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2023 Martin D-18 Authentic 1937

Designed to capture the legendary tone of a golden-era original, the Martin D-18 Authentic 1937 features forward-shifted, scalloped bracing, a VTS Adirondack spruce top, and full hide-glue construction. If you are looking for the explosive power, massive headroom, and focused midrange of a true pre-war mahogany dreadnought, nothing comes closer than this. It is an absolute powerhouse of a flat-picker that will leave most other modern guitars in its wake.

This particular instrument was built in 2023 and comes to us pre-owned in excellent condition. It remains structurally perfect and features a K&K Pure Mini pickup professionally installed here at Folkway. Cosmetically, the guitar is incredibly clean with the exception of some minor, hard-to-see finish damage from an aerosol spray, which left tiny, faint droplet marks on the lacquer on the top's lower treble bout. The original frets are near-perfect, showing only a touch of light, localized wear under the B and E strings within the first three frets.

True to its 1937 blueprint, this model is built with a vintage-accurate T-bar neck reinforcement, an Authentic-profile neck carve, and a thin, low-gloss lacquer finish. High-end appointments include Waverly tuning machines, a bone nut, a through-cut saddle, tortoise-celluloid bindings, and a period-correct under-the-finish pickguard.

The soft-V mahogany neck measures 1-3/4” at the nut, with a comfortable depth of .875” at the 1st fret. The traditional 25.4” scale length terminates at an ebony bridge with a generous 2-5/16” string spacing. It has been freshly set up in our shop with medium-gauge (13-56) strings and medium action, maximizing its perfect blend of low-end articulation, midrange throttle, and round, sweet trebles.

With original Authentic series hardshell case and hang tag.
2023 Martin D-18 Authentic 1937

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Folkway Music in Guelph, Ontario Canada

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Three decades of industry experience

We've spent thirty years building relationships with musicians, collectors, and fellow dealers across Canada and the US. Every guitar we sell has been inspected, played, and approved by hands that know the difference.

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