Used Martin Rosewood Dread prices - Nov 21

BigPaulie

As the title says. What's the going rate? There aren't too many out there just now.

Looking at a standard D28 or HD28, including re-imagined. Will also consider D-16RGT. Non vintage. Not interested in custom shop stuff or fancy VTS/special editions. Absolutely MUST be a Martin. Not looking for a guitar that's "as good as a Martin".

Will consider anything up to fully functioning player condition. Don't want a guitar that's been abused or in need of work.

This isn't in classifieds as a WTB thread because I'm still getting the funds together, but if something were available at a great price I could possibly catalyse the cashflow process.

Mellish

The HD-28 Re-imagined is a great guitar. Finding one S/H might not be easy though. I got mine new in 2019 and totally love it. You can't see the forward-shifted bracing but you can certainly hear it. Good luck with your search  

RickLucas

I'm seeing D18s, D28s, D35s at around £2-2500. 

BigPaulie

Thanks. I have seen some Martins in the £2-2.5k mark, but as there are so few around I wondered if those prices are fair and realistic and are reflective of the actual sale prices...

I know something is considered worth what someone is willing to pay as the market dictates, but I always found in the past that people here had a more realistic view of appropriate values.

Tannin

With Martins, certainly the mainstream everybody-wants-one Martins (D-18, D-28, HD-28, maybe you'd include the OM-28 and the 000-18) my experience is that used ones go for around 80% of the price of a new one, sometimes more. Yes, that's very high for a second-hand guitar, but those four or five "gold standard models" command a high resale. Some of the more obscure models, maybe not. 

meltedbuzzbox

I dont know the rates but I can recommend going to Coda-Music to check out their selection in the acoustic shop. 
They had more Martins than you can shake a stick at. (I also got mine from there). 

BigPaulie

I've seen that Coda have a DR Centennial in with the Adi VTS top just now for £1499.

Looks like an interesting guitar, but a bit plain for me with the matt finish and lack of binding on the back edge.

idiotwindow

BigPaulie said:

I've seen that Coda have a DR Centennial in with the Adi VTS top just now for £1499.

Looks like an interesting guitar, but a bit plain for me with the matt finish and lack of binding on the back edge.

The DR Centennial is a lot of Martin guitar for the money though it's worth noting that it doesn't have a traditional Standard series dovetail neck joint and has a rosewood fretboard instead of the ebony found on the D-28. 

BigPaulie

It's certainly "intriguing".

I'm not particularly fussed about the neck joint and fingerboard (my D-16GT has the simplified dovetail and Richlite and sounds/plays amazing).

It's just the plain appearance and (probably unjustified) perception of fragility that the satin top and lack of back binding that puts me off.

artiebear

There is a s/h D35 going for £1899 at Promenade Music in Morecambe, Lancs. I've bought from them before and found them to be great to deal with..
Looking at the description, it's no case queen, but, on the surface, it's a classic Martin at a reasonable price.

BigPaulie

Cheers. I'll take a gander at it.

malcolmkindness

There's a well used D18 in Kerry, Ireland for €1800 on adverts.ie

BigPaulie

Thanks for the heads up.

It must be rosewood as I already have a nice mahogany backed dread.

Maverick

BigPaulie said:

I've seen that Coda have a DR Centennial in with the Adi VTS top just now for £1499.

Looks like an interesting guitar, but a bit plain for me with the matt finish and lack of binding on the back edge.

Surprised that's still there... Must have been up now for 2+ months

Guitarguitar was selling this model brand new for £1499 so probably over priced or a shitter

BigPaulie

At that original price I'd agree that is overpriced.

Tannin

I don't know when this model was  £1499, but new prices have gone up  quite a bit over the last year or two. Guitars I used to see new for $2595 are $2990 now; D-28s have gone from about $3900 to $4300 or so. So a mint condition example of a guitar sold new for £1499 pre-pandemic mightn't be too far off the mark at £1499 second-hand.

Lewy

Maverick said:

BigPaulie said:

I've seen that Coda have a DR Centennial in with the Adi VTS top just now for £1499.

Looks like an interesting guitar, but a bit plain for me with the matt finish and lack of binding on the back edge.

Surprised that's still there... Must have been up now for 2+ months

Guitarguitar was selling this model brand new for £1499 so probably over priced or a shitter

It appears that one sold on here for £1400 earlier in the year so £1499 retail versus £1400 private sale doesn't seem outlandish. I'm not sure it matters that much what a retailer was selling them for if they're not selling them any more, because they're not making them any more. It's like the old greengrocer joke:

"The sprouts next door are half the price of yours"
"Buy them next door then"
"They haven't got any"
"Well when we haven't got any we'll do them for half the price too"

Either way, if I was in the market for a Dreadnought (already sorted in that front) I'd be all over a US built rosewood b/s Martin with a torrefied Adirondack top for that price. That one in Coda could be hanging around because it's a dog, but I think it more likely people are put off by plain looks and a satin finish and not really appreciating that the top means it's going to be up there sound-wise with the top end guitars Martin make.

BigPaulie

Yeah, the market is all over the place. I'd hoped things would have calmed down somewhat by now, but stock is still really low and used prices are being driven up.

Thankfully I'm not in a hurry to buy and unless a bargain comes along I'm happy to wait it out while the market resets.

Mellish

I think Reverb have a standard HD-28 listed for £1, 555.68 or they did have if it hasn't sold  

BigPaulie

When I see weird prices like £1555.68 on Reverb I assume it's due to being converted from another currency.
Really don't fancy importing a guitar as it won't prove much of s bargain once landed and tax/duty paid.

artiebear

While understanding all that is being said here about the current market and the effect on pricing of s/h guitars, especially in light of a known issue for retailers getting hold of new Martins at the moment, I really don't think that there will be a reset in the future. New prices are only going one way while pushing up the s/h expectations. The post pandemic workplace along with a continued rise in the price of raw materials ( stored rosewood, mahogany has to be replenished with new as it is used ) plus continued rises in distribution costs, all mean that prices will continue to rise while new guitars will be less plentiful or will require a customer shift in terms of classic wood choices ( remember when all Martin's specified Mahogany for the neck, which quietly morphed into "genuine hardwood" on the spec sheet ). 

I hope you get fixed up with something that ticks the boxes soon.