All user reviews for the Martin & Co D-18

The Martin D-18 is one of the most iconic guitars around. Renowned for it's simplicity and beautiful tone, it's a highly popular guitar for all sorts of musicians. It features a dreadnought design, made to project it's power and volume, an ebony fretboard, sitka spruce top and a mahogany back and side pieces. The combination of woods gives it the perfect balance between bright and dark, and that balance is truly beautiful. The D-18 can go from a quiet acoustic whisper to a booming powerful acoustic guitar. It's craftsmanship and build quality are impeccable, and this guitar deserves all the praise it gets.

UTILIZATION

The guitar is a great play, very comfortable to play and hold. It sits nicely in the lap, and feels amazing under your fingers. It holds tune very well, and always sounds nice. The range of sound you can squeeze from this instrument is phenomenal, and it could work perfectly as an intimate singer and guitar type, or lead a chorus of singers. The design is simple, nothing flashy, nothing extra. It's the basics done perfectly.

SOUNDS

The guitar strikes a perfect and exact balance between dark and bright. It's sound is warm and relaxed, but never mushy or undefined. The porous mahogany back and sides give it the deep bass and messy warmth, while the sitka spruce top and cross bracing keep things together, snappy and defined. The guitar rings with a beautiful tone, and sounds amazing whether you play fingerstyle like Tommy Emanuel, or strumming the chords of a pop song, or quick flatpicking bluegrass. Every studio should have one of these, and so should every solo act acoustic musician. The D-18 has such a great and versatile sound and can be heard on hundreds of famous recordings.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, this guitar was worth everything I paid for it and more. I've owned lots of acoustic guitars, and this is one I will never let go. Everything about this guitar rocks. It sounds great, feels great and looks great. It's a simple, elegant powerhouse, and a staple of the acoustic musician's diet.

I bought this guitar on a whim about 3 months ago. I have been playing accoustic guitars for several years and thought I'd try a Martin. Good thing I did. Absolutely the best sounding guitar I've ever tried. Warm tones and as loud as I want it to be.

I love the sound.

This is the low end on the frills scale, but I didn't buy it for the embellishments, I bought it for the sound, and that it provides.

Spruce top with mahogony sides.

I'd buy this guitar over and over and would recommend it to others.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I inherited this guitar from my guitar pickin Uncle who recently passed. I figure he is up there pickin and grinnin with Chet and the boys.

This is the best built acoustic guitar I have ever seen. There are no flaws in the material or the construction. It plays like a dream and has the most wonderful sound you ever heard, and great sustain. It has awsome lows and brilliant highs. A Picker's dream.

The only way I could ever afford this guitar is the way I got it. It isn't affordable by the common old plucker like me. I would have to say the price is the one thing I don't like.

This guitar is hand built with the very best wood and the best components. It is quality throughtout. This is the guitar that all the others try to copy. It is at the very top of the guitar pecking order. Nothing better anywhere. If you were to list all the guitars from the best to the worst, this guitar would be at the top of the list.

If you want the best, this is it. But be ready to pay the price. unless you have a rich uncle like me....

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

MODEL Martin D-18
CONSTRUCTION: Mahogany Blocks/Dovetail Neck Joint
BODY SIZE: D-14 Fret
TOP: Solid Sitka Spruce
ROSETTE: Style 18
TOP BRACING PATTERN: Standard ''X'' Scalloped, Forward Shifted
TOP BRACES: Solid Sitka Spruce 5/16''
BACK MATERIAL: Solid Genuine Mahogany
BACK PURFLING: Style 18
SIDE MATERIAL: Solid Genuine Mahogany
ENDPIECE: Delmar Tortoise Color
ENDPIECE INLAY: none
BINDING: Tortoise Color
TOP INLAY STYLE: Multiple Black/White Boltaron
SIDE INLAY: none
BACK INLAY: none
NECK MATERIAL: Select Hardwood
NECK SHAPE: Modified Low Oval Profile w/ Performing Artist Taper
NUT MATERIAL: Bone
HEADSTOCK: Solid/Square Taper
HEADPLATE: Solid East Indian Rosewood
HEELCAP: Tortoise Color
FINGERBOARD MATERIAL: Solid Black Ebony
SCALE LENGTH: 25.4''
# OF FRETS CLEAR: 14
# OF FRETS TOTAL: 20
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT NUT: 1-3/4''
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT 12TH FRET: 2-1/8''
FINGERBOARD POSITION INLAYS: Old Style 18
FINGERBOARD BINDING: none
FINISH BACK & SIDES: Polished Gloss
FINISH TOP: Polished Gloss w/ Aging Toner; Sunburst available at additional cost.
FINISH NECK: Satin
BRIDGE MATERIAL: Solid Black Ebony
BRIDGE STYLE: 1930's Style Belly w/ Drop-In Saddle
BRIDGE STRING SPACING: 2-3/16''
SADDLE: 16'' Radius/Compensated/Bone
TUNING MACHINES: Nickel Open-Geared w/ Butterbean Knobs
RECOMMENDED STRINGS: Martin SP Lifespan Phosphor Bronze Medium Gauge (MSP7200)
BRIDGE & END PINS: Black
PICKGUARD: Delmar Tortoise Color
CASE: 445 Hardshell
INTERIOR LABEL: none

Very cool and classic martin acoustic made in Nazareth, PA. Mahogany back and sides as opposed to it's 'bigger brother' the 28, which is rosewood.

UTILIZATION

Martin guitars are one of if not the most traditional style guitars out there for acoustics. Especially when it's regarding the D-18.

SOUNDS

Again this always differs with every player but I'll try to break it down to make things simpler. This is basically a Martin D28 with mahogany, what's the difference between rosewood and mahogany you ask? Rosewood has a very rich and thick low midrange, while mahogany isn't brighter per se, but it is definitely more neutral sounding in the sense that there is no enhanced low midrange like you'd usually get from rosewood. And so of course, depending on the player, some might find rosewood to be too boomy sounding and mahogany perfectly tight and not too boomy at all.

So of course this depends on the player, although in the end, majority of guitar players do usually prefer rosewood over mahogany, but again the option is always there to choose a different type of tone from the lot. I think they both sound great in their own right, especially if one is mainly a finger picker but wants projection and thus needs a dreadnought-sized guitar but doesn't want overpowering low midrange so that each note comes out, a guitar like the D18 with mahogany back and sides might just do the trick.

OVERALL OPINION

Great guitar for the price. Martin guitars are always top notch. Though again, it's mainly just a big difference between rosewood and mahogany and you have to be able to play them both side by side to hear the difference so you know what you're getting into. There's no modifying the tone on acoustic guitars (except different strings) so you should choose wisely. It completely depends on what type of music you'd want to play and how versatile a guitar you'd need to be able to play the type of style or styles you play.

Otherwise Martin build quality is always top notch so you have that peace of mind with the guitar and the only decision left to decide is which tone is right for you.

According to the D18 that one has his day, from one model to another even in the same series the quality of this guitar can vary widely, the average super. I had the opportunity to experience the two extremes

UTILIZATION

The neck is quite thin and very pleasant, light guitar, the sound course depends on the model, but it is a very beautiful guitar equilibrated in the treble and midrange, bass a little behind compared to other models martin.

SOUNDS

Excellent guitar for bluegrass and country and blues, is expressed very well in groups or the problem of too low (feedback) (barrel effect) is difficult to manage with guitars or basses are presenres. why the D18 is remarkable. (eg if you play in a group with drummer or the volume is already the minimum)

OVERALL OPINION

A urges electric guitar playing in groups and in need of a quality that has acoustic sound (that's another thing takamine)

Made in the United States, quip by Fischman, folk round.

UTILIZATION

Channel super enjoyable, ACCS is limited to acute as in all the dread, the weight is classical, the sound is everything that one would expect from a high quality martin just a killing.

SOUNDS

The sound is beautiful, deep, mdium a wish is simply that I do not know can trs guitar that rivals it for other high end martin let trs near equivalence, can be gibson home, but the sound is clean martin, everything is perfect, esttique quality, sound, gigbag, total.elle sends the acoustic branch and just really trs. I have no complaints at all it is at maximum.

OVERALL OPINION

Used for 5 months. I could try other models: gibson, taylor, other martin, takamine ... this one caught my attention because it is quite a real folk guitar of great quality and sound nnorme who sent trriblement well.

It is my opinion that the Martin D18 is yet another one of the great acoustic guitars made in production today in the $1,700 price point. Martin has a long history of quality and innovation, and these guitars have stood the test of time by all means. The original D18s are highly coveted and expensive so this affordable reissue allows a wider market to acquire one of these venerable guitars. They're still made in the USA by CF Martin IV and his wonderful team.

It features a spruce top, mohogany rosewood back, sides and neck, and the common X bracing pattern that has become the standard for acoustic guitars over time. Here is the full list of specs:

MODEL: D-18
CONSTRUCTION: Mahogany Blocks/Dovetail Neck Joint
BODY SIZE: D-14 Fret
TOP: Solid Sitka Spruce
ROSETTE: Style 28
TOP BRACING PATTERN: Standard ''X''
TOP BRACES: Solid Sitka Spruce 5/16''
BACK MATERIAL: Solid Genuine Mahogany
BACK PURFLING: Style 18
SIDE MATERIAL: Solid Genuine Mahogany
ENDPIECE: Black Boltaron
ENDPIECE INLAY: none
BINDING: Black Boltaron
TOP INLAY STYLE: Multiple Black/White Boltaron
SIDE INLAY: none
BACK INLAY: none
NECK MATERIAL: Select Hardwood
NECK SHAPE: Low Profile
NUT MATERIAL: Bone
HEADSTOCK: Solid/Square Taper
HEADPLATE: Solid East Indian Rosewood /Raised Gold Foil
HEELCAP: Solid Indian Rosewood
FINGERBOARD MATERIAL: Solid East Indian Rosewood
SCALE LENGTH: 25.4''
# OF FRETS CLEAR: 14
# OF FRETS TOTAL: 20
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT NUT: 1-11/16''
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT 12TH FRET: 2-1/8''
FINGERBOARD POSITION INLAYS: Style 28
FINGERBOARD BINDING: none
FINISH BACK & SIDES: Polished Gloss
FINISH TOP: Polished Gloss ; Sunburst available at additional cost.
FINISH NECK: Satin
BRIDGE MATERIAL: Solid East Indian Rosewood
BRIDGE STYLE: Belly
BRIDGE STRING SPACING: 2-1/8''
SADDLE: 16'' Radius/Compensated/Bone
TUNING MACHINES: Chrome Enclosed w/ Large Buttons
RECOMMENDED STRINGS: Martin SP Lifespan Phosphor Bronze Medium Gauge (MSP7200)
BRIDGE & END PINS: Black w/ White Dots
PICKGUARD: Black
CASE: 640 Molded
INTERIOR LABEL: none
ELECTRONICS: Optional






UTILIZATION

The design of the D18 is quite good for bluegrass and country players who want a full and rich sounding dreadnought that resonates very well for chord work and certain lead based lines. The ones I have tried are usually quite light for an acoustic and they sit very well on the body overall, which is great for a smaller person such as myself. These D18s sound great right out of the box and only get better as time goes on so getting a good sound is not an issue whatsoever. The upper fret access is not bad, but it doesn't have a cutaway, nor enough frets for it to be considered stellar.

SOUNDS

The sound of the D18 is a wonderful thing. It is a very rich and full bodied instrument that I find to be heavier in the bass and low midrange, with a subdued treble response. This is excellent for chord work and more of a vintage C&W sort of tone overall I find. It's not quite as full sounding as the D28, but it lacks the very present midrange found in the rosewood D28. I found that I preferred the D28 over the D18 for most lead work, but I thought the D18 excelled for a pure vintage rhythm tone. If you're a serious acoustic player and HAVEN'T tried a D18... I'm not really sure how to respond. They're a must try for any guitarist because of their pure Martin sound!

OVERALL OPINION

All in all I think the D18 is just an amazing acoustic guitar. It does many styles well and the craftsmanship is second to none. I compared it with the D28 and HD28 and found it compare very favourably to it's more expensive siblings. There is a reason that so many of the great players have used a D18... to me it's just a great stripped down dreadnought guitar at its best.

The Martin & Co D-18 is a dreadnought acoustic guitar made in the USA that is not an acoustic/electric so it has no pick ups or setting controls. It is pretty simple in make up except for the fact that each part of this guitar is made with exceptional care and parts.

UTILIZATION

The neck of Martin D-18 is a beautiful thing as it has an incredible feel to it. Like most Martin guitars that I've played, it is incredibly easy to play and feels awesome on the fingers. Whenever I pick up the guitar and play I feel like I'm better than I am because of extreme ease you can play the guitar with! It has the classic dreadnought body and style and isn't too heavy of a guitar. Getting a good sound is fairly easy granted you can play, as the inherent tone is full bodied and warm.

SOUNDS

The Martin D-18 dreadnought acoustic is suitable for any type of music that you would want to use acoustic guitar with, although I use it mostly for rock, pop, folk, and country as those are the main genres that I stick to. The overall tone of the guitar can be described as extremely vibrant and full of life while still maintaining that full range and full bodied sound that you seek in all acoustic guitars (or at least I do). The Martin D-18 is truly a beautiful sounding guitar that needs to be heard to truly understand.

OVERALL OPINION

I first used the Martin D-18 about three years ago and since then I haven't been able to replicate the greatness of this guitar with anything other than a genuine Martin. The guitar is designed for experienced players and the price tag certainly reflects this. This being said if you want a top notch acoustic guitar that will last for years and years to come, the Martin D-18 is just as good of a choice as any.