# General Mandolin Topics > Vintage Instruments >  Question about Martin D-35

## Spgmando

I'm looking at a 1974 Martin D-35. In great shape; one owner; only repair is pickguard replacement. Comes with original hard case.  Should I be concerned this guitar has no truss rod?

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## robroy

Someday you will have to have a neck reset done. No big deal.

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## Dave Cowles

The guitar has a truss rod, it's just not adjustable. At that age you need to check the height of the strings at the 12th fret as well as how much saddle is showing above the bridge. If there's high action and or low saddle (or both) it is due for a neck reset. You can count on that costing another $400 or so, so factor it into your bargaining with the seller. Also check for intonation at the 12th fret. That era of Martins had some bridge placement problems.
Hope that helps.

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## EdHanrahan

Early '70s were supposedly Martin's "lesser" years because they had been, then, the years of highest production.  But the sound of my '72 D-35 is excellent, and intonation is spot-on.  Recently played an original-owner '70, equally as sweet.

Most solid wood guitars, Martin or otherwise, will need the neck reset at around 20 to 30 years old.

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## Spgmando

> Early '70s were supposedly Martin's "lesser" years because they had been, then, the years of highest production.  But the sound of my '72 D-35 is excellent, and intonation is spot-on.  Recently played an original-owner '70, equally as sweet.
> 
> Most solid wood guitars, Martin or otherwise, will need the neck reset at around 20 to 30 years old.


What do you think of their asking price of $1800?

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## Eddie Sheehy

Is the back center-piece Brazilian?

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## EdHanrahan

> What do you think of their asking price of $1800?


Not real sure, but it seems to be in the ballpark.  Saw a well-used one in my local Guitar Center 3 or 4 years ago; they were asking about $1800 then.




> Is the back center-piece Brazilian?


When Martin changed rosewood from Brazilian to Indian in '69 or so, they continued to make some few D-35s with Brazilian in the center back for the next year or several.  Unlikely they were still doing that in '74, but that's just a guess.  It would add to the value as, currently, just the raw Brazilian to _build_ a dread would run around $2K!

Somewhere along the way, I picked up that the non-adjustable neck reinforcement at that time was the same T-shaped steel that went into the runners of Flexible Flyer sleds.  Hey, maybe that's a topic for Mythbusters!

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## allenhopkins

> What do you think of their asking price of $1800?


Elderly sold a '75 *here* for $2.1K.  Guitar Center in Hollywood is offering one *here* (no pic) for $2K.  I would say that, _depending on condition,_ $1.8K is a good price.

I don't think you'll find any Brazilian on a mid-'70's '35.  Indian rosewood became standard at Martin in '69.  Could be that there was some Brazilian hanging around Nazareth*, but all the '70's '35's I've seen have been all-Indian.

*I mean, of course, Brazilian *rosewood,* not Joao the Drifter...

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## f5loar

For a really nice one that's a pretty good price.  IF you don't need a reset of the neck.  Personally I'd rather have the T bar in the neck then the newer adjustable type and Martin has reissues of the T bar and they charge at least double.  These are usually good bluegrass guitars.   I've got a '74 for sale at $1400 but it has a few "issues" in VG+ condition but the neck has already been reset.

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## Knucklehead

$1800. gives you quite a few options when it comes to Martin Guitars; I guess the question you have to ask yourself is would you buy a D-35 or one of their other models. If it's a Brazilian D-35, then there would be little to think about.

Personally I like their 12 fret model 000 body. One of my favorites is the 000-40S MK, which has a Italian Spruce Top, after playing mine, four of my friends bought the same model (only 155 were made).

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## Lynn Dudenbostel

Also look for a pickguard that is peeling up around the edges.  Martins from this time period are notorious for "pickguard cracks".... cracks in the top adjacent to or under the pickguard due to shrinkage of the pickguard material.  You'll need a mirror and light to see the top under the guard.  These can be pretty bad.

Lynn

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## GRW3

Have you checked out the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum? Even if you don't join you look up a bunch of info.

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## J.Albert

Frankly, I don't think that $1,800 for a 70's-era D-35 is a good deal at all.

The 1970's was (relatively speaking) the nadir for Martins, before they started to push to get quality back up. Most common were intonation problems due to misplaced bridges (the story I've heard is that the "gauge" used for measuring where to place the bridge had gotten worn through the years and was unreliable).

Also, D-35's in general seem to be "muddy" instruments. I owned a '73 D-35 that didn't have a lot of power and was tough to keep in tune (see above).

This isn't to say there aren't some nice ones from that period. But it can be hit-or-miss.

If you're looking for a Martin, new or recent-issue is the best bet.

Before I'd consider a D-35, I'd check out the HD-35, with scalloped braces.

But one of the most important "Martin-truths" I've learned since working in a supermarket to buy my first one (1966 D-28, still have it!) is that, too often, the "bling" ain't what makes it sing. And a good mahogany guitar with dark binding is often better than the rosewood ones with the bling.

I wouldn't buy ANY Martin today (well, a few possible exceptions) UNLESS it came with an Adirondack top, to start. And if you're looking for a dry, woody and focused tone, get one with a mahogany back.

Probably one of the best off-the-shelf guitars Martin sells today is the D-18 "Golden Era". You can find these used in the $2,000 range and I'll bet it beats the pants off just about any D-35.

There's a slightly-lower-priced variation called the "D-18V", but it substitutes a Sitka top instead of Adirondack. These can be found used in the $1,500 range.

One other thought:
Have you ever tried one of Dana Bourgeois' guitars?

- John

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## allenhopkins

> Also look for a pickguard that is peeling up around the edges.  Martins from this time period are notorious for "pickguard cracks".... cracks in the top adjacent to or under the pickguard due to shrinkage of the pickguard material.  You'll need a mirror and light to see the top under the guard.  These can be pretty bad.


According to the OP, pickguard's been replaced.  And if it's a '74, it's not Brazilian rosewood.  (See Post #10.)

We verge on "ham sandwich" territory.  OP's asked if a 1974, one-owner, D-35 "in great shape" is decently priced at $1.8K -- and should the lack of an (adjustable) truss rod be of concern?  Price is apparently quite competitive, better than other recent sales.  Martins from before the adjustable truss rod was introduced, sometimes need a neck re-set after a couple decades, especially if heavier-than-medium strings were used.  OP can check the action, to see if the neck's pulled forward and raised the strings; he can check the intonation, to see if the bridge's properly located.

There are definitely other guitars that might be considered, but we're being asked about *this one.*  Let's assume that OP didn't just jump on the first available instrument, but has the capacity to shop around and compare.  Perhaps there's another guitar out there that might suit him/her better, but as far as the '74 D-35 is concerned, $1.8K is a good price.  I've owned Martin dreadnaughts for nearly 40 years: '61 D-18, '57 D-18 (still have), '77 HD-28, '70 D-41 (still have).  While I agree that the early 1970's were not Martin's finest era, it the D-35 under consideration is in good shape, it's decently priced.

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## resophonic

> That era of Martins had some bridge placement problems.


I recently worked on a 72 D35 that had the bridge misplaced an 1/8". Be sure and check for reasonable intonation. Check all of the binding too, the D35 mentioned above was shedding it everywhere.

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## barney 59

Well you won't be getting one of Dana Bourgeois' guitars for $1800 nor any newer Martin that comes close to this d-35. While Martin's from the early 70's may not be their crowning achievement they aren't bad guitars, just not the best that Martin has produced. Gibson had similar problems during this period. I've had some d-28's from this period and they were pretty good guitars all in all. The last one I had was a 1970 that was especially nice, E.I. rosewood and cost $1500. Compare that to a Brazilian from a year or so older that would cost maybe $5000 more than that. I think Martin's from that era are really a pretty good value and get a somewhat undeserved bad rap. $1800 isn't a great deal of money for a guitar of that quality these days. There were other guitars from the 70's that might be a good deal--Gurians, Mossman's, Gallaghers, and as weird as they are, some of the Grammers and the handmade dreadnaughts that Bernie Rico built before he had a hit with his electrics. Many of these are Brazilian. All of these are under valued in my opinion and all of them are comparable or better than Martin's from that Era. Martin guitars needing a neck reset just comes with the territory, having intonation problems, if present, is another matter but fixable(no Martin of mine ever had intonation problems and I prefer a little bit of high action being mostly a fingerpicker) and you could end up with a very nice guitar in the end for a lot less than an arm and a leg.

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## acousticphd

> Frankly, I don't think that $1,800 for a 70's-era D-35 is a good deal at all.



No expert here, but I second that.  An individual with a guitar to sell is not a store.  You could ask what a good guitar store would offer him in trade, or to consign it?  I'm not sure why you would make a comparison between a 35 yr old guitar, cool as it might be, and the price of any new guitar.  You should be comparing it to another good used guitar, yes?  If it were me, I think I would be vastly happier with a used D-18V, which I have seen go a number of times for $1800 or less.

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## allenhopkins

> ...I'm not sure why you would make a comparison between a 35 yr old guitar, cool as it might be, and the price of any new guitar.  You should be comparing it to another good used guitar, yes?...


Mid-70's D-35's are being sold for $2K and up (by dealers).  See Post #8.  So $1.8K is comparable, perhaps a bit "under market"  -- of course, depending on condition.

New Martin D-35's are going for $2.3K discounted on-line.

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## Willie Poole

I have never met a D-35 that I liked but I am not an expert so what do I know......All of the ones that friends of mine have owned have gone back to Martin for neck adjustments etc, they seemed to sort of bend where the neck meets the body at the end of the non-adjustable truss rod...I know some of them had the fingerboards re-planed and new frets installed once they took a set and they were OK....

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## f5loar

Hey Lester Flatt played a D35 for many years in the Nashville Grass!  I 've seen lots of bluegrass pros use the D35.  It's got a different "bottom end boom" then the D28 which is why some favor it.  As far as neck resets, they are no worse then a 18,21,41,or45 for that matter. 
Same construction on all models in those years.  Try finding a prewar D28 that has not had a reset at sometime in it's life.  I think the D35 looks better then a 28 with that extra mulit binding and bound fingerboard.  I don't like it has a more narrow neck profile.  But again that's a matter of choice.  I've got at least one of each D model and all seem to fit the bluegrass bill for picking.

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## allenhopkins

Martin introduced the D-35 in 1966.  One of the reasons given was to provide a different "voice" from the standard D-28, and the top bracing was modified.  Another reason, IMHO, was to deal with the increasing scarcity of rosewood, by introducing the three-piece back, that could use smaller pieces of wood.  My quite limited experience with D-35's is that they're not so bassy as the '28's, though they still have the rosewood "boom," and that they're quite suitable for finger-picking styles as well as bluegrass flat-picking.

But it's risky to generalize by make and model only; individual instruments can vary so much, that generalizations have limited usefulness.  What the OP asked was if the D-35 in question was reasonably priced (yes, apparently), and whether its lack of an adjustable truss rod was a problem (somewhat, since a neck re-set's required to correct neck pitch problems -- but this is true of all Martins from the pre-adjustable-truss-rod era).

With the useful _caveats_ about possible intonation issues with this vintage of Martin guitars, the OP has a wealth of evaluative information with which to work.  Really gonna be up to him/her to sit down with the D-35, determine if it meets the needs, and make a buying decision accordingly.

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## Ladyfingerpicker

> What do you think of their asking price of $1800?


Another thing to factor into consideration of this price:  Does it have a pickup installed?  If so, what type?

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## Big Joe

Most of the Martins from the 70's have intonation issues.  It is not a complicated repair... if you know what to do, and how to do it  We have redone a ton of these Martins, and once completed properly they are excellent sounding guitars.  You would be surprised at the before and after tone.  When we do  the repair we usually use the original bridge without removing it.  We can usually pull the saddle, fill the saddle slot with a piece of rosewood that matches the original as close as possible, then reslot the bridge in the correct spot and put in a good bone saddle.  That will eliminate the intonation issue... as long as the neck angle is correct.  It is not a terribly expensive repair and can change a mediocred guitar to a cannon.

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## acousticphd

There is a 1976 D-35 listed for sale today for $1300 in the Nashville Craigslist:

http://nashville.craigslist.org/msg/2151694376.html

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## jim simpson

Here's a newer one from Pittsburgh's craigslist:


http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/msg/2152699254.html

Seems like decent values on the private seller front.

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## Rob Gerety

Sorry but I can't resist - 

Before you pull the trigger and if you haven't played a Bourgeois yet consider a Bourgeois Vintage D.  I picked one up for $2,200.00 or so.  Couldn't be happier.  A friend has a Martin D 35 like you are considering and it is a real nice guitar - but .....

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## resophil

Another rather well-known foible of the D-35 is that the bindings have a tendency to pull loose in the waist of the guitar. It's not usually a big deal, and a repairman can use a heat gun to "relax" the binding a bit, tape and glue it back in place. I've done about  half-a-dozen like that. The thickest piece of the D-35 binding is just a little thicker than the 28 binding, and it pulls loose.

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