For Sale: Vintage 1974 12 string Martin D12-18 Bone Saddle Pickup Frets Level Crown Polish

[ericcsong]

Up for sale or trade is a very cool 12 string guitar that you don't see too often.

My 1974 Martin D12-18. This is basically a d-18 12 string! Only 1,739 of these made. If you love your d-18, you will love this 12 string!

This guitar is definitely a players guitar with tons of mojo. I have seen a few of these on ebay going for $1800 and that's with no work done to them.

Any old guitar this age is waiting for some maintenance, and this guitar has it all done and just ready for a new owner!

The guitar has a few great things going for it. Almost all the d12-18s I've seen have had a black pickguard, but this one came with a tortoise ivoroid one. Also, the nut is extremely white and no discolor at all so I'm guessing it came synthetic or ivory from the factory. All frets are super shiny and plenty of life in them. New Bone saddle has plenty of life left in it and plenty high but action is set comfortably low. Top shows no sign of bowing and is very flat. Bridge is very fat and secure (absolutely no sign of lifting).

- Solid Mahogany back and sides
- Solid spruce top
- Neck has been reset
- Frets have been crowned, polished, and leveled
- Bone Saddle with great set up!
- JJB SBT pick up installed
- New D'addario EXP Phos Bronze lights

A few things buyer should be aware of:

- back center seam was coming loose (surface level cracking) but luthier touched up.
- a few minor cracks cleated, touched up and refinished
- typical blemish between high E and B string from pickguard shrinkage (mine didn't crack through the wood; was touched up)
- some finish checking and some dings and nicks here and there

Overall, my luthier said that the guitar is in great condition and everything has been stabilized and is ready to play for a long long time. Why pay for a used one for $1800 and then have to put a lot more money into it when you can buy one already done!

I'm asking $1299 plus shipping or willing to trade with a $1499 trade value. Willing to negotiate!

Here are the pictures!




here is the nice pickgaurd. My luthier was impressed on how clean the lines were on this piece. A lot of the celluloid ones you see now days aren't as crisp and can be foggy/blurry:


shiny frets that have been crowned, leveled, and polished:

shiny frets and some finish checking:

[ericcsong]

big fat bridge with no sign of lifting (also a few dings behind bridge):


plenty of life in new bone saddle:



hairline surface level crack (stabilized) between e and b


small nick near martin sign:

[ericcsong]

cool tuners:


upper bout crack cleated:


back crack cleated:


small crack cleated:


dings near headstock:


serial number 345507:

[ericcsong]

also comes with a hard shell case

[ericcsong]

41 year old Martin 12 string bump!

[ericcsong]

here is a quick recording strumming; no eq, no effects:
https://soundcloud.com/ericcsong/martin12forsale

[ericcsong]

all pms responded to. keep the offers coming!

[ericcsong]

vintage 12 bump!

[ericcsong]

great old martin 12 string!

[ericcsong]

hump day bump day!

[ericcsong]

martin 12 bump!

[ericcsong]

Entertaining offers!

[ericcsong]

weekend bump!

[ericcsong]

sale pending!

[ericcsong]

guitar Sold!