C. F. Martin D-18 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1960)
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C. F. Martin D-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1960), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 173402, natural lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This is a great playing, fine sounding D-18 from the heyday of the "Folk Era" of the 1960s, showing some wear but none the worse for it soundwise. This is the period when the runaway success of the Kingston Trio made everybody -- not just country players -- want a Martin Dreadnought! From its introduction in the early 1930s on, the D-18 has been a workhorse for country, gospel, folk and players in most forms of American vernacular music. By the 1960s, it became practically the emblem of the Folk Revival and, today, it still is the acoustic guitar of choice for pickers of every persuasion.
This D-18 was made in the middle of 1960 at the old original Martin factory, a few years before the insatiable for Dreadnoughts demand caused the company to build a new modern facility "down the road". it has appointments typical of the period with a pickguard and binding made of tortoise celluloid, a rosewood bridge with a long through saddle and individual Kluson Deluxe tuners with metal buttons. The headstock's "rounded" corners are characteristic of this period, the result of Martin's shaping templates becoming worn from extensive use. This guitar sings with a big but still bright and clear sound, more of a 1950s character than 1960s and an excellent instrument for just about any flat-top application.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 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 some general wear and typical maintenance repair; there has been work done over the years, but the guitar remains original where it counts. The original lacquer finish on the top, back and neck, shows some typical wear overall. The top has some considerable pickwear on both sides of the fingerboard and the lower soundhole rim, with smaller dings, scratches and dents scattered around. The back has some deep scratching and scuffing south of the waist, the back of the neck remains cleaner with just some very small dings and dents at the third, seventh, and ninth fret areas.
The sides have been touched up over some previous repairs. The most notable is just below the waist on the treble side, where a small hole had been patched with mahogany and touched up. The lower side around this area shows a fair amount of cracks, all properly sealed and cleated. The upper side also has a crack running back from the waist, also cleanly sealed and lightly finished over. The top has no major cracks, just one tiny sealed grain split off the back edge of the pickguard, the back is crack free.
The neck has been neatly reset some time ago, and the original rosewood bridge reglued and lowered just slightly. The fingerboard has been refretted with period-correct style wire; some shallow divots remain in the rosewood by the first three frets. The original Kluson tuners are fully functional and the bone nut is period correct style, if possibly not original. Internally the original braces and small maple bridgeplate remain intact; the pin holes on the bridgeplate appear to have been filled in reinforced with glue and sawdust, then redrilled. This is an excellent player with a big sound that wears some scars proudly, housed in modern Martin hardshell case. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This is a great playing, fine sounding D-18 from the heyday of the "Folk Era" of the 1960s, showing some wear but none the worse for it soundwise. This is the period when the runaway success of the Kingston Trio made everybody -- not just country players -- want a Martin Dreadnought! From its introduction in the early 1930s on, the D-18 has been a workhorse for country, gospel, folk and players in most forms of American vernacular music. By the 1960s, it became practically the emblem of the Folk Revival and, today, it still is the acoustic guitar of choice for pickers of every persuasion.
This D-18 was made in the middle of 1960 at the old original Martin factory, a few years before the insatiable for Dreadnoughts demand caused the company to build a new modern facility "down the road". it has appointments typical of the period with a pickguard and binding made of tortoise celluloid, a rosewood bridge with a long through saddle and individual Kluson Deluxe tuners with metal buttons. The headstock's "rounded" corners are characteristic of this period, the result of Martin's shaping templates becoming worn from extensive use. This guitar sings with a big but still bright and clear sound, more of a 1950s character than 1960s and an excellent instrument for just about any flat-top application.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 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 some general wear and typical maintenance repair; there has been work done over the years, but the guitar remains original where it counts. The original lacquer finish on the top, back and neck, shows some typical wear overall. The top has some considerable pickwear on both sides of the fingerboard and the lower soundhole rim, with smaller dings, scratches and dents scattered around. The back has some deep scratching and scuffing south of the waist, the back of the neck remains cleaner with just some very small dings and dents at the third, seventh, and ninth fret areas.
The sides have been touched up over some previous repairs. The most notable is just below the waist on the treble side, where a small hole had been patched with mahogany and touched up. The lower side around this area shows a fair amount of cracks, all properly sealed and cleated. The upper side also has a crack running back from the waist, also cleanly sealed and lightly finished over. The top has no major cracks, just one tiny sealed grain split off the back edge of the pickguard, the back is crack free.
The neck has been neatly reset some time ago, and the original rosewood bridge reglued and lowered just slightly. The fingerboard has been refretted with period-correct style wire; some shallow divots remain in the rosewood by the first three frets. The original Kluson tuners are fully functional and the bone nut is period correct style, if possibly not original. Internally the original braces and small maple bridgeplate remain intact; the pin holes on the bridgeplate appear to have been filled in reinforced with glue and sawdust, then redrilled. This is an excellent player with a big sound that wears some scars proudly, housed in modern Martin hardshell case. Overall Very Good + Condition.