1957 Martin D-18
A sixty-seven year old Martin D-18 with great tone and looks, excellent playability, and not much in the way of strikes against. The guitar has had a cleanly-executed neck reset and refret, and is factory stock but for a recent set of Antique Acoustic bridge pins and a newer bone saddle.
With its robust dry and woody warmth, well-balanced strings, and ample headroom, this D-18 is a perfect flat-picker or rhythm keeper. It’s more lightly built than the 1950’s Martin norm, which helps this guitar score well above the class average for tone. It also feels great in the hand and plays cleanly with its medium strings and low set-up.
Straight-braced Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, tortoise-celluloid bindings and pickguard with end-grained ivoroid top purflings (a 1950's thing that looks so great). Rosewood fingerboard and bridge, original nut and Kluson tuners.
There is a 5” crack in the guitar's back that has been repaired and locally touched up, and an unrepaired "b-string' pickguard crack and associated pickguard curl that we’ve elected to leave as found as we’re not concerned by it. The bridge was reglued in the guitar's past, and there is minor finish damage around it’s back side. No other repairs.
Original bridge plate is in excellent shape, full height bridge, original finish throughout with areas of average playwear and pick scratching. Nut width just shy of1-11/16”, standard 50's neck feel with soft V cave and 1st fret depth of .828”. 2-1/8” string spread at the bridge, full height saddle. Set up with 12s and an action of 5-6 64ths.
With original 1950's hardshell case.
With its robust dry and woody warmth, well-balanced strings, and ample headroom, this D-18 is a perfect flat-picker or rhythm keeper. It’s more lightly built than the 1950’s Martin norm, which helps this guitar score well above the class average for tone. It also feels great in the hand and plays cleanly with its medium strings and low set-up.
Straight-braced Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, tortoise-celluloid bindings and pickguard with end-grained ivoroid top purflings (a 1950's thing that looks so great). Rosewood fingerboard and bridge, original nut and Kluson tuners.
There is a 5” crack in the guitar's back that has been repaired and locally touched up, and an unrepaired "b-string' pickguard crack and associated pickguard curl that we’ve elected to leave as found as we’re not concerned by it. The bridge was reglued in the guitar's past, and there is minor finish damage around it’s back side. No other repairs.
Original bridge plate is in excellent shape, full height bridge, original finish throughout with areas of average playwear and pick scratching. Nut width just shy of1-11/16”, standard 50's neck feel with soft V cave and 1st fret depth of .828”. 2-1/8” string spread at the bridge, full height saddle. Set up with 12s and an action of 5-6 64ths.
With original 1950's hardshell case.