Is everyone aware that Martin offers kits?
 

They're kind of buried on Martin's site, but I just discovered that they offer several kit models!


https://www.martinguitar.com/1833-sh...bo)/c-24/p-250

https://www.martinguitar.com/media/1...tachment-2.jpg

I am, but I doubt that if I bought one it would turn out very well!☺️

Kind of a take-off from Groucho's famous line about not wanting to join a club that would have him as a member....

Precisely the reason they DO NOT include a Martin decal with the kit!

I know a gentleman that has built several of these kits and each one turned out very good. I don't think I'd have the patience to do a good job on one.

A few years ago, I got the bug to build an acoustic. I’m a decent woodworker, so I thought “I’ll build from scratch, who needs a kit?!” Turns out, me. I’ve got a box of parts in my garage in which the only thing that resembles a guitar is the neck (which was actually my favorite part of the process). Bending the sides was a nightmare for me. All that to say, in hindsight, I wish I’d have gone with the kit. Maybe one day, when the kids are older I’ll try again. With a kit.

While guitar making is a subset of woodworking, as you've discovered, guitar making involves some unique issues not usually addressed in general woodworking.

Be careful. Tim McKnight started out by building a Martin kit, and look where that ended up! :D

Pretty tempted by the rosewood dreadnought one. I know a good luthier I'd ask to put it together for me, he wouldn't charge much.

Anyone tried these? Is this the cheap approach to obtaining a D28 I may be looking for? :lol:

I would butcher that ten ways to Sunday!

The only part that I am sure I could complete with an acceptable degree of skill is putting the strings on.

This is my Martin HD-28 kit, built around 1992. At the time, it cost about $400. It was built by my bro-in-law in Tucson, a skilled luthier and artist. It sounds amazing on top of being beautiful, ihmo. If I had built this, it wouldn't even resemble a guitar.

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[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/lmT0o9Dl.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/TisFGqul.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/ARSs3Qpl.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/6wwyB8al.jpg[/IMG]

LMI and StewMac also offer kits. LMI also offers them with some customization and some of the work can be performed before they send it to you.

Those kits have been around forever. If they don't sell all that many, I bet the wood has aged and dried nicely.

I've always suspected that one reason they offered the kits might be because they felt underappreciated. As in, "Oh, yeah? Well you try it!"

These go on sale sometimes, usually around this time of year.
If you join the Martin Owner’s Club, you get another 20% off.
These two factors combined made me buy two kits last year.
I finished one for myself last winter and I’m working on the other for a friend.
Great way to dip your toes in the water of building.
The one I built for myself hangs on the living room wall and gets played just about every day.