Martin 0000-1
Garry Eister
0000-1 (quad ought-1.) I found out that, except for it's narrower
depth, it's the same size as the J-1 (Grand Auditorium.) Also,it
appears to have been discontinued by Martin. I know that it has a
matte finish, a spruce top, mahoganny (sp?) back and laminate sides. I
also read that they were not easy to find. I'd like to hear from
anyone w/ any additional info about this guitar, particularly info as
to why Martin discontinued this model.
Jeff M
Not sure why Martin discontinued them-I would guess lack of demand.
From what I have heard about them, other than the 1 11/16" nut, they
seem like a guitar I would really like.
Elderly gets regular shipments of "custom ordered" 0000's and has some
on hand now.
Joe Jordan
Assuming that the 0000-1 would be priced the same as the
D/J/000/OM-1, for not a whole lot more money (list price of
$1225 vs. $1099 for a D/J/OOO/OM-1) you can have a M-16GT.
Same body size, with solid mahogany back & sides, 1-3/4"
wide fingerboard at the nut, and gloss top.
Joe
____________________________
Joe D. Jordan
Mobile, AL
Hojo2x
>Martin 0000-1
>I'd like to hear from>anyone w/ any additional info about this guitar,
particularly info as>to why Martin discontinued this model.
Martin M/0000 size guitars have always been the redheaded stepchild of the
Martin line. They're a great guitar for a lot of applications, but they've
never sold particularly well in any incarnation.
I suspect that it's because they do take some real skill to get the best sound
out of them, whereas dreadnoughts give you a warm, rich tone with virtually no
effort or technique.
Whatever the underlying cause, M/0000 size instruments seem to come and go.
Martin has so many different models crowding its roster these days that
anything that doesn't perform up to expectations is likely to get dropped after
a while.
Hope that makes sense....
Wade Hampton Miller
Chugiak, Alaska
Garry Eister
about 1/2 a dozen other Martins in that price range. From the moment I picked it
up, I knew it was the one I wanted, so, of course, I really am not concerned that
Martin dropped it from its line.
A couple of weeks ago I bought a Rickenbacker electric six string, and the two
guitars have several significant features in common. Both guitars are clear as a
bell. When you strum a chord, you can hear every note. Both guitars have a lovely
even balance between the low and high parts of their range. Both guitars have
necks that fit my hand just right. Neither guitar responds well to "beating" or
"choking." Both guitars require that I pay attention when I play, but I like this
feature about them. What you said about dreadnaughts yielding nice results with
"virtually no effort or technique," has some truth to it, but a guitar that
requires my attention as I play, brings out the better player in me.
Again, thanks.
hoj...@aol.com (Hojo2x) wrote in message news:<20020513172113...@mb-cp.aol.com>...
AMost2001
<< Thanks for the good info. I bought a 0000-1 this past weekend after playing
it and
about 1/2 a dozen other Martins in that price range. From the moment I picked
it
up, I knew it was the one I wanted, so, of course, I really am not concerned
that
Martin dropped it from its line.
>>
I played an 0000-28H(maybe) years ago in a store....it knocked me out. I since
read on the internet they're dogs. hahah
Congrats!
Garry Eister
Thanks. One man's "dog" is another's best friend. I called customer
relations at Martin about this guitar. The fellow I talked to, a man
named Dale, was knowledgeable, friendly and most helpful. He told me
the following: During the earlier part of the previous century, there
was a luthier in NY (whose name escapes me; I think his first name was
Milt and his second name started with a "Uz...." ; if there are any
guitar history buffs here who can straighten me out on this, please
do!) Anyway, when this luthier would get in an arch top guitar with a
cracked top that needed repair, he would recommend that the customer
replace the arch top with a flat top. The resulting instrument came to
be called by the designation "grand auditorium," and the Martin 0000-1
(and 0000-M) are modeled after these.
Like me, Dale at Martin was a little perplexed as to why these weren't
better selling guitars. He cited the evenness of the tone throughout
its range as a big plus of this kind of guitar (as I mentioned above.)
He also remarked that these were particularly good recording guitars.
Honestly, that was one of my first thoughts when I played mine at the
shop. I do a fair amount of recording, and I was immediately excited
by its balance, (although I haven't had a chance yet to record it, so
I have no opinion about that at this point.) According to Dale, Martin
made 115 of these (0000-1's) in 1998, 67 of them in 1999 and 84 of
them in 2000, and now, they aren't making them anymore. So, I am
doubly thrilled that I not only have a wonderful guitar, but I have
one of only 266 that were made. Honestly, I don't buy instruments as a
monetary investment. I buy them to play. But I don't mind having a
wonderful instrument that is also on the rare side.
Oops. Gotta go practice!
G
AMost2001
Oops. Gotta go practice!
G
>>
Thanks - that was good read - enjoy.
My tunes at:
http://www.geocities.com/mondoslugness
vipe...@metronet.com
:>Martin 0000-1
:>I'd like to hear from>anyone w/ any additional info about this guitar,
: particularly info as>to why Martin discontinued this model.
: Martin M/0000 size guitars have always been the redheaded stepchild of the
: Martin line. They're a great guitar for a lot of applications, but they've
: never sold particularly well in any incarnation.
That, Wade, is a great discription. I do not know why, however. I think
the Martin lines of 0000/M and J guitars are the best they make. Martin
seems to be stereotyped as the premier maker of dreads and that is what
everyone wants when they buy Martin. It is a shame. I value my M-38
above all my other guitars, and this includes a couple of custom Kinscherffs.
My J-18 is my favorite to play because it sounds great and it just very
comfortable to play. My least favortie are my Martin dreads. They sound
great, but they are by comparison just awkward to hold.
: I suspect that it's because they do take some real skill to get the best sound
: out of them, whereas dreadnoughts give you a warm, rich tone with virtually no
: effort or technique.
I do not agree. They do take a little getting used to because they are not
as deep-bodied as a dread. For the longest I raised my right leg upon
which the guitar is seated by proping my foot on the toes. It took a while
for me to break this habit. The 0000/M/J styles are consitently balanced
and that makes them easier to play.
: Whatever the underlying cause, M/0000 size instruments seem to come and go.
: Martin has so many different models crowding its roster these days that
: anything that doesn't perform up to expectations is likely to get dropped after
: a while.
Sadly, this is true.
: Hope that makes sense....
Yep,
Regards,
Stan Milam.
: Wade Hampton Miller
: Chugiak, Alaska
--
Reply To: milam "at" metronet "dot" com
=============================================================
Charter Member of The Society for Mediocre Guitar Playing on
Expensive Instruments, Ltd.
=============================================================
John Albert
<< I called customer relations at Martin about this guitar. The fellow I
talked to, a man named Dale, was knowledgeable, friendly and most helpful.
He told me the following: During the earlier part of the previous century,
there was a luthier in NY (whose name escapes me; I think his first name
was Milt and his second name started with a "Uz...." ; if there are any
guitar history buffs here who can straighten me out on this, please do!)>>
That would be Matt Umanov in downtown Manhattan.
Matt would take the old Martin "C-2" guitars -- which I believe had
rosewood bodies with carved spruce tops -- and "retop" them, creating an
"0000-sized" flattop guitar with a body essentially "one size larger" than
the traditional "000" size.
The guitarist who really gave this new "size" good exposure was David
Bromberg, who played one through the 70's (I was at many of his shows in
the NYC area).
Martin picked up on the idea and introduced their new "M-38" guitar
around 1978. This also coincided with the historical "Martin strike",
during which the guitars that _did_ get built were assembled by supervisory
personnel. I have one of the earlier M-38's from this period, bought new,
in fact.
Also have a very unusual M-size guitar that (according to what I'm told)
Chris Martin had made for himself. It's an "M-42 Custom Deluxe" that is an
M-size with 42-style appointments (highly unusual in 1980), but with all
body bindings "reversed" (i.e., black-for-white and white-for-black).
Somehow the factory erred, and put a torch-style inlay in the peghead
(Chris wanted the "C.F. Martin" lettering). So, he let the guitar go up for
sale, and I ended up with it. It has one of the finest East Indian Rosewood
bodies I've ever seen -- convincing me that the best East Indian Rosewood
is equal in "visual quality" to Brazillian. With the black bindings, the
guitar looks more like a classical guitar than a steel string....
- John
AMost2001
- John >>
I din't write that but thanks.
Garry Eister
> John wrote:
> << G Eister wrote:
> there was a luthier in NY (whose name escapes me; I think his first name
> was Milt and his second name started with a "Uz...." ; if there are any
> guitar history buffs here who can straighten me out on this, please do!)>>
>
> That would be Matt Umanov in downtown Manhattan.
> Matt would take the old Martin "C-2" guitars -- which I believe had
> rosewood bodies with carved spruce tops -- and "retop" them, creating an
> "0000-sized" flattop guitar with a body essentially "one size larger" than
> the traditional "000" size.
> The guitarist who really gave this new "size" good exposure was David
> Bromberg, who played one through the 70's (I was at many of his shows in
> the NYC area).
> Martin picked up on the idea and introduced their new "M-38" guitar
> around 1978. This also coincided with the historical "Martin strike",
> during which the guitars that _did_ get built were assembled by supervisory
> personnel. I have one of the earlier M-38's from this period, bought new,
> in fact.
John,
Thanks for straightening out my story.
Garry
Joe McNamara
Just to keep the record straight, the re-topped guitars that were the basis for
the M were "F" models, which are 16" across, not the smaller, 15" "C" body,
(which is the same width as a 000.) Marc Silber did the same conversion at
around the same time and there are two schools of thought about who gets the
credit- since Marc's a buddy, I'll toss a friendly vote his way. (huzzahs for
whomever did. I've got a custom 0000-42K in the works as we speak.)
BTW, the strike was 9/77-5/78. And while it's popular to believe that the
strike guitars "built by supervisory personnel" are somehow inferior, guys that
are still at Martin today will tell you that while work in progress guitars
were "finished" during the strike, no new work was started. And the managers
and foreman who finished these instruments had gotten to those supervisory
positions by dint of their hard work and skill.
I wasn't there at this time, but I've had several conversations with co-workers
who were, and the general feeling is that "strike' guitars are probably just as
good as those produced immediatly before and after the 8-month long strike.
Joe McNamara
westpen...@gmail.com
> Thanks. One man's "dog" is another's best friend. I called customer
> relations at Martin about this guitar. The fellow I talked to, a man
> named Dale, was knowledgeable, friendly and most helpful. He told me
> the following: During the earlier part of the previous century, there
> was a luthier in NY (whose name escapes me; I think his first name was
> Milt and his second name started with a "Uz...." ; if there are any
> guitar history buffs here who can straighten me out on this, please
> do!) Anyway, when this luthier would get in an arch top guitar with a
> cracked top that needed repair, he would recommend that the customer
> replace the arch top with a flat top. The resulting instrument came to
> be called by the designation "grand auditorium," and the Martin 0000-1
> (and 0000-M) are modeled after these.
http://www.umanovguitars.com/news/s-2013-03-15/
mark.b...@gmail.com
> I think this is may be the story you're talking about:
> http://www.umanovguitars.com/news/s-2013-03-15/
gtr
in this and other newsgroups. Seems to serve participants well, as the
subject matter is almost always of value. Not to say the friendly and
more personable "I got a gig on Tuesday" posts aren't appreciated...