Here's a good local cl....cringe.

[ajh]

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/h...582179844.html

[Timbofood]

Ooh, that’s bad!

[Jeff Mando]

$575 is a great price..................but it needs works. Wonder why he took it apart if it sounded so sweet? I assume it needed a neck reset. I think he needs to go back to a big old Lester Flatt pickguard -- that would cover most of the wear on the front. Stick a volume pot in the hole and put a cool old knob on it -- doesn't have to be wired to anything. Do the neckset and put a bridge on it. Refret if needed. Set it up and enjoy it! To try and restore the finish would be missing the point on this guitar, IMHO. To the right person, it is already very cool! Makes quite a statement. Looks like it could be made playable for $700-1000. Could be a bargain for a player, IMHO.

[Denny Gies]

Maybe I need my eyes examined but I don't see what's wrong.

[RFMando]

LOL, Wow! Well its not far away from me....but I don't think I need to "go see it" fair price or not its certainly fairly advertised one of the more honest/humorous listing I've read kudos to them for "that" :-) I'm someone with the "skills" could make it work..but that is not me, good luck! And thanks for the smile! RF

[pelone]

My advice would be to either run it through a wood chipper or spread auto bondo over the top and spray it flat black.

[Ivan Kelsall]

A really good luthier could put it right,but at what cost ?. If it was maybe a guitar once owned by Elvis or 'somebody',then possibly you'd stump up the cash. OR - a good amateur luthier/guitar player could take it on as a project - it could be done. My own local luthier,restored a smashed up Gibson guitar belonging the the father of the owner. It did have sentimental value,so he got it restored. In all honesty,it had looked like Bill Monroe's 'pokerised' mandolin,plus the sides were split wide open.

After restoration,it looked & sounded great,
Ivan

[Bertram Henze]

I don't know if the price is fair. But the romantic story behind it (making you feel as if not buying it was like kicking a puppy) is raising my suspicion.

[mee]

Would you rate that as excellent minus condition?
Ok just kidding

[Timbofood]

I still think it seems a bit much for the basket case that it is. Pretty much anything can be rebuilt (this is almost past restoration) but, it takes the inclination as much as the talent. My banjo player has been making banjos for some time and has real wood working skill (cabinetmaker by trade), he’s rebuilt a couple of basket case D-18’s that turned out to be truly smoking hot guitars. I think he’s starting to consider luthierie as his retirement hobby business. At least I kind of hope he does.

[CarlM]

If his $3000-$6000 prices were realistic his price would be fair but a rebuild like this, even if it came out stellar might sell for $2000 tops. A person would make under $5 per hour restoring it for sale.

[Jeff Mando]

Agreed, a nice 60's d-18 sells for $3000-4000, if this one was restored it would probably be worth $2000 max, but IMHO that wouldn't be the point. The point would be getting the SOUND of a vintage Martin for the price of a Takamine. (or whatever import guitar, or even the price of a "formica" Martin!)

Agreed, if you like clean guitars, you will never like this guitar. People like Norman Blake, Roy Buchanan, and Willie Nelson played guitars in similar condition professionally. Some people don't understand the concept of an instrument having the previous owner's "vibe" -- this guitar has it, for sure! And, in fairness, some people don't like dirty guitars. Nothing wrong with that.

What I like is that you can get into a 50-year old Martin for $575 and fix it later as time and money become available. A 50-year old Martin has wood that was probably cut from a tree 100 years ago and air dried for decades before being built -- can't say that about most recent guitars, even Martins! Old wood is good wood!

As far as a neckset goes, the "hard part" has already been done for you! Lotsa potential, IMHO.

[Br1ck]

I'd take that one on. Maybe go $500 shipped. I've seen these go for $2200 with necks already reset within the last year or two. And this was at two top dollar shops, so you would really just have to want a project. So far I've only worked on cheapies, but now feel confident in doing the fretwork.

Problem for me is tools. Need to buy bridge clamps and who knows what else. This can be a nice player for the right person, but a real luthier would find it hard to be worthwhile money wise.

[J.Albert]

Considering it's a 1967 D-18, with non-scalloped braces, not from Martin's best period...

... I'd take what I would have spent on this and get a "post-2012" (new design) D-18, either new or used.

Ready-to-go and will probably sound as good or better than this piece of scrap wood does!

[Ivan Kelsall]

From Timothy - "...it takes the inclination as much as the talent...". Absolutely - If you really want to do it,you'll find a way !.
I can imagine the huge satisfaction gained from resoring a car wreck of a guitar like this one, to a fully playable instrument - i wish i had the talent (& the workshop),
Ivan

[William Smith]

That's not bad at all! If you could haggle a bit on price it would be worth it to Hot Rod it out, shave the bracing add some nice inlays and a refinish. If it was close I'd buy!

[Jim Garber]

$575 is a great price..................but it needs works. Wonder why he took it apart if it sounded so sweet? I assume it needed a neck reset.

Read his description. Sounds reasonable to me:

But now it's partially disassembled due to the fact the the person who agreed to fix it took my down-payment and moved away and is now gone forever, along with my hopes of ever being able to afford to fix this guitar.

[Jeff Mando]

At least he got his guitar back, before the guy moved away, fixed or not.

I'd buy it if it was closer to me. We never see any deals like that around here........every vintage Martin is priced like one! I can't believe it has not sold already.

[Jeff Mando]

Posting has been deleted by its author, so I guess it finally sold.