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Playing around with "new" Martin

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Basil

Basil

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I put "new" in quotes because, while I bought this guitar fairly recently as an early Christmas present to myself (November 14), it is actually 43 years old. When I was a young airman, I bought this exact same year and model new. Sometime during the 80's I did something really stupid; I sold my Martin D12-35 and I spend the rest of my life kicking myself for that stupid move! I didn't realize how much I would miss it until I didn't have it!

Fast forward to November 2014. One day on my lunch break I was scanning through Craig's List when I saw an ad for a "used" Martin D12-35! It was for sale by a lady in Las Cruces, about 3 hours south. It had belonged to her husband who had died 10 years prior and it had been languishing in her closet collecting dust all these years. When I called her, she told me it was a 1972 model - the same year as the one I had originally!

For a 43 year old guitar, it was in pretty darned good shape, save the expected crazing of the finish (but you have to look really close to see it). Anyway, I was playing around with Screenflow on my MacBook and ended up playing along to a Boston song (Amanda). This was done in one take so I know there are a few flubs. I used the camera on my MB and a Blue Yeti omnidirectional mic.

 
Great luck to find that guitar!

I don't think I have the fingers for a 12 string (I have a Yamaha folk guitar with nylon strings and a fat neck for my equally fat fingers).

I've been to the Martin factory (it's not too far from here). Neat place!

One of my best friends for the last 50 years just gave up playing guitar due to arthritis. I actually taught him how to play (but he ended up being much, much better than me and even made a little money playing).
It's not all sad however; he bought an Irish harp and is now playing that instead (and very nicely too).

If anyone else wants the chords and lyrics to Amanda you can find them ~HERE~
 
Nice find! I have a Takamine EF 385 that I bought new around '85. Love the sound of a 12 string. (Though I've heard it described as sounding like a bag of dulcimers!)
 
I love the sound of a 12 string guitar! Chet Atkins music has always been on top of my list also. Yes, I like Braums too! :encouragement: PJ
 
Mickey Richaud said:
Nice find! I have a Takamine EF 385 that I bought new around '85. Love the sound of a 12 string. (Though I've heard it described as sounding like a bag of dulcimers!)
Click to expand...

I've always been partial to 12-strings. I'm a lousy player and only play for my own enjoyment, but have always loved the sound of good 12-string. One of my favorite sounding guitars was the big Guild John Denver used to play.

Speaking of Dulcimers, I've got this in my iTunes collection. Very relaxing.

ham.jpg
 
Martin acoustics are the best. +1 for the 12-string comments. 43 years old is still relatively young for a Martin?

My "daily driver" tenor sax is a 1945 Buescher "Big B" Model 155. Love the sound of the old American horns at full bore. Oldest in my collection is a 1913 Conn Curved soprano, which I learned, is the same vintage Dave Kos likes to use.
 
SaxMan said:
Martin acoustics are the best. +1 for the 12-string comments. 43 years old is still relatively young for a Martin?

My "daily driver" tenor sax is a 1945 Buescher "Big B" Model 155. Love the sound of the old American horns at full bore. Oldest in my collection is a 1913 Conn Curved soprano, which I learned, is the same vintage Dave Kos likes to use.
Click to expand...

Do you mean Dave Koz (who I also have in my iTunes collection)?
 
Basil said:
.............only play for my own enjoyment..............One of my favorite sounding guitars was the big Guild John Denver used to play.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I only play for my own enjoyment too.

But when we go to the beach for a week in the Summer with the kids and grandkids, I always bring all three of my wooden guitars and I force my son-in-laws to sing and play with me. We sound awful but it's great fun. Sort of a family tradition. We do stuff like Molly Malone and Tennessee Waltz.

Funny that you mentioned John Denver: PBS had a great special about him last night on our local station.
~James Burton~ was in the show and he said people never really realized how good a musician Denver was.

You can see an abbreviated video of the show ~HERE~

I've always been a fan of JD. Saw him live at a small, local concert in Waterloo Village here in NJ in 1990. Linda is a huge fan too and she was actually at the same Waterloo show that I attended (but we were just friends at the time).

By the way, I think Mickey's guitar is sometimes called a "lawsuit Tak" because it's such a good copy of a Martin.
 
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nice find basil....have hd 28 that i like torture with my playing style....
 
I have an Ibanez 12 that I like to torture every now and then. My main instrument of destruction is an Dean 6-string. It plays very nice, and has the electric pickup built in. I have a 1959 Gibson that I got from a friend. All mahogany. It's just the student model, so it's not big money, but I still like playing it. It has a nice old timey sound. The first songs I learned were John Denver tunes. Back Home Again, Country Roads, Grandma's Feather Bed, Matthew, and I'm sure a few others I can't think of right now. I was blown away by how he could pick a 12 string like a 6 string! I could never do that. He'll always be one of my favorites.
Currently I'm trying to make a trade for a folk banjo made by a local craftsman. I have a nice set of drums that I realize I will never put the time into learning how to play.
 
Basil said:
Do you mean Dave Koz (who I also have in my iTunes collection)?
Click to expand...

Yes. Typo on my behalf. If you check out the video for the song "Make Me Smile", you can see he is playing a vintage Conn curved soprano.
 
aeronca65t said:
By the way, I think Mickey's guitar is sometimes called a "lawsuit Tak" because it's such a good copy of a Martin.
Click to expand...

The earlier Taks' had a squared-off headstock and logo that mimicked the Martins'; I think that's one design aspect that generated that nickname. I had an early six-string Takamine like that which I traded for a later model maple Takamine (EF350MC). Both it and the 12-string have a great sound, at least to my ear.
 
aeronca65t said:
Yeah, I only play for my own enjoyment too.

But when we go to the beach for a week in the Summer with the kids and grandkids, I always bring all three of my wooden guitars and I force my son-in-laws to sing and play with me. We sound awful but it's great fun. Sort of a family tradition. We do stuff like Molly Malone and Tennessee Waltz.

Funny that you mentioned John Denver: PBS had a great special about him last night on our local station.
~James Burton~ was in the show and he said people never really realized how good a musician Denver was.

You can see an abbreviated video of the show ~HERE~

I've always been a fan of JD. Saw him live at a small, local concert in Waterloo Village here in NJ in 1990. Linda is a huge fan too and she was actually at the same Waterloo show that I attended (but we were just friends at the time).

By the way, I think Mickey's guitar is sometimes called a "lawsuit Tak" because it's such a good copy of a Martin.
Click to expand...

I always loved John Denvers music! Such a sad loss when he died at such a young age. PJ
 
Basil said:
I've always been partial to 12-strings. I'm a lousy player and only play for my own enjoyment, but have always loved the sound of good 12-string. One of my favorite sounding guitars was the big Guild John Denver used to play.

Speaking of Dulcimers, I've got this in my iTunes collection. Very relaxing.
Click to expand...

Nice old Martin 12 string, Basil. A good old guitar is a wonderful thing, and that's a great find to get another one like the one you sold. Hang on to it now!

My ~main guitar~ is from 2009 and was built by a friend of mine, though gig years are hard on a guitar -- kinda like dog years. My mandolin, though, is a 1923 Gibson A that is just a joy to play.

A friend of mine plays the hammered dulcimer. What a neat sound, and fascinating to watch. Too many strings for me, I'd get all crosseyed! :crazyeyes:

SaxMan said:
My "daily driver" tenor sax is a 1945 Buescher "Big B" Model 155. Love the sound of the old American horns at full bore.
Click to expand...

Back when I was a sax player in another life I played a 40s Conn 12M Bari -- long since sold on to a good friend (and fantastic horn player). Those old horns just have so much soul.
 
:lol:
 
I once won a Mexican guitar in a poker game but my hands and fingers wouldn't let me play so I sold it for $40.00. But wait. There's hope. I now own 5 ukuleles - a soprano (cheap), tenor (good), concert (good) baritone (fair - like a 4-string guitar) and a banjo uke my daughter bought me for my 80th birthday. I belong to two groups that get together to play - one in Florida and one here in CT. So to all you would-be guitar shredders out there who are struggling to play, I say forget those last 2 strings and get yourself a baritone, tenor or concert uke. You'll pick it up right away and I'm sure there's a meetup group in your area to play with.
 
pdplot said:
I once won a Mexican guitar in a poker game but my hands and fingers wouldn't let me play so I sold it for $40.00. But wait. There's hope. I now own 5 ukuleles - a soprano (cheap), tenor (good), concert (good) baritone (fair - like a 4-string guitar) and a banjo uke my daughter bought me for my 80th birthday. I belong to two groups that get together to play - one in Florida and one here in CT. So to all you would-be guitar shredders out there who are struggling to play, I say forget those last 2 strings and get yourself a baritone, tenor or concert uke. You'll pick it up right away and I'm sure there's a meetup group in your area to play with.
Click to expand...

Yup. My latest venture is five-string banjo. I'm learning to play clawhammer style, and there's a Monday night jam here in Townsend that I've joined which has made it that much more enjoyable. Great new "family" of folks and I hardly ever miss a session. No banjo ukes, but there is a baritone uke and a couple of "banjammers", a cross between a mountain dulcimer and a banjo.
 
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