Martin D-18 - USA 2012

From Martin:

"Understated looks, timeless tone. The warm tone of mahogany and spruce couple with resonant scalloped bracing under the hood for a sound that's honest, authoritative, and clear. Vintage details include open-geared tuners and classic 18-style appointments pair with a modern, low profile neck for an old-soul sound."

In 1931, Martin introduced the D-18 as part of their "D Series" of guitars. The "D" stands for "Dreadnought," which is a style of acoustic guitar characterised by its large body and bold, powerful sound. The D-18 was positioned as a less expensive alternative to the Martin D-28, which was introduced around the same time.

The original D-18 featured a spruce top and mahogany back and sides. It was known for its balanced tone, clarity, and versatility, making it popular among a wide range of musicians. Over the years, there have been various iterations of the D-18 with minor changes in specifications, but the basic design and tonal characteristics have remained largely consistent.

The D-18 gained popularity among folk, country, and bluegrass musicians, and it became an important instrument in the development of American roots music. Many notable artists have used or continue to use the Martin D-18, including Hank Williams, Doc Watson, Elvis Presley, and Chris Martin (from the band Coldplay), among others.

This particular Martin D-18 has clear, well-defined midrange frequencies, warm bass response, and bright trebles - it is balanced and extremely resonant, a real cannon!

The guitar presents in excellent condition and has been looked after well by its current owner since its purchase in 2012. A very short section of the binding on the back of the guitar has been glued and repaired, and a strap pin has been attached to the heel. Other than these small changes this D-18 is stock and ready to go.

Comes in it original hard shell case.

Features:

• CONSTRUCTION: Dovetail Neck Joint
• BODY SIZE: D-14 Fret
• TOP MATERIAL: Spruce
• ROSETTE: Old Style 18 Multi-Stripe
• BRACING PATTERN: Forward Shifted X Brace
• BRACE SHAPE: Scalloped
• BRACE MATERIAL: Spruce
• BRACE SIZE: 5/16"
• BACK MATERIAL: Genuine Mahogany
• BACK PURFLING/STRIP: Style 18
• SIDE MATERIAL: Genuine Mahogany
• ENDPIECE: Faux Tortoise
• BINDING: Black
• TOP INLAY MATERIAL: Multi-Stripe
• NECK MATERIAL: Select Hardwood
• NECK SHAPE: Modified Low Oval
• NECK TAPER: High Performance Taper
• PLEK: Yes
• NUT MATERIAL: Bone
• HEADSTOCK SHAPE: Solid with Square Taper
• HEADPLATE MATERIAL: East Indian Rosewood
• HEADPLATE LOGO STYLE: Script Old Style Overlay
• HEELCAP: Faux Tortoise
• FINGERBOARD MATERIAL: Ebony
• SCALE LENGTH: 25.4"
• NECK JOINS BODY AT: 14th Fret
• NUMBER OF FRETS TOTAL: 20
• FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT NUT: 1-3/4''
• FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT 12TH FRET: 2-1/8''
• FINGERBOARD INLAY MATERIAL: Abalone
• FINGERBOARD INLAY STYLE: Old Style 18
• SIDE DOTS: White
• BACK & SIDE FINISH: Gloss
• BACK & SIDE COLOR: Dark Mahogany
• FINISH TOP: Gloss
• TOP COLOR: Aging Toner
• FINISH NECK: Satin
• NECK COLOR: Dark Mahogany
• BRIDGE MATERIAL: Ebony
• BRIDGE STYLE: Modern Belly - Drop in Saddle
• BRIDGE STRING SPACING: 2-5/32"
• SADDLE: Compensated Bone
• SADDLE RADIUS: 16''
• TUNING MACHINES: Nickel Open Gear
• KNOB: Butterbean
• BRIDGE PIN MATERIAL: Black Plastic
• PICKGUARD: Faux Tortoise