While visiting Carmel-by-the-Sea yesterday, I happened to notice a few guitars in a very amazing antique store (Carmel Antiques). One of them was a '56
Martin 00-18. So I stopped in and played it for a while. It was a real beauty in sound and appearance. It's condition was very fine. A 1" or so
crack in the lower bout on the treble side had been beautifully stabolized with two tiny pyramid-shaped cleats. I love to see such careful repairs like that.
The shopkeeper was on the phone, and signalled to me that it was okay to handle the instrument, at which time he very courteously turned down the store's music so I could hear the guitar better. I played it for a few minutes, loving every second of it. Later we discussed it a little, he definitely had an appreciation for fine guitars, and told me that at one time his collection numbered 20.
I'm certain that if it had been a 1950 it would be on the wall next to my birth-year 000-18, but I was able to use the date as an excuse to resist it... that and the fact that I can't afford it right now :-)
It was a fine day, made finer by my brief encounter with such a lovely little Martin in such a beautiful setting.
The shopkeeper was on the phone, and signalled to me that it was okay to handle the instrument, at which time he very courteously turned down the store's music so I could hear the guitar better. I played it for a few minutes, loving every second of it. Later we discussed it a little, he definitely had an appreciation for fine guitars, and told me that at one time his collection numbered 20.
I'm certain that if it had been a 1950 it would be on the wall next to my birth-year 000-18, but I was able to use the date as an excuse to resist it... that and the fact that I can't afford it right now :-)
It was a fine day, made finer by my brief encounter with such a lovely little Martin in such a beautiful setting.
