The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #31614   Message #413343
Posted By: Boredatwork
08-Mar-01 - 10:34 AM
Thread Name: The Martin 000-15S
Subject: RE: The Martin 000-15S
Murray - Regarding the finish on your 000-15S

My wife has a 00-15 and I have noticed that the slight abrasive actions that occur during normal playing (i.e fretting hand sliding up and down the neck, arm contact with bass side of lower bout while playing etc.) have "buffed" the original satin/matte finish to a more glossy polished appearance in some areas. If it were my guitar instead of hers, I would experiment with using a mild abrasive such as rubbing compound to polish the whole thing out!

I played a 60's 000-15 in a shop and the finish on it was not very glossy at all. It looked more like an oil finish (i.e. tung oil) than a varnish, though it may have just been the way the varnished aged. At any rate, the "worn" places on the wife's guitar look very similar to the way I remember that guitar looking. I personally find it much more attractive than the foggy matte on the new ones.

If you should try polishing it out and it doesn't work and screws up the finish and the folks at Martin say it's not covered under warranty - you didn't hear this from me!