Martin’s Director of Research and Development, Tim Teel, brings us a fantastic example of top shelf conversion work in this 2007 00-45, previously a 00-28G from 1961. Perfect Brazilian Rosewood is finely quartersawn with some spiderweb figuring, against an Adirondack Spruce top that was harvested from the Smoky Mountain National Park after it fell during Hurricane Opal in 1995. Tonewood maestro John Arnold acquired the salvaged Red Spruce and processed some incredible sets, like the exceedingly tight-grained one used here. The original 28-style appointments have been eschewed in favor of the full 45 treatment, complete with Abalone along the top, back, and sides, snowflakes & diamonds position markers, and headstock torch (cut by well-known mandolin builder and inlay artist Tom Ellis of Precision Pearl Inlay fame). A light-chocolate, full-size pickguard completes the picture. One final note, this conversion includes a new 14-fret neck with modified V profile, and a particularly thin Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish.
Here’s a performance video with Muriel Anderson (“A Fine Pickle”) playing this Martin/Teel Conversion: https://youtu.be/v4pOg0m5Jf0
Other keywords: fingerstyle, conversion guitar, oo, waverly, brazilain