Martin D12-35 (1966)

Description

Every one of us here at the Denver Folklore Center has walked away impressed from this 1966 Martin D12-35 - no small feat considering its incredible pedigree and reputation. This terrific 12-string comes from the landmark era when Martin still used Brazilian rosewood on their guitars, meaning it has the sound you grew up with on classic rock and folk records from the 60s and 70s. Unlike the more common six-string D-35 upon which it was modeled, the D12-35 came stock in a slope-shoulder design with a short scale length, setting it apart visually from most other Martins, as well as changing the feel of the neck to something more Gibson-esque. It's one of our favorite 12-strings and will undoubtedly become the favorite of its next owner.

This guitar has seen about the typical amount of wear for an instrument of its age, with extensive finish checking on the top, back, sides, and neck, and a few significant repairs, including a new bridge, nut, and cleated cracks on the back. There is a typical to above-typical amount of picking wear on the top, as well as other wear, including dents and scuffs on all planes of the guitar, as is consistent with any instrument approaching 60 years of age. The owner had a Barcus-Berry passive undersaddle pickup installed, and as a result, the original endpin is now gone. The instrument plays great, and has recently been professionally set up with low, smooth action in all positions. Accordingly, we consider it to be in good condition, and the price includes the original hard-shell case. Like the guitar, the case also has significant wear and in some spots the vinyl exterior has peeled away entirely, but it has maintained its structural integrity (see photos).