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Post by david on Mar 27, 2024 20:03:24 GMT -5
Eldest son let me borrow his Martin "Special D" guitar. It sounds wonderful. Here is how I think it differs from a D-18:
It is made in Mexico, has a satin finish, Sapele back and sides, and at $1050 new is $1,800 cheaper. Otherwise, the same, i.e. mortise and tenon neck joint, ebony fingerboard, ebony bridge, and Sitka top.
If you are in the market for a D-size guitar, you might want to give it a try.
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Post by Marty on Mar 27, 2024 20:16:37 GMT -5
Eldest son let me borrow his Martin "Special D" guitar. It sounds wonderful. Here is how I think it differs from a D-18: It is made in Mexico, has a satin finish, Sapele back and sides, and at $1050 new is $1,800 cheaper. Otherwise, the same, i.e. mortise and tenon neck joint, ebony fingerboard, ebony bridge, and Sitka top. If you are in the market for a D-size guitar, you might want to give it a try. If the model and serial # are stamped on a wooden plate attached to the neck block it has a square mortise & tenon bolt on neck. If they are stamped directly on the neck block it's a dovetail joint. BTW I like the square mortise with the bolt, easier to reset. |
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Post by david on Mar 27, 2024 21:14:06 GMT -5
Marty, I am showing my ignorance here. It appears that there is a wooden plate attached to the neck block. When I read that this is a "glued, neck-to-body joint, I assumed that a mortise and tenon was the same as a dovetail. I was misled by Guitar Center's description: "The Martin Special D is equipped with a mortis and tenon neck joint. This glued, neck-to-body joint allows the neck and body of the guitar to resonate as one instrument. Like many of the world’s finest string instruments, the mortis and tenon does not have any bolts that limit sustain and change the color of the acoustic sound. The tight fit increases the transference of tone and sustain across the entire instrument. Play as soft, or as hard as you want, and this instrument has got you covered." www.guitarcenter.com/Martin/Special-D-All-Solid-Dreadnought-Acoustic-Guitar-Natural-1500000335259.gc |
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Post by Marty on Mar 27, 2024 22:03:26 GMT -5
That plate covers the bolt head.
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Post by John B on Mar 27, 2024 22:23:49 GMT -5
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Post by Shannon on Mar 28, 2024 7:49:37 GMT -5
I have the OM version of that guitar. I keep it in my office, and it is a VERY good guitar.
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Post by Marshall on Mar 28, 2024 8:18:12 GMT -5
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Post by Marty on Mar 28, 2024 8:20:15 GMT -5
Nothing wrong with a bolt-on neck.
The only down side to a bolt-on is that they should not be overtightened as that tends to pull the anchor out of the heel over time in humid conditions. Not tight enough and the bolt loosens in dry conditions and will rattle. I've had many a Martin with a "buzz" they couldn't figure out because they didn't know about that bolt.
The trick is to give the bolt a firm snug and not crank down on it. This way it can handle whatever the humidity conditions are.
In the video she says the dovetail is hand chiseled, NO it is not. It is machined and then hand fitted.
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Post by Cosmic Wonder on Mar 28, 2024 8:47:12 GMT -5
Collings see bolt on necks. Somehow they seem to sound OK. And my 25 yr old’s neck isn’t even beginning to show any signs of needing a neck reset or anything.
Mike
David, if you still have that guitar in early May, I’d like to come over and hear it…
Mike
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Post by Marty on Mar 28, 2024 9:43:26 GMT -5
Collings see bolt on necks. Somehow they seem to sound OK. And my 25 yr old’s neck isn’t even beginning to show any signs of needing a neck reset or anything. Mike David, if you still have that guitar in early May, I’d like to come over and hear it… Mike Collings and Seagull both use a bolt-on butt joint, no mortise and tenon that I know of on the Collings. Colling hides the bolt heads with a plug making it somewhat difficult to get to them. Seagull just uses a paper label like Taylor. |
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Dub
Administrator
I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
Posts: 19,852 
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Post by Dub on Mar 28, 2024 9:50:40 GMT -5
I should point out that the Kennedy Guitar Company uses bolt-on necks as does Bourgeois. Mighty fine instruments from both and no problems with them that I’ve ever heard about.
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Post by John B on Mar 28, 2024 10:07:13 GMT -5
A total aside, I'm a fan of Rick Turner's Howe-Orme neck joint, as well Harry Fleishman's modification of that. In Rick's version, absolutely nothing is hidden and everything is pretty much accessible from the exterior of the guitar. It helps to be a mechanically-inclined and/or a machinist to make that neck joint work. Does it make the guitar sound better, worse, or just different? His guitars have so many interesting variations on the norm I don't think it's possible to isolate the difference.  I also think the new Martin neck joint is pretty cool. I'll be interested to see how they hold up after 10 or so years. |
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Post by Marty on Mar 28, 2024 10:23:31 GMT -5
All Martin models 16 series and under are a bolt-on that I know of. The 17s and just maybe some 15s can be either as some are reissues.
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Post by John B on Mar 28, 2024 10:26:06 GMT -5
All Martin models 16 series and under are a bolt-on that I know of. The 17s and just maybe some 15s can be either as some are reissues. The SC model.  |
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Post by Marshall on Mar 28, 2024 10:29:52 GMT -5
When I had Bruce Roper make a new neck for my Eastman, He cut off the dove-tail and filled the slot and bolted on the new neck. My Nick Lucas from Bruce has a bolt-on neck. I've played it a lot in the last 8 years and it's doing fine.
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Post by TKennedy on Mar 28, 2024 10:54:11 GMT -5
I use barrel nuts in a reinforced tenon. They can rotate to align with the bolt and in pull out testing I did they are very strong with the reinforced tenon. I use a bolt down fretboard too like Bourgeois. Only downside is the neck moves a little more the first few months than a glued tenon and/or fretboard and that has to be taken into consideration with the neck set. Some modifications to the upper bout bracing have helped a lot with that. www.kennedyguitars.com/neck-detailsdouble-sides.html |
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Post by david on Mar 28, 2024 11:04:59 GMT -5
Very cool, Terry!
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Post by Rob Hanesworth on Mar 28, 2024 11:11:52 GMT -5
All of my guitars have necks. Not sure how they got there. Don't much care.
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Dub
Administrator
I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
Posts: 19,852
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Post by Dub on Mar 28, 2024 11:50:59 GMT -5
All Martin models 16 series and under are a bolt-on that I know of. The 17s and just maybe some 15s can be either as some are reissues. The SC model. I’m considering acquiring one of these. There’s a music store here (West Music) with a very experienced repair guy (Martin trained, 40 years) and they seem willing to whittle down the neck to my specs if I decide to get one. The Martin custom shop doesn’t work with this model which comes with a 1-¾ fretboard. |
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Post by Marty on Mar 28, 2024 13:10:26 GMT -5
All Martin models 16 series and under are a bolt-on that I know of. The 17s and just maybe some 15s can be either as some are reissues. The SC model. Is that a SC-16K? EDIT: I'm being a smartass. It's a new model and has features that are not standard for a Martin. |
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