C. F. Martin D-18 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1936), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 64384, natural lacquer finish, Mahogany back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, molded black plastic hard shell case.
OK, a few basics upfront; Yes, this is an original 1936 D-18 from Martin's most revered period. Yes, it's had a LOT of wear and repair work done to keep it going over 90 years, some good, some not so good and Yes, it still sounds fantastic. There is a lot of play wear, some overfinishing and old repairs to the heel, bridge area and forward soundhole edge that are solid but visible, and in some cases ugly. The guitar has had only two owners since 1968 but was already well used by that time, last sold in 2005; the bulk of the work happened long before then.
That said, the early pre-WWII Martin D-18 sits near the top of practically any list of great guitars. This one was built in the second half of 1936 with the earlier "advanced" scalloped X Bracing and wider 1 3/4" nut that have become the connoisseur's choice features offering the enormous yet clear sound these have always been prized for.
Other typical features of the era include a close-grain Adirondack red spruce top, ebony bridge and fingerboard, tortoise celluloid pickguard and binding and early openback Grover "clipped end" tuners with metal buttons. This neck is not only wider but a bit chunkier in feel than Martin necks later in the decade, with a residual "soft V" profile that becomes noticeable as it approaches the body. The unbound ebony fingerboard has mixed-size pearl dot inlay and a bone nut.
Only 258 D-18's were made in 1936 and well under 500 total up to that point. With a list price of $65 (plus case) this was an expensive instrument for most players in depression era America, and once acquired often were played for decades.
This D-18 retains the powerful sound typical of these original "Golden Age" Martins Dreadnoughts of this era, a fantastic recording guitar in any context, with the mellow depth of the Dreadnought mixed with the crisp slightly dry ring of a mahogany body. This fairly early prewar example has seen a lot but is still ready for many more decades of use.
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 15/16 in. (12.5 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.).
This guitar has a number of old repairs, some better executed than others but remains a fully playable instrument. It was gone over not quite 20 years ago by renowned Martin restorer T. J. Thompson who did some maintenance work but not a full restoration; receipts and appraisal paperwork from him are still in the case documenting his observations and some of his work. Other repairs are obviously older and not to that standard, although some of the "pre-TJ" repairs are also solidly executed.
So, from top to bottom: The headstock finish is original, scruffy but with no overfinish or repairs visible. The tuners are original, with a heavy patina and a couple of replaced screws. The entire back of the neck from just below the headstock to the tip of the heel has been solidly overfinished with lacquer, and the heel area of the neck has been replaced neatly and a long time ago. THIS is very unusual and rarely seen on an old Martin, but the entire heel below the plane of the neck is a separate piece of mahogany, neatly faired in and looking like the spliced heel on a traditional Spanish guitar. This was done long ago to a pretty high standard and is noted on the T.J. Thompson appraisal; the neck was reportedly reset in the 1980s, so it is possible this work dates to that time. A strap button has been removed from the heel leaving a visibly patched spot where it was.
The (old and possibly original) nut was reworked by T.J. as well as a fingerboard level and compression refret, done to his usual standard confirmed by his repair receipt from 2007. The frets show only light wear since then. The neck block is original with the factory markings intact; the block has rotated forward just a bit causing a long grain split along the bass side of the fingerboard extension and cracks to either side of the soundhole rim including some distortion of the celluloid rings. This has been solidly addressed but not properly restored, with a large spruce shoe cleat under the soundhole rim and larger flat spruce bar under the fingerboard extension. There is a small screw hole on each side of the sound hole rim from an old DeArmond pickup.
The bridge is an older slightly oversized ebony repro re-worked by T.J. "Recarve without removal" according to his notes, indicating it was once larger and/or less accurate. "Repair messed up maple bridge plate - restore to original specs" is also noted. The pin holes in the small maple plate have been neatly plugged and re-drilled. All of the delicate scalloped bracing remains original. There are two long spruce grain splits to the top behind the bridge, sealed with small diamond cleats below. This work is quite old, solid but not the neatest. A third line farther up from these looks like a crack but does not go through to the inside.
The finish on the top is largely original, well worn with deep divoting into the wood mostly above and between the strings and off the forward and rear edges of the pickguard. These areas and the crack repairs show some topical overfinish. The back finish appears largely original and less worn, while the sides have some larger areas of overfinish and general wear.
While the foregoing represents quite a catalog of wear and repair this guitar remains a player's instrument; it could be more fully restored if desired but is fully functional "As-Is". The original "advanced" X-braced sound and feel that countless Dreadnoughts since have sought to re-create remain fully intact instantly shows why the praise for and obsession with these guitars is ongoing nearly a century after their creation. It rests in an older Martin molded HSC and the repair/appraisal paperwork from T. J. Thompson is included. Overall Good Condition.
