# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Tenor Guitars >  1950 Martin 018-T tenor guitar - tempted...

## Jill McAuley

Ok, so I spent about an hour playing this tenor guitar at my local music shop - I'm sorely tempted to make a rash impulse buy, so I'm searching for either validation or someone to bring me to my senses! Thoughts on the Martin 018-T? Fiscal responsibility combined with a long time hankering for a Fletcher TenorTone tenor guitar are two of the reasons I'm thinking I should pass on it. That plus the fact that the scale length on it is a bigger stretch than I'd like (23 inches vs. the Fletcher TenorTone's 21 inch scale) It sounds awesome and barring the stretch on it the playability is great. I was going to go play it again tomorrow but part of me feels like I should show some resolve and hold temptation at bay...

Cheers,
Jill

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## mrmando

What do they want for it?

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## Jill McAuley

$1200 but it's on consignment and they think the seller would be open to offers. It's in great shape, comes with a faux alligator skin soft case with green velvety lining, also in great nick.

Cheers,
Jill

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## Peter Kurtze

Jill, far be it from me to discourage you (impulse control has never been my strong suit) -- but didn't you say that the scale length was what turned you off your Silver Bell?  I'm nowhere near the musician you are, so maybe it wouldn't be as much of an issue for you -- but I've got a couple unplayed instruments that I bought thinking "I can adjust" . . . Best wishes for your difficult decision!

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## Jill McAuley

Exactly! That was initially what I thought to meself when I took it off the wall to play - "No worries about wanting this one since it's got a long scale length..." but then I found it easier to get around on than I anticipated, possibly because I try to consciously *not* approach it like a tenor banjo as that doesn't take advantage of it's guitar like qualities, so some of the stuff that was tripping me up on the Silver Bell wasn't even an issue on the Martin because I would be employing different techniques for those parts of a tune.....I know, I know, it just sounds like I'm trying to justify my impulse to buy, but going back to the shop to try it out again today will likely help sway me one way or the other. On many occasions I've thought that an instrument, on impulse was a "must have", then sense stepped in and I'd walk away to have a think about it, go back a day or two later and be less impressed/obsessed.

Cheers,
Jill

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## Peter Kurtze

> I know, I know, it just sounds like I'm trying to justify my impulse to buy . . .


No, it doesn't at all.  Sounds eminently rational.  I'll be interested to hear what you decide!

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## Gary Hedrick

If the action is low and the condition is good then this is a very good price for a very good instrument. I have a '41 and it is a blast to play. 
If you buy it and don't like it you will always be able to sell it for at least what you have in it and most likely for a profit.

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## bruce.b

This sounds really nice. I'd be tempted to make an offer if you decide not to get it. If you're sure the scale length is a problem perhaps you shouldn't do it, but even then you'll be able to quickly sell it for what you paid or a little more. Let us know what you decide. I do not need another tenor, but they've taken over my life and I think I actually prefer the 23 inch scale length over the 21 inch scale I started with.
  bruce.b

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## Pete Martin

$1200 or less for a good sounding O18T is a good deal.  I've always thought the 23 inch scale sounded better than the 21.

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## JeffD

The Fletcher Tenor Tones are made out near me. I have played more than a few and they are consistently great. 

Not trying to complicate things...

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## Jill McAuley

Great feedback lads, more food for thought as I consider what to do - I'm just off out to the shop to play it again so I'll keep you all posted!

Cheers,
Jill

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## mrmando

I came close to getting an early '40s 0-18T off the local Craig's List for $1,000. But before I could drive out to get it, the seller decided to consult the blue book, and the price doubled!

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## Jill McAuley

Ok, more info on it: I made an offer of $1050, and the gal who's guitar it is (it's on consignment in the shop) won't budge. My offer was inspired by the fact that upon closer inspection there are two small cracks on the top right along the edge of the pickguard, which is shrinking. Guy in the shop who does their guitar repairs told the gal as much but no dice. The neck looks great, straight with the perfect amount of relief. It's very well set up and imminently playable. Oh and I also worked around the scale thing - it's currently tuned CGDA, so I put a capo on the second fret like John Carty does with his CGDA tuned tenor banjo and perfect scale length! So my question - given the cracks on the top/pickguard needing replaced, is $1200 a decent price still? The gal said she _might_ take $1150 .....

Cheers,
Jill

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## bruce.b

Anyone know if some years or decades are better/worth more as far as 018-T's are concerned?

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## Jill McAuley

Just saw this one, that needs some work, over at Elderly for $1650, it has a rosewood fingerboard and the one I'm looking at has ebony...

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/80U-2374.htm

Cheers,
Jill

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## allenhopkins

The Martin's very likely to hold or increase its value -- especially if you get the pickguard cracks repaired (the curse of Martins of this vintage, as many had "celluloid shrinkage" and resulting stress on the top, like my 1957 D-18) -- so if you buy it, play it for awhile, and decide the long scale or whatever isn't for you, you can almost certainly get your money back.

The Fletcher may be a wonderful instrument -- one hasn't wandered my way yet -- but you're almost certain to take a bit of depreciation on a new guitar.  Of course the music is the main consideration, but the money has to be factored in as well.

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## Jill McAuley

Great point Allan -  I pretty much exclusively bought used instruments in my other life as a guitar player back in the day, so I need reminding about new instruments and depreciation.

Cheers,
Jill

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## dburtnett

Those pickguard cracks are common and not a huge deal. I bought a '54 0-18t four years ago for $1200 that had a pretty significant pickguard crack AND almost needed a neck reset (has had one since). Never regretted it for one second.

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## F-2 Dave

I bought a '51 O 18-T about a year ago from a buddy who needed to sell some stuff to finance some other stuff. I'd never had a tenor guitar before and didn't really know what I'd do with one, but it was soooo cool. The first month or two, I played it alot. After a while though, not so much. It mostly sat in the case for the last few months until I traded it for a '34 Gibson A-1 a couple of weeks ago. Enjoying the mandolin much more. Plus it's one less case to carry when I practice with the guys. Did I mention that the tenor was really cool? If you can use a tenor, O 18-T's are the cat's pajamas. That sounds like a very fair price. I know this doesn't help your decision making progress. That's just my experience with Martin tenors. Might make good trading material down the road. Good luck.

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## Jill McAuley

Still to-ing and fro-ing about what to do, guess I'd better figure it out pretty soon or someone else might get there before me! Thanks again for the feedback lads and anyone else reading do feel free to contribute more!

Cheers,
Jill

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## Jill McAuley

Well, I got a tenor guitar finally, just not this one! I now FINALLY own a Fletcher Tenor Tone tenor guitar! I was contacted by a cafe member who is local to me who happened to be about to post his one for sale, the price was right and it is now sitting here beside me! I'll post some video clips of it on Monday when I get a day off. The scale length of it is PERFECT - I am so glad that I didn't pull the trigger on the Martin now, hurrah!!!

Cheers,
Jill

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## F-2 Dave

Congratulations Jill. Looking forward to some clips.

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## bruce.b

Jill, just listened to you playing your new to you Fletcher guitar. It sounds great and I really like the tune you're playing. Just the other day I put new strings on my Fletcher to try out CGDA tuning. I'm having a ton of fun with this higher tuning with it's brighter tone. The guitar takes on a different character and sounds great this way also. I still prefer the lower GDAE tuning overall, but I think I'm going to leave the tenortone in CGDA for a while. My other tenor will stay in the low tuning.

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## Charles E.

Jill, I second Bruce's comments. Your playing is great and the tenor just sings! Good choice.

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## Jill McAuley

Thank you lads, you're too kind!

Cheers,
Jill

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## Bob DeVellis

I've had a 1945 0-17T for a number of years and have gone through a variety of configurations with it.  It never worked well for me, with my limited abilities, as a GDAE-tuned instrument.  For the stuff I play, the scale length was just too long.  What has worked, however, is tuning it DGBE (top 4 guitar strings) and flatpicking Irish tunes on it.  A surprising number of Irish tunes don't go below D and the shorter scale makes for easy playing.  True, you can play them -- even the ones that go below D -- on a standard guitar but the tenor tone is distinctive (perhaps because mine is all mahogany) and the instrument is lighter and more compact than a standard 6-string.  Not surprisingly for a guitar built in 1945, mine needed a neck reset and a new saddle slot for better intonation.  I had it set up for DGBE tuning and it's a lot of fun to play.  I've largely migrated from mandolin to guitar and that Martin tenor was the "gateway drug" that sparked that migration.

Tenors have inherent limitations but they're also a lot of fun.  A nice old one in good shape (happily, my Martin is in exceptional shape, especially after the neck reset) can be a real treat.

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## Fred G

The clip on your blog of the Fletcher is really nice. Sounds great! Great now I have TGAS...

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## John Kelly

Bob, any chance of posting some sound clips here?  I don't know how to access your blog - it's probably glaringly obvious - but would love to hear the sound of a tenor tuned in "standard" guitar tuning as compared with my own GDAE tuning.  The shorter scale seems a good idea for picking tunes, though they are equally pickable in the mandolin/octave/bouzouki/tenor banjo GDAE I use - great not having to learn new fingerings when changing instruments!

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## bruce.b

As far as the GDAE, CGDA and DGBE I've found them all to sound very different, really different instruments to me. I had played fiddle tunes on concertina for quite a few years before I switched over to a beautiful baritone uke tuned DGBE. It's a nice tuning, mellow and pretty, but if I went back I'd get a 6 string guitar to have the bass. Once I tried 5ths tuning I knew I was home. I started on a cheap GDAE tuned tenor banjo until my Fletcher tenor guitar arrived. When I got a second tenor guitar I tuned the Fletcher CGDA. CGDA sounded excellent but I just switched it back to GDAE. I really miss the bass when tuned CGDA and while it sounded fine and sweet it lacked the growl and power of the lower tuning. Probably because I started GDAE (unlike some people who started CGDA and tried the lower tuning) I find chords sound better in the low tuning. Again, for chords, the lack of a low end bothered me with CGDA.

 As far as Bob's comment that tenor guitars have inherent limitations, I believe that's only if you use DGBE 4ths tuning..... perhaps. With GDAE you get the range of a 6 stringer minus two notes, not much of a difference. I don't feel like there are any inherent limitations with this tuning beyond what any instrument has. 5ths tuning feels so natural and logical for me.

 Interestingly, english concertina, the instrument I've played the most is also very logical and tuned in 5ths (if you go up and down the vertically oriented keyboard and in thirds when you move diagonally (a scale alternates between the hands, one note left, the next scale tone the right hand).

The other change I've made is I've found I prefer the 23 inch scale of my Newton over the 21 inch scaled Fletcher. So much so that I'm pretty sure I'm going to sell my Fletcher. 
    bruce b.

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