Members rhodeye Posted December 16, 2003 Members Share Posted December 16, 2003 My dad has an old D-18 style Martin guitar from about 1939 or 1940.Serial # 74118.The playing condition is very good with no warps. Can anyone give an approximation of its value in dollars? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members newsdude477 Posted December 16, 2003 Members Share Posted December 16, 2003 email these guys they know their Martins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EvilHippy Posted December 16, 2003 Members Share Posted December 16, 2003 I'll give you $225 for it.....is it in good shape? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Blackmaildesigns Posted December 17, 2003 Members Share Posted December 17, 2003 Yeah, I was going to say it's worth nothing and I'd be happy to take it off your hands so you wouldn't have it taking up space, but the hippy beat me to the joke. I guess I'd look for a while before you decide to sell. Frankly, I wouldnt' sell if I were you. Sooner or later someone in your family is going to be a player and say, "You sold WHAT????!!!!" You'll have a hard time EVER buying a guitar like that and you'll NEVER get one with family history built in. But if you must sell it then I'll give you $226. Blackmail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orsino Posted December 17, 2003 Members Share Posted December 17, 2003 Elderly listed above is great. Might try Gryphon as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soups41 Posted December 17, 2003 Members Share Posted December 17, 2003 I'll give you $1000 for it No, seriously, depending on the condition, it could well be worth around $8000Geroge Gruhn does online apprasials- just have a good digital camera ready.check out their website at www.gruhn.comI had one done on a 72 D-41 and it turned out to be almost exact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted December 17, 2003 Members Share Posted December 17, 2003 mandolin brothers is another good source. Eight grand sounds about right for a prewar mahogany martin dred to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike Crixell Posted December 17, 2003 Members Share Posted December 17, 2003 A pre-War D-18 could go for an untold amount of money. Forget about 8 grand. That could likely be chump change, depending on the guitar's condition. If it's good, it would go for a lot more. Do yourself a favor: check with George Gruhn. He's the man to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orsino Posted December 17, 2003 Members Share Posted December 17, 2003 Yikes, I got my Gryphon and Gruhn mixed up. Senior moment. Talk to Gruhn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mattface Posted December 17, 2003 Members Share Posted December 17, 2003 'taint worth nuthin. Put it by the curb. (but give me your address first0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members reggieholdswort Posted December 18, 2003 Members Share Posted December 18, 2003 from current www.gruhnguitars.com stock....AA6327 Martin D-18, 1939, several reglued but visible cracks in top, sides, and back, repaired peghead, replacement tuners, original sunburst finish, excellent sound, deluxe modern HC, REDUCED FROM $11,900...............$11000Seems the $250 offer was a little off the mark...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted December 18, 2003 Members Share Posted December 18, 2003 Yea but I bet that's not what George paid for it. Condition is everything with those old D-18's They tended to get abused more because they were considered cheaper guitars and not valued as highly. There was no vintage market in those days so people didn't take care of a guitar as much looking at it holding its value in the future. Does it sound good? The ones I've played sounded way too boomy. I like a 000-18 prewar better for my style myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EvilHippy Posted December 19, 2003 Members Share Posted December 19, 2003 Originally posted by soups41 I'll give you $1000 for it No, seriously, depending on the condition, it could well be worth around $8000 Geroge Gruhn does online apprasials- just have a good digital camera ready. check out their website at www.gruhn.comI had one done on a 72 D-41 and it turned out to be almost exact $8,000 my arse.... I've seen em go for 4 to 5 grand on eBay....tops. Besides, what kind of an idiot would pay that much for the same exact guitar being built today....ie: no brazillian rosewood.Why not just buy a 50's or early to mid sixties D-18......you could get one like that for a lot less and I bet there wouldn't be the slightest difference in tone.....on top of that... you would also have a real truss rod instead of some ebony reinforcement rod thing that replaced the regular non adjustable rods around the WWII era because they needed to ration and save the metal to build military equipment,planes,tanks,jeeps, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted December 19, 2003 Members Share Posted December 19, 2003 $8,000 my arse.... I've seen em go for 4 to 5 grand on eBay....tops. Besides, what kind of an idiot would pay that much for the same exact guitar being built today....ie: no brazillian rosewood.Why not just buy a 50's or early to mid sixties D-18......you could get one like that for a lot less and I bet there wouldn't be the slightest difference in tone.....on top of that... you would also have a real truss rod instead of some ebony reinforcement rod thing that replaced the regular non adjustable rods around the WWII era because they needed to ration and save the metal to build military equipment,planes,tanks,jeeps, etc. a prewar Martin dred for 4 or 5 grand has to have something wrong with it like a refinish, new top...etc. They DO have Adirondak spruce tops instead of Sitka like a 50's or 60's Martin . Probably also have a V neck and scallop bracing (they switched out of scallop bracing in 1945 or so) In the late sixties I think they changed the bridgeplate to rosewood. there's also some business about the X bracing being moved further away from the soundhole in the more modern Martins. There's also that immeasurable effect of what age is worth. The ebony rod thing was only for a short time. On the other hand the old Martins don't have an adjustable neck, Can't be played because they are too valuable, and usually need a neck reset or have already had one. I do agree that the sound quality is open to debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EvilHippy Posted December 19, 2003 Members Share Posted December 19, 2003 Whoops....meant D-18GE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EvilHippy Posted December 19, 2003 Members Share Posted December 19, 2003 Originally posted by guitarcapo a prewar Martin dred for 4 or 5 grand has to have something wrong with it like a refinish, new top...etc. They DO have Adirondak spruce tops instead of Sitka like a 50's or 60's Martin . Probably also have a V neck and scallop bracing(they switched out of scallop bracing in 1945 or so)In the late sixties I think they changed the bridgeplate to rosewood. there's also some business about the X bracing being moved further away from the soundhole in the more modern Martins. There's also that immeasurable effect of what age is worth. The ebony rod thing was only for a short time. On the other hand the old Martins don't have an adjustable neck,Can't be played because they are too valuable, and usually need a neck reset or have already had one. I do agree that the sound quality is open to debate. I was at a loss of sleep when I typed that I forgot some things, yes they want from a small maple bridgeplate to a large rosewood bridgeplate,no scalloped bracing,no V neck,no herringbone,in 1983 they went to the adjustable truss rod, back then they were using them butterbean knobs and those open back tuners.I really think it's a waste of money because of the high collector value when you can go out and just buy a 50's D-18 or a D-18GE, or vintige series 18. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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