I have been looking for one of these for about 3 or 4 months now. I finally found one. I jumped on it. It was a reasonable price. It may need some work but I am ok with doing that.
I have yet to do anything with it. I picked it up midday took some photos. I cut the strings off and took a photo of the serials and then oiled the dry fret board. I Then put it in the stand, thats it so far.
Looking up the codes I found it was made on
June 5th 1974
She is lovely
These are 00 sized and just what I am looking for. I will have my fingers cross. Barring a neck reset just about anything else will be game for me to do.
The plan will be a bone nut and saddle.
The frets.look ok, i have not done actual mesurments yet but they look ok.
Oh do you have experience living in the Sonoran desert? yep of course you do, Phoenix you are wise.
It is a mistake you only make once. We dont stick hands or feet or any appendages into glove, boots, holes in the ground even guitars or anything without giving the a good shake first here. Its just second nature. Scorpions, black widows and brown recluse spiders are the dangers for getting into these type of places.
Seriously everything wants to kill you here. No one wears flip flops unless they are in town or inside. Lol. I wont even go in the Rattle san
Snakes and Gila monsters because they wont get in my guitar.
I hope so, I looks like it has needed some attention for a little while. Poor thing has been Ignored.
Thank You Sir
It does need some work, how much I have not determined or maybe a better question would what is the least amount I can get away with to play it well and for it to sound acceptable without damaging it.
The Bracing does not to appear to be very sturdy inside. Not the X bracing of todays current guitars unfortunatly.
That is a risk on old acoustics, it can often be repaired if needed. If you have a local luthier, maybe they would be willing to look at it to let you know if there are issues.
@TheCluelessLuthier hey Mark
I was not trying make wisecracks at all with the I am my own luthier comment.
The thing is just that I cant afford to drop any real big money on stuff currently, especial luthiers.
The wife and I are paying for my daughter university tuition, room and board almost all out of pocket. Not spouting a sad tale or anything and I am thankful we can. The other thing is I like shop stuff, I had a decently outfited shop until we moved from out home of 18 years but still have the tools and just now rebuilding my new space. We are going through a lot of transitions and its a good opportunity to learn. And I need a better guitar and one thats not a giant dread. The thing I have now is killing my injured shoulder.
I would not attempt a neck reset with a $1200.00 Martin but a Yamaha that a patient of my wifes sells me for $50 bucks. Thats is fair game to learn and maybe mess up on.
I never embraced woodwork, but its growing on me. The men in my family are big on it. Uncle and Grandfather. I have some of my grandfathers tools now also.
I actually couldn’t belive it when the wife sent the photo, I was expecting some Esteban or First Steps or something. I was like oh yeah I will take that.
No worries, as I was writing the response I wasn’t paying enough attention to who I was responding to. I would be nervous about doing something extreme with a valuable guitar at this point. I recently repaired a broken neck heel and headstock for a friend, but it was a cheap resonator. That is about my tolerance right now.
Everything I found is something easy for me to manage and that I have learned to do except one thing unfortunately the one thing amd that was what I was a little worried about. That is always what gets you. :s
Let me show you what I discovered on here.
Any crack this size is going to need a neck reset, I am inder the impression. This is most likely why she sold it to me for so cheap. But I am ok with that.
I am pretty confident that I can do it. I dont have a fancy steamer but I can build one if I need it. I think unless there is the “Yamaha epoxy” on here I might even be able to remove it with just heat. I think this would be worth doing it considering I have the tools the guitar and I have nothing to lose.
Ted Woodford Instruments, he has a YouTube channel. He is a very well respected luthier and he uses hot foam cutters that run on DC for doing neck resets.
If you skip to around the 11:30 mark you will see how they work. It could be an option worth considering.
A little more exposition with this one, skip to 13:10.
I hope so, I looks like it has needed some attention for a little while. Poor thing has been Ignored.
Thank You Sir
I would be nervous about doing something extreme with a valuable guitar at this point. I recently repaired a broken neck heel and headstock for a friend, but it was a cheap resonator. That is about my tolerance right now.
