Martin is officially making too many guitars... - Page 3

#31 09-10-2019, 10:45 AM

Maybe that 3 beer lunch the pickguard installer had that day wasn't such a good idea.

CT77 · #32 09-10-2019, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowrider

That's not an OM pick-guard.

So that's a smaller pick-guard than you are used to seeing. You don't like it. Someone else will. It's not a mistake, it's just different.

Actually Martin changed their default OM pickguard to that shape in 2018. Dunno why. You can see it across many models. The Sweetwater pic in question is definitely the first and only time I've seen it on a Dread though.

CT77 · #33 09-10-2019, 10:57 AM

Gah! Another one - also at Sweetwater:

This one isn't so jarring though since it's on a 000, which has the same body as an OM shape.

Either way, Pickguard QC is getting wonk at Marin!

EverettWilliams · #34 09-10-2019, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CT77

Gah! Another one - also at Sweetwater:

This one isn't so jarring though since it's on a 000, which has the same body as an OM shape.

Either way, Pickguard QC is getting wonk at Marin!

On an OM, either or no pickguard makes historical sense. They did all three variants while the OM was made. I personally like small on an OM-28 and large on a OM-18, but that’s just my opinion.

guitar george · #35 09-10-2019, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EverettWilliams

You know, if that was indeed a QC glitch, it does raise questions. Sure, the pickguard isn’t going to make a lick of difference with respect to the sound, ...

Some people believe that the size of the pick guard can have an effect on the sound.

pagedr · #36 09-10-2019, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitar george

Some people believe that the size of the pick guard can have an effect on the sound.

But to be fair, those people are very silly to think that.

renoslim · #37 09-10-2019, 12:09 PM

I have a custom 00-28 that I picked up a new a few years ago from that music store in Nazareth. I did not notice for awhile but when cleaning it I noticed that the tuners did not have the screws installed (Grover Rotomatics). I notified Martin and that was corrected under warranty. I have not noticed any other issues with this guitar and it looks, plays, and sounds wonderful.

Not as obvious as the pick guard issue but still an obvious oversight. I have no issues with Martin and would still buy another. Sometimes stuff just happens...

Lee

guitar george · #38 09-10-2019, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pagedr

But to be fair, those people are very silly to think that.

You might be right, but, it has been proven that the mass and weight of the bridge pins can have an effect on the sound.

EverettWilliams · #39 09-10-2019, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitar george

Some people believe that the size of the pick guard can have an effect on the sound.

And, at the extremes, that is probably true (here though we’re talking a slight size difference on a relatively heavily built guitar) - but I was mostly trying to be conciliatory in granting the poster’s point that we sometimes do get bogged down in the weeds before summarily dismissing most of it. I don’t think it’s a trivial thing at all.

canyongargon · #40 09-10-2019, 01:15 PM

Funny that you'd say this. I saw a 000-15M hanging in Guitar Center this past weekend with no pickguard. It wasn't marked with CUSTOM on the neck block or on the hangtag, I had thought that it was maybe a Guitar Center custom order but it was marked as a regular old 000-15M. Never seen one of those come out without a pickguard before.

jaymarsch · #41 09-10-2019, 01:34 PM

I have to confess that when I first read the title of this thread I thought that I was going to walk outside my office building and see piles of boxed Martins at the curb. Wishful thinking, I know.

As for the smaller pick guard, it didn't bother me in the slightest.

Best,
Jayne

jimmy bookout · #42 09-12-2019, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

That's not an OM pick guard on a dreadnought.

That's the correct pick guard for the new Martin deep body, wide bout, Modern Deluxe Natural 14 fret OM.

OMDBWBMDN-14

Nicely done

jimmy bookout · #43 09-12-2019, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CT77

Gah! Another one - also at Sweetwater:

This one isn't so jarring though since it's on a 000, which has the same body as an OM shape.

Either way, Pickguard QC is getting wonk at Marin!

Assuming the guitar on the left is a OOO, that is the correct pickguard. Also assuming the guitar on the right is an OM, it also has the correct pickguard.

zoopeda · #44 09-12-2019, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmy bookout

Assuming the guitar on the left is a OOO, that is the correct pickguard. Also assuming the guitar on the right is an OM, it also has the correct pickguard.

Agreed. The key is that the OM style pickguard has never appeared on a Martin dreadnought (intentionally, anyway).

drplayer · #45 09-12-2019, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EverettWilliams

You know, if that was indeed a QC glitch, it does raise questions. Sure, the pickguard isn’t going to make a lick of difference with respect to the sound, but if they’re missing such big and obvious things, could they be showing inattention to other points in the process? I don’t think that that’s nothing. It’s a reasonable question.

I've made a career (over 40-years) in Quality Assurance and have seen it all. If this is a mistake, it happens, and there simply aren't enough safeguards, safety nets, or checks & balances that can be put in place to catch every error--no matter how glaring they may seem. Martin makes close to 100,000 guitars a year, and I doubt anyone needs more than one hand to count the times they've seen this in the last 10-years or more. That's a darn good track record in the world I make my living in; and besides, it's a super easy fix. Much ado about nothin' if you ask me...