Martin D18GE Golden Era Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar (with Case)
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zZounds Gear Experts Say...
Solid Adirondack spruce top. Solid genuine mahogany back & sides.
Overview
The DG18GE has a solid Adirondack spruce top, solid genuine mahogany back & sides, and vintage-style design throughout. The rosette, inlays, and purfling are classic Style 18. It is available in natural and sunburst finishes, and includes a case.
Specs
Construction: mahogany blocks/dovetail neck joint
Body size: D-14 fret
Top: solid Adirondack spruce
Rosette: Old Style 18 and B/W fiber
Top bracing pattern: D-OMLE forward shifted
Top braces: solid Adirondack spruce/ scalloped 5/16 in. Golden Era
Back material: solid genuine mahogany with Golden Era-style back braces
Back purfling: Style 18
Side material: solid genuine mahogany
Endpiece: tortoise color
Endpiece inlay: none
Binding: black Boltaron
Top inlay style: multiple black / white
Side inlay: none
Back inlay: none
Neck material: solid genuine mahogany
Neck shape: modified V
Nut material: Fossilized ivory
Headstock: solid/square/tapered
Headplate: solid Brazilian rosewood /large Golden Era-Style logo
Heelcap: solid black ebony
Fingerboard material: solid black ebony
Scale length: 25.4
# of frets clear: 14
# of frets total: 20
Fingerboard width at nut: 1 3/4 in.
Fingerboard width at 12th fret: 2 1/4 in.
Fingerboard position inlays: Old Style 18 -- Abalone Pearl
Fingerboard binding: none
Finish back & sides: polished gloss/dark mahogany stain
Finish top: polished gloss/ 1935-style sunburst
Finish neck: semi gloss/ dark mahogany stain/ dark filler
Bridge material: solid black ebony
Bridge style: 1930s-style belly -- long saddle
Bridge string spacing: 2 5/16 in.
Saddle: 16 in. radius/Fossil Ivory
Tuning machines: Waverly nickel w/ Butterbean knobs
Recommended strings: Martin SP 4200 Medium Phosphor Bronze
Bridge & end pins: black
Pickguard: I-03 tortoise color/beveled and polished
Case: 545 Geib style
Interior label: paper label signed by CFM IV
Body size: D-14 fret
Top: solid Adirondack spruce
Rosette: Old Style 18 and B/W fiber
Top bracing pattern: D-OMLE forward shifted
Top braces: solid Adirondack spruce/ scalloped 5/16 in. Golden Era
Back material: solid genuine mahogany with Golden Era-style back braces
Back purfling: Style 18
Side material: solid genuine mahogany
Endpiece: tortoise color
Endpiece inlay: none
Binding: black Boltaron
Top inlay style: multiple black / white
Side inlay: none
Back inlay: none
Neck material: solid genuine mahogany
Neck shape: modified V
Nut material: Fossilized ivory
Headstock: solid/square/tapered
Headplate: solid Brazilian rosewood /large Golden Era-Style logo
Heelcap: solid black ebony
Fingerboard material: solid black ebony
Scale length: 25.4
# of frets clear: 14
# of frets total: 20
Fingerboard width at nut: 1 3/4 in.
Fingerboard width at 12th fret: 2 1/4 in.
Fingerboard position inlays: Old Style 18 -- Abalone Pearl
Fingerboard binding: none
Finish back & sides: polished gloss/dark mahogany stain
Finish top: polished gloss/ 1935-style sunburst
Finish neck: semi gloss/ dark mahogany stain/ dark filler
Bridge material: solid black ebony
Bridge style: 1930s-style belly -- long saddle
Bridge string spacing: 2 5/16 in.
Saddle: 16 in. radius/Fossil Ivory
Tuning machines: Waverly nickel w/ Butterbean knobs
Recommended strings: Martin SP 4200 Medium Phosphor Bronze
Bridge & end pins: black
Pickguard: I-03 tortoise color/beveled and polished
Case: 545 Geib style
Interior label: paper label signed by CFM IV
Reviews
Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
(14 ratings)
Submitted September 9, 2007 by a customer from yahoo.com
"This guitar proves why Martins are legendary"
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
I will keep this thing as long as I play. I have a D28 and they both have thier place and thier sound.
Sound
I own a straight D28, and this thing has a whole other sound. It caused a real shift in my musical thinking. The adirondack spruce top with mahogany side gives you a high volume sound, and yet even playing hard, each note rings perfectly clear, especially lead guitar licks, full of clear overtones, not smokey ,like my 28. If you just bought one you must remember that red spruce takes longer to open up, so be patient, It is the most prized wood for a top you can get on an guitar
Features
what makes this guitar is the selection of premium tonewoods, and the pre-war construction os a 1934 D18. Not fancy at first glance, but when you really look at the thing close, it gives the eyes a real feast. This guitar was made to play though. Everything in the construction was made to give you a sound like no other. I am glad there are no inlays and crap. The proof is in the playing, and this guitar MUST be played for it to open up. The case is really nice, yet for such a strong, nice case (5 layers of wood) the outside id quite weak. Buy or use a lesser grade case to take to gigs, to avoid tearing up the one it comes with
Ease of Use
The sounds of this instrument are beautiful. It took my breath away, and made me rethink my whole attitude toward my much loved D28. This is NOT a stock D18.… read more The sounds you get a full and rich, woody and extremley clear. with the red spruce and mahogony, the souns is not busy or complex like rosewood/ sitka. It plays much cleaner, fuller, clearer sound. Mine was new, and so was quite stiff, it took 20 minutes just to get it warmed up, and I was skeptical, but when it did , the rich full church bell tones made me gasp. I called a local luthier and friend to play it, and he had the same reaction. he is an older guy, and stated that this is the martin sound that he remembered as a kid, when no one used amps. It earned its name as "the banjo killer"
Quality
This product is made extremley well. My luthier friend went over it with a fine tooth comb. They use like six strips of reinforcement tape on each side, unlike two in the straight D28. the braces are hand tuned and smoothed out as a baby's butt. They spared no detail in fit and finish. I kind makes me mad that they dont build ALL thier instruments like that.I feel that this is what a Martin should be, and why they are legends.
Value
This is as good as a Martin gets. The quality is perfect. I just wonder why all the guitars they build arent this caliber
Manufacturer Support
no not yet.
The Wow Factor
"sex" appeal? this is a chunk of wood. It has gotten me sex though when I played it right at gigs, if that helps
Musical Background:
Active gigging musicican
Musical Style:
Roots, Texas folk, folk blues read less
Sound
I own a straight D28, and this thing has a whole other sound. It caused a real shift in my musical thinking. The adirondack spruce top with mahogany side gives you a high volume sound, and yet even playing hard, each note rings perfectly clear, especially lead guitar licks, full of clear overtones, not smokey ,like my 28. If you just bought one you must remember that red spruce takes longer to open up, so be patient, It is the most prized wood for a top you can get on an guitar
Features
what makes this guitar is the selection of premium tonewoods, and the pre-war construction os a 1934 D18. Not fancy at first glance, but when you really look at the thing close, it gives the eyes a real feast. This guitar was made to play though. Everything in the construction was made to give you a sound like no other. I am glad there are no inlays and crap. The proof is in the playing, and this guitar MUST be played for it to open up. The case is really nice, yet for such a strong, nice case (5 layers of wood) the outside id quite weak. Buy or use a lesser grade case to take to gigs, to avoid tearing up the one it comes with
Ease of Use
The sounds of this instrument are beautiful. It took my breath away, and made me rethink my whole attitude toward my much loved D28. This is NOT a stock D18.… read more The sounds you get a full and rich, woody and extremley clear. with the red spruce and mahogony, the souns is not busy or complex like rosewood/ sitka. It plays much cleaner, fuller, clearer sound. Mine was new, and so was quite stiff, it took 20 minutes just to get it warmed up, and I was skeptical, but when it did , the rich full church bell tones made me gasp. I called a local luthier and friend to play it, and he had the same reaction. he is an older guy, and stated that this is the martin sound that he remembered as a kid, when no one used amps. It earned its name as "the banjo killer"
Quality
This product is made extremley well. My luthier friend went over it with a fine tooth comb. They use like six strips of reinforcement tape on each side, unlike two in the straight D28. the braces are hand tuned and smoothed out as a baby's butt. They spared no detail in fit and finish. I kind makes me mad that they dont build ALL thier instruments like that.I feel that this is what a Martin should be, and why they are legends.
Value
This is as good as a Martin gets. The quality is perfect. I just wonder why all the guitars they build arent this caliber
Manufacturer Support
no not yet.
The Wow Factor
"sex" appeal? this is a chunk of wood. It has gotten me sex though when I played it right at gigs, if that helps
Musical Background:
Active gigging musicican
Musical Style:
Roots, Texas folk, folk blues read less
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