Any guitar enthusiasts in the house?

I have an old family heirloom that I want to protect. I don't play, I gave it a shot once and I have no intentions of pursuing it further. Nobody in the family plays but I also have no intention of selling this guitar right now. So I'm just wondering if there is something I should be doing beyond relaxing the strings to make sure it doesn't rot away. BTW, my guitar is a 1948 C.F. Martin D-18. I've been told that it is valuable so I'd like to protect as best I can but I know nothing about instruments.

Thanks gents.

Ehh, starting bids don't mean much. There are plenty of sellers, and buyers for that matter, that are full of sht. I don't know how it sounds, I wasn't alive in it's heyday when it was being played daily. A great-aunt & uncle performed with it and played at family gatherings. Also, I'm left handed and the guitar is wronghanded so I didn't pick it up when I dabbled a few years back. There aren't any cracks, its not bent/warped, or any other discernible damage. In my amateur opinion I'd say it has the appropriate 65 years worth of handling marks.

Yeah hindsight is 20/20. My hunter ed instructor told us his first M1 carbine was $15 shipped to his house way back when. Make you wonder doesn't it? As far as I know mine hasn't had any work done.

A guitar humidifier is always a good idea in Colorado.

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Originally Posted by Portsider86

I have an old family heirloom that I want to protect. I don't play, I gave it a shot once and I have no intentions of pursuing it further. Nobody in the family plays but I also have no intention of selling this guitar right now. So I'm just wondering if there is something I should be doing beyond relaxing the strings to make sure it doesn't rot away. BTW, my guitar is a 1948 C.F. Martin D-18. I've been told that it is valuable so I'd like to protect as best I can but I know nothing about instruments.

Thanks gents.

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www.acousticguitarforum.org is good place to start for info.

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Originally Posted by Rucker61

A guitar humidifier is always a good idea in Colorado.

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Throw some heaters in the humi. too. I can't play a guitar to save my life but love vintage axes.

I would not be adding any humidity or such to it without consulting a Luthier. You may very well cause more harm than good. Contact "PalePainter" here, he is an electric Luthier extraordinaire but if he doesn't know he can get you to a knowledgeable person on acoustics.

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Originally Posted by Rucker61

A guitar humidifier is always a good idea in Colorado.

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+1 too dry the wood finish will start to crack.

You might be able to get a value here

http://www.maurysmusic.com/martin_guitars?gclid=CNLw2MyKtLsCFclaMgodzEkAvg

Post a pic so we can see what it looks like!

You certainly want to keep it in the case. Relieve string tension. You do no have to take the strings off. The case will acclimate slower and help to balance out drastic changes in humidity. They make little units to put in the case t help balance humidity, basically charcoal canisters. Too dry is definitely not good.

I know a few guys that work at Martin that could help with pricing. If you wanted, you could email me a shot of it or post it here. Palepainter at gmail dot com

I grew up in the world of classical music. I've played the violin and viola for over 30 years now.

The humidity thing is no joke. The string tension is a good idea. It doesn't have to be a lot, basically tune it down about a fourth or so (a musical fourth, not a 'quarter'). Keep tension on those little things in place that will keep the top and bottom from unseating.

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Originally Posted by UrbanWolf

+1 too dry the wood finish will start to crack.

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^^ This. I have a Carter Stanley edition Blueridge that I neglected to humidify. I opened it up one day to find it cracked up the front. You can pick up a humidifier cheap. It's worth it. To me, Martin is the king of guitar makers. Also loosen those strings as mentioned.

I never have played a Martin that I have enjoyed playing. I dunno what it is about them, they just dont fit me.

+1 on the humidifier though. Gotta protect those family heirlooms.

Give Old Town Pickin' Parlor a call. They are in Arvada and know all about vintage Martins. I would consult with them before changing much. Adding humidity to an instrument that has been dry may cause issues. I play a Martin. They make some of the finest acoustics out there.

http://www.picknparlor.com/

+1 to Old Town Pickin' Parlor. They're actually who I took my Blueridge to to have it repaired.

Its probably going to need a neck reset ($400ish) but I for a guitar worth that much money its worth it.

Martin's are top of the line guitars.