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NGD: Martin Jorma Kaukonen M30 in 35 Burst


Yggdrasil

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Took a little over 4 months, but I finally received it yesterday.

 

The burst is a wonderfully muted old time look to it - hard to photograph without appearing too yellow in the centre, or too dark at the edges, but I selected the pics closest to the actual look.

I love the ergonomics of the large body/shallow depth.

Normally I don't care for the tone of new strings, but the woody bass strings & rounded trebles come through beautifully, even on the brand new Martin "Cleartone-coated" strings.

I usually like the sound of strings after about 4 days and leave them on longer than many on this forum. YMMV.

DR Sunbeams or Pearse PBs will find their way onto this guitar down the road, though.

 

I bought it from Jim Holler at Trinity Guitars in Jamestown, NY - I can't recommend this dealer enough - straightforward, responsive, honest and very well priced. As a luthier himself, he has a depth of knowledge that adds yet another level of comfort to the buying details process.

 

As a bonus, yesterday I also picked up the new Hot Tuna CD Steady As She Goes .

 

For more pics, see my site (I'll be adding more & better pics as I manage to take some I'm happy with):

 

http://music.jeffers...m/JormaM30.html

 

640JormaM30FullTopCrop.jpg

 

640JormaM30Top.JPG

 

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That looks, and the specs sound, like a pretty amazing guitar. I think there was going to be Jorma sig Gibson but Gibson somehow bobbled it, by delay I heard, and it failed to materialize.

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That looks, and the specs sound, like a pretty amazing guitar. I think there was going to be Jorma sig Gibson but Gibson somehow bobbled it, by delay I heard, and it failed to materialize.

The truth of the matter is... Gibson had all the details worked out. The guitar was amazing as I got to play a proto at Music Villa. Then Gibson changed general managers and the new guy was a moron. He didn't know who Jorma was. He didn't know who Jefferson Airplane was and he didn't have a clue as to who Hot Tuna was. He thought it was a deli sandwich. So??? He nixed the whole program. Just another example of how goofy the company can be. They continue to hire people making decisions from outside the music industry. Henry finally realized his mistake and the goof was given the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere. To late for Jorma's guitar.

 

I was hoping they would put the guitar out without his name as it was a wonderful instrument. Who knows maybe someone in the marketing dept. will realize that all the work they put into the guitar should be realized and ..... Well I doubt that anyone would have the insight to do something so obvious but..... One can always hope. If anyone wants a real "Jorma" guitar contact John Walker. He will build you a J-35 beyond anything Gibson or Martin is capable of making.

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Nice geetar and congrats.

 

I love the burst on that thing.

 

Is the guitar similar to the Bromberg Martin?

 

For those of us who still associate Jorma with Gibsons, if ya got a hankering for a "real" Jorma guitar I guess you could always go out and buy a late 1950s non-scallop braced J-50.

 

And yup, John Walker does make some incredibly fine guitars.

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... He didn't know who Jorma was. He didn't know who Jefferson Airplane was and he didn't have a clue as to who Hot Tuna was. ...

 

Attributing this debacle to ignorance seems a little too generous. Surely there was a point in the conversation where someone told him who Jorma is, and he responded "I don't care!" So would guess "I'll show them who's the boss around here!" was the major motivation for killing the project.

 

Getting back on topic, I'm shocked how great that 'burst looks on the M-30! I don't think I've ever seen a 'burst on a Martin that I liked, but I love this one.

 

-- Bob R

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Nice geetar and congrats.

 

I love the burst on that thing.

 

Is the guitar similar to the Bromberg Martin?

 

For those of us who still associate Jorma with Gibsons, if ya got a hankering for a "real" Jorma guitar I guess you could always go out and buy a late 1950s non-scallop braced J-50.

 

And yup, John Walker does make some incredibly fine guitars.

 

Hey guys - I do have 3 Gibsons ... and a John Walker!

 

When the Jorma Gibson Sig project died, I actually contacted Music Villa & asked if I could commission a guitar based on the measurements Ren took when Jorma returned his Walker/Gibson for "cloning" measurements.

Music Villa never responded to that request, even though they had responded quickly to previous requests to keep me posted on the (at that time prospective) Jorma Gibson Sig. I figured I offended someone by even asking...

 

I'm very happy with the Martin - it is a great guitar in its own right.

 

Zombywoof :Yes, it was inspired by the Bromberg

 

Wily: the Smeck is sticking around! =;

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.

Yggdrasil -

 

I really like your choices. That burst is beautiful. Gorgeous guitar. Congrats. B)

 

 

 

The truth of the matter is... Gibson had all the details worked out. The guitar was amazing as I got to play a proto at Music Villa. Then Gibson changed general managers and the new guy was a moron. He didn't know who Jorma was. He didn't know who Jefferson Airplane was and he didn't have a clue as to who Hot Tuna was. He thought it was a deli sandwich. So??? He nixed the whole program. Just another example of how goofy the company can be. They continue to hire people making decisions from outside the music industry. Henry finally realized his mistake and the goof was given the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere. To late for Jorma's guitar. ....

 

Interesting bit of info. And too bad that one got away.

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The truth of the matter is... Gibson had all the details worked out. The guitar was amazing as I got to play a proto at Music Villa.

 

I was hoping they would put the guitar out without his name as it was a wonderful instrument. Who knows maybe someone in the marketing dept. will realize that all the work they put into the guitar should be realized and ..... Well I doubt that anyone would have the insight to do something so obvious but..... One can always hope. If anyone wants a real "Jorma" guitar contact John Walker. He will build you a J-35 beyond anything Gibson or Martin is capable of making.

 

Hogeye - do you remember if the "prototype" was a natural top with bella voce fingerboard inlays? Jorma told me at the time that he was aiming at that.

 

+1 on John Walker. I love my Clark Fork.

 

If I were to get a J-35, I'd get the Wise River (I almost did pull the trigger on a used Wise River last fall when there were about 5 of them up in a short period - of course then I'd have too many slopes & would have to sell my Smeck to wily :-)

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Can one REALLY have too many slopes?????

 

Ya got a point there - the Smeck is short scale, 12 fret, RW, 1 13/16" nut, deep body - which probably makes it the most differentiated of the slope variations...

 

You're right - I'll never let it go!

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Ya got a point there - the Smeck is short scale, 12 fret, RW, 1 13/16" nut, deep body - which probably makes it the most differentiated of the slope variations...

 

You're right - I'll never let it go!

Well.......let's not be rash....theoretically you COULD have too many slopes....lol

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