NGD! Marlen D10 Basket Case

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Tony Oresteen
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NGD! Marlen D10 Basket Case

Post by Tony Oresteen »

Today I was in my local guitar shop and I spied a D10 guitar amongst a bunch a cases and asked what is it. It was a Marlen model 210 in very sad shape. A widow had it and wanted it gone as it was her late husband's and had not been touched in years. The price was right so I bought it on the spot. Main reason I bought it is that I do not have a PSG setup for C6.

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Looks like an 8 pedal and 2 knee lever set up. Tuners are Kluson Classic style.


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It's good & filthy; looks like it was abandoned in a southern Georgia honky-tonk joint around 1979. Yes, it was way out of tune :) .

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Not shown are the legs, foot pedals, and connecting rods. It was assembled when I got it but I tore it down to load into my car. It does not have a case.


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The model is 210 and the serial number is 191791.


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Questions.

1. I did a brief search on the net for Marlen serial numbers but did not find much. I assume it's a 1960's/70's model given the logo plate and the 191xxx serial number. Anyone know what year it was made in?

2. Can two more knees be added to it?

3. I will need to get a case for it. Any recommendations?

4. Hardest question. Assume I have it fully serviced, and added 2 more knee levers. How much would it be worth assuming a fair price? I will need this to add to my insurance policy.

Next week I am having major surgery so this project will have to be put on hold for a bit.

TIA!
Last edited by Tony Oresteen on 25 Sep 2024 8:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
Tony
Newnan, GA

Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
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Ian Worley
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Post by Ian Worley »

Cool find! There have been some discussions here on Marlen serial #s, it may all be just urban legend but supposedly the the first two digits are the sequential number in the year it was built, the last 4 are the year backwards. That would make this the 19th guitar built in 1971.

You can definitely add more knees, matching parts may be hard to find but not really necessary for a functional guitar. Adding lowers requires a little extra finagling (the extra rods with springs below the top deck). There are alternate ways to set those up too. Depending on the copedent and parts used you might need a reverser for LKR.

Should be a fun project, enjoy!
Last edited by Ian Worley on 21 Jul 2021 3:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest - Paul Simon
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Andrew Goulet
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Post by Andrew Goulet »

I love Marlens!

I think you're supposed to read the serial number backwards to get the year day and month of production. So...1971?
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Bobby Burns
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Post by Bobby Burns »

Looks like it will clean up good. With a good set up, that should be a great sounding and playing guitar!
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John Castelletti
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Post by John Castelletti »

Kevin Hatton for a case, heck of a nice guy!
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Tony Oresteen
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Post by Tony Oresteen »

Thanks all. I sent Kevin Hatton a PM.

I also sent Kelcey O'Neil an email to see if he would work on it.
Tony
Newnan, GA

Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8
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Ned McIntosh
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Post by Ned McIntosh »

With a little TLC it could end up looking like this:-
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Yours looks well worth restoring. These old Marlens are hand-built, solid, stable and toneful instruments, and shared some parts with the Emmons steels of the same era (both companies used Quality Castings of Greensboro for some parts).
The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.
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Tony Oresteen
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Post by Tony Oresteen »

Ned,


Thant is awesome!!! Thanks for the inspiration!
Tony
Newnan, GA

Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8
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Tony Oresteen
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Post by Tony Oresteen »

UPDATE:

Last summer I had open heart surgery, a stroke, and appendicitis (yes, it ruptured). I am finally feeling better. Kevin Hatton has been backed up but today I am placing an order for a case for the Marlen. Once I have a case for the Marlen D210, then it's off to Kelcey in S.C. for repairs.
Tony
Newnan, GA

Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8
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Tony Oresteen
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Post by Tony Oresteen »

Kevin Hatton's cases arrived today and they are FANTASTIC! I got a split case setup and had wheels put on the main case. Just WOW! So happy with them.

Now I can take the Marlen 210 to South Carolina in style. I hope to drop it off at Kelcey O'Neil's shop early next week.
Tony
Newnan, GA

Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8
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Tony Oresteen
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Post by Tony Oresteen »

UPDATE Yesterday I drove to South Carolina with the Marlen 210 to drop it off at Kelcey O'Neil's for repairs. It's a 5 1/2 hour trip each way, 625 miles.


Kelcey identified the cause of the yellow goo on the under carriage parts. NICOTINE!!! Yikes! It was housed for sure in a south Georgia Honky Tonk joint with that much nicotine on the metal parts.


So now I wait for it to get into Kelcey's work queue. Good things take time.

Kelcey has the two matching Marlen knee levers so it will look factory when done.

Kevin's great cases will insure a safe return after the repairs.
Tony
Newnan, GA

Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8
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Chris Brooks
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Post by Chris Brooks »

Cool project, Tony! I love to see an old steel live again like this. Think of the honky-tonk tales it could tell . . . . . .

I have heard that these Marlens produce great tone.
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Tony Oresteen
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Post by Tony Oresteen »

It's DONE!!!! Yesterday I drove to the Sevierville/Gatlinburg/Pidgeon Forge area to pick up my Marlen 210 from Kelcey O'Neil.

Boy, did Kelcey knock it out of the park! It looks 1000% better than found!! Plays well. Kelcey made some mods underneath to keep it in tune better. He added two knees. 8 tuners were replaced with OEM ones.

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Sorry for the cell phone picture but I was too excited when I left home and forgot my camera.



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The E9 pickup was weak so Kelcey sent it out to be rewound to factory specs. The whole rebuild took longer than expected due to COVID, moves, medical issues, travel, ect. Well worth waiting for IMHO.

The only thing wrong with it is the guy sitting behind it right now :) :) .

A classic 1971 PSG saved from the scrap heap!

My plans are to keep in my studio for now.

Oh, I discovered that Toy Caldwell (Marshal Tucker Band) played the same model PSG. You can hear it best on "Fire On the Mountain" by The Tucker Marshal Band. A good story on Toy is in the latest issue of Vintage Guitar. He passed at age 46, way too young.
Tony
Newnan, GA

Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8
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Damir Besic
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Post by Damir Besic »

that’s awesome … looks fantastic … I bet you sounds as good as it looks … great job saving a beautiful vintage guitar .. 👍
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Samuel Phillippe
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Post by Samuel Phillippe »

Nice to read a Happy ending story....have fun.

Sam
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