C. F. Martin D-18 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1937)
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Item # 9901
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C. F. Martin D-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1937), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 68389, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, ebony fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
Certain guitars are simply the standard by which all others are judged; the Pre-war Martin D-18 is always one of them. This late 1937 example represents the cream of the crop, the original 14-fret mahogany Dreadnought design that has seen endless imitations but very few peers since its birth. It shows some fairly minor playwear for its age but remains in excellent playing condition and has the expected fantastic sound in spades. The power and depth of a Dreadnought combines with the sweetness, sparkle, and singing character of the best pre-WWII mahogany Martins in a magical mix, an exceptionally versatile flat-top guitar suited to practically any musical situation.
This D-18 shows the original features of the model, introduced in this form in late 1934 and widely imitated ever since. The back and sides are Honduras mahogany and the top is tight-grained Appalachian spruce, bound on the edge with tortoise celluloid. The ebony belly bridge has a canted bone saddle. The pickguard is made of tortoise celluloid in a small "teardrop" shape, a design that often proved too small to fully protect the top from the ravages of enthusiastic picking!
The neck is mahogany with an unbound ebony fingerboard decorated with discreet pearl dot inlay. The peghead is faced in Brazilian rosewood with the gold "C.F. Martin & C." decal at the top. The neck profile is round backed but with the slightest hint of a "V" profile in the way the sides bear away from the center as it moves towards the nut, which is slightly wider than later examples. The string spacing is 2-5/16", from low to high E, measured at the bridge. The tuners are open back individual Grover units with metal buttons.
While this guitar shows signs of serious use, there is far less wear evident than is typical considering how these instruments often got used, into the open mikes of radio or barn dance stages. In this environment a guitar had to have exceptional power and projection, and a large percentage of the Country and Western performers of the period found the early Martin Dreadnought the best instrument for their situation. In 1937 the price of a new D-18 was $65, a sizable expense for many Americans at the time. They still sold well, with 426 shipped that year. Still today nearly 85 years later finding a 1937 example as well preserved as this one is a rare occurrence.
In the minds of most acoustic guitar players, collectors, and historians, very few instruments approach the pantheon of these pre-war Martin Dreadnought in terms of sound and historical importance. Compared to all that's come down the pike since, this is still one of the finest performing or recording guitars imaginable, with the mellow depth of the Dreadnought mixed with a crisp slightly dry mahogany ring. This is a truly great early pre-war example, well played over the decades but also well-cared for and ready for many more years of service.
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 15 5/8 in. (39.7 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 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
While certainly not pristine this is a relatively clean and nicely original guitar overall. Cosmetically it shows evidence of years of play, but less wear than many. There are a number of light pick scratches on the top mostly above the soundhole that go into but not through the finish. The area under the lower edge of the pickguard has similar wear, a bit more deeply with an area going lightly into the wood. There are several "case bites' to the top on the upper bass side edge. The original lacquer has aged and ambered nicely (mostly on the top) with some typical light checking; there has been no overspray added.
There are some noticeable scratches on the back, some are fairly deep. The finish on the rim of the bass side lower bout has been affected by moisture at some point; it is slightly cloudy near the binding and there are several scratches in this area that go through into the wood. Some of these were, at some point treated with a dark stain, so they appear a little darker than an untreated scratch normally would. There is a small repaired B-string crack at the top of the pickguard, cleanly sealed but visible with no added finish. Other than this the guitar is crack free.
The neck has been worn through the finish from playing over the years and there are some lightly feelable dents and capo marks at the third, fifth, seventh and ninth fret areas. The neck has been neatly reset and the guitar nicely refretted with correct style wire so playability is excellent. The tuners are the correct original open-back Grovers with metal buttons; there is a small chip on the headstock face off one of the grommets. There is a small plastic strap button added to the treble side of the heel.
Everything else on the guitar is original, including the ebony bridge. This was cut down just a bit (on the treble side, mostly) long ago but retains good height; the bone saddle is later. At some point, the bridge was reglued carefully with only the slightest disturbance around the edge. Internally the only alteration is a small amount of sizing and filler, made of finely powdered maple filings and glue, just around the bridge plate pin holes. This was done at some point in the past to ensure that the current bridge pins fit securely. The endpin was at one point drilled out for a pickup jack, but the hole was filled and a standard endpin re-installed.
This is a truly excellent playing example, set up with a good flatpicking action and plenty of room to lower the saddle if desired for a mellower fingerpicker's approach. In any playing situation the sound of these lightly built pre-war Dreadnoughts is truly inspiring, and this one certainly does not disappoint. An extremely fine player's D-18, this guitar has been used but not abused having remained more original than many for almost 85 years now. As a bonus it is housed in a the very rare original HSC, still functional if a bit battered from its many journeys. Overall Excellent - Condition.
Certain guitars are simply the standard by which all others are judged; the Pre-war Martin D-18 is always one of them. This late 1937 example represents the cream of the crop, the original 14-fret mahogany Dreadnought design that has seen endless imitations but very few peers since its birth. It shows some fairly minor playwear for its age but remains in excellent playing condition and has the expected fantastic sound in spades. The power and depth of a Dreadnought combines with the sweetness, sparkle, and singing character of the best pre-WWII mahogany Martins in a magical mix, an exceptionally versatile flat-top guitar suited to practically any musical situation.
This D-18 shows the original features of the model, introduced in this form in late 1934 and widely imitated ever since. The back and sides are Honduras mahogany and the top is tight-grained Appalachian spruce, bound on the edge with tortoise celluloid. The ebony belly bridge has a canted bone saddle. The pickguard is made of tortoise celluloid in a small "teardrop" shape, a design that often proved too small to fully protect the top from the ravages of enthusiastic picking!
The neck is mahogany with an unbound ebony fingerboard decorated with discreet pearl dot inlay. The peghead is faced in Brazilian rosewood with the gold "C.F. Martin & C." decal at the top. The neck profile is round backed but with the slightest hint of a "V" profile in the way the sides bear away from the center as it moves towards the nut, which is slightly wider than later examples. The string spacing is 2-5/16", from low to high E, measured at the bridge. The tuners are open back individual Grover units with metal buttons.
While this guitar shows signs of serious use, there is far less wear evident than is typical considering how these instruments often got used, into the open mikes of radio or barn dance stages. In this environment a guitar had to have exceptional power and projection, and a large percentage of the Country and Western performers of the period found the early Martin Dreadnought the best instrument for their situation. In 1937 the price of a new D-18 was $65, a sizable expense for many Americans at the time. They still sold well, with 426 shipped that year. Still today nearly 85 years later finding a 1937 example as well preserved as this one is a rare occurrence.
In the minds of most acoustic guitar players, collectors, and historians, very few instruments approach the pantheon of these pre-war Martin Dreadnought in terms of sound and historical importance. Compared to all that's come down the pike since, this is still one of the finest performing or recording guitars imaginable, with the mellow depth of the Dreadnought mixed with a crisp slightly dry mahogany ring. This is a truly great early pre-war example, well played over the decades but also well-cared for and ready for many more years of service.
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 15 5/8 in. (39.7 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 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
While certainly not pristine this is a relatively clean and nicely original guitar overall. Cosmetically it shows evidence of years of play, but less wear than many. There are a number of light pick scratches on the top mostly above the soundhole that go into but not through the finish. The area under the lower edge of the pickguard has similar wear, a bit more deeply with an area going lightly into the wood. There are several "case bites' to the top on the upper bass side edge. The original lacquer has aged and ambered nicely (mostly on the top) with some typical light checking; there has been no overspray added.
There are some noticeable scratches on the back, some are fairly deep. The finish on the rim of the bass side lower bout has been affected by moisture at some point; it is slightly cloudy near the binding and there are several scratches in this area that go through into the wood. Some of these were, at some point treated with a dark stain, so they appear a little darker than an untreated scratch normally would. There is a small repaired B-string crack at the top of the pickguard, cleanly sealed but visible with no added finish. Other than this the guitar is crack free.
The neck has been worn through the finish from playing over the years and there are some lightly feelable dents and capo marks at the third, fifth, seventh and ninth fret areas. The neck has been neatly reset and the guitar nicely refretted with correct style wire so playability is excellent. The tuners are the correct original open-back Grovers with metal buttons; there is a small chip on the headstock face off one of the grommets. There is a small plastic strap button added to the treble side of the heel.
Everything else on the guitar is original, including the ebony bridge. This was cut down just a bit (on the treble side, mostly) long ago but retains good height; the bone saddle is later. At some point, the bridge was reglued carefully with only the slightest disturbance around the edge. Internally the only alteration is a small amount of sizing and filler, made of finely powdered maple filings and glue, just around the bridge plate pin holes. This was done at some point in the past to ensure that the current bridge pins fit securely. The endpin was at one point drilled out for a pickup jack, but the hole was filled and a standard endpin re-installed.
This is a truly excellent playing example, set up with a good flatpicking action and plenty of room to lower the saddle if desired for a mellower fingerpicker's approach. In any playing situation the sound of these lightly built pre-war Dreadnoughts is truly inspiring, and this one certainly does not disappoint. An extremely fine player's D-18, this guitar has been used but not abused having remained more original than many for almost 85 years now. As a bonus it is housed in a the very rare original HSC, still functional if a bit battered from its many journeys. Overall Excellent - Condition.