Martin Guitar D18 top

[upbeat21]

Hi,

Yesterday I bought a D18 Martin Guitar, which by contacting Martin is a 2011 model. On the top the wood seems not to be like others. There are two big like scars of the wood. And also there is a line in the middle of the bottom. I don't know if it is normal or is a blemished one. They claimed it was a new one. Anyone could help?

The "scar"


The nut is a little old

The line in the bottom

The wood grain shows some mild "bear claw", nothing abnormal on a Style 18 Martin, or even higher models. It's part of the wood grain, not the finish.

Here's some on an HD-28LSV.




As far as I can see, the only "line" on the top is the joint between the two halves of the top. That is normal as well.

[rmyAddison]

Looks like normal grain and some "bearclaw". If it was new you should have a warranty and the "Welcome to Martin" packet they include. If you already contacted Martin and found it was a 2011 they should have told you whether it was registered or not.

Hard to tell from pictures but I don't see anything "wrong", if the nut is worn that's either shop wear or the guitar isn't NOS (New old stock), Martin can verify one way or the other.

Best of luck......

[upbeat21]

Originally Posted by rmyAddison

Looks like normal grain and some "bearclaw". If it was new you should have a warranty and the "Welcome to Martin" packet they include. If you already contacted Martin and found it was a 2011 they should have told you whether it was registered or not.

Hard to tell from pictures but I don't see anything "wrong", if the nut is worn that's either shop wear or the guitar isn't NOS (New old stock), Martin can verify one way or the other.

Best of luck......

Hi rmyAddsion,
Thank you for your reply. I have the warranty and the welcome packet. I contacted Martin and gave them the series number. They looked up in system and tell me it is a 2011 one. But would the worn nut affect anyting except look? Also, would a "bearclaw" affects the sound?

The nut doesn't look worn to me. Looks like natural bone. Some is more white/solid looking than others. Sometimes you can see the pores, but I don't think there's a structural issue.

There is some debate about whether bear claw affects the sound, but the tiny bit in yours shouldn't make a difference.

[Wade Hampton]

Bearclaw figure will have no effect on the tone. There's a sizable percentage of acoustic guitarists who like bearclaw figure, want it, and are actually willing to pay extra for it. But that's usually when there's a lot more of it than on your guitar's top.

Some bearclaw enthusiasts go so far as to make the claim that its presence is a sign of a better-sounding guitar top. I'm skeptical of that claim, myself, but I will attest that it has no deleterious effect on the sound.

Anyway, as Todd and Rich have already told you, the amount of bearclaw you have on your guitar's top is not at all unusual for a Martin "Standard Series" guitar, which is what you have. It's not a concern and it's not a flaw or considered a blemish.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

PS: I agree with Todd that the nut looks fine. It's just natural bone, that's all.

[upbeat21]

Thank you so much Todd, Wade and Rich for your replies. That's really helpful to me. Do you know how is the 2011 D-18? I know Martin upgrade D-18 in 2012. But how is the 2011 model or some old models between 2000 to 2011?

[rmyAddison]

The new D-18's are great, but so are the pre 2012's, and there are folks who prefer both versions, relax and enjoy your new Martin.....

[tnvol]

I lke bearclaw and mineral streaks on tops. Especially on Les Pauls. I don't look for it, but it certainly isn't a deal breaker for me.

[upbeat21]

Originally Posted by rmyAddison

The new D-18's are great, but so are the pre 2012's, and there are folks who prefer both versions, relax and enjoy your new Martin.....

Great thanks, Rich. It seems that this is pretty good deal. I will take time in it.

[pjroberts]

Upbeat, Listen to Rich:-) But don't get carried away with too much forum opinion before you have a chance to make your own judgement, because that is what matters most. Tone and visual appeal are both very subjective and there are no absolute right, wrong, good, bad .... unless maybe you are a collector or reselling and buying. Enjoy and learn as much as you can for your future purchases.

Because, the real dark and dirty secret of this place is that soon you will be addicted, compounded by GAS and then you will be hunting down your next purchase.

[Chicago Sandy]

Nice amount of "silking" (the wavy lines perpendicular to the grain) on that top too.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by Chicago Sandy

Nice amount of "silking" (the wavy lines perpendicular to the grain) on that top too.

I'm a big fan of silk in a top. Lots of other enthusiasms that get expressed in this and other guitar forums leave me utterly indifferent, but the presence of a lot of the cross-grain medullary rays known colloquially as "silk" is indeed something that sets my heart beating faster. I have it on a number of the instruments I own, and it does seem to correlate nicely with good-sounding tops.


Wade Hampton Miller

[harmonics101]

My two Martin HD28V both have ' scars ' bearclaw, and they sound awesome, so I don't worry about it,

H

[00-28]

Beautiful guitar, congratulations. .....Mike