Played some 30s Martins, am ruined for everything else

[Rootwitch]

I was in Denver this past week for work, and I stopped by the Pickin' Parlor on a day off. They had some vintage Martins, and one in particular from the 30s that cost about 70K but the owner was kind enough to let me play it. I swear, I could have sat there just playing the 12th fret e for an hour, it sang so beautifully. Now I'm afraid that I'm ruined for anyting else.

What guitars have ruined you?

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Rootwitch

I was in Denver this past week for work, and I stopped by the Pickin' Parlor on a day off. They had some vintage Martins, and one in particular from the 30s that cost about 70K but the owner was kind enough to let me play it. I swear, I could have sat there just playing the 12th fret e for an hour, it sang so beautifully. Now I'm afraid that I'm ruined for anyting else.

What guitars have ruined you?

1937 00-18. 1929 000-18 2001 Froggy Bottom H-14.

[NickZag]

There is a 1940 D-28 at Gryphon Strings in Palo Alto. I haven’t touched it for fear I’d be ruined

[sinistral]

Spend an afternoon at Retrofret in Brooklyn—talk about ruined:





Although this trio at TR Crandall was pretty mind-blowing:



1941 000-45
1940 000-21
1943 000-18

I have a huge soft spot for the Style 18 guitars from the ‘30s and ‘40s. The guitars are feather light, produce a dry, woody, room-filling sound, and vibrate as if they are alive.

[Rootwitch]

Originally Posted by sinistral

Spend an afternoon at Retrofret in Brooklyn—talk about ruined:





Although this trio at TR Crandall was pretty mind-blowing:



1941 000-45
1940 000-21
1943 000-18

I have a huge soft spot for the Style 18 guitars from the ‘30s and ‘40s. The guitars are feather light, produce a dry, woody room-filling sound, and vibrate as if they are alive.

Wow! I actually live in New Jersey, but I'm a transplant. I tried going to TR a couple of years ago but I couldn't find it even though Google Maps said I was right there, and everyone kept honking at me, so I just turned around and headed home. But now I really want to see those guitars at Retrofret.

[Bridgepin]

Originally Posted by Rootwitch

I was in Denver this past week for work, and I stopped by the Pickin' Parlor on a day off. They had some vintage Martins, and one in particular from the 30s that cost about 70K but the owner was kind enough to let me play it. I swear, I could have sat there just playing the 12th fret e for an hour, it sang so beautifully. Now I'm afraid that I'm ruined for anyting else.

What guitars have ruined you?

I know how you feel, it becomes perfectly clear why they are so coveted

[Bridgepin]

Originally Posted by NickZag

There is a 1940 D-28 at Gryphon Strings in Palo Alto. I haven’t touched it for fear I’d be ruined

I believe that one has been there for a little while and to be honest it was not as good as others I have played. IMO

[blindboyjimi]

I don’t see any 1930s Martins on their website. What guitar was it?

[Sadie-f]

Happily, my own Santa Cruz OM. The only thing I've heard that I felt was objectively better was when I heard a '41 D-45 at TME (objective to my ears of course). They have a '41 D-28 in right now, I dropped by to play it a couple weeks ago -- it had an amazing mid-range, harmonics I've not heard ever, and unlike a lot of guitars I've played, both new and vintage, had a super pronounced G note on the #6 3rd fret, if not I the most inspiring E2 on that string open.

Still, not up to that D-45, and still not, on balance something I'd like over my SCGC (and that at many x the price).

[6L6]

The best sounding acoustic I've played is this 1941 D-45 I'm playing in the pic below at Gryphon.

I've played five different Pre War D-45's and this was the best sounding one of the bunch. Priced out of my comfort zone though...

Happy to say the second best sounding acoustic I've ever played is the 1997 Martin D-45V that's been in my stash since new.

1941 Martin D-45:


My 1997 D-45V

[leew3]

Martin custom 12 fret OM-28. Fortunately, I own it!

[b1j]

Last year I stopped into Mighty Fine Guitars in my town and spotted a beat-up J-45 from some year in the forties. I had never known such an exquisite instrument could exist until then. It looked like a dumpster fire and played like an angel’s lyre.

$7,000, or it would have truly ruined me.

[Rootwitch]

Originally Posted by blindboyjimi

I don’t see any 1930s Martins on their website. What guitar was it?

Looks like it was actually a 1940. This one: https://www.picknparlor.com/acoustic...40-martin-d-28

[Rootwitch]

Originally Posted by Sadie-f

Happily, my own Santa Cruz OM. The only thing I've heard that I felt was objectively better was when I heard a '41 D-45 at TME (objective to my ears of course). They have a '41 D-28 in right now, I dropped by to play it a couple weeks ago -- it had an amazing mid-range, harmonics I've not heard ever, and unlike a lot of guitars I've played, both new and vintage, had a super pronounced G note on the #6 3rd fret, if not I the most inspiring E2 on that string open.

Still, not up to that D-45, and still not, on balance something I'd like over my SCGC (and that at many x the price).

I felt that way about my Bourgeois for a long time, but now that I've played that vintage Martin ... not so sure anymore!

[Racerbob]

So when does a used guitar cross over from worth less than the new price cause it's used to being worth more than a new one of the same model by a whole bunch. When does "used" so worth less become "vintage" so worth way more now it's no longer just a well used guitar.