Blast from the past

[AirCap]

One of my longtime clients called and asked if I remembered a Martin EM-18 solidbody kit I built him way back when. I replied that I did. I picked it up today to restring it and lower the action a taste. It still looks good, plays good, and sounds good. It's one of the last Martin solidbodies they ever sold to my knowledge. It looks like a neck-thru, but it's a glued on neck - came prefinished from the factory with all routing and holes drilled. All I had to do was glue on the neck, add the hardware and nut. The client picked out some gold Schaller hardware and Schaller humbuckers, and had me make a peghead plate so he could insure it. You won't see many of these around!
Wish I could post my own pix here.... Here's one from the net to give you an idea.
http://www.antiques.com/vendor_item_images/ori_2063_1234402552_1148254_M2.jpg

 

[Cagey]

Nice-looking instrument. I didn't even know Martin ever made any solidbody guitars.

 

[Seamas]

I've played one, someone in college had one--

I never much cared for the stripes --which had their heyday, or the headstock.
Funny that the company with THE most understated headstock decided to go with that one for the electric.

Other than that, the body is kind of a cool shape.
I seem to recall it being really heavy. Is it?

 

[Cagey]

I'm with you on the headstock. Looks kinda like a wooden Smurf hat. Not the sort of thing you'd expect from Martin. Plus, you'd think they'd know better than to angle the strings off the nut like that. But, it's not like it's without substantial precedent, and being a hardtail it probably doesn't matter as much.

 

[rgand]

Interesting guitar. I also thought the headstock a little askew but otherwise a good-looking instrument.

 

[AirCap]

The headstock shape replicates those of the very early Martins built by CF Martin the first (the current CEO is number 4). Martin produced several that were neck through models, and were available with your choice of blonde with brown stripes or brown with blonde stripes. The kit I assembled is very light. The blonde body wood is not ash - it's primavera. Similar in some respects to mahogany or korina in some cases. The necks on the blonde were rosewood on maple, and the brown ones were rosewood on mahogany. As I remember, I bought the kit at a blowout price of around $125. With hardware, assembly, and hardshell rectangular case - the client ponied up about a grand. Wonder what it would be worth all these years later?

 

[AirCap]

Posted some pix on IMGUR.... check them out.

https://imgur.com/1MwY4co
https://imgur.com/UguYy5V
https://imgur.com/uje3btI
https://imgur.com/xyTZMk8

 

[Cagey]

Top looks more like Spruce than Mahogany.

 

[AirCap]

Top looks more like Spruce than Mahogany.

I think you meant ash, didn't you?

I'm pretty familiar with primavera - built a couple guitars from some back in the early 80's. It has that yellow color naturally - no stain or tint in the clear. I wish I could find more of it in thick boards. It easy to work like mahogany, and has a great upper midrange tone, excellent for rock and funk.

My client plays a lot of funk and jazz fusion, with some gospel thrown in on Sunday.

 

[Cagey]

I'm not familiar with Primavera, but unless I'm looking at the wrong picture, I'm not sure how this could be mistaken for Ash. Looks more like Spruce to me. Maybe even that's a stretch, but I've seen a lotta Ash and I wouldn't mistake this for it.

 

[AirCap]

http://new.forestnursery.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/primavera.jpg

 

[Seamas]

The kit I assembled is very light. The blonde body wood is not ash - it's primavera. Similar in some respects to mahogany or korina in some cases. The necks on the blonde were rosewood on maple, and the brown ones were rosewood on mahogany.

Ah, I see that they would use different wood specs while still using the same model number.
There are some out there--(maybe not the kit model-?) where the body is maple and rosewood and tip the scales at about 10 pounds.

 

[AirCap]

Ah, I see that they would use different wood specs while still using the same model number.
There are some out there--(maybe not the kit model-?) where the body is maple and rosewood and tip the scales at about 10 pounds.

Martin made some actual neck-through solidbodies which probably did weigh 10 pounds or more. They have a cursive gold logo on the "hat" of the peghead. I guess they didn't sell very well, which makes sense - Martin's wheelhouse is acoustics, not solidbody stuff. But the ones I've seen are every bit as playable as any Les Paul. I think Gruhn's sold them back in the day.