NGD! Martin OOO-18, custom Koa Back & Sides

[newminglewoodblue]

I picked up a new guitar yesterday at True Tone Music in Santa Monica. True Tone Music is a local shop on Santa Monica Blvd, a great store if you're in the area. They treated me well & gave me a great deal, I would do business with True Tone again in a heartbeat. They ordered this guitar to sell out of inventory, when I saw they had a Koa OOO-18 I had to check it out. True Tone is about 30 minutes from my office, so I made a lunch time run. The guitar is basically a standard series OOO-18, Sitka spruce top with Koa Back & Sides. I was shopping for a custom OOO-18 with an adi top, but I'm VERY happy I found this gem. The Koa is clean, glassy, lush over tones, big Boom bass, very sparkly highs and great sustain. She's very responsive, the notes jump out of the sound hole with a soft attack and has plenty of headroom using an aggressive attack. I strung her with medium lights, Martin MA545, which is what I have on my OO-18. The lights don't suit my style, but did sound great for about 10 minutes until I swapped strings. Thank you True Tone! Keep them on your radar screen, they gave me a great deal after a soft haggle. I tried to capture the beauty of the Koa:

 

[brookdalebill]

Gorgeous!

 

[P Thought]

That's a beauty, wear it out!

 

[Swirling Snow]

The ebony, the spruce, that's a stunning guitar even before you get to the koa!

 

[haggardfan1]

That's lovely. Enjoy!

 

[Dismalhead]

Wow! Congrats. That's a beauty.

 

[oatsoda]

That is a beautiful guitar. Long may you make it ring.

A Martin guitar is family. Sometimes family is hard, but you don’t let go of it.

 

[Dan German]

Wow!

 

[Recce]

Jealous, nice Martin.

 

[howardlo]

Really nice guitar. Congrats!
OOO’s are my favorite size acoustic

 

[kuch]

HNGD!! Nice Martin.

 

[arlum]

Good vibes are just a strum away!

 

[Joebanjocolo]

That's a beauty! I love ooo size guitars !!

 

[mexicanyella]

I second the “that’s lovely, now go wear it out” sentiment. Love seeing such pretty wood in such a simple unadorned style.

 

[DFB1]

Beautiful guitar.

 

[Stubee]

Cool guitar!

 

[schmee]

That is superb! Nice black tight grain ebony too!

 

[Boreas]

YUM!! I am always glad to see Koa guitars. They speak to me. I still don't own one.

About 40 years ago I bought a Martin HD-28 kit with all-koa wood. I got it about half-finished and then life got in the way. I ended up giving the kit, forms, tools, and supplies to a friend of mine who was a good woodworker. As far as I know, he either never finished it, or threw it in a dumpster. I never asked him about it, fearing the answer.

 

[GeneB]

Never say no-a to koa. That is a beautiful Martin. My Carvin approves too ...

 

[newminglewoodblue]

Thanks everyone, I'm still floating along (my fingers are sore too!)