Hi folks, does any one know what the scale length of a 1937 Martin O-18 is please?
TIA
Serge
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:41 am ] |
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Hi folks, does any one know what the scale length of a 1937 Martin O-18 is please? TIA
Serge |
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| Author: | Homeboy [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:10 am ] |
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My guess would be 24.9, but somebody may know for sure and then I should be completely ignored. Homeboy |
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| Author: | TonyKarol [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:16 am ] |
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I would say 24.9 as well .. for sure if its a 12 fret .. the 14 fretters didnt come along till after the war I think. |
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| Author: | crazymanmichael [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:18 am ] |
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24.9 is the correct rounded dimension. this site gives then all: http://www.mimf.com/archives/m artin_dimensions.htm |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:59 am ] |
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Thanks guys, i'm thinking that 24.9 would be correct for a 12 fretter also but what if i was to build a 14 fretter? what would be the scale length then ? TIA again! Serge |
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| Author: | Alain Desforges [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:55 am ] |
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Anything you want it to be man, ... anything! 
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| Author: | Rod True [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:00 am ] |
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If you wanted to use the 00 size body, you can use almost any scale you want like Alain said. If you were to make a 14 fret neck joint, I would probably use a 25.4 or 25.6. Depends also on what is to be played on this little guitar. Drop tunings? I'd go with the higher scale, but if it were for finger pickin' and some strummin', I'd stick with the 25.4 Sooooooo since no one else has asked yet..... What you doin' Serrrrrrrrrrgio??? |
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| Author: | JohnAbercrombie [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:15 am ] |
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[QUOTE=Serge Poirier] Thanks guys, i'm thinking that 24.9 would be correct for a 12 fretter also but what if i was to build a 14 fretter? what would be the scale length then ? [/QUOTE] Serge- I was thinking about this last week as I have some 25.4 fingerboards and I'm building a parlour (O-size) guitar. Either scale length will do: if you think of the measurements from the neck/body join line, the longer scale will move the bridge about .25 inch or less (and the nut the same distance 'away' from the body). Not a big deal. Changing from 12 to 14 fret join point (with either scale) will require you to move the bridge a fair bit, so you will have to check your bracing and the rest of your plan... With the smaller body guitars, there's less lower bout to move that bridge around in, so it makes an interesting exercise. Just my 2 cents worth.. John |
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| Author: | Colin S [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:34 am ] |
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I've got two 00-18s 1934 and 1963, both of them are 24.9, My 000-18 (1935) and OM-28 (1931) are both 25.4. I believe that in the 30s the 0-18 had the original 24.9 scale. Also if your going authentic they switched to tortoise binding on the 18s in 1936. Colin |
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| Author: | David Collins [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 1:02 pm ] |
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I know I'm probably being a thorn in peoples sides, but will everyone please stop saying 25.4? I'm sure many already know that Martin never used a 25.4" scale length, but many don't and it can lead to confusion. The 25.34" that they did actually use is only .060" less, but it can be enough to make a difference when someone is locating a bridge. If anyone has any fingerboards, templates, etc., that are labeled 25.4, you should either measure them or check with the manufacturer. I know that Stew Mac labels, or at least used to label their 25.34 templates as 25.4, but I don't know about other parts distributors. |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:45 pm ] |
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Many thanks my good friends, i really appreciate all your input on this since it will be a guitar that i will give to my young brother Martin so the 1937 Martin O-18 is very attractive to me! Thanks Alain buddy! thanks Rod, check out my newest thread, Friday night at Serge's shop!
Thanks John, Colin and David, i will probably go the 25.34" route with the 14 fret since i'm used to do it that way and i already got the templates for that scale length, thanks again all! Serge |
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| Author: | JohnAbercrombie [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:18 pm ] |
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[QUOTE=David Collins] I know I'm probably being a thorn in peoples sides, but will everyone please stop saying 25.4? I'm sure many already know that Martin never used a 25.4" scale length, but many don't and it can lead to confusion. The 25.34" that they did actually use is only .060" less, but it can be enough to make a difference when someone is locating a bridge. If anyone has any fingerboards, templates, etc., that are labeled 25.4, you should either measure them or check with the manufacturer. [/QUOTE] Good point, David. I guess I'm naturally suspicious/cautious, but I always check the 0-12 fret distance on the fingerboard (if pre-slotted, template if not) rather than trusting a measurement. An accurate scale (Starrett 36 inch??) is way out of my price range anyway. John |
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| Author: | David Collins [ Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:04 pm ] |
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I just briefly checked a 1940 0-15 at the shop and it came out to around 24.78". Precision in fret board slotting was never one of Martin's strong points (you should see how far off some of the slots are on a 1960 D-18 I'm working on are  ), but depending which intervals I look at I can
come out with from 24.76" to about 24.89". I realize I'm rather lucky to have a nice set of 26", .001" graduation calipers. I made a set of replacement tips to measure point to point, edge to edge or a combination and I absolutely love them. I would personally choose a shorter scale for a 0-style. I'm a big fan of old parlor guitars and most of them use a 24" scale. I don't know how a small body like that would sound with a long scale, as I really don't know as though I've ever seen one. |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:49 am ] |
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David, the PROGECAD file i have says it's a 14 fret join and the searches i've done on the net have given me a 23" scale length so that's why i was asking because 23" seemed abit weird to go with a 14 fretter so maybe i should go with a 12 fretter and a 24.9" SL to make sure? |
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| Author: | Dave White [ Sat Jan 13, 2007 5:14 am ] |
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David, I know little to nothing about traditional Martin (or other make) scale lengths, but it occurs to me that sometimes confusion comes from sloppy (or different) definitions of scale length that people can and do use. Sometimes people (not you or other builders I'm sure)include the saddle compensation (in the middle of the saddle) to what I would call scale length (excluding the complexities of any shortening of the fretboard at the nut). In this way 25.3" becomes 25.4" ('ish) and 24.8 becomes 24.9 ('ish). |
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| Author: | David Collins [ Sat Jan 13, 2007 5:36 am ] |
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Dave, you're certainly right about careless or casual numbers becoming so commonly used, and once they make it in to print enough times people start to take them as accurate facts. I've never paid much attention to the accuracy of the "24.9" scale, although now I'm beginning to think that may be further off than the "25.4" number. I guess that makes me as guilty as anyone for passing on misinformation. I'll have to start keeping better notes on short scale Martins as they come through the shop. Serge, I'm not sure where the 23" scale length came from, but that does seem a lot shorter than I would want to try (unless you want to tune a step high). I would say anywhere from 24.5"-25" would seem appropriate for a custom 0-style. |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:55 am ] |
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Many thanks David, just in line with what i was thinking! YES! 
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| Author: | Anthony Z [ Sun Jan 14, 2007 3:24 pm ] |
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Serge, I'd also check with John Hall. Martin O guitars whether 12 or 14 frets clear of the body I believe are all 24.9" scale. If you check the MIMF link Michael McClain provided, I think you will see that both the 12 and 14 fret clear of the body are 24.9". The O size 12 and 14 fret also have a different body length as indicated in Michael's provided link. Here's a handy link on Martin vintage guitars that contains some interesting historical factsVintage Guitar Info |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:15 pm ] |
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Thanks Anthony, when i checked Michael's link at first, i was embarrassed to say that i could not find the info  , i just checked more thoroughly and found it this time, thanks to Michael and to you as well Anthony, 24,9" for sure now.
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| Author: | Lillian F-W [ Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:11 am ] |
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Serge, were you logged in? In order to view the archives there, you have to be signed in first. |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:58 am ] |
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oh yeah, weird, wonder why i could have access to the archives yesterday without being logged in? i found what Michael was refering to there. |
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| Author: | crazymanmichael [ Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:00 am ] |
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i must concur wth david that it is somewhat confusing to old hands, much less the new ones when the manufacturers published nominal dimensions are not the same as the manufacturing specifications. it is even worse when what they build is not in line with their manufacturing specs. in a similar vein the range of variations around gibson's nominal 24.75" scale length was extensive. measuring the fret board is the only way to devine what is going on and then inconsistencies as cited above rear their ugly head. all that being recognized, martin still refers to their two most common scale lengths as 24.9" and 25.4" and for such discussions as these i see no harm in using the maufacturers own terminology. there is no reason, as lord denning, mr, once said, "...to throw an entirely gratuitous shovel of manure into an already sufficiently muddied stream!" |
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| Author: | outstrung [ Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:01 pm ] |
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For some odd reason I find the 12 fretter more pleasing to my eye. I love parlours! |
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