Members Glenn F Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Hi, everyone, Well, my replacement 000-15 finally arrived. It should've been here on Tuesday, but, what can you do? The first one arrived without the Guarantee Card (btw, Martins are guaranteed here in Germany for 3 years by the Distributor, not Martin) or the 'Care and Feeding' pamphlet, leading me to believe that it had been hanging up on the wall of Thomann's showroom. This guitar has the necessary documentation and appears to be factory fresh. The action on this guitar is not as low as the first, but that can be taken care of. There is plenty of room on the saddle. I am going to do a closer inspection, and then take a few pics. That's the plan, anyways. Hopefully I won't keel over from the flu.... Cheers! Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members simplygoodmusic Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Congrats:thu: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldGuitarPlayer Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 That's great news I know what you mean about the action being slightly different from one guitar to the other. When I bought my 000-15 I tried out another one first and it was "ok" but then when I tried mine it felt perfect. I am sure all it needs is a good set-up. Enjoy your new "new" guitar and don't forget the pics Regards, OGP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted November 8, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Hi, thanks! I am going to have to post thumbnails to the pics, because the file size is too large. Enjoy! Cheers! Glenn EDIT: The last two show the high saddle and the height of the strings at the 12th fret. I am wondering whether or not I should attempt the set-up myself, or get someone to do it. Cheers, G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldGuitarPlayer Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 ...now isn't she a beauty? Don't you just love the way it smells? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted November 8, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 ...now isn't she a beauty? Don't you just love the way it smells? Yep. I love the smell of Martins in the morning.... It is one of the benefits of solid wood guitars, I guess, although my Seagull S12 has a nice smell too, though the back and sides are laminated cherry. My 6 year old Taylor 310 still smells nice when I take her out of her case, and my Hanika 54PC smells absolutely heavenly. Speaking of morning, OGP, you certainly get up early! Anyways, the 000-15 has a very nice, rich woody tone, but it is a bit stiff to play right now in comparison to the first one. I am going to go play her s'more! Cheers! *cough, hack, wheeze, sneeze* Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AndrewGG Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Glenn, if you're happy with the action at the nut then lowering the action at the saddle is a simple enough procedure.Pull the saddle out-you might need some pliers-and mark one end so you know which way it goes back in.Lay some medium/coarse sandpaper on a flat surface and, making sure you keep the saddle perpendicular, begin sanding back and forth with firm pressure.It's easy to overdo it so take just a few strokes at a time and refit the saddle to check the action at frequent intervals.It's most important to make sure the base of the saddle is flat.That's all there is to it really. I wouldn't attempt to do anything with the nut, personally; that's a lot easier to screw up! If it needs attention a competent tech can deepen the slots in a few minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members simplygoodmusic Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 wow...beautiful!!!!:love::love: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Congratulations! I can't tell if that's mahogany or sapele but I like it! I also agree about the smell of Martin guitars - it's sort of spicy somehow. BTW - my Martin knock-Tak had the same smell. Maybe Martin bottled it or something? Also, in a way the guitar has had some sort of homecoming. IIRC CFM1 came over to Pennsylvania from Germany. OT: enjoy your new guitar and don't be afraid to post some clips. You'd be amazed how cheap and easy it really is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 a happy ending.... and the beginning of a lot of fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted November 8, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Congratulations! I can't tell if that's mahogany or sapele but I like it! I also agree about the smell of Martin guitars - it's sort of spicy somehow. BTW - my Martin knock-Tak had the same smell. Maybe Martin bottled it or something? Also, in a way the guitar has had some sort of homecoming. IIRC CFM1 came over to Pennsylvania from Germany. OT: enjoy your new guitar and don't be afraid to post some clips. You'd be amazed how cheap and easy it really is. Hi, Judging by the wood grain, and seeing someone else describe that grain as Sapele, I'd go with Sapele. The original D-15s that I played a couple of weeks ago were Mahogany - there was hardly any streaking through the grain. Well.... I did a bit of a more thorough check up of this guitar, and there's something that is bugging me, although I don't know if it is cosmetic or a potentially serious problem: There is a slight .5 centimeter long gap where the heel joins the body. Also, when sliding a metal ruler over the frets, there is a little rocking at the 14th fret. Again, I don't know if this will be a problem. I really don't want to have to go through sending this guitar back, too. Cheers, and, thanks again for your good wishes! Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bsman Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Probably not a bad idea to have a pro do the initial setup. If the action needs adjusting at the nut, I know that's something a lot of folks around here are comfortable doing, but I'd rather leave it to a pro. Also, you may be able to get a reasonable deal on having the tech substitute a bone saddle for the (tusq? plastic?) on the Martin. I know it's not THAT difficult to properly shape and install a saddle from a blank, but all the same I'd rather pay a pro to do it... Anyway, once it's been set up properly by a pro, any tweaks required as the seasons change should be a snap for you to perform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EvilTwin Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/LowerAction/loweraction01.html And congrats on a wonderful instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pk1fan Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 The action on this guitar is not as low as the first, but that can be taken care of. There is plenty of room on the saddle.I am going to do a closer inspection, and then take a few pics. Martin 's are almost always set-up with high action from the factory , but a good set-up will take care of that:). Nice pics:thu: , enjoy your new friend ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Glenn, unfortunately what you describe is one of the reasons that I recommend not buying mail order. Martin traditionally ships with slightly high action (CFM IV was quoted as saying he expects the store to set up to the buyer's requirements) and there have been some folks that complain that the nut slots are a little on the high side also. A good shop should do that setup for you, but with mail order you will probably have to find someone to do it. They can also check the 14th fret rock (on almost all gits the fretboard extension drops from the 14th fret) and the tech can look at the heel joint - there should not be a gap but I honestly don't have any experience with Martin's MT joint). Either way, you probably should find an authorized Martin tech and pay her the money to check the setup and make it the way you want it. Too nice of a guitar to not be 100 percent happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bernie P. Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Real nice!Now if one of these folks would take the JF30 off my hands.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldGuitarPlayer Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 I'd have to agree from looking at the grain that it looks like sepele which is very cool . My baby was set-up fine from the shop were I bought it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pk1fan Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 They can also check the 14th fret rock (on almost all gits the fretboard extension drops from the 14th fret) and the tech can look at the heel joint - there should not be a gap but I honestly don't have any experience with Martin's MT joint). I have a Norman B20 folk guitar that the fret board drops off to the sound hole , can anything be done to help this ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted November 8, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 I'd have to agree from looking at the grain that it looks like sepele which is very cool . My baby was set-up fine from the shop were I bought it I would expect that a shop like Lauzon would do a proper set-up. Here is the neck joint, although I am going to try to get a better shot: The bottom side of the heel is flush against the body, the top of the heel is like this. I don't know whether it is a problem, or that the joint wasn't properly fitted, and whether this is cosmetic or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 I have a Norman B20 folk guitar that the fret board drops off to the sound hole , can anything be done to help this ? First question is, does it bother you? Does it buzz or have any other problems? The reason I ask is the (1) very few people play much above 14 and (2) what you will see is simply higher action up at those rarefied frets. If your really want to fix it there are several things that can be done. Either 1 - remove the neck and plane a recess into the top for the fretboard extension. What is happening is that the plane of the fretboard is rising as you get to the body of the guitar (a straight edge is pointing up away from the top), then suddenly at the body you pull it down flat on top. There are a couple of custom builders that do this 2 - free the end of the fretboard and shim it at the same angle as the neck. That will maintain the action from 14 on to the end of the board, but will look really wonky. Some guitars (McPhearsons (sp)) are built with floating extensions. 3 - pull the frets and plane some of the hump off. Problem with that is that you will change the neck angle and relief. I did this to a small extent when I built my classical (but I did it before fretting). The relief on a classical is planed into the neck (no t/r) and they are 12 frets clear so I just started the relief up in the extension. 4 - if you have buzzy frets around 12 (where a lot of us do play) it is possible to dress 14/15 to get a little more clearance (where we usually don't play). This isn't fixing the angle that you refer to but is dealing with the fact that the t/r only affects up to about 12. I would only consider this if you had bad buzzing and could identify where it was happening (but I did have to do it to my 000). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted November 8, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 Glenn, unfortunately what you describe is one of the reasons that I recommend not buying mail order. Martin traditionally ships with slightly high action (CFM IV was quoted as saying he expects the store to set up to the buyer's requirements) and there have been some folks that complain that the nut slots are a little on the high side also. A good shop should do that setup for you, but with mail order you will probably have to find someone to do it. They can also check the 14th fret rock (on almost all gits the fretboard extension drops from the 14th fret) and the tech can look at the heel joint - there should not be a gap but I honestly don't have any experience with Martin's MT joint).Either way, you probably should find an authorized Martin tech and pay her the money to check the setup and make it the way you want it. Too nice of a guitar to not be 100 percent happy. Hi Freeman, I pretty well agree with you completely, but choices are not great here. There are two shops here that have large enough inventories to stock a good selection of Martins. The first one, where I had all my difficulties, didn't have either the D-15 or 000-15 models in stock, and I was told that ordering Martin guitars is problematic with the boss due to their largely unsold inventory of Martins. There is also the issue of being treated in an insultingly patronizing manner. The other guitar shop, where I tried the D-15, well, the owner is blatantly dishonest, trying to sell me the D-15 without the case it was shipped with and trying to make it seem like he was giving me the deal of the century. So, I don't know what to do. My wife feels that, as I have a 3 year guarantee, that I should take a wait and see attitude, and that the little gap is cosmetic. Cheers, Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted November 8, 2007 Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 I understand. One thing you can do is run thru the Sick Guitar sticky (now at the Annex) - that has some good ball park checks that you can do on nut slots, relief and action heigth - those are things that are relatively easy (and harmless) to tweak (well, not nut slots). Usually the nut is pretty good, adjusting the T/R is a cinch (my instructions say 6mm, it is really a 5mm wrench) and slowly lowering the action is harmless. Make sure your new git has stabilized to its new home - in particular humidity and temperature. Then sit back and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted November 8, 2007 Author Members Share Posted November 8, 2007 I understand. One thing you can do is run thru the Sick Guitar sticky (now at the Annex) - that has some good ball park checks that you can do on nut slots, relief and action heigth - those are things that are relatively easy (and harmless) to tweak (well, not nut slots). Usually the nut is pretty good, adjusting the T/R is a cinch (my instructions say 6mm, it is really a 5mm wrench) and slowly lowering the action is harmless. Make sure your new git has stabilized to its new home - in particular humidity and temperature. Then sit back and enjoy. Thanks, I'll do that. Possibly.... Earlier, I was speaking to someone at Martin (I can call state-side cheaply), who was very helpful. She first suggested that I return the guitar, though after I sent her the above pic of the neck/heel just to confirm, she replied telling me that the guitar should be ok. Probably would've been better off with an unequivocal 'SEND IT BACK!' I'll sleep on it, I guess. Cheers! Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tecshus Posted November 9, 2007 Members Share Posted November 9, 2007 Congrats on your new Martin. If you keep it, have a go at adjusting the saddle yourself. Like someone else said, sand a little at a time and check it often. It may seem slow, but you'll feel like a king when you get it perfect. Is your nut width 1 11/16 or 1 3/4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pk1fan Posted November 9, 2007 Members Share Posted November 9, 2007 First question is, does it bother you? Does it buzz or have any other problems? The reason I ask is the (1) very few people play much above 14 and (2) what you will see is simply higher action up at those rarefied frets. No it really doesn't bother me, it just looks kind of strange . No buzz , but the action does get higher . I do not spend much playing time past the 14th fret so I am not going to worry about a fix now . I have 2 other guitars with cutaway access and they play fine as far as i can reach . Thanks for your answer to my question:) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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