1972 Martin D-18 Dreadnought Guitar

Overview: This is a '72 D-18 that got traded back into the shop after some years of happy playing at a customer's household. My guy Andy bought it from me and then set to work sprucing it up fully and turning it into a gigging workhorse. He's been using it as such for about half a year or more, now, but has decided he needs a narrower waist to keep his shoulder and right arm happy, so it's back here for sale. All the work one could want has been done and it's gone-through nicely and turned into a true "player's guitar."

Tone: It's punchy, full, and balanced with that ever-so-slight mids scoop/velvety Martin thing going on.

Feel: Unlike the '60s D-18s, this one has a more "modern-feeling" neck profile in a medium-heft C/D shape rather than chunky-soft-V.  It plays quick and easy.

Interesting features: I love the ruddy-colored rosewood in the board and bridge and the UV-darkened top finish. It's got a little more saturation of color in its looks than your average period D-18. The included K&K pickup is a nice thing to have and it has plenty of saddle height for future action adjustments if necessary

Repairs included: Andy gave it a neck reset, refret, new bridge, new saddle, new pins, a K&K pickup install, minor top crack repairs, cleaning, and setup work. It plays bang-on and is ready to go.

• Weight: 4 lbs 6 oz
• Scale length: 25 3/8"
• Nut width: 1 11/16"
• Neck shape: medium C/D
• Board radius: 16"
• Body width: 15 5/8"
• Body depth: 4 7/8"
• Top wood: solid spruce
• Back & sides wood: solid mahogany
• Bracing type: x
• Bridge: rosewood (replacement)
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck wood: mahogany
• Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 54w-12 lights
• Truss rod: non-adjustable
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: medium modern

Condition notes: The center seam below the bridge has a repaired dryness separation. Also, just below the bridge, is a chip-out area (it appears as two small cracks) from where the finish and a very thin slice of top pulled-up with the old bridge when it came off (here's to odd adhesives, eh?) but said little chip-out is glued-down and pat. The fretboard extension drops-off from the plane of the fretboard on the neck a bit, so if you're a player using frets 16 and above all the time, you may want to have us pull the extension up and wedge/shim it before shipping. I like to let them drop, myself, as most of us don't play up there and "summer swell" in the top won't lead to fretting-out in the 12/13/14/15 fret positions with it set like that.

What else? The saddle is tall and has plenty of adjustment height. There's a passive K&K acoustic pickup installed (our favorites). As far as blemishes -- someone "touched-up" pickwear around the soundhole and, as such, those worn spots present themselves as darker. There's a little grunge at the side of the heel where it meets the body and a filled strap button hole on the heel cap area. The bridge is, of course, a replacement but we color-matched it nicely and, as it's had some play-time in it, it now looks worn-in and "right" at a glance. There's finish weather-checking throughout the back, sides, and top but none of it is unsightly. There are small nicks, dings, and scratches throughout, too.

It comes with: It has a black, plastic, Martin, hard case that's in good order.

Consignor tag: ALK