014 at 10:45 AM.
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#11
05-11-2014, 08:27 AM
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Quote:
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