Vintage Martin D-18 - USA 1974

Here is a 1974 Martin D-18 in natural finish, a well-built USA dreadnought that represents one of Martin’s most enduring and widely used acoustic designs. The D-18 has been a cornerstone of American acoustic music for over a century, favoured across folk, blues, country and rock for its balanced voice, strong projection and straightforward, workhorse character.

This example features a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides, delivering the classic D-18 tonal profile with warm low end, a focused midrange and clear, articulate treble response. The traditional dreadnought body shape provides strong volume and presence, while the ‘V’ profile neck offers a comfortable vintage feel across the fingerboard. Over decades, this model has become known for its ability to sit well in a mix while still retaining clarity and definition in both strummed and picked passages.

Condition is good for its age with visible player wear including scratches, indentations and lacquer checking consistent with a 49-year-old instrument that has been genuinely played and enjoyed. Importantly, there are no structural cracks and the guitar remains solid throughout. It has had a professional refret completed in 2004, and the neck remains clean and comfortable to play. Current setup shows low E action of approximately 0.75mm at the 1st fret and 3mm at the 12th, with limited saddle height remaining, so a neck reset may be considered in future if a lower action is desired.

Specifications: 

Year: 1974
Country: USA
Model: Dreadnought acoustic guitar
Finish: Natural gloss nitrocellulose lacquer
Body: Solid Sitka spruce top with solid mahogany back and sides
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale: 25.4"
Bridge: Rosewood belly-style bridge
Tuners: Grover
Case: Original hard shell case (OHSC)