FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

Tagged As: Martin D18 Guitar

Question:
I am thinking real hard about purchasing a Martin D18. I looked on Ebay and noticed that there were more 1999 Martins than anything else and that there was a definite drop in price for a 1999 D-18 compared to other years. Is there something I don't know about this year model? Was it a bad run or built in Korea or what? I also noticed that the claimed serial number for one D-18 didn't match the year, according to the Martin web site. Maybe a copy? I think I'll stick to buying a guitar from a local shop where I can play it first, but I'm curious about the 1999 thing anyway. Also, while I'm asking, a Blueridge BR-140 sounds close to a Martin and has great reviews. Anyone have one?

Answer:
I have spent time in Finland and played plenty of Landolas, both over there in Finland and a few that made it to the US labeled as Peavey acoustic guitars. My opinion is that the quality of the new solid wood Blueridge guitars is better than the Landolas, frankly - fit and finish tend to be nicer on the ones I've seen, and the design is a Martin copy, so it's hard to go wrong with that. A couple of aspects you might want to know about: first, the setup on the Blueridges done at the factory tends to run from barely acceptable to downright bad. And while a responsible, forward-thinking retail shop will correct that before it hits the sales floor, many won't. So remember that you'll probably want to get it set up properly before it will play to its fullest potential. The second aspect may or may not bother you: the necks on them are very slim, more like an electric guitar neck. I can adjust to it, myself, but not everyone likes that. But overall they sound great and are a good deal for the money. I am a Saga dealer, and as such I sell them. I've dealt Saga instruments on an informal basis since 1984, and these are the best guitars they've ever come out with.