Martin D-18 (1943)

$30,000.00
On Consignment
Payment Via Wire Transfer Or Check Required
Expedited Shipping Required
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Product information

Under a pick, this 1943 Martin D-18 produces immediate, pleasing, tactile responsiveness, and throws air forward with impressive force. As a fingerstyle guitar, it's complex-sounding and present all at once, showing gorgeous shimmer.


Like the guitar in "The D-18 Song," this one was made (way back) in 1943; and it's also rich & clean, crisp & full -- all a guitar oughtta be. The so-called "wartime" period for golden-era Martins (generally speaking, 1942-1944) produced some absolutely sensational instruments that rank amongst the best they ever built. With steel in short supply due to WWII manufacturing efforts, many of these guitars were constructed with ebony support rods in their necks. And not only are they noticeably lightweight, they tend to have an airy, especially woody & sweet sound accompanied by an amped-up responsiveness under a flatpick.

This D-18, serial number 84943, exhibits all the aforementioned traits; and it's a particularly open-sounding example of the model. Under a pick, it produces immediate, pleasing, tactile responsiveness, and throws air forward with impressive force. As a fingerstyle guitar, it's complex-sounding and present all at once, showing gorgeous shimmer when capo'd up the fingerboard.

This guitar presents gorgeously in person, with a handsome austere look. Only its frets, tuners, and saddle are non-original (the tuners are contemporary aged Waverly machines). The neck has been reset at some point in the past, and the instrument has been lightly oversprayed. All of the work is neat & cleanly executed. The consigning owner has had the guitar for 20 years, and received it in the same condition as it's presented. Action currently sits just a hair over 3/32" (bass side) and 2/32" (treble side) under tension of .012-.054 light-gauge bronze strings. The saddle provides adequate break angle, but is low; and a player desiring lower action with the use of medium-gauge strings may desire a neck reset. Overall, the guitar plays well under its current setup, and sounds absolutely wonderful (listen to guitarist, Lyle Brewer, make it sing in the accompanying video). It's housed in a non-original thermoplastic Martin case -- please inquire if a case upgrade is desired.

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