A few days ago I had the chance to buy a Martin D-35 made in 1973. It appeared to be in good condition and the price was right. The edge of the pick guard was lifting slightly and when I looked closely I could see a crack in the top. I called a Martin warranty repair shop and the man there knew exactly what I was talking about. He said that before 1978-1979 Martin attached the guard directly to the wood and that would cause the wood to split if the guard raised. He wouldn't go into much detail but said the guitar could be repaired. Have you had any experience with Martin guitars having this problem? GREAT site. Lots of useful information.
Thanks.......Don
Morris.
Yes, I had to have the pick guards replaced on both of my
Martins. There
may be other manufacturers back then that have the same
problem. The chemistry used at the time in making plastic
wasn't
as advanced as now and after time they curl up along the
edges. If the
pick guard is glued directly to the wood, the wood splits
sometimes. A guitar repairman can
replace your pick guard for a reasonable price. Do it before too long
to
prevent further damage.
If someone has an
old Martin
before 1970, you may want to
consider having it repaired using the original pick guard.
There is a
process where a repairman can flatten out the original pick guard and
reuse it
to maintain the collector value of the guitar. After the pick
guard goes
through this process, it will probably be slightly smaller so there may
be a
slight area around it after re-installation where the wood finish
doesn't touch
the plastic.
Gman ( o )==#