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  #31  
Old 08-17-2022, 12:40 AM
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JayBee1404 JayBee1404 is offline
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Originally Posted by Troubador View Post
No, the Martin has not had a pro set up. It's not easy to have that done where I live. The guy I used to have work on my guitars is semi-retired, and he's an hour away anyway. I'm sure it would benefit from a setup
Your tech is only an hour away? What’s an hour in the scale of things? It’s nothing - Jeez, I walk my dog for longer than an hour, twice a day!

Get that baby over to the guy and have a full setup done. Then - and only then - can you begin to make judgments on whether it’s the guitar for you or not.

As always, the standard disclaimer applies - IMHO. However, I realise that YMMV, and I’m cool with that.
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Last edited by JayBee1404; 08-17-2022 at 01:02 AM.
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  #32  
Old 08-17-2022, 01:16 AM
Troubador Troubador is offline
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Originally Posted by JayBee1404 View Post
Your tech is only an hour away? What’s an hour in the scale of things? It’s nothing - Jeez, I walk my dog for longer than an hour, twice a day!

Get that baby over to the guy and have a full setup done. Then - and only then - can you begin to make judgments on whether it’s the guitar for you or not.

As always, the standard disclaimer applies - IMHO. However, I realise that YMMV, and I’m cool with that.
I know an hour's drive is not that far. But since he's "officially retired', it's been very difficult to get hold of him. I've been able to contact him once in the last year. But he deserves his time, I can say that without hesitation.
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  #33  
Old 08-17-2022, 01:17 AM
Troubador Troubador is offline
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Anybody know what the neck is like on the D-28 Modern Deluxe? Would it be easier to play?
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  #34  
Old 08-17-2022, 02:27 AM
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Last edited by Gas; 08-17-2022 at 02:15 PM.
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  #35  
Old 08-17-2022, 03:15 AM
davenumber2 davenumber2 is offline
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Try playing with a capo on if you have one. If it’s much easier to fret notes in the first position with the capo on rather than with it off then your nut slots are probably too high.
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  #36  
Old 08-17-2022, 06:01 AM
Sadie-f Sadie-f is online now
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Originally Posted by Troubador View Post
So, I just checked that -- no clearance, or very, very little.
My OM-28 has 0.007" clearance. You can't eyeball this, capo between frets 2&3, use an improvised feeler gauge to measure clearance between fret #1 and strings.

The stock nut setting of my Martin is ok, however my idea of correct looks more like .004" which is to say a relatively heavy paper (US bills measure .0043"). 2 thin sheets of paper stacked would be .007-.008".

When I get a round tooit, I'll be filing the OM nut slots down to make that .004". However I find her quite playable, although I can definitely feel the difference in say a 12-53.5 set (SUS medium tension) which is a string that's heavy enough to dig in hard, also harder to play.

I more often mount 11-52 or lighter sets and the difference is clear. Before spending 2 months with the SUS mediums, I spent a month playing D'addario silk & steels at 11-47.

My current Thomastik flat wounds are a super skinny 10-38, I liked these as well as the silk & steel, and it's so novel to not hear any string squeak when sliding a note or chord.

Next up will be T-I Spectrum silked bronze at 11-52, which seems to be my sweet spot on size, I'm looking forward to contrasting them with the D'A silked set. Next after that, I'll probably mount up plain old D'addario bronze 11-52. I'll play those for a while and then mount up SCGC low tensions, which I've been anticipating for a while as I audition just about every other option out there :-).

Don't discount string options in in factoring playability & tone.
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  #37  
Old 08-17-2022, 06:59 AM
Guilty Spark Guilty Spark is offline
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+1 for getting a professionally done, full setup.
My 2019 HD-28 also has the MLO neck, which I have no issue with whatsoever. When I handed it to my neighbor (a long time Taylor fan with a fine, well played-in 814ce who doesn't particularly care for Martins at all) he said it was not only the best-playing Martin he had ever experienced, but was as easy-playing as his Taylor. Too, I actually prefer my HD-28 neck over the one on my Taylor. Go figure.
It would be well worth it to get the guitar properly set up as others have mentioned in more detail (nut, saddle, neck, etc).
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  #38  
Old 08-17-2022, 11:41 AM
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Originally Posted by Troubador View Post
Anybody know what the neck is like on the D-28 Modern Deluxe? Would it be easier to play?
Easier to play is a completely subjective and personal matter. I personally don't have any particular problem playing MLO necks, and, in fact, get on pretty well with most any old neck except for really really skinny ones and really sharp v shape. I'm sure many people, likely including myself, would find the Modern Deluxe as easy to play as anything else.

You, however, seem to be quite sensitive to small differences.

And here's the thing.

You need to get out and try some of these things for yourself rather than trying to piece together everybody else's opinion and hope that they apply to you. You've been trying for months to think through every little detail based on measurements and other people's experiences, and that can work to a certain extent. But, particularly if your needs are very specific and your tolerance for variation is very narrow, there is absolutely no way to think your way into it. So if it is at all possible, make a day of it, or a weekend, and get your hands on as many things as possible to see what actually works for you. You may luck into it the way you've been going at it, but you also might just find yourself disappointed over and over again, and paying lots of money in return shipping costs.

And I'm sorry if that comes off as anything other than the sincere bit of advice that it's intended as. But, for months, you've been trying to work through this as an intellectual exercise, when it just isn't.

It's about feel, and there's only one way to figure feel.
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  #39  
Old 08-17-2022, 12:19 PM
j38guitar j38guitar is offline
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I feel when someone spends money out of their comfort zone they expect so much out of the item they purchased.

Last edited by Lkristians; 08-17-2022 at 03:20 PM. Reason: No longer necessary
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  #40  
Old 08-17-2022, 01:55 PM
Troubador Troubador is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by warfrat73 View Post
Easier to play is a completely subjective and personal matter. I personally don't have any particular problem playing MLO necks, and, in fact, get on pretty well with most any old neck except for really really skinny ones and really sharp v shape. I'm sure many people, likely including myself, would find the Modern Deluxe as easy to play as anything else.

You, however, seem to be quite sensitive to small differences.

And here's the thing.

You need to get out and try some of these things for yourself rather than trying to piece together everybody else's opinion and hope that they apply to you. You've been trying for months to think through every little detail based on measurements and other people's experiences, and that can work to a certain extent. But, particularly if your needs are very specific and your tolerance for variation is very narrow, there is absolutely no way to think your way into it. So if it is at all possible, make a day of it, or a weekend, and get your hands on as many things as possible to see what actually works for you. You may luck into it the way you've been going at it, but you also might just find yourself disappointed over and over again, and paying lots of money in return shipping costs.

And I'm sorry if that comes off as anything other than the sincere bit of advice that it's intended as. But, for months, you've been trying to work through this as an intellectual exercise, when it just isn't.

It's about feel, and there's only one way to figure feel.
I know you're right. Living out here in the boonies is a big disadvantage when it comes to finding and playing guitars in person. I had hoped that a city as big as Memphis would provide lots of variety in potential guitars to buy, but I was disappointed to find I was wrong when I went last fall. It seems, based on other threads and the advice of forum members, Nashville is the place I need to go, but that seems not feasible, at the moment. I know if I could play all these guitars in person that I'm considering, I would immediately have my answers.

Thanks for your post. And I take it the way you intended it, and I appreciate it as such.
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  #41  
Old 08-17-2022, 02:47 PM
lowrider lowrider is offline
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It's really not hard to do your own set-ups. You need a set of files, a set of feeler gauges, a mechanic's 6 inch rule, some sandpaper, and patiences.

There are plenty of online videos expaining it. You should really learn to do it yourself.
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  #42  
Old 08-17-2022, 03:08 PM
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I'll get on my soapbox and shout to the world, FRET LEVEL, FRET LEVEL, FRET LEVEL. Only then can you get a very flat neck with .004 relief that makes .013s easy to play. But if you don't like a neck, you don't like a neck.
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  #43  
Old 08-17-2022, 03:13 PM
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I'll never own a martin, I HATE their necks..
now,, Hate is a strong word I know but I do...


No thanks!

Alllllll Set..
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  #44  
Old 08-17-2022, 03:31 PM
Troubador Troubador is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rmp View Post
I'll never own a martin, I HATE their necks..
now,, Hate is a strong word I know but I do...


No thanks!

Alllllll Set..
Well, here I go again, I know, but.... could you try and explain why you hate Martin necks? I mean, how do they differ, for instance, from the necks on the guitars that you own, in your signature -- a Gibson, Guild, Taylor, Alvarez?
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  #45  
Old 08-17-2022, 03:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Troubador View Post
Action and neck angle on my Martin are perfect. I don't know about the nut slots.
Measure action at 12th fret, then capo 1, and measure it again.
You should not have much difference, if the action is notably higher without the capo you may need to have the nut looked at.
A lot of modern Martins have 2 5/32 string spacing at the saddle.
This bothers me immensely and I can’t play those guitars very well.
I prefer 2 1/4 or greater. I’ve made on exception for a Collings with 2 3/16- but it gets the least amount of playing time.

If you are like me- look for vintage series martins- they often have wider spacing.
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