Members Glenn F Posted September 23, 2019 Members Share Posted September 23, 2019 I have wanted a Martin D-18 for the last number of years, but their prices jumped around €500 a few years ago, which put it out or range for me. Until now. The shop I bought the Eastman from has just got a 2016 'Centennial' D-18 in, in very good condition. With the money I've already laid out, + my Taylor 320, I will have the D-18, the last one on my bucket list. If it is as good as my OM-21, and D-28, I'll be truly in Geet-ar heaven. So, anyone have a nice guitar or 5 on their bucket list? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted September 23, 2019 Members Share Posted September 23, 2019 If there is a guitar I would like to have I just build it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gitnoob Posted September 23, 2019 Members Share Posted September 23, 2019 My bucket list guitar.... Seriously, I would just like to play well before I kick it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted September 23, 2019 Members Share Posted September 23, 2019 5 hours ago, Glenn F said: So, anyone have a nice guitar or 5 on their bucket list? Nope. Long ago I thought it would be nice to own a Martin but having played a few and being puzzled about what all the fuss was about I dropped the idea. An interest in Taylor guitars followed but instead I went for an all-solid Crafter model that sounded and played as good as any Taylor I'd played (and saved enough money to pay for two Mediterranean holidays for my wife and I 😊). All that was around 15 to 30 years ago. In the past 5 or 6 years I've found that I've veered more and more towards playing nylon string guitars but I have enough of those to keep me happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted September 23, 2019 Members Share Posted September 23, 2019 Every once in a while I'll see a guitar and think "that would be nice." The most recent was a Taylor 514CE. No clue what it was about it but I liked it and I'm not a even Taylor fan. A Breedlove or Martin would be nice someday, even an Eastman. But really, I have all the guitars I need and more than my level of talent can justify. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted September 23, 2019 Moderators Share Posted September 23, 2019 Fender? Check [several] Gibson? Check [several] Martin? Check Guild? Check Gretsch...yeah...that's missing Taylor? Not a fan... PRS? Not a fan... Zemaitis? out of price range Deusenberg? out of price range I'm sure I'll stumble on something...the real 'bucket list'-er from almost day one was a D'Angelico, and I got that covered now... perhaps one day I will get a John Backlund.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emory Posted September 24, 2019 Members Share Posted September 24, 2019 10 hours ago, gitnoob said: My bucket list guitar.... Seriously, I would just like to play well before I kick it. Read a review of one of those. Said the bass notes sounded "tubby" and impossible to lower the action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted September 24, 2019 Members Share Posted September 24, 2019 I wouldn't mind owning Gibson LOO deluxe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neal Posted September 24, 2019 Members Share Posted September 24, 2019 I have them all. For me, anyway. Many guitars I’d love to give a whirl, and some may make it to a desire sort of thing, like a 30’s Stella 12 string, or any number of luthier boutique guitars. A few that I wish I still had. But hey, we’re all gonna die, and we all have a date to the dance, so I’m happy to dance with em. So no, no bucket list of instruments, been down that road of desire, and sort of like deepend, figure I have just a few that are much more than my talent requires. Includes ukes, too. Thing is, you get that zillion dollar guitar or uke or whatever, and you realize it’s really no different in a MAJOR way than what you had. I STILL have a few like that. Great instruments, but sometimes I just have to shake my head and wonder wtf.. I’m such a downer sometimes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted September 25, 2019 Members Share Posted September 25, 2019 No. Like gitnoob, my focus is developing skills. I'm rather tired of the obsessions people garner as they romance the instrument itself. After a fashion it shows to be an inverse relationship to making music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted September 25, 2019 Author Members Share Posted September 25, 2019 What's your point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nabisco Posted September 25, 2019 Members Share Posted September 25, 2019 I have long enjoyed stopping into guitar stores and playing whatever I had a hankering to try out. Over the years, I bought and sold so many guitars that I lose count. Each one I have had was great in its own way but nothing hit on every cylinder. Silly me; no one guitar could. Then I bought a Martin 000-15M followed not too long afterwards by a 1983 Larrivee L-07. They are both powerhouses in their own way. The Martin sound great and it's deep woody tone is perfect for fingerpicking. The Larrivee rings like a bell and I use it more for strumming. Now, I find that every song I want to play sounds just right on one or the other and my interest in trying out guitars has waned significantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_e_l_e Posted September 26, 2019 Members Share Posted September 26, 2019 i had a list of 10 guitars i wanted to own, but with my current 12 guitar i have i'm settled and for some guitars on the initial list i have change my mind and the rest i have in my possesion guitars i deleted from my list gretsch white falcon double cut (you don't see them as leftys any more ) gibson sg double neck, completely unpractical heavy monster for one or two songs rickenbacker 330 played one, which was nice, but the fretboard and string spaceing was too small for me a PRS i don't know why i would need one when i'm happy with my other guitars a Martin D41 or so, while nothing is wrong with it, its just tooo expensive to justify Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted September 26, 2019 Author Members Share Posted September 26, 2019 I received the D-18 today. I prefer my D-28, and it had a bad smell, like someone had tried to wash cat pee off it. Doesn't smell like that delicious Martin Mahogany. So, I am sending it back, and hope to get the E10OM back. I'm too old for this crap. After playing the Eastman E10OM, the Martin seems anemic and not as responsive. It is also less voluminous than my D-28, nor as rich. As for a bucket-list guitar, it's now off my list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted September 26, 2019 Members Share Posted September 26, 2019 5 minutes ago, Glenn F said: I received the D-18 today. I prefer my D-28, and it had a bad smell, like someone had tried to wash cat pee off it. Doesn't smell like that delicious Martin Mahogany. So, I am sending it back, and hope to get the E10OM back. I'm too old for this crap. After playing the Eastman E10OM, the Martin seems anemic and not as responsive. It is also less voluminous than my D-28, nor as rich. As for a bucket-list guitar, it's now off my list. AY CARAMBA unbelievable , I'm speechless A D18 hs been on my bucket list for years but they are pricey especially vintage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted September 26, 2019 Author Members Share Posted September 26, 2019 I wasn't impressed. Maybe it wasn't the best examplar. Aside from the smell, it played fine, and was in pretty good shape, but the Eastman OM beat the mighty Martin dread for tone and dynamics. The bass is even nicer on the Eastman. Playing it side by side with my D-28 was also an eye opener. I expected the D-18 to be more 'direct' and less lush, but for a guitar with forward shifted scalloped x bracing, it really didn't have a lot of 'oomph.' I just hope I get the Eastman back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted September 26, 2019 Members Share Posted September 26, 2019 I never play my old D-18, it sits in the basement and gets more valuable. I keep thinking I should sell it, but it keeps getting more valuable. One of my kids will get it one of these days. I guess I'm just not a dread sort of guy, prefer playing my OM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted September 26, 2019 Moderators Share Posted September 26, 2019 I hope you can get it back, Glenn...but it is the old story of the bird in the hand vs 2 in the bush..., or the grass being greener on the other side of the fence [and it is typically over the septic tank!]. I rarely let instruments go [amps, yes, guitars no], I prefer to save up for the next one out of my gig money [how I've pretty much always done it]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MurkyWaters Posted September 26, 2019 Members Share Posted September 26, 2019 This is my bucket list guitar! A 1962 Goya F-19, made the same year I was born. I still own it but have it up for sale, CL, Reverb and eBay! The story: One of my guitar goals was to buy new, something real decent that no one else has ever owned. I did that with a 2017 Taylor 414ce, the custom rosewood model. Nice guitar, I have it in the shop getting a bone nut to match the bone saddle I installed. Then came the acquisition of the David Webber 000 12 fret, walnut and Cedar top. This guitar just kind of fell into my body, fits like a glove and the sound is so charming it is the guitar I play the most. The past few years I have been buying and selling a variety of guitars, keyboards and harmonica stuff looking for the end of an obsession! Some that have passed through my hands were a couple of really nice Fender electrics, a Gibson Sheryl Crow that I loved but was too big for me, a Guild nylon that I should have kept and an Alvarez 5075. There have been more as I have been doing this same thing off and on since I was 18! Now comes the bright idea to obtain a guitar made the same year I was born. To have a guitar the same age as me, like a twin brother going through life together! I figured I would have to work on it, it would cost some money and I thought I got it cheap, shipped with the original case. The Goya fascinated me. The hybrid construction, steel or nylon strings and cool 12 fret like a classical. And the double pickguards like a Gibson F-25! It is a very nice guitar. I noticed the high action but thought meh, I'll put a few hundred dollars into it and it'll be fine! I really had no idea about the cost of reset a neck and refret! After getting some professional opinions about how much it would cost for the work I am looking at having about $1000 to $1200 in the guitar including what I paid. So that is a game changer! I am thinking I can take as small a bath on this as I can and continue the hunt for a birth year guitar. The sale price is a break even type thing or minimize loss. My ad actually reflects "truth in advertising!" The thought of keeping it around is still with me too, maybe (if it doesn't sell) I make the plunge to restore it. I do like it and have it in open D, it plays pretty decent through the first five frets, has a very cool tone and is well made. I reconditioned the tuners so they turn and hold tune nicely. I still need to change the saddle and bridge pins. I figure I will end up with 3 to 5 guitars total. I have 2 so maybe a parlor and an electric or maybe an electric nylon like some of the Godin's! Or maybe a really nice Classical! Who knows, or maybe a playable 1962? Sorry about the length of this, I got on a roll 😄! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted September 27, 2019 Author Members Share Posted September 27, 2019 19 hours ago, daddymack said: I hope you can get it back, Glenn...but it is the old story of the bird in the hand vs 2 in the bush..., or the grass being greener on the other side of the fence [and it is typically over the septic tank!]. I rarely let instruments go [amps, yes, guitars no], I prefer to save up for the next one out of my gig money [how I've pretty much always done it]. Looks good! I've shipped the Martin back, and they're shipping me my Eastman. I'll either get used to the string-spacing and frets, or I won't. All I know is, the tone blew the Martin right out of the water. A Martin D-18. Knocked out by an Eastman OM. All subjective, of course, but I've never played an OM that was this powerful. The D-18 was anemic in comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danocoustic Posted September 27, 2019 Members Share Posted September 27, 2019 For years I wanted a mahogany/spruce OM built to my specs (standard OM construction, trim &c of my choice). In May of this year, I got it. Mr. Freeman Keller, our very own fellow forumite, built it for me. It has turned out to be everything I wanted, he did an outSTANDing job. Its voice is just starting to really open up, so I have much to look forward to yet (not to infer it doesn't sound great as-is, but you know how it is with new acoustics). I currently own some 30 guitars of all kinds. None of them are real high-dollar collectibles but that doesn't concern me much. My retirement gig/hobby business is assembling guitars (mostly Fender-pattern solidbodies) from parts acquired here and there. I've sold a few, some are soon to be donated to a school music program and a veteran's music organization. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted September 27, 2019 Author Members Share Posted September 27, 2019 I'd love to try one of Freeman's guitars! I always get a lot of pleasure watching the progress of his builds, but the proof is in the hands and ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Danocoustic Posted September 27, 2019 Members Share Posted September 27, 2019 Will this work? I suck at computers---YAY! It worked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glenn F Posted September 27, 2019 Author Members Share Posted September 27, 2019 Lovely! Nice to have a unique instrument! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted September 27, 2019 Members Share Posted September 27, 2019 1 hour ago, Glenn F said: Looks good! I've shipped the Martin back, and they're shipping me my Eastman. I'll either get used to the string-spacing and frets, or I won't. All I know is, the tone blew the Martin right out of the water. A Martin D-18. Knocked out by an Eastman OM. All subjective, of course, but I've never played an OM that was this powerful. The D-18 was anemic in comparison. Excellent news. You're a lucky man. And of course you will get used to the fret and string spacing - just play the guitar for an hour or two and your fingers will "remember". I have about a dozen guitars of different types (like Danocoustic - none of them very costly - just ones I've fancied over the years) and I can switch from one to another without any problem. And that's with neck widths ranging from 40 mm (electric), 42 mm through to 48 mm (acoustic), up to 52 mm (classical) and all sorts of neck profiles from slim "C" to a very chunky vintage "V" and scale lengths ranging from 24.75 inch to 26 inch. You just get used to the differences. And yes, I've been underwhelmed by every Martin I've played. They are well made and play and sound OK to be sure but that's about it - I've never felt of heard that "magic" that people talk about and, at the price they cost, I think one has a right to expect that little bit extra. I'm with Neal when he remarks above: "Thing is, you get that zillion dollar guitar . . . . and you realize it’s really no different in a MAJOR way than what you had". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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