NOGD martin O16ny

Aqmltd · December 2020

https://i.imgur.com/0Z9UoRZ.jpg

Got this little darling a couple of weeks ago, and i love her.
Not much of a looker, but she sings so sweet.

Bought on reverb.com from dude in California, and despite spending almost a month in transit, she arrived unharmed.

Anyway, new silk an steels now fitted and many happy finger pickin hours ahead.
All the best y'all......

ICBM · December 2020

Very nice

.

Back in 1989 I bought a D12-35 - which I still have - and next to it in the shop was one of these, although I thought I had remembered it was an 017NY. (Maybe it was and they made both models.) They were the same price and because I was really looking for a 12-string anyway, I didn't give much thought to the little one and didn't even play it. I now think I was wrong not to, but I've never seen another NY for sale and I sometimes wonder if my playing would have taken a different direction if I'd bought that instead.

What's the nut width - 1-3/4"? I could just about live with that I think, but if it's wider then it will sadly always have to remain one of those things I like the sound of more than the reality. It looks a bit 'classical' in the pic.

TheBigDipper · December 2020

Lovely looking thing. Enjoy! Here's a gratuitous pic of my 1987 (according to the serial no) reissue model. I've had it for nearly 30 years - I bought it second hand in 1991. Also strung with silk & steel. (It came with steels, but these suit it better and the guitar doesn't have a truss rod, so...) Easy to play and small to hold. :-)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bct0quk78o6y860/IMG_0403.jpg?raw=1

@ICBM - the nut width is 1-7/8", the string width at the nut is 1-3/4". I used to believe it was "classical width" until I reacquainted myself with owning a classical guitar a few months ago. It now feels narrow!

ICBM · December 2020

TheBigDipper said:

@ICBM - the nut width is 1-7/8", the string width at the nut is 1-3/4". I used to believe it was "classical width" until I reacquainted myself with owning a classical guitar a few months ago. It now feels narrow!

Ah, that makes sense - I thought it looked *almost* classical, but not quite.

Sadly that probably means it’s a no-go for me, although I’d probably have to try one to be sure - but I find 1-3/4” too wide on a steel string, and I can’t play classicals at all, they just hurt my hand too much. Probably bad technique, but I’m too old to learn to do it right now!

Aqmltd · December 2020

Mine is a 1971. It also came with steel strings..... 10s. Reading posts from the acoustic forum in the US, it seems that quite a lot of owners use steel strings with no problem, but silk and steelies sound just fine, so i figure, why take the chance.

earwighoney · December 2020

ICBM said:

TheBigDipper said:

@ICBM - the nut width is 1-7/8", the string width at the nut is 1-3/4". I used to believe it was "classical width" until I reacquainted myself with owning a classical guitar a few months ago. It now feels narrow!

Ah, that makes sense - I thought it looked *almost* classical, but not quite.

Sadly that probably means it’s a no-go for me, although I’d probably have to try one to be sure - but I find 1-3/4” too wide on a steel string, and I can’t play classicals at all, they just hurt my hand too much. Probably bad technique, but I’m too old to learn to do it right now!

Oddly enough I find an acoustic guitar with a 1 13/16" or 1 7/8" nut with a radius to be a bit more difficult to play than a nylon string guitar with a wider nut and a flat board, maybe the lack of radius makes a difference?

But @ICBM, I don't think it's ever too late to learn to play a nylon string guitar; but I'd recommend going for a flamenco guitar, the slight differences make a huge difference. The necks are larger, but with a bit of practise one's hands get accustomed to them.

**********

I love 0-18 style guitars. The 0-12 body size is becoming my favourite, for sound and comfort.

ICBM · December 2020

earwighoney said:

Oddly enough I find an acoustic guitar with a 1 13/16" or 1 7/8" nut with a radius to be a bit more difficult to play than a nylon string guitar with a wider nut and a flat board, maybe the lack of radius makes a difference?

But @ICBM, I don't think it's ever too late to learn to play a nylon string guitar; but I'd recommend going for a flamenco guitar, the slight differences make a huge difference. The necks are larger, but with a bit of practise one's hands get accustomed to them.

I wish that was so, but I've actually found the opposite - my hands are getting stiffer with age, and I can't play the range of necks comfortably that I used to be able to. Even on electrics, I never really used to notice the differences that much, but now I find anything too big gives me hand cramps pretty quickly.

I agree that a flatter neck and nylon strings is slightly easier with a wider board, which is why I was hoping these were 1-3/4", I think that might be just about OK. I've really tried with classical guitars, including one with an unusually shallow and rounded neck (they're usually quite deep and 'square'), but it just hurt.

earwighoney · December 2020

ICBM said:

I wish that was so, but I've actually found the opposite - my hands are getting stiffer with age, and I can't play the range of necks comfortably that I used to be able to. Even on electrics, I never really used to notice the differences that much, but now I find anything too big gives me hand cramps pretty quickly.

I agree that a flatter neck and nylon strings is slightly easier with a wider board, which is why I was hoping these were 1-3/4", I think that might be just about OK. I've really tried with classical guitars, including one with an unusually shallow and rounded neck (they're usually quite deep and 'square'), but it just hurt.

That's a shame about your hand cramps, and if a large neck creates hand pains then it's not worth the pain.

Btw, if you are ever looking for a 0-18 style guitar, I bought a Recording King acoustic which even if it is long scale has a 43mm nut and the neck profile isn't too full by any stretch of the imagination. Of course it doesn't have the depth of tone of a Martin but it's an enjoyable guitar to play nonetheless.

TheBigDipper · December 2020

Aqmltd said:

Mine is a 1971. It also came with steel strings..... 10s. Reading posts from the acoustic forum in the US, it seems that quite a lot of owners use steel strings with no problem, but silk and steelies sound just fine, so i figure, why take the chance.

I think the guitar sounds much more balanced with silk/steel. The bass will never be as bold or defined as anything with a bigger body, but overall it sounds very musical. And if you own another steel strung acoustic it means this one gives you something different.

Basher · December 2020

Beautiful guitars.

Whenever I see one of these "Noo Yoikers" I always hear the opening riff of "Thick as a Brick".

Ironic that the things this guitar "lack" (large body size and boomy low end) made them far better suited to venues and sound levels unimaginable to the original designers.

Here you go, in the ever-so-slightly-larger-than-parlour-sized environs of the Tampa Stadium:

MooseAboot · April 2021

Lovely guitar. They seem to be much more available in the US. How was your experience in terms of importing?

Tannin · April 2021

Wow! That would be possibly the worst film editing I have ever seen. There were five musicians on that stage, all playing their socks off, and we pretty much one ever see one of them. Not showing the outstanding Martin Barre is a crime!

Sorry. I'm off-topic. As you were. Nice guitar AQ.

Aqmltd · April 2021

@MooseAboot ;
Importing was ok, but it took almost 1 month. This possibly due to pre Xmas and mid-pandemic effects. Guitar was shipped by USPS, standard US mail. Postage was approx $200 US, paid to vendor.
Had to pay VAT, import duty and clearance charges, but I was expecting these. Total was about £430 on a roughly £1600 total sale price.
No mention of CITES, which was good, as I think she has a brazil RW bridge
Very glad that it showed up intact after being in all sorts of potentially inhospitable environments. But vendor packaged the guitar well.
Long and short is that I'd import again if necessary.

MooseAboot · April 2021

thanks for the info. good it all went smoothly. I am sure you will be happy with the guitar for a long time.

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