Martin D21 custom adironcdack madagascar rosewood

[MultiParasite]

Hi, in one of your comments you say it has a German top (quote- "This custom was built in the spirit of Neil young 1969 d45 guitar (german top and staight braces)"), but the description says it's an adirondack top, souds like adi too. Where's the truth?

[perninjeremy]

@MultiParasite

Hi, this particular guitar has an adirondack top, even if it was built in "the neil young spirit". Actually 2 customs were built at the same time, to compare them, both with madagascar rosewood and straight braces, but one with adi top, and the other with alpine spruce top.

[perninjeremy]

unfortunately, only one of these guitars was mine, and I  own only one guitar, a terrific MJ FRANKS OM DB

[LelouchLamperouge019]

Dude, you must be rich with all those expensive Martins.

[bluegrasssingingman]

Man all this talk about scalloped bracing. I guess its a good thing Martin invented it, and put it in the D-16 to try it out in the market. When it was such a great big hit and people loved it so much. They then put it in their D- 28 line.

[BlindTom61]

@bluegrasssingingman Pre 1946 Martins all have scalloped braces.

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 Yeah and what is your point?

[BlindTom61]

@bluegrasssingingman Didn't you post that Martin tried them on a D-16 before putting them on the D-28? I guess that's my point. Then perhaps there is some mistake on the comment section. No need to get snotty dude...

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 Yes the D-16 was the first to be scalloped. That is my point, and I wasn't getting snotty dude.

[BlindTom61]

@bluegrasssingingman I'm sorry I still don't understand what you mean. ALL Martins had scalloped braces before 1946. The 1976 HD-28 was the first modern Martin to have scalloped braces well before the D-16 appeared on the scene. I believe that the D-16 is braced completely differently than traditional Martins. i cannot understand how you can say Martin first tried scalloped braces on the D-16 and then on the D-28?

[BlindTom61]

Google D-16 braces; FRETS will deliver a great article on this subject.

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 I don't have to. I know what bracing they have. Today they are made with Hybrid Scalloped A-Frame Bracing. The D-16 has always been Martins Ginny Pig.

[BlindTom61]

@bluegrasssingingman Sorry, but you are wrong on so many levels I don't know where to begin. First, the current standard D-28 has straight X bracing, look it up on the Martin Site. The D-28 uses a dovetail joint so a mod. A bracing wouldn't work anyway. Next, the 16 series hasn't been around that long. I've played and dealt Martins since 1963 and have owned at least 30 D-28s from the 30s on up over the years and probably 500 guitars in all. Please do some homework. Thanks...

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 First of all I know the d-28 has standard A frame. I never said, it didn't. Second of all the D-16 came out years ago. Martin made it with scalloped bracing, and it was their Ginny pig. People liked it so much, Martin used the bracing in their D-28, which is the HD-28. Then they stopped making the D-16.Not once did I say pre-war. I said the D-16 is the first to have scalloped bracing. You need to learn what your talking about. So yes the d-16 set the standard for scalloped bracing.

[BlindTom61]

@bluegrasssingingman Bluegrassman, I've checked your place here and you and I have a lot in common. But, I'm sorry but you are wrong, wrong...wrong on most everything you say about Martin guitars. We'll end this now, but sometime stop by Jim Grainger's place in Sparta TN or any good repair shop in your area and get educated on the best guitars there is -- a Martin. God Bless, have a great Christmas and keep on pickin'. 10-4 over and out. :- )

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 I'm not the one that is wrong.

[BlindTom61]

@bluegrasssingingman Let's see.. Martins in the '30s had scalloped braces yet you keep on insisting the 16 was the first with scalloped braces. D-16s have not been around that long. So you are obviously wrong here. Then you say the D-28 has modded A scalloped bracing. First, modded A bracing requires a mortoise and tenon joint and a D-28 has a dovetail joint with straight un-scalloped braces. HD-28 is the same WITH scalloped standard braces. Sheesh! :- )

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 What can't you understand? The d-16 came out years ago. Then wasn't made anymore. Now they are again. Yes the d-28 is a standard A Frame. The HD-28, HD-35 is a A frame scalloped. The Clarance White is a D-28 with prewar forward shifted scalloped bracing. The D-16 line has Scalloped"Hybrid"A Frame. The D-16 has a MT neck. HD-DT neck. The Clarance White is a D-28, Standard ''X'' Scalloped, Forward Shifted with a DT neck. They are still a frame. What does DT,MT has to do with it.

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 Pre- war used MT necks. MT necks was made way before DT on guitars. A standard x is still a A Frame, besides difference in being shifted, or not. Thickness is a difference, other then this they are still a A Frame.

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 Do you even know what a X, A frame bracing looks like? A standard X is still a A Frame. So what your claiming is scalloped bracing is heavier. So it needs a DT neck. Scalloped bracing is lighter. The only difference in the bracing is thickness,position,shape. On a Reg. A Bracing the saddle is box in. There is one brace in the belly instead of two. Your X is still a A Frame. I own the diagrams, of the Martin bracing patterns. Look at the HD16R LSH, and look at a HD28.

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 16-Series: Style 16 guitars were first introduced in 1961. Later, they were the first production Martins to utilize sustainable, native woods such as ash and walnut, as well as the first to implement hybrid A-frame "X" bracing. Today, these models use solid woods such as mahogany, East Indian rosewood, koa, sapele and maple. Models include DC-16RE Aura, OMC-16E Koa, D-16 GT, 000C-16RGTE Aura and the J12-16GT, a 12-string jumbo-size guitar with the series 16 appointments.

[BlindTom61]

@bluegrasssingingman The 1961 date is wrong that is a well-known mistake. Martin never used the MT (cheaper to make) joint before the DT which is the neck joint they used sine the 1850s when they left the ice-cream-cone clock key/screw neck joint. You actually know zip about Martins. Still you like Bluegrass so you are all right in my book. Just don't know your guitars young man! ;- ) I'm 66 been playing for 58 years... go talk to a guitar picker who can play, they'll help you out.

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 You are so fool of shit. MT. is prewar. the 16 line was made before any HD28,HD35. Martin never made a prewar scalloped guitar in the USA .Until the HD28V. The HD,28, HD-35, isn't prewar bracing.The HD-28V is. The CW D-28 is.The 16 was made first and scalloped.People loved them. So they started making the HD-28,HD-35,Then they dropped the D-16 line. The 16 line has a much better bracing then the standard scalloped. My HD-16RLSH sounds better then the HD28's. 16 line sounds better.

[bluegrasssingingman]

@BlindTom61 The HD-28, introduced in 1976[11] replicates pre-1947 "'bone" D-28s with herringbone purfling (then manufactured only in pre-war Germany[12]) and scalloped braces. It is an extremely popular guitar with a full sound, good balance between bass and treble.

HD-35: Similar material and style to the HD-28, but has a distinctive 3-piece solid East Indian Rosewood back and 1/4" scalloped braces. I said before HD-28,and HD-35. I said D-16 was there Ginny Pig.

[performer55]

I had both a martin custom Adi/madrose and a martin custom Italian Alpine/madrose guitar at the same time. All gone. Great guitars...Unforgetable ones.

Then I have now a Martin custom shop D-45 Alpine (German) spruce/Madagascar rosewood with straight braces with gold waverly's. You get the idea... It's just the Holy Grail.

But I also like my OM-45GE. See what I mean ?

All the best, Paul

[flatpikinguitar]

if you think madirose is good you should hear honduran or espicialy brazillian if you can afford one, without having to rob a bank.

[performer55]

Well, I already own 3 braz Martin guitars : OM-45GE, OM-28GE and a custom D-41 adi braz, all with an Adi top.

Honduran ? No thanks !

Yes, Madrose is good.

[flatpikinguitar]

if they were built after 1969 or are not custom, they are not brazillian.

[performer55]

TROLL ?

Seriously go to to the UMGF forum or on the Martin website. Do a research for OM-28GE, OM-45GE. Ok ?

[flatpikinguitar]

I did.

[performer55]

This was my guitar ! Things need to be said : Neil Young's D-45 had straight braces in '68 when he baught it from Stephen Stills. He then asked Larry Cragg to have the braces "shaved" in 1974.

Big difference in the sound before and after 1974. Just listen to Massey hall and Heart of Gold cds and then "Silver&Gold DVD", You'll realize...

All the best, Paul

[davejohnh]

Im interested in leaning more about the specs on neil youngs D45. You say a German top rather than Adirondack?

I believe the braces were scalloped by his guitar tech who confirmed in the heart of gold movie.

[ssg04c]

Why straight braces instead of scalloped?

[perninjeremy]

This custom was built in the spirit of Neil young 1969 d45 guitar (german top and staight braces).

Straight braces offers a balanced sound. Such a guitar is very easy to record, and can be fingerpicked and strummed. It takes a little more time to open up, but after few months,the sounds is very great.

Scalopped braces offers a boomy sound, really nice when the guitar is strummed . but it's more difficult to control the boominess with fingers.

[bluegrasssingingman]

@perninjeremy hard to control, lol

[perninjeremy]

Hello.

This guitar is a custom order at the Martin custom Shop. The order start with a D21 model. The custom options were : adirondack top, mahogany neck (with no wings, and madagascar rosewood back and sides.

This guitar was recorded with 2 sony mics, direct in a single yamaha mixer, sending the signal to the inboard Imac soundcard. No effect except reverb.

Saddly, You can only buy this guitar if you order it through the Martin custom shop.

Great guitar for sure.

[MillStreamPictures]

This is one of the best sounding guitar samples I've heard. What an amazing sound and great playing. I can find no other mention of this custom guitar on the internet. Is this guitar available for purchase anywhere?