New Guitar Day! The Martin has Landed!

[sunvalleylaw]

My 1996 Martin SPD-16TR that I shopped for in this thread http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=13243 arrived at 10:30 this morning! The shipping box looks to be in good order, and I spoke with the seller who recommends leaving it in the box a while to warm up. It is currently 25 degrees F here and the guitar has been on the truck. At least the humidity is a bit up today at 58%.

I plan to let the shipping box sit 1/2 hour, open the top and let some air into the shipping box to continue to warm another hour or so, take the case out and let it sit another hour or two, then crack the case and let it breathe another 1/2 hour or hour that way. Hopefully that will be enough time. That will take me nearly to the end of the day and of my last appointment.

I will also throw in at least one of my homemade humidifiers out of a sponge in a bag. I have a sound hole humidifier (oasis brand) coming, but this should work in the meantime.

Pics and review to follow in time. I may take a while before I spend too much time on the computer about it.

[Tig***]

I plan to let the shipping box sit 1/2 hour, open the top and let some air into the shipping box to continue to warm another hour or so, take the case out and let it sit another hour or two, then crack the case and let it breathe another 1/2 hour or hour that way. Hopefully that will be enough time. That will take me nearly to the end of the day and of my last appointment.

Congratulations on your new, um, baby!

Wow, that sure must be a bitter sweet torture to have it so close yet so far away over the next few hours. Worth every minute, I'll bet.

[evenkeel]

Wahoo!!! Glad she has arrived safe and hopefully sound.

Good move re: opening the box, case, etc. up slowly. Patience will be rewarded.

[Tone2TheBone]

Cool!

[just strum]

Hey, congrats, but remember you will return to the dark side.

[luvmyshiner]

Congrats Steve! Can't wait to hear your review. (and don't listen to Strummy . . . the dark side is EVIL!)

[sunvalleylaw]

Hey, congrats, but remember you will return to the dark side.

LOL!! Thanks Strum, and Shiner, you know you go there, esp. now that CB has all that cool gear! I don't consider it the dark side, but I never left! See my new playing opps thread. Like any good Libra, I am balancing my electric with my unplugged side!!

[sunvalleylaw]

Ok, after letting it warm up all day in the exercise of probable over caution, I took it out. Below are a couple unpacking shots. I will get a couple daylight shots up to show the detail, as these indoor flash photos do not do it justice. Bottom line, I love it. Sounds great, looks beautiful, plays beautifully. Just what I wanted, and has that Martin R/S dread sound.

My instructor Chip helped me check it over and he found it in good order, sound, and in excellent condition. The tortoise binding looks great, the abalone appointments look great, and the woods look amazing. I am quite happy with it! The neck with the unbound rosewood, slightly rolled on the edges is just what I wanted. Yes!

Pics:

The guitar waiting in its case to be let out.


The unveiling.


And with packaging removed:

[mrmudcat]

Oh my wish I had a good accoustic

[Lev]

Congrats, great looking guitar, you'll probably have this for the rest of your life so it's always worth saving the extra money to get exactly what you want.

[wingsdad]

Congrats. Steve...I know how much you wanted this baby...beyond words, really...

Ok, after letting it warm up all day in the exercise of probable over caution, I took it out. ...

As they say, " 'Tis better to err on the side of caution."

...Bottom line, I love it. Sounds great, looks beautiful, plays beautifully. Just what I wanted, and has that Martin R/S dread sound. ...

You're really fortunate to find this 'dream guitar' the way you did...Chip's a great guy to have had in your corner verifying things for you.

... The tortoise binding looks great, the abalone appointments look great, and the woods look amazing. I am quite happy with it! The neck with the unbound rosewood, slightly rolled on the edges is just what I wanted. Yes!

It's OK to repeat yourself in this case ... ...

From the looks of that case, your new love apparently wasn't hauled around much...well-cared for, babied...and I'm sure you'll do the same.

[bigG]

Hearty congratulations, Steve! So glad to hear the wait was worth it!

I'll second wingsdad's comment about the case. Those molded cases get marked up and dinged quite easily, and the lack of same was the first thing I noticed in your first pic. If the case was babied like that, it's a sure bet that beautiful Martin was too!

Outstanding!

[duhvoodooman***]

SUH-WEET!!! Very nice pickup, Steve!!

[sunvalleylaw]

Thanks everyone! After getting tension on the strings last night, tuning, and playing some as I reported above (First song was a Neil Young song of course), the guitar held tune over night well so appears to be settling in fine so far. I wanted to take pics in the morning light coming in the window because it really lit up the detail in the rosewood on the back, the tortoise shell binding (cool amber highlights!), etc., but did not have time this morning. I will do so later. Yep, it seems a keeper, and a real good find. Other than light pickguard scratches, I could not find any real marks on it at all.

The sound reminds me a bit of Chip's 1967 D-21 I got to play at the acoustic jam the other day (see here for jam details: http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=13479 ), but maybe with a hint of D-18 thrown in for balance. Nice warm bass, nice clear high end, much more clean sustain than my old acoustic. Man, I should take the rest of the day off and go play it all day.

Regarding the case, I had kinda hoped for the Geib style case (wood rather than thermoplastic) but this one seems to hold the guitar very well and seems sturdy and travel worthy, though it is interesting to note your comments that they mark up a bit easily. I have my MF Vintage arch top case if I want to swap some day anyway. I may not considering how well this case holds the guitar. I have homemade humidifiers loaded, and a hygrometer and Oasis sound hole humidifier on the way.

And Chip was a good ally, as were the good folks here. Thanks all! This was worth selling all that other stuff, plus my powder skis, etc. etc., though I will have to get another wah someday. I hope you enjoy it Kazz! I will enjoy this Martin!

[pes_laul]

Awesome dude, Looks great

[evenkeel]

Sounds like you've got a great guitar. Really pleased it all came together.


I missed the thread re: your Sunday acoustic jam. Sounds very fun. I'm sure your new Martin will hold it's own with the rest of the "band".

[luvmyshiner]

Sweet Steve! She's a real beaut!

[street music]

Congrats Steve, that is very nice.

[peachhead***]

That's pretty sweet. Congrats Steve!