Newbie asking for direction

Hi all,

I am Dean from Indonesia. I am new to this forum but have joined other guitar forums for many years now.
I am here to seek your opinion and directive being the other side of the globe.

I have owned maybe a dozen or so acoustic guitars since I made my own living and some change.
They range from $300 to $10k ( Takamine, Yamaha, Huss &Dalton, Lakewood, many Martin 000 authentic, Eric Clapton, Santa Cruz, Collings, Froggy Bottom), through that times I finally narrow down to the aspect and criteria that I yearn from a guitar.

I am in woodworking career for over 25 years and very honestly don’t know how to play a guitar, sure I know a few C & G chord, but my passion is on the wood, how a living tree can be turned into such a delicate, complicated sounding box by different pieces and by different hands.

Now I am fully sober and refrain from digging too deep into my pocket.
Sure I admire the work of Tom Sands, Buendia, Astrand,Rasmussen etc, I am drooling over them but deep in my heart I know they are not for me..my playing skill just don’t justify that let alone my saving account…:-))

I often opened the case of my Lakewood just to smell the aromatic Cypress, pluck a few notes and put it back in…Please don’t laugh…haha

Now my latest quest is to custom order a classic Martin 00 12-fret footprint with:
- Martinesque tone ( never like Taylor’s tone, no offence Bob..)
- Extra light weight ( about 1.5 kg)
- Aromatic ( Cedar top - Cedar back and sides ). I’ll post another thread on this topic.

So if you guys happen to know any luthier who built Martin based instruments please share your information not including those with few years wait list and one who’s going to break an engineer salary many times over..:-)
He/she can be in Europe or South America.

Your thought and your info here is very much appreciated.
But please don’t judge me for not being a good guitar player but still being very fussy, I must say guitars are my toys rather than a musical instrument. I want my children to be a good guitarist that’s why I think they are a good investment for next generation.

Apology for such a long winded introduction.
Thank you all..
Dean

Welcome here, Dean. We will do our best to help you.

But I feel a bit confused about your expectations: you are a woodworker, but not even - as I understand - an intermediate guitar player. However, the list of instruments you own or have owned is pretty impressive.

You choice of a Martin 00-12 like is highly respectable, but I am doubtful over you choice of woods : whilst cedar is working great for a soundboard, I haven't seen or heard a guitar with cedar back and sides. Too soft for the purpose IMHO.

I agree it smells good, and besides it will keep the moths away from your clothes. But it is structurally unsound and inappropriate - IMHO - for a soundbox .

I second Corolian's reply.
In addition, if you're after Martinesque tone, a spruce top might be a safer choice rather than cedar.
Cedar topped guitars can be great though.
Anyhow, a nice copy from a builder with a good reputation (which is a good investment for your children) will put you on a waiting-list and cost you in the 4-10K range depending on the woods and the bling.
I wish you luck & fun with your guitar-journey.

I like wood, my passion in my line of work. I also collect rare and exotic species thinking I might make myself a guitar or two when I retire.

I buy guitar not because I am an avid player but I just like nice things made out of from wood, more so if it can produce nice tone with sexy waist ..haha.
So, should somebody kick me out of this forum I can understand..:-))

The first "expensive" guitar I bought when I got my first job after college was a Lakewood A-32 Premium, with my hard earned 6 months salary saving. Prior to that I had several visit to the showroom just to see and smell the Cypress. That was my first "love"

A decade and a dozen guitars later, I know what I want in a guitar (or at least for now).. Tone is very subjective, what I want is not..:-))
Aromatic -- must be on the spec list - that would be cedar for top or Cypress for back and sides

I realize too it's not a good ingredient to have soft top and equally soft back.

So will Sitka ( or Engelmann) pair well with Cypress? If Cedar back is too soft.

Btw, I wrote to Michael Sanden but he replied his only 00 model is Gibson L-00.

Just found out this video.
He has Adirondack, which is considered the stiffest spruce for top and yet it sounds amazing with Cypress back and sides.
I think if we use Cedar top..it might just turns out on par or better because cedar suppose to have warmer tone.

Yes I know you guys are going to say.. "depends on the builder" right ?

Oh no, I can't post link....  
Check the title Marshal Brune 000 on Youtube

Dean