« D18, rhythm machine. »

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.