| Sales: acoustic guitars |
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On this page, I'll post good quality, interesting or unusual acoustic and acoustic-electric guitars for sale. Although I occasionally buy and sell (apparently I'm better at buying than selling!) I'm also happy to post commission sales. The contact link will put you in direct contact with the owner.
Please feel free to contact me if you're looking for something special! ***Coming soon*** Awaiting pics: Martin OM-18GE Martin OM42 (1999) ***Current wants*** I'm looking for the following: Good condition Gibson Banner J45 1960s Epiphone Excellante pre-1969 Martin D-28 |
Encore W250 Dreadnought
Hiscox Standard Dreadnought case 1962 Levin LS-18 Super Goliath 1977 Martin D-35 1979 Fylde Orsino 1984 Russ Wootton Tanglewood 1000SR 1950 Gibson LG-1 1993 Takamine N10-12 12-string Harmony H6560 Sovereign 2003 Martin OM-18V 1954 Gibson LG-1 2000 Collings 000-1 c.1928 Washburn Model 5200 2003 Martin D-18GE Golden Era 1970s Eko Sombrero 12-string Martin OMC-15E Martin OM-21 Martin D-15S Tanglewood SJ-5X acoustic-electric |
| Encore W250 Dreadnought
I bought this some time ago for my niece who wanted to start learning the guitar, and thought this the best guitar I could find for c£100. It's hardly been played and she now wants to sell it. It's a good player, with a nice action and a decent sound for a budget guitar £70 or near offer For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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| Hiscox Standard Dreadnought case
Hiscox Liteflite dreadnought guitar case, near-mint. This is a Hiscox Liteflite STD-AC case - their standard model for acoustic guitars (the usual dreadnought size.) A few very minor scuff marks, but near-mint condition. Still got the original tag! This is a classy case - light but very strong and secure. £70 or near offer For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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| 1962 Levin LS-18 Super Goliath **SOLD**
I have for sale my 1962 Levin LS-18, serial no 427071, sold in the UK as the Super Goliath Model 1855. This is the sort of high-end model that made Levin's reputation, and contributed to their eventual takeover by Martin. (It cost £39 7s 6d in 1962!) It's the model marketed in the US as the Goya S-18. Very high quality timbers: European spruce top, Flame maple back and sides, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard. People often talk about 'cannons' or 'banjo killers', but this is one of the loudest dreadnoughts I've heard. It has a very balanced sound - bright trebles, even up the dusty end, where some dreads can get a little thin, clear mids, and the sort of bass you'd expect. Playing action is very good - ideal for a mixture of flatpicking and fingerpicking, which is what it's been used for. No buzzes, and the frets are in good condition. Overall, it's in very good condition, although it had a major overhaul by Highly String Guitars of Aldershot, Hampshire, in 1982. It had evidently been dropped on the lower bout, treble side, and they repaired a top crack and a couple of loose braces. The treble side binding also came away and was reglued. The guitar was then resprayed. A very high quality job, still hard to spot even today, unless you're looking for it. At the same time, they levelled the fingerboard and refretted the guitar, using medium wire very similar to the original, and replaced the original Van Gent tuners with Schaller minis. £1050 on its own, or £1200 including a Calton dreadnought case (brown exterior, gold interior), in excellent condition. This is an early 1980s model, made by Keith Calton in the UK. It's a little lighter in weight than either the current models being made in the UK or those being made in Canada under licence, and has less external fittings, but is still an excellent case. For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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| 1977 Martin D-35
This is a good example of the D-35, with the characteristic Martin dreadnought sound. Ideal for flatpicking or rhythm work, but also functions well as a fingerpicking guitar. Similar in construction to the D-28, but with a three-piece Indian rosewood back and additional binding to the fingerboard. Previously the owner's main stage guitar until replaced by an OM-42, this is in good playing order. There are a number of minor dings, typical for its age, but nothing too noticeable. With original Martin case. £1400 ono. Click here to contact the owner. Return to top of page |
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| 1979 Fylde Orsino **SOLD**
This is still a current model, and is one of Roger Bucknall's most popular models. Fyldes have been played by many of the acoustic music scene's best-known guitarists - there's a list on the Fylde website - and many people think they are particularly suited to Celtic and other forms of folk music. Certainly it sounds very impressive in DADGAD and other open tunings, but I've used it for a mixture of fingerpicking and flatpicking in a variety of styles. It has a solid cedar top, which has aged very attractively over the years, and solid Honduras mahogany back and sides. It is roughly a dreadnought size but the top bout is slightly larger and this aspect is further accentuated by the narrower waist. The fingerboard width is 1¾" width at the nut, and the scale length is 25.5" (same as Martin Dreadnought guitars). Indian rosewood fingerboard, bridge and binding. Original black rotamatic style tuners - probably Gotohs. It's in excellent condition for its age. There are a few minor marks - indentations rather than anything else - in the treble side. The top has some minor and not very visible fingernail marks (like many Fyldes, there's no pickguard). There are a few minor indentations (cedar tops are soft and rather prone to indentations) and a couple of deeper ones, notably near the end block. Nothing more that a few mm across, though, and nothing worrying or likely to cause problems in the future. Very little fret wear - the frets have been reprofiled and polished fairly recently. There's some fingernail wear around the 5th fret, as the previous owner was a singer who used a capo a lot, but fortunately there are no capo marks on the back of the neck. Decent action - currently set up with 12-53 light strings. There is a rather ugly strap button on the heel - useful, but could be replaced with a less obtrusive one. There is a bridgeplate transducer and endpin jack. It's one of the early Barcus Berry transducers - looks like a block of rosewood. In its day it was quite a high-end option, but things have moved on and there are better pickups around these days. It has a non-original good condition fitted hard case - similar in standard to the Hiscox cases which are currently supplied with new Fyldes. £950 ono. For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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| 1984 Russ Wootton
This small 12-fret guitar was built by the English luthier Russ Wootton in 1984. Russ is well-regarded for his small-bodied guitars, which combine the best features of American and European guitar construction. His website includes commendations from luminaries such as Dan Crary and Dick Gaughan, and he currently charges upwards of £1,400 depending upon style, woods, etc. This model is based on 'pre-war' Washburn and Martin '0' size guitars, with a Sitka spruce top, mahogany back, sides and neck, and an ebony fingerboard. Schaller tuners. It sounds very good - bright, and well-balanced, with an excellent top end response - just what you would expect from a lightly built small body guitar. It's in very good playing order. Little fret wear, and it's recently had a general set-up. Good action for fingerstyle, but also responds well to flatpicking. Cosmetically, I think it's fair to say that it's been 'well-used' in the last 20-odd years. There's a lot of nail and pick wear wear on both sides of the soundhole. Lacquer checking throughout, and various scratches on all surfaces, though nothing too major or unsightly. There is a short repaired crack in the back and another on the front from the bridge to the end-block - both stable and the latter is cleated. The binding has shrunk somewhat, and has been re-glued in the waist. But, as I said, an excellent playing/sounding guitar, and priced about right given the cosmetics. Comes with an hard-shell case in good condition. £600 ono. Click here to contact the owner. Return to top of page |
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| Tanglewood 1000SR **SOLD**
This is variously described as a Tanglewood Earth 1000 and a TW1000SR, although in fact it's considerably more ornate that the current range. The solid spruce top is probably Sitka, and has just about the most dramatic bearclaw of any Far Eastern guitar I've ever seen. Back and sides are solid East Indian Rosewood, the neck is mahogany and the inlays are abalone. I'd describe the condition as near-mint - hard to see any blemishes at all. It's been played a little, just enough to play it in. (It was bought as a present for a friend of mine but he prefers small-bodied guitars and now mostly plays an OM-sized Avalon.) Very loud and exceptionally well-balanced for a dreadnought, with bright trebles as well as the usual emphatic bass end. Excellent for flatpicking but also performs well when played fingerstyle. It's been set up with a medium low action, and there's plenty of room for lowering the saddle further if desired. A compensated bone saddle has been fitted to replace the original plastic saddle, together with a set of Stewart Macdonald's turned ebony bridge pins. Comes with an immaculate Hiscox Liteflite hard shell case - these retail for something like £75. For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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| 1950 Gibson LG-1 **SOLD**
Unlike the 1954 model which I sold recently, this is structurally sound. No loose braces and an excellent playing action. Classic Gibson sound, and boy it's loud! I've had a lot of fun with this guitar, but need to sell it to help pay for the recent acquisition of a Collings OM-3. Has the usual lacquer checking typical of a 50s Gibson, and several back cracks have been repaired and are stable, but it has none of the other usual problems. There are quite a few pick marks on the top, but apart from that, it's in very good condition for its age. I've lightly stoned and repolished the frets and removed the goo left by a previous pickup installation - the battery pack was attached with some kind of adhesive. The endpin is drilled for a 1/2" Switchcraft jack, but there's no pickup installed at present, and a Larrivee endpin has been fitted. Comes with a c1980s or 1990s Ibanez fitted case, in good condition. £1050 ono. For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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1993 Takamine N10-12 12-string
A acoustic Takamine 12-string from the early 1990s. Nice condition, complete with fitted hard case. You can get more information from the owner by clicking here. Return to top of page |
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Harmony H6560 Sovereign
Late 1960s US-built Harmony Sovereign, model H6560. A good solid wood model - spruce top, mahogany back and sides - produced before Harmony moved production to the Far East and quality plummeted. These were very popular with those of us who couldn't afford a Martin or a Gibson. Many of them have taken a beating over the years, but this one's very tidy - a few dings, but nothing serious. The survivors often need a neck reset, as the action is too high. I've just reset the neck on this one, and it now has an excellent playing action with plenty of saddle height to spare. Good dreadnought/jumbo sound. Replacement tuners. You can contact the owner on +44 (0)117 983 2500. Return to top of page |
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| 2003 Martin OM-18V **SOLD**
Recent Martin OM (000-size body, with the longer 25.4" scale length used on dreadnoughts). From their Vintage range, which are built to a much higher quality than the standard range. Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge. Excellent condition, apart from a little shrinkage to the top binding. £1250 ono. For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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| 1954 Gibson LG-1 **SOLD**
Gibson LG-1 with original case and sales tags. Lightly built, and the classic Gibson sound. Very good top end, and a surprisingly clear and strong bass. These guitars are generally best regarded for blues, ragtime and other fingerpicking styles, but this one flatpicks nicely too. It's not in showroom condition - there's lacquer checking throughout the neck and body, and a 'scratchplate crack'. Gibson and Martin used to lacquer over the scratchplate, and as the plastic shrank a crack often developed alongside the scratchplate. This has been repaired, and the scratchplate refitted over the finish to avoid any repetition. There are also a number of old, repaired cracks on the back, and several loose or missing braces have been reglued or replaced. No problems with the sides or neck join. This guitar's best point is its playability - the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard is in excellent condition, and the original frets have been professionally reprofiled and repolished. Good playing action, and there's some room left on the saddle. The machines are original and in good condition, but the buttons have disintegrated (a common problem with 40s and 50s Gibsons and Martins) and been fitted with vintage replacements from Stewart Macdonald. £875 ono. For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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| 2000 Collings 000-1 **SOLD**
Serial no 6024, signed by Bill Collings. This guitar left the Collings factory in Nov. 2000, and was sold by Maple Street Guitars of Jacksonville, Alabama. I'm the second owner. It's legally imported into the EU, and comes with full documentation. Truly world-class workmanship, as you'd expect from Collings. Loud, resonant, lively instrument with great warmth and sustain. Already sounds as if it's been played for ten years. Top quality Sitka top, with Honduran mahogany back and sides. Nickel Waverly tuners. OOO 12-fret Collings guitars cost more than their 14-fret counterparts, and this one certainly justifies the extra premium. Lists for $3950 new in the States, and usually sells for around £2750 in the UK, so this is a real bargain. It's in excellent condition - a couple of small chips on the end of the headstock which have been professionally touched up and repolished, and one or two very superficial scratches on the sides, all of which are very hard to spot. With TKL case, also in excellent condition. £2100 ono. For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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| c.1928 Washburn Model 5200
A classic 12-fretter from the days when Washburn meant a high quality hand-built American guitar. Spruce top, and Honduras mahogany back and sides. This guitar was fully restored in the early 1970s by the legendary Keith Johns of Brighton, and purchased by Chris Newman, who used it on his first solo recordings. I bought it around 1983, and it's been regularly played - but never gigged - since then. The Washburn logo on the headstock is not original, but was inlaid by Keith Johns, who also replaced the original bridge with a 'flat-topped pyramid' bridge in the style used by Washburn around the turn of the century. This is a wonderful playing instrument - in remarkable condition for its age, and the restoration work is sympathetic and to a very high standard. The neck is dead straight, and the action remarkably low, without any rattles. This has all the characterisics of a 12-fretter - very loud, bright and clear trebles, especially up the dusty end of the fingerboard, and clear and crisp bass. Comes complete with a green Calton case - the Rolls Royce of acoustic guitar cases. £2300 ono. For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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| 2003 Martin D-18GE Golden Era **SOLD**
I've decided to sell my 2003 D-18GE. Nearly mint - just a couple of tiny and very shallow dings about 2mm long, one on treble side of top, upper bout, one on lower rib. All the usual stuff - very nice Adirondack top, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces, butterbean Waverlies. 1 3/4" at nut. Usual green-lined TKL case in excellent condition. These very rarely come up in the UK - I looked for one for a long while. Really wonderful sound, just beginning to open up nicely. Strong, clear trebles, plus what you would expect from the bottom end. A classic dreadnought! Much as I like it, though, I can't really get on with the body size - all my other guitars are OMs or 12-fretters. These list new in the USA at $3,949.00, and the lowest discount price is $2,999. I've only ever seen one of these for sale in the UK, at £2,500, so this is offered at an attractive price. £1750 ono. For more information, email here. |
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Specification details:
Dreadnought body with solid Adirondack spruce top, scalloped 5/16" Golden Era bracing, solid genuine mahogany back and sides, and mahogany blocks with a dovetail neck joint produce a mellow, rich tone as clear and warm as any Martin ever. V-shaped neck for long-playing comfort features a fossil ivory nut and solid ebony fingerboard. Looks are enhanced by Old Style 18 abalone fretboard inlays, Waverly nickel tuners with butterbean knobs, polished gloss finish, Brazilian rosewood headplate with large Golden Era-style logo, and black binding.
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| 1970s Eko Sombrero 12-string **SOLD**
Good example of one of Eko's rarer guitars. Built to a higher specification than the better known Ranger. Glued neck rather than bolt-on, with ornate mother of pearl headstock and enclosed machine heads. Back and sides are a very attractive quilted mahogany. This guitar is in good condition for its age, the body is solid and the neck straight and solidly attached. The action is low and the frets have been professonally reprofiled and repolished. The fingerboard shows little wear. There is none of the bellying that you often see on 12-strings, nor any of the lacquer checks which are so common in Eko acoustics. There are of course a number of dings around the binding, and one on the end of the headstock, as you'd probably expect on an Eko of this era, but they have been touched up with lacquer and repolished. £175 ono. For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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| Martin OMC-15E **SOLD**
Now, this is really neat! A classic Martin OM but with the addition of a cutaway that makes playing up at the dusty end a piece of cake! The action is really low - this is a very easy guitar to play. It's also fitted with an active Fishman pickup system with comprehensive controls built into the side of the guitar on the treble side. It was made in 2002, and is in extremely good condition - no fret wear, dings or cracks. A hard shell case is included in the price of £695. To contact the owner, email here. Return to top of page |
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| Martin OM-21 **SOLD**
This is a late 1993 model (s/n 533699) in extremely good playing condition. The action is low, and the sound is extraordinarily rich - the top end is tremendously powerful, and is most unusual for a rosewood guitar. There are three small dings on the top, and look as though they've been caused by a badly placed microphone stand. They're small though, and affect only the finish. This lovely example of an Orchestra Model rosewood Martin guitar is supplied with a hardshell case, and is priced at £1250. To contact the owner, email here. Return to top of page |
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| Martin D-15S **SOLD**
This is a big guitar with a dreadnought body with a 12 fret neck. It's in extremely good condition with virtually no evidence of playing wear. The action is low, and there is masses of height on the bridge saddle. The instrument is supplied in a hard shell case. To contact the owner, email here. Return to top of page |
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| Tanglewood SJ-5X acoustic-electric **SOLD**
This is a solid top cutaway acoustic electric in Tanglewood's 'Super Jumbo' shape - more rounded than a Martin shape and somewhat reminiscent of a small Gibson SJ200. This is a new guitar, and is in mint condition apart from a small, unobtrusive scratch on the neck near the body join. The action is low, and the sound is very bright and clear. This guitar works as well acoustically as it does amplified. Fishman Prefix EQ System provides active electronics identical to those used on Martin's acoustic-electrics. Supplied with a gig bag for £350. For more information, email here. Return to top of page |
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