Official Luthiers Forum!

I've been taking a bit of a break from Classicals to work on several antique Martins which have always been of great interest to me.
This is a 1921 Martin 0-28.
I submit these photos of the remains of the original top in response to many folks who think that it's perfectly ok to use steel strings on these......
The back and side assembly needed extensive clean up of old bad repairs (I found no fewer than three different types of glue used on this one) and an extensive re-repair of both old and new cracks (thanks Fedex).


Here are the nearly completed internal fixes:

Fortunately, and one of the reasons I decided to take on this particular guitar, I've had for quite some time now an original Martin Style 28 never used red spruce top from the 1920's.
This was acquired at a time when a lot of surplus stuff was being sold out of the old Martin factory.
Here's the top with the appropriate bracing pattern and configuration now added ready to be fitted.
I still need to add the little cloth reinforcement patch always seen on old Martins.....

Since this guitar has been refinished (at least once...) I'll remove it on the sides and back and completely replace all the binding and purflings in the correct original style.
The neck is original and in decent shape so it will be preserved in its original condition though a new fretboard will be needed to fix a later poorly done replacement.
I'll French polish the body and fit a new pyramid bridge to match what was on it originally with an angled saddle the only compromise so that the guitar, now properly braced to take light steel strings, will intonate well.

www.guitarsbydavidlaplante.com

David,

Beautiful work, please keep us posted on your progress. BTW, you don't happen to have any more of those old tops laying around, do you.........?

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Jimmy Caldwell
http://www.caldwellguitars.com

That one was the last of the really old ones....I still have some Martin tops and necks of 60's vintage...............
Are you looking for anything in particular?

Thanks Dave , I will be following this link for sure. For those of you that may not know , David did restorations at the New York Stringed Instrument Museum. To have a luthier of this caliber here is an honor.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

David,

I'm always interested in good quality old wood. When you have time, PM me with what you've got. Thanks very much.

_________________
Jimmy Caldwell
http://www.caldwellguitars.com

Hi John,
Just in the interest of accuracy I supervised the Restoration department (as well as Exhibit Fabrication and Preparation) at the New York State Museum in Albany for 34 years.

Best!

Im in the process of building a parlour from S Antes plans and I was intending to use steel strings on it.. There have been many a parlour and smaller size guitar unvieled here and practically all of them have had steel strings on them... which led me to believe it would be fine to do that.
Is there a difference in top construction methods to allow for the extra tension on such small guitar>? The bracing on that Martin looks about the same size and material (meaning spruce not particularily red spruce or anything so specific) as every other one Ive seen steel strung...
I am familiar with damage of "over stringing" on smaller guitars - I rescued an old Joseph Obrecht parlour that was being played with steel strings.. with predictably disastrous consequences... It cost me a Mexican Strat at the time... but from what Im aware of of Mr Obrechts building career.. its one of the few parlours he ever built - so good trade I think.

So what gives - are they (SS parlours OOO's etc) just made with a limited top life span in mind?
Or are the omdifications or techniques that allow for steel strings -
I have to admit Im in the dark on this one..
Cheers
Charlie

The top thickness on these old gut guitars was about .075"-.090" so to be on the safe side you should leave off at .100" to .105" also the top bracing was quite dainty by comparison to those made for steel (easier to see the difference in person than a photo).
If you make the main "X" out of 1/4" width stock with good vertical grain and avoid too deep scalloping at the middle and ends (leave at about .15" for the "X") you should be ok for light guage steel.