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#1
08-12-2014, 01:56 PM
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aging of D-18 top vs. D-28 top
Down through the years, when I come across an old Martin dreadnought with one of those pumpkin-colored tops, it seems that it's almost always a D-18 rather than a D-28. Has anyone else noticed this? If I'm right about it, is there an identifiable reason? Martin wasn't putting aging toner on D-18s in 1937, was it?
__________________
website: https://www.steveyarbrough.net Bourgeois, Collings, Eastman, Gibson, Martin 
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#3
08-12-2014, 03:15 PM
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Hi Oxygen Man,
'Tis random. I've seen dozens of old martins--18s, 21s, 28s. Some were pumpkinish. Some weren't. It has to do with sunlight, smoke, and whatever other stuff the guitar's finish experiences.
__________________
Peace, Jimmy Optima dies, prima fugit
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#4
08-12-2014, 03:18 PM
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Tops age differently
Is it safe to assume that 28's might have a different grade of wood than 18's and that results in the tops aging differently?
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#5
08-12-2014, 07:10 PM
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Quote:
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#6
08-12-2014, 08:04 PM
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Even here, Dave, the top on the D-18 looks slightly darker to me. But maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me or reacting in a particular way to the binding. For instance, a bound ebony fretboard almost always looks darker to me than an unbound fretboard. Those are all beautiful tops, though.
__________________
website: https://www.steveyarbrough.net Bourgeois, Collings, Eastman, Gibson, Martin
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#7
08-12-2014, 08:35 PM
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I don't have the D-18 any more, but it was pretty close in shade to the D-28's; granted it was a smidge older ('64 vs. '67 & '71). Also, regarding the grading - it is always relative to what's in stock (and I'm not sure that the 18/28 tops were even graded back in the day). But the Sitka on the '64 D-18 was noticeably tighter than what was on the '67 D-28 (both very uniform in spacing, though) and the new '71 was tighter than either.
Last edited by kydave; 08-12-2014 at 08:41 PM.
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