Your first guitar was a Kay? My first guitar was a bused.

Before I got it, and after. Not supposed to put steel strings on classicals, I hear.

Martin is coming out with a highly over-ornamented thing called a D-50 I think, the big-ticket dealers are just wetting their pants in anticipation.

In order to avoid doing anything productive this morning, I have just conducted a survey of some Martins currently available from well-known dealers, here's some figures to bear out this discussion. There are remarkably few D-18's for sale at the moment, surprising really:

George Gruhn: 1947 O-18, excellent $2000
1962 OO-18, exc: $2250
1947 D-28, excellent-but(beltbuckle scars) $8500

Mandolin Bros:
1996 000-28 EC (Eric Clapton) $2795
New D-18GE (reissue, w Adirondack Spruce top): 3720
And just out of interest, no comparisons available for this item:
Carl Sandburg's 1933 Martin OM18, along with some handwritten manuscripts and unpublished poems: $36,000
Elderly Instruments:
3 OO-18's, 1946, 50, 51, $1500(as is) to $3350

1943 000-28, VG-EX $14,000
1943 000-45 EX, $63,500, oh, my, god. The highest priced guitar found today.

1941 D-28, VG, $18,000 (normal playing wear & repairs!)
1957 D-28: $5,500
1992 D-45: second reissue of the 1939 D-45, this reproduction is priced at $11,000 w/ Brazil rw.
1996 D-45: third reissue priced at $16,000. Go figure. They made 91 of each of these reissues, which was the number of D-45's made in 1929.

Twelfth Fret, Toronto
1972 D-18: $1800 Cdn (<1200 US)Hey I want this, someone buy it for me please. I'll pay shipping. I'll come get it. I'll...
00028 Eric Clapton: $3000 Cdn. Under $2000 US.

ENOUGH ALREADY! I really need to do something useful around home today...

Willie-O