About My Guitars

Here is a current inventory of my guitars.
All of the acoustic guitars are Martins.

One Man’s Guitar History

My first acoustic guitar had Conn on the label and would have been built for that tuba maker in Japan or Korea, in 1971. It was based closely on the Martin 000-18, but was laminated wood through and through. I have since had acoustic guitars by Bourgeois, Collings, Fender, Martin, and Schoenberg, and electric guitars by Danelectro, Gibson, Fender, Richenbacker, and Washburn. My only electric guitar at present was custom built from a body made for Jonny Lang. It was one of ten made with PRS style flamed maple. He picked two or three and this was one of others. Chris Whitley had put his brother Dan onto them, and Dan got one and made into a guitar for his then girlfriend, who later gave it to me in barter. It is currently in need of much work and remains in the case.

My current acoustic guitars are all Martins and consist of:

1966 D-28 – Purchased without a neck or usable top and converted to Adirondack spruce and prewar bracing by Brothers Music, but a modern 1-11/16″ Low Profile neck with a modern truss rod.

2017 000C-21 T Spoon Phillips model – Guatemalan rosewood, Adirondack spruce top, circa 1940 Style 21 appointments, Authentic Series features (thin finish, hide glue construction, etc.,) K&K pickup.

1995 000C-16 – Mahogany back and sides, Sitka spruce top, long-scale 22 fret mahogany neck with full dovetail neck joint, Indian rosewood fretboard and bridge, deep cutaway, oval sound hole. This model from the early ’90s was the closest thing to a Standard OM-18 Martin made in the modern era.

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Gone But Not Forgotten

2004 OMC-28B LJ – Brazilian rosewood Laurence Juber artist signature model, with a dual-source B-Band pickups (bridge plate and undersaddle.)

2007 000C-28V Custom – Madagascar rosewood, Adirondack spruce, short-scale neck with Golden Era V neck shape, 1/4″ GE Series bracing, maple binding. Fishman pickup. (Pictured below.)

2011 Deep Body OM-42 Slothead Custom – Madagascar rosewood, Adirondack spruce, Fishman pickup.

000C-28V Custom My Guitars

 

 

8 thoughts on “About My Guitars

  1. Hi there Spoon,
    Apologies for the sacrilegious questions but. If you had to choose any non Martin acoustic, what would it be?

    1. Nothing sacrilegious about it, Neil, and not about if I had to choose, so much as it is about if money were no object, reasonably speaking. Santa Cruz would likely be my choice when it come to companies that make guitars.

      But then there are the individual or very small concerns. Bruce Petros makes wonderful instruments and his fingerstyle guitars made with Macassar ebony back and sides and Adirondack spruce tops are probably my favorite. Wayne Henderson is another builder I admire greatly. Todd Johnson, who builds under the Oracle label is another great option.

      TJ Thompson of course, but he is basically making pre-war Martin OMs and I would love to have one for sure! But that is almost too Martin to include here.

  2. Hi One Man,
    I see that you tested all of them, so…
    which one would you choose between 00-18 Authentic, OM-18 Authentic, OM-28 Authentic and 000-30 Authentic?
    I know it’s a difficult question…
    Thank you!

    1. Yes it is very difficult to answer such a hypothetical question.

      The easy answer is the 000-30A 1919, as it is such an amazing instrument in terms of response and overall mojo. Unfortunately, the 1-7/8″ neck would keep me from being able to play it often or for long. And that would then rule out the 00-18A 1931.

      Of the remaining two, I would choose the OM-28A 1931. I have always preferred rosewood when under Adirondack spruce, and my hands like that neck better than the OM-18A 1933.

      That is based on your list of four guitars. The 000-42A 1939 would be my preferred choice, if I had the kind of money it requires. And I would probably get it even if I had the kind of money that would bring home the OM-45 Deluxe Authentic 1930, which to my memory was the best modern acoustic guitar I have played.

  3. Hi, Spoon…
    Thanks so much for responding on this this highly commented topic. I have been a fan for some time and must say that your excellent YouTube recordings were a definite factor in my decision to purchase Martin’s OM-21.

    Yes, I have already ordered a few room hygrometers as I tend to be quite meticulous about most of my “toys”, and especially guitars. Playing electric guitars hasn’t been as much of a concern; however, I had a nice acoustic years ago and, even despite loving care, I eventually noticed rough fret bars, a definite sign of drying conditions.

    Any advice on calibrating room hydrometers would also be appreciated… I’ve got my suspicions about the accuracy of my old room hydrometer, even with fresh batteries
    Thanks Again,

    Jim

    1. I do know people who use them, so let me see what they have to say.

      As for room ones, it is a good idea to use experience as to what is necessary and adjust the readings that way. In other words, you may need to have a reading of 60 to get what you want.

      It is terribly difficult to maintain humidity in our part of the country this time of year. Even with a lot of proper care some fretboard shrinkage is possible.

      I try to keep a Damp It in the sound hole and a sponge in a baggie in the case. And keep them damp. I do not know what the reading is, but it is what it is.

      I had one guitar get a foggy headstock and stopped putting a sponge in that particular case.

      I liked the Humidipak system, but it is pricey. I now use the pouches for my sponges. 🙂

      I have also heard it is good to calibrate the hygrometers ever season or so, by putting in the bathroom during a steamy shower.

  4. I just took delivery on my new Martin OM-21 and it sounds fantastic and is truly a work of art. This is my first acoustic in many years and I want to protect it against damage from fluctuations in humidity. I have installed D’Addario humidification packets in the guitar sound hole and headstock, and it is kept in the case. Could you possibly recommend a reasonably accurate hydrometer for my case as I want to monitor humidity levels now that winter is here. My research has revealed varying opinions on this topic, some have even recommended units typically used in humidor cases, but the accuracy of these units appear to be highly questionable when used in guitar cases.
    Thanks so much,

    Jim
    New Jersey

    1. Hi Jim, and congratulations!

      Let me get back to you on that. I use a room hygrometer, not a case one. Just like electric tuners, I do not think any two hygrometers will register the same, although of course one wants them to be close enough to remove worry.

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