C. F. Martin D-18 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1957)
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C. F. Martin D-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1957), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 154577, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, peroid black hard shell case.
This is a fairly well-worn but great-sounding and playing early 1957 Martin D-18, showing some scars but with tons of character. This guitar has a fabulous big voice and while it shows signs of long use remains in fine playing condition. In 1957 Martin Dreadnoughts were the most sought-after of all professional quality flattops, considered the world standard. From its introduction in the early 1930s on, the D-18 has been a workhorse for country, gospel, folk, rock & roll and most other forms of American vernacular music. Even Elvis made his earliest, most influential recordings on one. Nearly 1100 D-18's were made in 1957, and many were gigged heavily for years.
This guitar shows typical features for 1957. The back and sides are nicely grained mahogany with a spruce top carrying the rosewood long-saddle bridge and tortoise celluloid binding and pickguard. The mahogany neck has large varied-dot inlay on the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, the rosewood faced headstock is equipped with individual Kluson Deluxe tuners with metal buttons.
Martin Dreadnoughts of this era were undisputed favorites with many professional Country & Western entertainers when new, and are still fantastic guitars for a wide range of styles. While the top of the line Rosewood D-28 has often hogged the vintage glory, many pickers over the decades have preferred the crisper sound of the mahogany D-18 particularly for recording purposes; in many ways it is the more versatile guitar. This one shows a decent amount of wear and repair but still remains more original than some making for an excellent gigger.
Overall length is 40 3/8 in. (102.6 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This D-18 shows a decent amount of wear and mostly fairly minor repair but remains an excellent player. The original lacquer finish has some checking and notable wear overall but no overfinishing. The top shows pickwear both above and below the strings and fingerboard extension and around the pickguard, but still less strum wear than many. As usual there is wear into the wood on the lower soundhole edge. The back and sides show numerous dings, scrapes and some "strap burn" wear into the back finish. The back of the neck is relatively clean, with some wear along the edges and mostly shallow dings, chips and dents.
There are several crack repairs including to an old grain split to the top in the almost inevitable spot along the top edge of the pickguard, neatly cleated with diagonal cross grain piece of spruce along the x-brace above the bridgeplate. The top has no other cracks, and the back is crack free with the center seam just below the heel looking resealed. The upper side has three parallel grain splits between the waist and the lower bout, sealed and cleated with two strips of wood running parallel to the bias reinforcement tape. At the turn of the upper bass bout just off the top edge there is an old bash mark, small but noticeable with a chip of wood glued back in and another smaller chip missing.
The neck has been neatly reset. The fingerboard has been refretted with wire slightly larger than the original, the fingerboard shows light divoting on the treble side around the first four frets. The nut appears original. The original bridge looks to have been lowered somewhat and likely reglued; a newer bone saddle was installed that has plenty of room to lower in the future. All original bracing and the original maple bridgeplate still intact, showing some light wear around the pin holes. The original Kluson Deluxe tuners are intact with some plating wear. The guitar plays and sounds lovely, with a nice combination of power and sweetness. It resides in a period (possibly original) blue-lined HSC. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This is a fairly well-worn but great-sounding and playing early 1957 Martin D-18, showing some scars but with tons of character. This guitar has a fabulous big voice and while it shows signs of long use remains in fine playing condition. In 1957 Martin Dreadnoughts were the most sought-after of all professional quality flattops, considered the world standard. From its introduction in the early 1930s on, the D-18 has been a workhorse for country, gospel, folk, rock & roll and most other forms of American vernacular music. Even Elvis made his earliest, most influential recordings on one. Nearly 1100 D-18's were made in 1957, and many were gigged heavily for years.
This guitar shows typical features for 1957. The back and sides are nicely grained mahogany with a spruce top carrying the rosewood long-saddle bridge and tortoise celluloid binding and pickguard. The mahogany neck has large varied-dot inlay on the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, the rosewood faced headstock is equipped with individual Kluson Deluxe tuners with metal buttons.
Martin Dreadnoughts of this era were undisputed favorites with many professional Country & Western entertainers when new, and are still fantastic guitars for a wide range of styles. While the top of the line Rosewood D-28 has often hogged the vintage glory, many pickers over the decades have preferred the crisper sound of the mahogany D-18 particularly for recording purposes; in many ways it is the more versatile guitar. This one shows a decent amount of wear and repair but still remains more original than some making for an excellent gigger.
Overall length is 40 3/8 in. (102.6 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This D-18 shows a decent amount of wear and mostly fairly minor repair but remains an excellent player. The original lacquer finish has some checking and notable wear overall but no overfinishing. The top shows pickwear both above and below the strings and fingerboard extension and around the pickguard, but still less strum wear than many. As usual there is wear into the wood on the lower soundhole edge. The back and sides show numerous dings, scrapes and some "strap burn" wear into the back finish. The back of the neck is relatively clean, with some wear along the edges and mostly shallow dings, chips and dents.
There are several crack repairs including to an old grain split to the top in the almost inevitable spot along the top edge of the pickguard, neatly cleated with diagonal cross grain piece of spruce along the x-brace above the bridgeplate. The top has no other cracks, and the back is crack free with the center seam just below the heel looking resealed. The upper side has three parallel grain splits between the waist and the lower bout, sealed and cleated with two strips of wood running parallel to the bias reinforcement tape. At the turn of the upper bass bout just off the top edge there is an old bash mark, small but noticeable with a chip of wood glued back in and another smaller chip missing.
The neck has been neatly reset. The fingerboard has been refretted with wire slightly larger than the original, the fingerboard shows light divoting on the treble side around the first four frets. The nut appears original. The original bridge looks to have been lowered somewhat and likely reglued; a newer bone saddle was installed that has plenty of room to lower in the future. All original bracing and the original maple bridgeplate still intact, showing some light wear around the pin holes. The original Kluson Deluxe tuners are intact with some plating wear. The guitar plays and sounds lovely, with a nice combination of power and sweetness. It resides in a period (possibly original) blue-lined HSC. Overall Very Good + Condition.