Martin 00-18

This Martin 00-18 is the oldest instrument I've had the pleasure to work on thus far. It came from Las Vegas, where it had been in a storage unit for quite some time. It was in rough shape to say the least, with numerous cracks, loose braces, and some "creative" previous repairs.

I started by gluing, and when needed, cleating the many cracks in the top and back. The bridge was warped and lifting, so it was removed and straightened out by dampening it with water, heating it up, and clamping it flat before re-installing. Loose top and back braces were re-glued, and tape adhesive residue was cleaned off the top.

The headstock had been broken and repaired at some point years ago with a bolt through the headstock and two screws in the neck. I removed the bolt and one of the screws (the other was embedded too deep to remove) and installed dowels and wood patches for a cleaner look. The neck was then removed and reset and a new bone saddle was made to complete the restoration.

This was the most extensive project of mine to date and it was a joy to bring this old girl back to life for many more years of making music!