Martin Custom Size 5 "Terz" - The Tiny All Mahogany Guitar

[Boreas]

They ain't cheap, but sound great.

 

[Boreas]

I think I would be more inclined to get a clean, spruce-top 50s era 5-18 for about the same price. But it will likely come with a crap case and crummy tuners.

 

[toomuchfun]

I am glad Martin is reissuing classic models like this one. For me the bridge on these are right in the sweet spot on the lower bout, but they are just too small to be played with a group of any size. Great for alone time, maybe recording.

I feel an 0-15 or 0-17 is as small as I'd go for mahogany. Great sound and bass for the size.

 

[artdecade]

4 grand. That is a lot of money for a guitar you can't hear on the other side of the couch which is why many a wife will purchase one as a Christmas present this year.

 

[Boreas]

I have never played either, but I think I would prefer the 5-18 with a spruce top. Perhaps someday I will find a 5-18 nearby that I can try before buy!

 

[Dukex]

I love Martins (own a 000-15sm), but there's not $4,000+ utility in that baby for me. Nowhere close, LOL.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I think I would be more inclined to get a clean, spruce-top 50s era 5-18 for about the same price. But it will likely come with a crap case and crummy tuners.

A Bluegrass buddy of mine ( collector) has a 5-18 that is just so cool, in that it looks just like a 'baby D-18' - just beautiful woods. I've played it for a few songs and it is crystal clear and loud.

 

[printer2]

I would disagree that they are harder to make. Maybe to finish, got to get back to these. Originally made my own size and then traced out the size 5 (the longer scale ones).

 

[Alex W]

4 grand. That is a lot of money for a guitar you can't hear on the other side of the couch which is why many a wife will purchase one as a Christmas present this year.

I have a late 1960s 5-18. It's definitely got some volume, like a bell chiming. Obviously it does not have a lot of bass. Having said that, $4,000 is a lot of money for any guitar, especially a terz guitar which is likely to be a couch guitar or song writing tool.

 

[Oscar Stern]

The Terz Guitar can easily tune to Open G Terz Tuning (basically the Keith Richards 5 string Open G tuning plus a High G on the top). It's like taking your Guitar that's tuned to Open E & putting a capo on the 3rd Fret, which is a bit uncommon but it completes the Chord w/ more sparkle & clarity.

 

[Oscar Stern]

I found this little cutie which is the Telecaster Brother of the Martin Size 5 Terz (Mini Parlor Guitar), it's a Fender MTL-32 Terz Telecaster.

 

[bowman]

That little thing sounds cool, but 4 grand? Wow. Even 2 grand would seem like a lot - it’s tiny! Of course that has nothing to do with price, but it seems like it should…

 

[Freeman Keller]

I happen to be reading thru an old copy of American Lutherie (Spring 2021) and it features an article by James Buckland about the original terz guitars. Buckland is a well known builder and player of period instruments including many guitars from the 19th century and he has drawn the terz guitar plans that GAL sells.

There aparently was quite a bit of music written for a guitar tuned a minor third above concert and as we know the definition of the frequency of A was all over the place, typically i the 410-415 hz range.

Terz guitars were built by a number of companies - Lacote, Stauffer, Martin. They were around 560mm scale (21.6 inch), and were strung with gut until nylon strings became available. One of the things I find fascinating is that many had adjustable neck joints with clock key mechanisms - clever little bits of engineering a hundred and fifty years ago.

Buckland also talks about how luthiers at that time used geometric ratios for many of the dimensions on their instruments - shapes were chosen to be pleasing to the eye as well as the ear.

Anyway an interesting article - Boreas I could probably scan it and send you a copy if you want to pursue these sweet little guys - it would be a good project to build one,

American Lutherie #142 – Spring 2021 – Guild of American Luthiers

luth.org

 

[Boreas]

I happen to be reading thru an old copy of American Lutherie (Spring 2021) and it features an article by James Buckland about the original terz guitars. Buckland is a well known builder and player of period instruments including many guitars from the 19th century and he has drawn the terz guitar plans that GAL sells.

There aparently was quite a bit of music written for a guitar tuned a minor third above concert and as we know the definition of the frequency of A was all over the place, typically i the 410-415 hz range.

Terz guitars were built by a number of companies - Lacote, Stauffer, Martin. They were around 560mm scale (21.6 inch), and were strung with gut until nylon strings became available. One of the things I find fascinating is that many had adjustable neck joints with clock key mechanisms - clever little bits of engineering a hundred and fifty years ago.

Buckland also talks about how luthiers at that time used geometric ratios for many of the dimensions on their instruments - shapes were chosen to be pleasing to the eye as well as the ear.

Anyway an interesting article - Boreas I could probably scan it and send you a copy if you want to pursue these sweet little guys - it would be a good project to build one,

American Lutherie #142 – Spring 2021 – Guild of American Luthiers

luth.org

Thanks for the link. I was a member back before the interweb. Had me a stack of orange print editions - given to a friend along with my Martin HD-28K kit I was building in my apartment living room. But my life changed gears and when I went to optometry school in the early 90s, I had to depart with the partially-built kit. I am not a craftsman, so could never build an acoustic guitar from scratch without an investment in time, and money - things I am running out of. If you can scan it into a PDF document without much effort, I wouldn't mind reading it.