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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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Guitar Galleries

The guitars featured in these photo galleries are just a few examples of Greg's work. As a long-time high end furniture maker, Greg has a real passion for tools and figured wood. His guitars reflect these twin loves with their beautiful wood choices, … [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...]

1932 Martin 0-18 Parlor Guitar

It's not often that a luthier has the opportunity to work on a pre-war Martin. This little 1932 Parlor 0-18 came to the shop in very rough condition. It took a tumble down some stairs, resulting in a long crack in the treble side of the body and … [Read More...]

Humidity, Temperature, and Your Guitar

Maintaining your wooden instruments at an appropriate level of humidity year round is vital to their health and well-being. It is surprising how many owners of expensive instruments are unaware of this. I suppose that the primary reason is a lack … [Read More...]

Building a Monarch: The Neck

Guitar construction can be divided into to major sections: The body and the neck. Neck construction begins with gluing up a blank. Although some guitar necks are made from one solid piece of wood, many builders make necks using a laminated blank. … [Read More...]

Baking Tops

A number of guitar builders (including a couple of well-known factory-made brands) follow the practice of baking the Spruce tops in an oven at low heat prior to using them in the construction of an instrument. This practice has caused a lot of … [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 … [Read More...]

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