Martin D-18, 1957

The 1957 Martin D-18 is a beautiful piece of American guitar history and an outstanding example of Martin’s legendary vintage guitars. With its characteristic mahogany body, solid spruce top, and patina that has developed over decades, it embodies exactly what enthusiasts of vintage Martin guitars value so highly. An exceptionally rich tone, a responsive feel, and an authentic vintage look make this nearly 70-year-old Dreadnought a truly special instrument.

Since its introduction in 1931, the Martin D-18 has been one of the best-known and most popular acoustic guitars of all time. Instruments from the 1940s and 1950s, in particular, enjoy an excellent reputation among guitarists. Its traditional construction, high-quality tonewoods, and unmistakable sound have made the D-18 a classic of American folk, country, and bluegrass music. The guitar offered here dates from 1957 and was built at Martin’s historic factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

The combination of a solid spruce top and solid mahogany for the back and sides produces the characteristic sound of a vintage Martin D-18: dry, woody, warm, and exceptionally direct, with a powerful bass foundation, expressive mids, and clear, open highs. Particularly impressive is the natural balance with which the individual frequency ranges blend together. The guitar has a wonderfully open vintage sound that is distinctly different from many modern instruments.

When flatpicking, the D-18 impresses with outstanding projection and a precise, immediate response. Individual notes have a beautiful body and stand out clearly from one another. At the same time, it produces an impressive volume during vigorous strumming without losing its characteristic dry tone. Even with more subtle playing styles, the guitar responds with remarkable sensitivity and offers wonderful dynamics. It is precisely this versatility that makes vintage mahogany dreadnoughts from Martin so highly sought after.

The traditional construction with non-scalloped X-bracing contributes to the direct and focused tone. Another distinctive feature of this 1957 Martin D-18 is the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, bridge, and headstock inlay. This historic tonewood has been used by Martin for many decades and is now one of the most highly prized features of early vintage guitars. The corresponding CITES documents are available.

Visually, this Martin boasts a beautiful vintage patina that has developed over decades. Numerous authentic imperfections and signs of wear tell the story of its long history and give it a very special character. The original finish has been preserved and shows the typical signs of aging found on an instrument that has been played extensively. It is precisely this honest, unadulterated appearance that makes up a significant part of the charm of this old D-18.

Of particular note is its excellent technical condition. Our luthier performed a professional neck reset on the guitar and completely refretted it. As part of this work, the nut and bridge insert were also replaced with new bone versions. Both were carefully artificially aged so that they blend in perfectly with the instrument’s overall historical appearance.

The cost of this work was just under 900 €. The corresponding invoice is on file. The old frets, the original nut, and the old bridge insert were also preserved and are included in the scope of delivery. This ensures that the work performed is thoroughly documented.

The pickguard crack typical of older Martin guitars had begun to appear and was stabilized by our luthier as a precaution. There are no other cracks. Overall, the guitar is in excellent structural and technical condition. Thanks to the professional neck reset and complete refretting, it now offers excellent playability and is well-prepared for many more years of use.

We carefully set up every guitar. We adjust the neck radius and string action to ensure that the guitar plays cleanly, comfortably, and without buzzing across the entire fretboard.

The string action is 2.5 mm on the low E string and 1.8 mm on the high e string, measured at the 12th fret.

In addition, the guitar has been registered with Greig Hutton. The corresponding documentation is included with the guitar, along with the CITES paperwork and the original Martin case.

Specifications:

Model: Martin D-18
Year built: 1957
Place of origin: Nazareth, Pennsylvania, USA
Body shape: Dreadnought, 14-fret
Construction: Solid-core
Top: Solid spruce
Back and Sides: Solid Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Brazilian rosewood
Bridge: Brazilian rosewood
Headstock inlay: Brazilian rosewood
Scale length: 645 mm
Saddle width: 43 mm
Bracing: Non-Scalloped X-Bracing
Finish: Original Vintage Finish
Bünde: Professionally Rebunded
Neck: Professional neck reset performed
Saddle: New, artificially aged bone saddle
Bridge Inlay: New, artificially aged bone inlay
Repairs: Pickguard crack stabilized as a precaution
Documentation: CITES documents and Greig-Hutton registration
Case: Original Martin case

Link to Martin Guitars: Martin Guitars

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