1965 Martin D-18 Dreadnought Guitar

My friend Dick has owned this guitar since he bought it new. He recently brought it in after a spell of "life in the case" and its (shaved) bridge had split. So -- theoretically he just wanted a bridge replacement. Unfortunately, that'd mean putting a lower bridge on. Being a good friend, I reset the neck and used a regular size replacement bridge instead.

Post-surgery, this guy sounds like classic bluegrass -- punchy, clean, a bit of sustain and nuance in the lower-mids and highs, and with a good amount of volume and snap. Overall, the guitar's also remarkably clean -- with no cracks and only minor scratching throughout. He's kept it nice and tidy.

Repairs included: a neck reset, fret level/dress, replacement bridge install, new bone saddle, cleaning, and setup.

Setup notes: it plays fast with bang-on 3/32" EA and 1/16" DGBE action at the 12th fret, has a straight neck, and is strung with 54w-12 gauges.

Scale length: 25 3/8"

Nut width: 1 11/16"

String spacing at nut: 1 7/16"

String spacing at bridge: 2 1/8"

Body length: 20"

Lower bout width: 15 5/8"

Waist width: 10 3/4"

Upper bout width: 11 1/2"
Side depth at endpin: 4 7/8"

Top wood: solid spruce

Back/sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: x-braced

Fretboard: rosewood

Bridge: replacement rosewood, bone saddle

Neck feel: slim-medium C/V shape, ~14" board radius

Condition notes: it's all-original save replacement tuners, bridge, and saddle. It's crack-free and only has minor scratching here and there on the body.