What is wrong with this Martin Guitar

[Dominic]

I was asked to make the bridge pins on this Martin fit better. But that is the least of it problems. Anyone see what the problem is?

Killian Canberra 012 (Custom).JPG

Amazing it could get through quality control.
Dom

[Kim]

Skew neck most certainly and off set bridge as well possibly..Makes me wonder if they employed the same bloke who put my 1973 F11 Matey together?

Cheers

Kim

[Puff]

Bridge headed north for winter?

[Kim]

Yes, look how the joint in the top is in line with the "G" string and not between the "G" and "D". I would still run a centre finder down that neck though to make sure, I have seen factory built guitars with the bridge glued off set on purpose to address a skew neck...obviously it is faster to do that than fix the real error and give the customer a decent product.

Cheers

Kim

[DarwinStrings]

Wow, it got past quality control then it got past the sales staff in the retail outlet and then it may have snuck past the person who bought if from the retail outlet, hmmmm unless it was marked down by quite a few dollars.

Jim

[kiwigeo]

The distance between top E and edge of fretboard was first thing I noticed.

How does something like this get past Martin QC??

[Dominic]

The numer indicates it was made in 2006. I checked the neck and it is straight, body has not moved so its just the bridge glued way off the centre line. Can't imagine they would sell seconds at marked down prices without indicating it on the guitar somewhere. Even then, not a good look for them to have poorly made guitars on the market with the Martin name on. Imagine taking all that time to make a guitar then stuffing up the last step. Worse, imagine being the proud new owner of a Martin you spent over $2000 on and ending up with this. Go hand made people.
Dom

[Puff]

No 'major' name will intentionally sell a second.
If defects are noticed the instrument will be degraded and sloughed off through a clearing house process whereby the instrument gets another name.
Where was QC? On stress leave and that new kid from "Marketing" was covering?

[christian]

Sadly this doesn't surprise me at all, the folk at Martin have reached an even lower low lately with their addition of Formica back and sides and plywood necks. Amazing what you can get way with when you put a Martin logo on it eh ? nice marketing too calling it HPL (high pressure laminate) call it by its common name Formica !!! yip the same stuff on your kitchen counter.
its a sad day when you have to manufacture the material that you are going build your instruments with.
not to environmentally friendly is it ?

hahaha and I wouldn't recommend doing a Jimi Hendrix and trying to set it on fire cause the chemical fumes from the glues will kill you !
Sorry guys for the rant, but I used to have so much respect for Martin.


Cheers,

Christian

[kiwigeo]

Sadly this doesn't surprise me at all, the folk at Martin have reached an even lower low lately with their addition of Formica back and sides and plywood necks. Amazing what you can get way with when you put a Martin logo on it eh ? nice marketing too calling it HPL (high pressure laminate) call it by its common name Formica !!! yip the same stuff on your kitchen counter.
its a sad day when you have to manufacture the material that you are going build your instruments with.
not to environmentally friendly is it ?

hahaha and I wouldn't recommend doing a Jimi Hendrix and trying to set it on fire cause the chemical fumes from the glues will kill you !
Sorry guys for the rant, but I used to have so much respect for Martin.


Cheers,

Christian

I hate those cheap looking Martins with no binding/purfs....looks cheap and Im not having it!! They either start using bindings or stop using my name on their guitars!!

[Allen]

They paid WHAT? You gotta be S#*TTING me!!!

I gotta raise my prices....

[Clancy]

I once brought a 'skewed bridge' to the attention of an instrument retail sales guy.
I told him he couldn't sell it like that.
The sales guy very kindly told me that I had no idea what I was talking about, and that the bridge was angled for intonation puposes ! (yes, the saddle was also angled...)
All I could do was walk out shaking my head and feel sorry for the poor unknowing bastard who would buy it

[DarwinStrings]

All I could do was walk out shaking my head and feel sorry for the poor unknowing bastard who would buy it

That is what I find interesting about this thread, who buys a guitar at these sort of prices without knowing what they are looking for, surly when any one who has played a bit of guitar goes out to buy a high end factory job they would think, "Jeez this E is a bit close to the edge". By the look of that pic and the way I play I would be shoving the E off the edge even on a open G chord.

Jim

[kiwigeo]

What I would like to see is a reaction from Martin when confronted with Dom's photos. When you pay $2000 for a high end guitar youre not just paying for a guitar, you're paying for the company that made it to address any post production issues and put them right.

[jeffhigh]

Thats really crook, but CF Martin's warranty is to the original purchaser only, so they probably won't do anything if it has changed hands, despite a glaringly obvious manufacturing defect.
It's not really a high end guitar in the USA, more a budget guitar trading on the brand name.

[kiwigeo]

It's not really a high end guitar in the USA, more a budget guitar trading on the brand name.

That sounds about right.

[Puff]

,,,,and a gullible market

[Kim]

All I could do was walk out shaking my head and feel sorry for the poor unknowing bastard who would buy it

That is what I find interesting about this thread, who buys a guitar at these sort of prices without knowing what they are looking for, surly when any one who has played a bit of guitar goes out to buy a high end factory job they would think, "Jeez this E is a bit close to the edge". By the look of that pic and the way I play I would be shoving the E off the edge even on a open G chord.

Jim

Doesn't work like that Jim..you have not taken into account how more money spent can make you a great player right from scratch and negate the need for all that nasty practice stuff...so if you start out with a cheapo, and within 2 months your not getting quite as good as TommyE, the answer is simple, more money. If ur a cashed up miner or professional what ever..I 'can' see some benefit in that philosophy as long as you don't strike a bunky like this one. When you throw in the towel after 6 months because you have not been offered a recording contract yet, you would have at least dazzled the punters for a few months with how flash ur guitar is even if you do still struggle to get from F to G in slow 4/4, and you will also get most of your moe back if you have looked after it....and sometimes even more with what some dickheads are prepared to pay just to win an auction on ebay....no doubt another beginner working on the same philosophy.

Cheers

Kim

[charangohabsburg]

Makes me wonder if this guitar has ever seen the Martin factory from inside.

[ozwood]

People are stupid,

I have a Mate that has a shrine dedicated to Cole Clarke, I've been making and repairing Guitars for a while now, He won't even aknowledge any guitar that does'nt have a Cole clarke label on it , I was showing a mate a Cutom Tele I made for a pro muso , his reply was" Why did'nt he buy the Cole clarke one"!!!! with that sort of one eyed brand loyalty what can you do , this poor bastard has either never looked inside his fat chick , or never looked inside a handmade one to see the Difference! These are the sorts of people that see a brand go blind and part with their cash oblivious to the plastic nut , saddle, bridge pins and 3 inch action . it must be good cause it carries a brand name , doesn't mattter that it's made from laminex and plywood with the bridge 7 mm off centre .

We as hand builders need to look after and cherish those who come to us for what we know are instruments with a soul , made for sound , with pride .

Paul.

[What Democracy?]

This, I believe Gentlemen, is one of the contributing factors to Martin Factory's overall control of product.

Firstly, an interesting little article on a loop hole through China that lets these guitars materialise onto our markets. (Yes, I have seen Chinese made Brand-name "Marked" or "Branded" instruments that were clearly fakes, being passed off as the real thing "New" in 2nd hand and instrument stores.)
Check out Martin's Chinese position now, between a rock and a hard place.
http://www.musicincmag.com/News/2010/10 ... artin.html

Here is an example of a current so-called "Martin" you, I or anyone else with a credit card and a net connection can buy.
Not much of a stretch to imagine a few less scrupulous shoppers falling over one or two of these in their travels?
http://www.tradetang.com/for-sale/free- ... 68045.html

I should imagine that you find this dubious heritage as equally disturbing as the "tolerances" by which you have been so rudely confronted at the beginning of this thread. There should be a warning to children on here!

Ben.

[DarwinStrings]

Kim, Paul and Ben............Long sad sigh.

Jim

[Dominic]

It had crossed my mind it could be a fake. But the serial number checked out with the label and it all looked very Martin, we found the number on their web site. Came in an original Martin case. Could all be fake of course and serial number could be copied but apart from the bridge it was a nicely made guitar with solid top and mahogany back and sides and ebony fretboard. Anyway, who knows, at least the bridge pins fit properly now.
Dom

[bunker]

Just a quick true story that sort of relates to how a guitar like this can be purchased. Back in the 80's one of my clients was a very successful local builder who loved music, an old "bodgie" so that should date him. He used to serenade his wife with old Elvis songs etc played on a nasty Asian Gibson copy that had about a half inch action. He had to go to Perth for some back treatment and rang me from there one morning to say he was going into Zenith Music to buy a new guitar and having played my old Martin D18 wanted to get a nice one similar and what was the name and model of mine so he could write it down. I am sure the sales person had thought they were still asleep and dreaming when first thing in the morning a bloke in thongs and stubbie shorts walks in and when asked what he was after pulled out a piece of paper and said I want to buy a D18 Martin. Unfortunately they didn't have one in stock at the time and he ended up taking a D35 without even playing it. It was a nice instrument and played beautifully, but as far as he was concerned if you buy the best brand you get the best result, however, as this post shows it ain't necessarily so.

Archie

[Nick]

Ben's second (and first to some extent) link is just plain scary right down to the 'Chinglish' description. Seems to be a waste of time coming up with anything of your own design that might be useful if the Chinese can employ these practises.