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I gave this guitar an excellent rating based primarily on the tone and playability and not on the physical condition of this particular instrument I recently purchased. The guitar has numerous dings, a few surface cracks in the top and crazing in the finish on the mahogany sides and back. None of this is an issue or unexpected in a 40+ year old guitar however there are some issues that need to be fixed on this guitar and those are 2 cracks in the binding/edge of the top in the lower bout and a crack in the binding in the back on the lower bout. The other issue is the top has begun to belly but again this is not unusual for a guitar this old and the fact that it is a 12 string and probably tuned to standard pitch during its previous life rather than tuning down a whole step to D and relieving some of the tension on the bridge and top. The good news is that the bridge is not lifting and I think I will be able to correct the bellying with a bridge doctor. So regarding the tone, after I installed 6 additional tuners and cleaned/lubed the original 6 tuners, installed new silk and steel strings and adjusted the bridge the guitar just sang! I was just amazed at how warm, rich and balanced the tone is! You can feel the guitar vibrating a lot playing it which suggests to me how light the bracing is and I think the spruce top is also quite thin all of which makes for this amazing tone. This guitar is also very smooth and easy to play with a fairly narrow neck profile compared to other 12 strings I have played. Over the years I have owned and played quite a few vintage Japanese guitars of various makes, although this is my first Penco, and they all had in common really good quality craftsmanship and this guitar also shows that same craftsmanship. All things considered, it will be worth the effort to fix the few issues with this guitar. This is really a great sounding and playing guitar and I will enjoy playing it for a long time to come.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes
One of the all-time great 12-strings and a good value compared to the Martin six strings of similar vintage. Common problems are the usual shrunken pickguards (and cracks associated with them) along with worn tuners. The pickguard/top crack problem is usually an easy fix. Elderly stocks a replacement set of tuners, but they are very expensive.
Verified purchase: Yes
I love Martin guitars and am excited to have a beautiful full sounding 12 string
Verified purchase: Yes