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Funny story: the guitar was celebrity-owned; it used to belong to Ryan Adams. One time he got frustrated and banged the top on stage, so one of his bandmates brought it to Martin to get it re-topped with Adirondack Spruce. The re-topping job by Martin is impeccable.
Serial #: 239866
Built in Nazareth, PA.
As you can see from the pictures, the guitar is CLEAN, with just the right amount of wear for a vintage Martin. The fact that the finish on the neck is not perfect makes it easier for the hand to slide and the neck just feels so nicely worn in, like an old baseball glove.
Here's some info about Adirondack Spruce and why it's so special:
The Adirondack Mountains are found in upstate New York. A unique red spruce grows on its steep mountain slopes, providing the best tonewoods in the world for making guitar tops.
The red spruce (Picea rubens) is a medium-sized evergreen conifer. This species is the most typical conifer species of the Adirondack region as a whole. The Adirondack spruce produces wood that is strong, light and sound-resonant. In other words, the most perfect wood for a soundboard.
The wood of Sitka and Engelmann spruce is by far the most commonly used for acoustic guitar tops.
What makes Adirondack so special compared to these other spruce species?
- Compared to Sitka and Engelmann, Adirondack spruce has a long historical reputation. For example, most high-quality pre-war guitars (e.g. by C.F. Martin) were built with Adirondack.
- The wood is extremely rare because it comes from a National Park where all trees are protected. This protection applies even after they have been blown down by the wind. Only a limited number of wood suppliers are allowed to get the popular spruce wood from the Park.
- Its rarity is partly due to the fact that this spruce can only be found in the northeast corner of North America. This tree does not occur outside this region.
- The legendary tree produces wood with a much tighter grain than any other spruce. This makes the wood harder and therefore it resonates better.
- Although it is a red spruce, the color of the sawn wood is lighter than other spruces, almost white.
Due to the scarce availability and sublime resonance, the price for AAA-quality Adirondack is on average three times higher than the price for Sitka or Engelmann.
This item is sold As-Described
This item is sold As-Described and cannot be returned unless it arrives in a condition different from how it was described or photographed. Items must be returned in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging.Learn More.
Listed | 4 months ago |
Condition | Very Good (Used) Very Good items may show a few slight marks or scratches but are fully functional and in overall great shape.learn more |
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