Martin D-18 (1973)

Description

There are a lot of wonderful instruments out there, but let's face it - when you shut your eyes and try to imagine what an acoustic guitar sounds like, you're probably imagining the sound of a D-18. The spruce and mahogany workhorse of Martin's Nazareth production line has been in continuous distribution for nearly 100 years, and this 1973 model year is exemplary of all the things players love about them. As a rule, D-18s are some of the most full-voiced, rich sounding acoustics in the world, thanks to their large, deep bodies, full scale lengths, and the natural characteristics of their tonewoods, and with over 50 years of playing in, this one's got even more volume, clarity, and mid-range punch than even a brand new one. Cosmetically, these instruments haven't changed much since 1973, although interested parties should note the black pickguard and the closed-gear Grover tuners, as opposed to the respective tortoise pickguard and open-gear Waverly tuners that might be seen on more recent model years.

This instrument arrived in our store in very good condition relative to its age, with overall cosmetic and structural wear below the norm for an instrument in its sixth decade. Visual wear is fairly uniform throughout, with about the typical amount of dents, scratches, divots, and finish checking as would be expected on a guitar of this age. The most obvious and significant structural damage is a center seam crack which extends all the way up from the bottom of the lower bout to the bottom of the bridge - this crack has been glued and cleated and should not reopen provided proper care from the guitar's next owner. This guitar has recently undergone a neck reset and a full set up, and action is currently set at a true medium for flatpicking and cowboy chord, open-position strumming. Included in the price is the original hard-shell case.

*Please note, per our return policy, all sales on used and consignment instruments are final.*