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You are here: Home / Pictorials / Repairs / 1977 Martin D-18 Restoration

1977 Martin D-18 Restoration

Older Martins often need substantial work to restore them to excellent playability. Recently a 1977 Martin D-18 was brought to me for evaluation. The guitar needed a neck reset, fret work, bridge plate repair, and cracks in the top repaired. A new bone saddle and nut were also recommended. This nice solid-top Martin is worth having this kind of work done, and the result will be a good-sounding instrument that is easy to play. Check out the photo galleries below for details about the work.

Neck Reset

Many older guitar need a neck reset to restore the correct neck-to-body angle. Over the years, string tension causes the top of the guitar to bend, decreasing the neck angle and causing the string action to become high. Once the saddle has been lowered as much as it can be to correct high action, a neck reset is called for. A skilled luthier can diagnose this problem and perform the work.

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Neck Reset
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Pick Guard Replacement and Crack Repairs

Cracks caused by pickguard shrinkage are a very common problem on older Martins. The plastic guards were glued directly to the bare Spruce top prior to finishing, and when they shrink the Spruce top cracks. This problem is exhilarated by when guitars are not kept hydrated during the dry months of the year. This is a common and routine repair.

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Bridge Plate Repair


The bridge plate is perhaps the most ignored part of a guitar, but it performs an important function; it provides a hard surface for the ball end of the strings to ride against. Without a bridge plate, the ball ends would tear up through the soft Spruce top. The plate (located inside the guitar underneath the bridge) is also an important part of the transfer of energy from the strings to the top. Over time, incorrectly stringing a guitar causes damage to the plate and eventually it must be repaired. This damage is preventable with correct stringing technique.

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About Our Name

Many people ask about our name. One of my wife's friends even asked her if I made guitars from any other wood besides Dogwood! For those familiar with the Dogwood tree, this brings a chuckle since this flowering beauty attains only a small size… … [Read More...]

Building a Monarch: Top and Back

The building of any guitar begins with selecting the woods to be used. A bookmatched set of Spruce or Cedar is selected for the top, and a back and side set is chosen for the body. Standard woods for the latter are Rosewood, Mahogany, or Maple. Many … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonial:

"My stage guitar had buzzing strings and the sound from the pickup was unbalanced. Greg made me a new bone saddle to replace the poorly fitted plastic one and did a setup, now I have a guitar with no issues. His knowledge of guitar geometry is … [Read More...]

Blog: 1932 Martin Repair

Its not often that a luthier has the opportunity to work on a pre-war Martin. This 1932 0-18 parlor guitar needs a crack repair and a neck reset. Great care must be taken when working on such an old and fragile guitar. Get out the hot hide glue. … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonial: Mosrite

"I've owned this vintage 1960's Mosrite "Ventures" model guitar for thirty years and have finally found a luthier I can trust to work on it. Greg agreed to do the work while I waited and it was obvious from the beginning that he knew what he was … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonials: Monarch 12 String

"Greg Maxwell's 12-string Monarch guitar is the product of an artist. I played the guitar among a small of group of rock-climbing paramedics during my interim stay in Richmond, Kentucky, before returning to Kailua, Hawaii, and the comments about the … [Read More...]

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Technical Articles

Bolt-On Necks: High Tongue Frets

I am including this article as a special page in the Services Menu because of the frequency with which the issue of high tongue frets arises. The tongue is the part of the fretboard that extends into the body of the guitar. On acoustic guitars, the tongue extends past the heel of the neck and usually falls away slightly from level due to the nature of construction and the neck angle. However, most electric guitars are made differently, without a tongue extension that is separate from the heel. … [Read More...]

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Why Buy a Handmade Guitar?

There are a lot of choices out there for the prospective buyer of a fine guitar. It's no secret; a handmade instrument can cost a lot. For that matter, any of the better guitars purchased from a quality manufacturer is going to command what most people would consider to be a lot of money. Are there compelling reasons to spend your money on a handmade guitar from a custom builder rather than from a brand name factory or custom shop? There certainly are! … [Read More...]

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