Martin D-18 (1946)

$15,000.00 Sold out
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Product information

This 1946 Martin D-18 has been a part of Boston's bluegrass community for many decades. It was long owned by a stalwart member of the scene until his passing several years ago, at which time his family sold it to another local picker. The current owner, having been bit by the D-28 bug, is now offering it for sale through TME. This is a player's guitar -- full stop. And we don't mean that to suggest it's somehow compromised. Far from it! This guitar shows the wear of thousands of bluegrass gigs. And it carries a powerful, loud, wide open voice as evidence of that tenure. There's no point in scrutinizing every scratch or bit of finish wear on this guitar; that's not what it's about. The story here is sound. The kind of sound that simply can't be found in a new guitar. The kind of sound that eats a microphone for lunch and has the guts to power a rhythm section in a hard-driving bluegrass band. If that's what you're after, read on!

As mentioned, there's extensive playwear on the entire instrument (please see photos). It's had an older neck reset and refret. The first few frets show light wear, but the guitar plays beautifully and has plenty of room for adjustment without further structural modification. The bridge and nut are older replacements. There's one superficial, hairline back crack, which is stable and requires no further work at this time. Our techs have inspected the entire guitar and given it a clean bill of health. Price includes the original hard case (and a Colorado case cover).

In case it's not clear -- we love this guitar, which is a prime candidate for a player interested in stepping up to a vintage Martin with the coveted dry and blistering sound old D-18's are known for.

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