Does anyone recognize this?

[bowstreetrunnner]

First off I am an ELDEGAS Newbie; Does anyone recognize this guitar? If so what is your opinion? is it a good buy for under $200? Can anyone tell me more about it? Thanks!

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[charles]

I was looking at that ad, too

That's a 70's MIJ Martin copy.
I would pay $150-200 without much hesitation. Do it now, or I will!!

[bowstreetrunnner]

Charles,

Thanks for the info! I have contacted the seller and made arrangements to go see it when I return to Med Hat next week. If it looks as good as the pics ands sounds equally good I am sure I'll be taking it home.

I am an electric guitar player but want to expand my horizons by returning to playing acoustic. When I started playing guitar I used cheap laminated acoustics and the playability and sound was just horrible; since then I have played some very nice and often expensive acoustics that have rekindled my love for that natural sound. I have a few questions, do you know what model of Martin this is a copy of (d35)? What kind of wood does it appear to be and how will that affect sound? And being a 70s MIJ my understanding is the quality fit and finish should be excellent should I expect it to have a solid top? Sorry for all the questions as I said I am. Newbie I am much more familiar with pickups electronics and amps. Any help or info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[charles]

Unfortunately on these questions I am going to be a lot less help.

The Martin copies from El Degas tend to vary a bit from the models Martin produces nowadays, so pinning down the exact model they are copying can be tough.

Not sure if that will have a solid or laminate top. I always let my ears & eyes decide if the guitar is worth it - if it sounds as pretty as it looks in the photos and looks as nice as that in person, I'd not be too worried about what it's made of (as long as the construction is good ).

Let us know how you make out.

[bowstreetrunnner]

Thanks Charles! I will definitely let you know how it goes, and I will post some better quality pics for the "Show and Tell"!

[charles]

Sounds good - saves me some money and a trip to Medicine Hat

[Barry]

Wow, that's a beauty!
I'm not sure which Martin it's modeled after but I'm pretty sure that it's an all mahogany construction, and almost certain to be a solid top.
Looking forward to pictures!

[bowstreetrunnner]

Barry, I was thinking that it is mahogany as well; perhaps it's loosely based on the Martin 00-17? I am looking forward to seeing it; but I am not so thrilled to be going back to work. I'll be sure to update this thread and hopefully I can find out more from the owner!

[Barry]

I've having a re-think about this guitar and it just might be a Koa top instead of Mahogany. Mahogany does not normally have such beautiful grain variations and tends to be a fairly uniform, tight grain.
Koa can be a very "dramatic" wood exhibiting a flame or burst with lots of dark streaking, but it can also be a bit more subtle with more a gradual grain pattern. Martin did produce some models with Koa tops. Many of them are quite flamboyant but you can find examples which look similar to yours:
http://davesguitar.com/martin/custom-00 ... -12623.asp
http://martinacoustic.org/2003-martin-d ... utiful/244
http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/10U-5486.htm

Keep in mind that these were originally "budget" level guitars back in the day. Many of the ED's were not direct clones of any particular model but rather a combination of like elements from several models; whatever was economical to incorporate and manufacture. This seems particularly so with the M series which can be confusing to track, even for the real thing. The Gibson, Guild and Fender clones appear to be more faithful reproductions.

Whatever yours is, it looks amazing and I'd grab it with both sweaty hands!

[bowstreetrunnner]

Thanks for all the research Barry, I had thought it might have been koa; but I did not think the grain was distinct enough. But now that I have explored the links you posted(particularly the one at elderly), it is possible that it may be koa. I can't wait to see this guitar in person and hear how it sounds! Once my sweaty hands get a hold of it, they're probably not going to let go! Thanks again!

[LastChancers]

I saw that ad as well. For $150 with a Hardshell case, you really can't go wrong. Go for it!

[bowstreetrunnner]

So some bad news I just got an email from the seller stating that someone bought this beauty last night.... I am beyond disappointed, I was really looking forward to owning that sexy beast of a guitar. It just sucks that I wasn't in town to pIck it up, I don't think I'll find a guitar like that in my price range for a very long time. I just want to thank everyone with your help identifying this guitar, you are all awesome! Thanks again!

[charles]

This exact model does not come around often (I have only seen one or two including this one), but there tends to be a pretty steady stream of the MIJ MT- models around in the 100-200 price range. I bet you'll find one!

[Barry]

Too bad, that was real beauty!

[bowstreetrunnner]

Hey I just wanted to say thanks to everyone again, too bad this one got away! I am keeping my eyes open for something unique, perhaps an el degas, or perhaps a parlour guitar... art and lutheries AMI is supposed to be a good deal. Well thanks again and I will post again if i find another ElDegas Gem!