Where Can I Get My Vintage Martin (1840) Restored? - now restored

Chiliwailer

jellyroll said:

Fantastic.  Love that case. 

Cheers, it is pretty cool - and I got some bizarre looks when I last took it on the tube!

Stuckfast said:

If you can't source a Martin one, I have a roughly period correct pyramid bridge that was removed from my Lyon & Healy / Washburn parlour guitar. It's cracked but could be repaired invisibly, I'd have thought. No idea if it would fit, but do PM me if it might be useful.

That's amazing, thank you. PM incoming

Chiliwailer

Zombie thread for folks into vintage gear - I’m excited to have this guitar back after some TLC. New tuners, cracks fixed, and the ugly full size bridge replaced for a pyramid one - it’s scarred due to the new smaller bridge, but for me was the lesser of two evils as the big bridge was out of place and we didn’t want to disturb the original lacquer, rosette, and vibe. 

Also turns out it’s not from 1870 as I thought, but 1840-42. Mad to think it’s within Martin’s first decade. 

Photos below. 

Chiliwailer

brucegill

Cant wait to have a go on this one now its back mate!!

noisepolluter

I’d love it if The Repair Shop got more things like this…

Chiliwailer

noisepolluter said:

I’d love it if The Repair Shop got more things like this…

Kicking myself for not taking it there for a freebie  

Chiliwailer

brucegill said:

Cant wait to have a go on this one now its back mate!!

Come on down bro.. with your Stingray

brucegill

Chiliwailer said:

brucegill said:

Cant wait to have a go on this one now its back mate!!

Come on down bro.. with your Stingray

Is that what you're calling it now?!

Chiliwailer

brucegill said:

Chiliwailer said:

brucegill said:

Cant wait to have a go on this one now its back mate!!

Come on down bro.. with your Stingray

Is that what you're calling it now?!

Nah, that’d been the JMJ Mustang - short scale…

brucegill

Chiliwailer said:

brucegill said:

Chiliwailer said:

brucegill said:

Cant wait to have a go on this one now its back mate!!

Come on down bro.. with your Stingray

Is that what you're calling it now?!

Nah, that’d been the JMJ Mustang - short scale…

mwhahahahahaha. Damn it. You win

Kilgore

Wow! Martins of that vintage must be thin on the ground.

Chiliwailer

Kilgore said:

Wow! Martins of that vintage must be thin on the ground.

Indeed, thanks, I was told approx 200 a year were made. This was the cheapest version, the others were beautifully decorated apparently, like the typical museum ones. I once was lucky enough to compare it to a 9/10 condition one from 1886, that was in mind blowing condition. 

ICBM

Wow, that's quite a serious piece of history. Even with the scars on the top it still looks much better with the correct size bridge.

Chiliwailer

ICBM said:

Wow, that's quite a serious piece of history. Even with the scars on the top it still looks much better with the correct size bridge.

Thank you, glad I’m not alone about the bridge! It’s gets played regularly, I have to keep remembering that it is as you say a serious piece of history! 

Mellish

That's a guitar of great age, and I'd be scared stiff that the work could go wrong, so I'd say be extra careful and do your research. 

 

Chiliwailer

Mellish said:

That's a guitar of great age, and I'd be scared stiff that the work could go wrong, so I'd say be extra careful and do your research. 

 

Yeah, all done now, by a guy who regularly works on similar antique instruments  

SlopeSoarer

Have you not considered contacting Martin? Ask them if they would like to restore it (hopefully for free) and then use it on their website/advertising.

Chiliwailer

SlopeSoarer said:

Have you not considered contacting Martin? Ask them if they would like to restore it (hopefully for free) and then use it on their website/advertising.

That’s a nice idea, though don’t fancy posting it back and forth to be honest. 

SlopeSoarer

Ha, ha... good point!

ICBM

Chiliwailer said:

Thank you, glad I’m not alone about the bridge! It’s gets played regularly, I have to keep remembering that it is as you say a serious piece of history! 

When I saw the first pic I honestly was shocked that anyone, at any time, even when vintage guitars were just seen as old instruments to be used and repaired as necessary, would have thought that ridiculously oversized modern-style bridge was appropriate.

In some ways it’s a shame the damage can’t be hidden, but I think you’re right to leave it - it is part of its story, and refinishing the top to make it less visible would be worse, I think.

That it’s one of the earliest guitars by what many still see as the world’s top acoustic guitar manufacturer and is still being played is fantastic. I also find it slightly hilarious that electric guitarists are now describing instruments from the 1980s as ‘vintage’, when this one is not far off 200 years old .