But it just dawned on me I'm probably going to have to wait to open the case because it was shipped from the home of the World's Largest Six-Pack which is north of the Cheddar Curtain. I haven't purchased a guitar in almost 20 years. Guns take up much less space.

From the seller:

Congrats! Is that the Eric Clapton OM from Martin? And yeah, Especially on an acoustic, I'd let that baby rest unopened in the box for quite a while. Temp is one thing, but I am thinking the humidity swing is going to be huge.

Congrats! Yeah, you wanna let it acclimate.

It is an Eric Clapton, a 000-28EC. The difference between Martin’s 000 and OM guitars is the 000s have a 24.9” scale fretboard while the OMs have a 25.4” scale fretboard. Except for the 000-15 guitars which have the longer scale.

I work for a local mom and pop Martin dealer for a number of years when I moved to Florida until Guitar Center put them out of business. I played a lot of really nice new and vintage Martins and always wanted a 000-28EC, but my ability only barely justified a used D-15.

Here I am, 20 years later and my soon to be 17 year old daughter wants to learn guitar. My D-15 is too big for her. I figure no problem, we trek down to GC (barf) and try a bunch of guitars. She likes the 000/OM size, but the equivalent to my D-15, the 000-15M, is $1,700 with a gig bag, not even a case.

In my searching for a used one, I bumped into this 000-28EC at a fair price. The worst that’s going to happen is she loses interest and we sell it for about what we paid. The best would be she loses interest and I keep it for myself. Somewhere in the middle is she gets good and I only get visitation. It’s probably in the same ballpark as what I’ve spent in swimming for my oldest son (the completion suits are $300+ and can be worn 3x) or fishing gear for my youngest son.

In 1968, my mom paid $125 for a plywood Epiphone acoustic which was worth in 2004 about $125. At the time, a new Brazilian rosewood Martin D-35 was about $400 and $5,000 in 2004.

Humidity is 54% in the house right now. It’s a higher than the usual 44% because we haven’t run the A/C in a few days.

Congratulations! A beautiful guitar!

Yeah, leave it boxed up for 24 hours minimum when you bring it inside. Who knows how badly it cold-soaked during shipping. I've heard of many damaged instruments in the winter from fast unpacking.

Keep it properly humidified! Lot's of ways to do that. Maybe in FL you'll need to dehumidify?

My daughter has several of "my" guitars which she quickly claimed as soon as I said anything about thinning the herd to make room for another. I don't think you should even fantasize about your daughter letting this Martin get away!

She's a lucky girl to be getting such a nice instrument.

Currently (now that I'm old and have money for fine guitars) I target 50%-59% in summer, and will allow 45% in winter. I use really good cases that help to maintain and flatten the swing they incur throughout the year. I monitor in-the-case with the below.

That said, I have a nice birds eye maple Washburn that I bought in 1992. And for 30 years it was out on a stand through dry winters and whatever it hit in the summer. And it's as good as new!

WiFi Hygrometer

Does it have a piezo pickup or is it fully Amish?

Nice! My meager collection approves.

Chinacaster
'70 ES335 I've had for over 40 years
Rogue bass


image host

NGD - Nice Guitar Dude

quote:

Originally posted by kz1000:
Nice! My meager collection approves.

Your picture appears to be backwards. I like the Paul McCartney vibe going on there.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
Does it have a piezo pickup or is it fully Amish?

No pickup. We'll be partying like it's 1699 in our Amish Paradise. I suggested electric and I still have a few she could have picked from, but her favorite musicians play acoustics.


FedEx says it's in the neighborhood! When I dropped my daughter of for classes this morning, she told me I had to wait for her to get home before I opened it. I told she was in luck because it was coming from up North and explained that we'd have to let it warm up slowly before we opened it.

Humidity isn't an issue down here. I remember all my guitar playing friends up North fretting about humidity all the time with their acoustics.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:

No pickup. We'll be partying like it's 1699 in our Amish Paradise. I suggested electric and I still have a few she could have picked from, but her favorite musicians play acoustics.


FedEx says it's in the neighborhood! When I dropped my daughter of for classes this morning, she told me I had to wait for her to get home before I opened it. I told she was in luck because it was coming from up North and explained that we'd have to let it warm up slowly before we opened it.

Humidity isn't an issue down here. I remember all my guitar playing friends up North fretting about humidity all the time with their acoustics.

There are plenty of options to add electronics later, if she ever wants to.

Humidity has been a problem here for me in the new house with forced air heating. I have a climate controlled cabinet, but in the winter I can't have a guitar out for more than 24 hours. In the previous house with sub-floor radiant heat it wasn't nearly so problematic.

Lovely.

It must be Italian!



I have to hand it to Dave’s Guitar for putting the “DO NOT OPEN FOR 24 HOURS” sticker on it.

The case is a little cool. I think I’d be safe opening it outside; it’s 60 and dropping. I just dawned on me to get my Thermoworks IR thermometer out of my truck. It says the case is 69 degrees and my house is 72.

It opened it outside and the inside of the guitar is 69. I’m going to let sit inside in the case for a few hours.

I’ve always been a hardcore Dreadnought Martin fan growing up around a lot of bluegrass musicians. My dad had a 28, 42, and 18.

But the OOO’s have really grown on me. Absolutely beautiful guitars. My cousin, who probably owns 30-40 Martins pulled a 1948 OOO-18 the other day that was just so simple and lovely.

I love NGD and Dave's. I've been there several times.

My NGD will be Monday. I have a new Gibson Les Paul Junior on its way from WIldwood Guitars in CO.

Now I'll have a single pickup guitar that I can play poorly with the others.

But P90s rock! A friend of mine asked me to hang to his 1970s something Les Paul Special 55 while he went to work out of state for a while. That was a great guitar and not a boat anchor like a maple topped Les Paul.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
But P90s rock! A friend of mine asked me to hang to his 1970s something Les Paul Special 55 while he went to work out of state for a while. That was a great guitar and not a boat anchor like a maple topped Les Paul.

They sure do and I can't wait to get it. It will be the little brother of my Wildwood Select Les Paul Standard 60's. The Junior comes in at 6.68 lbs and my Les Paul is like 9.1 lbs

quote:

Originally posted by WildSig:

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
But P90s rock! A friend of mine asked me to hang to his 1970s something Les Paul Special 55 while he went to work out of state for a while. That was a great guitar and not a boat anchor like a maple topped Les Paul.

They sure do and I can't wait to get it. It will be the little brother of my Wildwood Select Les Paul Standard 60's. The Junior comes in at 6.68 lbs and my Les Paul is like 9.1 lbs

My Dad’s 1980 LP Custom Black Beauty weighs 11 lbs on the dot.

quote:

Your picture appears to be backwards. I like the Paul McCartney vibe going on there.

Thanks. The only thing I have in common with Paul is being left handed. I have ZERO talent. I just noodle around at home for my personal satisfaction. I bought the bass recently. Even changing the strings to flatwounds, it's hard on my fingers. I don't know how bass players do it.