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  #1  
Old 05-05-2016, 11:30 PM
Peacefulbird Peacefulbird is offline
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Default 1889 CF Martin Parlor Guitar

I have a family heirloom Martin G2-18 guitar, signed and dated, which I am going to need to sell. It is in very good condition, except the bridge has pulled away slightly from the top at the ends. Also there are four cracks formerly repaired and cleated by Rob Girdis. These cracks could use a little attention, although they aren’t gaping (as in I don’t think you could slide a piece of paper into them). I have two questions for this group:

(1) Can anyone recommend a luthier with experience doing this type of repair on antique instruments, someone who would restore it with respect and love? I am in western Washington State.

(2) Do you have any thoughts on repair first, then sell vs. sell as is and let the buyer decide how, if, and by whom it should be repaired?

Thanks!
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Old 05-05-2016, 11:41 PM
kkfan kkfan is offline
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Default 1889 CF Martin Parlor Guitar

If you're willing to ship your guitar, Marty Lanham in Nashville is as good as they come when it comes to restoration. He has restored many guitars for the Country Music Hall of Fame as well as for private owners. He is a one man shop and owns the Nashville Guitar Company.

You can check him out at his website:

http://nashvilleguitarcompany.com/restoration/
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Old 05-06-2016, 08:01 AM
frances50 frances50 is offline
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I'd recommend Gryphon Strings in Palo Alto, California. I recently bought a c. 1870 0-28 that had had some work done on it a few years previously at Gryphon. Mine had a neck reset, re-frets and a few cracks repaired. I can't even see where the cracks were. Guitar plays great to be an antique and looks marvelous.
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Old 05-06-2016, 09:45 AM
WordMan WordMan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peacefulbird View Post
I have a family heirloom Martin G2-18 guitar, signed and dated, which I am going to need to sell. It is in very good condition, except the bridge has pulled away slightly from the top at the ends. Also there are four cracks formerly repaired and cleated by Rob Girdis. These cracks could use a little attention, although they aren’t gaping (as in I don’t think you could slide a piece of paper into them). I have two questions for this group:

(1) Can anyone recommend a luthier with experience doing this type of repair on antique instruments, someone who would restore it with respect and love? I am in western Washington State.

(2) Do you have any thoughts on repair first, then sell vs. sell as is and let the buyer decide how, if, and by whom it should be repaired?

Thanks!
When in doubt and unless the structural integrity of the guitar is at risk, hold off and let the buyer decide.

Head over to the UMGF Vintage Corner forum. THat is where all the vintage guitar nuts and dealers who are active on line hang out.

Pre-1920's Martins are their own beasties. Wonderful, but not quite the fully modern designs. Folks over there know a tone about them.
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Old 05-07-2016, 11:52 PM
Dreadful Dreadful is offline
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I talked with Cat Fox of Sound Guitar Repair in Seattle a few weeks ago about a bridge re-glue on a 1911 Martin 0-18. She does work on vintage Martins and uses hide glue when needed, which was used on older Martins. http://www.catfox.com/

Keep in mind that an 1889 Martin 2-18 is not as in demand or as valuable as a 1930's Martin. They were designed for gut strings, and the 2-18 probably has very light fan bracing that can only handle nylon or gut strings, and not steel strings. I would recommend getting the bridge repaired with hide glue so that it will be playable.

edit - "someone who would restore it with respect and love?" The value of many vintage guitars has been ruined by "restoration." Re-finishing can reduce the value by half or more, don't re-finish. Keep it as original as possible, it sounds like the bridge work is all that needs to be done for a prospective buyer to play it.

Last edited by Dreadful; 05-08-2016 at 10:34 AM.
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Old 05-07-2016, 11:54 PM
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CoolerKing CoolerKing is offline
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Dave Eichelbaum in Oaji. Dave Strunk outside Nazareth. Dave Musselwhite or TJ Thompson if they even exist
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Old 05-08-2016, 08:09 AM
frances50 frances50 is offline
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I'll add one more comment regarding having this guitar repaired before sale versus letting a buyer handle the repairs. From a recent buyer's experience, I wanted a guitar that had already been restored and with tuners, bridges, etc. original. I had the chance to buy an earlier Martin but it looked like the guitar needed a lot of restoration and the seller wanted a small fortune for it "as is." It was too much of a gamble for me. If the buyer is well versed and knows a good luthier, then yes, it might be a good decision to let the buyer handle the repairs but remember, that will reduce the price of the guitar.
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Old 05-08-2016, 10:12 AM
00-28 00-28 is offline
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Peacefulbird,

I am not familiar with the Martin G2-18 guitar. All I could find in "Martin Guitars: A Technical Record" is a 2-18G (gut?) one of a kind made in 1954. Do you have pictures or more history of this guitar? It should have a serial #. My guess is that it is a 2-18.

My recommendation for your guitar is that you sell it as is. It's more affordable when repairs are needed, so it should attract more interest. The money you spend to restore it won't bring you more in return. Let the new owner decide how they want to fix it and at what level of restoration they want to pursue.
........Mike

Last edited by 00-28; 05-08-2016 at 10:59 AM.
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Old 05-09-2016, 10:04 AM
frances50 frances50 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 00-28 View Post
Peacefulbird,

I am not familiar with the Martin G2-18 guitar. All I could find in "Martin Guitars: A Technical Record" is a 2-18G (gut?) one of a kind made in 1954. Do you have pictures or more history of this guitar? It should have a serial #. My guess is that it is a 2-18.

My recommendation for your guitar is that you sell it as is. It's more affordable when repairs are needed, so it should attract more interest. The money you spend to restore it won't bring you more in return. Let the new owner decide how they want to fix it and at what level of restoration they want to pursue.
........Mike

I'm not sure what the OP is referring to as "signed and dated." Martin made a 2-18 parlor guitar in 1889. Serial numbers weren't put on Martins until the late 1890s, so I'm not sure this one would have one. Sometimes a penciled date of manufacture was written on the underside of the soundhole in the 1880s so that is probably where the OP got the date 1889. I did research on these old Martins before I bought mine (c. 1870 0-28).

This guitar would qualify as an antique as well as a vintage Martin. I would suspect that it would be purchased as a collectable (as mine was basically) and I would think restoration would play a big part in any purchaser's desire to buy it.
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