Martin Guitars D-18S Custom

A light Sitka spruce for clear mid and treble frequencies.

To generate a balanced sound, the manufacturer uses a fine-grained Sitka spruce for the top wood. The high-quality Californian spruce wood produces an almost attack and a clear note due to its fine structure, which can be recognized by even lines and opposite flames, which fades out long-lasting in the overtones. A wafer-thin finish and forward-shifted X-bracing promote rapid sound development and allow the material to vibrate freely, so that every single note can unfold loudly and completely. A generous tortoise pickguard and an old-style 18-multi-stripe soundhole rosette give the top, which is framed by a fine faux-tortoise binding and a multi-stripe inlay, a noble appearance and show off the fine grain of the wood in a special way.

The even structure of the mahogany wood provides warm basses

To give the sound a warm saturation, the back and sides are made of richly grained mahogany, which is not only noticeable in the bass frequencies, but also gently enriches the mid frequencies. The slightly larger body volume, which is created by the neck/body transition at the 12th fret, gives the instrument additional volume and thus enables a faster emergence of the individual notes, so that besides expressive strummings also fine pickings are reproduced dynamically and cleanly. A fine Style 18 backstrip and a corresponding Binding separate the individual components of the body from each other and create a harmonious transition between the back and the sides. The high-gloss finish on the back and sides also allows a deep insight into the grain of the tropical wood, which is another highlight of the instrument with its brown-gold reflections.

A window headstock gives the instrument a classic touch

In terms of playability, the Martin custom shop also delivers on its promises. A flat mahogany neck with an ebony fingerboard allows for obliging access to all 20 frets and, in combination with a nut width of 44.45 mm, offers the player enough space to easily master even extensive fingering patterns. In addition, a compensated bridge inlay and a finely notched bone nut ensure clean intonation over the entire scale length of 645 mm. The open window headstock is a real eye-catcher, equipped with side-mounted nickel tuners that guarantee easy tuning of the 6 steel str ings and give the instrument a traditional appearance. Old-style 18 inlays made of abalone, which on the one hand mark the frets, also create a noble contrast to the black ebony fingerboard.

The Martin D-18S Custom at a glance:

• Custom shop western guitar in D-12 fret design.
• Neck/body transition at the 12th fret
• Rosette with Old-Style-18-Multi-Stripe
• Indian rosewood headplate with script old-style overlay
• Sitka spruce top and mahogany body
• Tortoise binding and multi-stripe inlay
• Martin custom shop case and certificate included
• Nickel tuners with Ivoroid buttons
• Abalone inlays for fret marking