https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:15:12 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-341150 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:43:43 +0000
None of the local shops here will touch her. They either quote outragous prices or tell me flat out they won't do it. So I've contacted Martin guitars. All they really say is without actually seeing the instrument it's difficult to say but they have no doubts she can be returned to her original condition.

so I'm seeing a road trip in my future. :D

Spring, Dad and I on a road trip to the Martin guitar company.
man that'll be cool.

I'll try the image shack thing. I'm not terribly computer savvy I just know enough to annoy people on the interweb with endless questions.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance EMT https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-341150 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-341134 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:14:01 +0000
Make sense?

You can get free image hosting at imageshack.us, photobucket.com, and other places. Then use the tags at the right of this text input box for linking to your photos. I think everyone would really like to see this guitar!

Cheers!

ltt]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance lethargytartare https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-341134 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-341133 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:00:58 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance lethargytartare https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-341133 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-341129 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:26:36 +0000 dad thought it was from 52.

edit: if you look at martins online catlogue it's on page 25 or 26. the body is taking the entire page. thats what she looks like,,,sorta. she's had some other work done over the years. i guess it's a road series. guess they still make that series]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance EMT https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-341129 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-341017 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:50:40 +0000
Tell ya what, though, I'd be willing to take it off your hands for... :evil:

Kidding. Be very careful with that one. If it's a Martin, and it's from the 50s, odds are good it's worth quite a bit. Depending on condition, maybe worth a pile.

I do all my own work on my guitars...but I wouldn't work on that one. Get estimates for anything you want done, and get a decent pro to do it.

Even if you're not thinking of selling it, it's probably worth having it appraised a few places. If for no other reason because it may be worth enough to list it on your insurance.


Best,
Ande]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Ande https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-341017 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-340964 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:17:33 +0000 dunno why but that's how grandad like his guitar.

mostly i think everyones over charging to avoid working on it. one guy even suggested i just send it back to martin.
it's a 57 year old acoustic so no one around here wants to touch it. with the action lowered i can muddle through with the grooved frets Wait . . . this is a 1952 MARTIN You're talking about here? Take that guitar and have it appraised! It could be a very valuable instrument.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Moonrider https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-340964 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-340960 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:44:52 +0000 if i look in the soundhole i can see an O-15 on the base of the neck. dunno what that means. now you've got me curious. think i'll pay a visit to martins website. might be some help there.
i wasn't gonna do anything else to her. i just needed the action lowered.
i wanted to rebuild one as much for learning about the instrument as much as hopes of building something playable.

i'd post pictures if i knew how.

i'll get back to here once i find something out.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance EMT https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-340960 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-340956 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:18:56 +0000
Don't touch it any more. If it IS a vintage Martin, and you're just learning how to work on guitars, you run a risk of destroying a valuable instrument. Off the cuff, what it sounds like it needs is a just a nice full setup. Set the relief, adjust the bridge, intonate, dress the frets, maybe a new nut -- all told, $150 should be an ample budget to get the work done by a pro, and depending on the model, that would be a very good investment -- and if you intend to play it, the result will be better than anything you can get from a pawn shop and work up yourself.

My advice: drive in to Columbus, take it to as many shops as you can, ask for them to tell you what work they'd advise, and to give you an estimate. Then take it home and mull it over -- post back here if you want. But you need a few estimates -- if it IS a valuable instrument, you might get shops that puff their rates figuring you'll be willing to spend it given the value of the guitar.

And a couple of other things: if a shop is going to replace the nut or saddle, make sure you insist on keeping the originals -- they might be of significant value were you to sell the guitar later.

Make sense? Looking forward to pics and more info!!

ltt]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance lethargytartare https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/paged/2/#post-340956 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/#post-340951 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:28:45 +0000 dunno why but that's how grandad like his guitar.

mostly i think everyones over charging to avoid working on it. one guy even suggested i just send it back to martin.
it's a 57 year old acoustic so no one around here wants to touch it. with the action lowered i can muddle through with the grooved frets.

i've only been at this for a months and i'm already looking at other guitars, is that wrong?

a fella in another thread just snagged one from a pawn shop and is redoing it. i may take that approach as i think i would learn a great deal about them this way. think this is advisable for a rookie or could this quickly become a minor disaster?]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance EMT https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/#post-340951 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/#post-340794 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:06:08 +0000 it's easier to play as i can get cords without hitting the other strings now.
this makes woody happy. A couple of nickels is VERY high -- most guys aim for business-card-thickness between strings and the frets. But what do you mean by "the piece of wood he removed"?? Where did he remove any wood? Was this an acoustic guitar, or was it something he found in the neck pocket?

all that said, you should be able to dress the frets a couple of times in the life of your guitar to address significant pitting and divots in the frets -- and a fret dressing should only cost you 40-70 bucks (or so, depending on your area).

But 500 for a refret sounds really really high -- I think 250-350 is a more reasonable range (that seems to be the range here in the Chicago area).

cheers!

ltt]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance lethargytartare https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/refretting/#post-340794