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Have mercy!


Buc McMaster

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Mr Morton has informed me that my J45-TV will leave Bozeman tomorrow, headed for home! Hip hip hurrah!!

 

Thank you a million times, Jeremy for shepherding my guitar through the process and returning it much sooner than I had anticipated at the outset......you are indeed the man! [thumbup][thumbup]

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Indeed it is the best of news!! I'm stoked! However, in the J45's absence I have brought some new blood into the fold and this D18V will surely hold it's own with the Gibson. This guitar is a wonder.......big, bold tone that rocks the house! Yes, I will put up some photos of the 45 when it arrives home, but this is the monster that has moved in..........

 

d18v.jpg

 

The top is completely covered with medullary rays (silking as it's sometimes known) and nearly looks like flame spruce! It came strung with .013-.056 mediums, factory Martins of some style I suppose, and they were quite easy to play considering the long scale and heavier strings than I am used to. Put on a set of Pearse lights for a couple days and it lost all it's power, like cutting Samson's hair off! Bought some DR Sunbeams and strung it Friday night with these round core, lower tension strings in their medium-heavy gauge, the same .013-.056 that is everyone else's medium. Wow. Wow. Easy to play and Samson has his hair back! This is one fine guitar! You must excuse my enthusiasm for a Martin on the Gibson forum, but I just gotta shout about this one!

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Indeed it is the best of news!! I'm stoked! However, in the J45's absence I have brought some new blood into the fold and this D18V will surely hold it's own with the Gibson. This guitar is a wonder.......big, bold tone that rocks the house! Yes, I will put up some photos of the 45 when it arrives home, but this is the monster that has moved in..........

 

 

 

Buc, you are a guitar ****..... [biggrin]

 

Someday, you will find that gorgeous Martin in pieces in its case, and the J-45 will be sitting quietly in the corner with a smug look on its sunburst face, whistling a little tune......

 

Guitars do get jealous, ya know!

 

You can send th D-18 to me for safekeeping until the J-45 calms down.

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Someday, you will find that gorgeous Martin in pieces in its case, and the J-45 will be sitting quietly in the corner with a smug look on its sunburst face, whistling a little tune...... Guitars do get jealous, ya know!

 

LOL!! [biggrin] That's funny I don't care who ya are!! J45 gonna bust up the D18 and whistle a tune, trying to be nonchalant..... LOL!!

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Indeed it is the best of news!! I'm stoked! However, in the J45's absence I have brought some new blood into the fold and this D18V will surely hold it's own with the Gibson. This guitar is a wonder.......big, bold tone that rocks the house! Yes, I will put up some photos of the 45 when it arrives home, but this is the monster that has moved in..........

 

d18v.jpg

 

The top is completely covered with medullary rays (silking as it's sometimes known) and nearly looks like flame spruce! It came strung with .013-.056 mediums, factory Martins of some style I suppose, and they were quite easy to play considering the long scale and heavier strings than I am used to. Put on a set of Pearse lights for a couple days and it lost all it's power, like cutting Samson's hair off! Bought some DR Sunbeams and strung it Friday night with these round core, lower tension strings in their medium-heavy gauge, the same .013-.056 that is everyone else's medium. Wow. Wow. Easy to play and Samson has his hair back! This is one fine guitar! You must excuse my enthusiasm for a Martin on the Gibson forum, but I just gotta shout about this one!

 

that is a nice photo . I can see the Medullary Ray . I heard Dana Bourgeois talk about that somewhere on youtube.

Awesome !!!! you have 3 wonderful guits .Congrats :) .

 

 

 

JC

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... and the Bird? The D-18 is going to be in a struggle with the J-45 for alpha status for awhile. To be fair, you'll have to triple your playing time. There, now doesn't knowing that give you some solace knowing you only have 3 mouths to feed? [biggrin]

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Buc, how do you like the thinner frets on the Martin compared to the fatter ones on your Gibsons? I have a bit of adapting to do when I switch between them.

 

To be honest I haven't paid that any mind at all. Been playing the H'Bird and the D18 and aside from the scale length (and the heavier strings on the Martin) I haven't noticed a fret size difference being any hinderance/benefit.

 

 

... and the Bird? The D-18 is going to be in a struggle with the J-45 for alpha status for awhile.

 

Yes, there will be some anxiety over which guitar to play, the same thing I once poohoo'd when I owned but one. While the Bird is still the best player I've ever owned, the D18 is top dog right now.....the J45 has some ground to make up!

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The silking alone is proof that they used the best quality spruce around when they slapped that one together.

 

Over the years I have found that sometimes lefthanded guitars seem to get better parts when built. The top on this D-18 is one example. My Hummingbird came with a bone saddle instead of the TUSQ that is the normal spec, probably due to the fact the the pre-formed, B-string intonated TUSQ saddles are all righthanded.....so they made this one bone. It's as if they take pause and say "hey, this one is being built backwards", something out of the norm, and there sometimes appears to be some special care taken. Perhaps it's my imagination, but I have owned some lefthanded guitars that are a cut above what seems to be normal production.

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Buc, did you ever try 12's on your D-18?? What is the action of your D-18 at the 12th fret? A lot of Martin guys claim that the D-18 likes a little higher action (like 3.5 or 4/32" for better tone and volume, although that may be for bluegrass type playing) Have you tried down tuning it yet?

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Buc, did you ever try 12's on your D-18?? What is the action of your D-18 at the 12th fret? A lot of Martin guys claim that the D-18 likes a little higher action (like 3.5 or 4/32" for better tone and volume, although that may be for bluegrass type playing) Have you tried down tuning it yet?

 

Yes sir, I tried Pearse .012-.054 PB lights..........no boom. Sounded okay but no power like it has with .013s. I've tuned down in the past with other guitars but it's come to feel like somehow cheating myself. I understand it's not......who's being cheated, and out of what?!?........but it's not for me. 12th fret action as measured with a machinist's rule is 4/64th plus an RCH. Feels great, plays great, lots of power.........good where it is!

 

12fret.jpg

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Q: "Buc, did you ever try 12's on your D-18??" A: "Put on a set of Pearse lights for a couple days and it lost all it's power, like cutting Samson's hair off!"

 

That's been my experience. A few years back tried a D18v strung with lights. Meh. Asked the store to put on meds. When the did, it woke up. Martin D's need the extra pull on the top. but that makes them somewhat less desirable for finger picking, because it takes more energy to pluck 'em. Anyway, good news on the TV. Gibson as fast.

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