1940 C. F. Martin D-18 Natural, Very Good, Hard,

SN: 74472. NEW PRICE. Well played example of a narrow neck, rear-X, scalloped bracing model made between mid-1939 and late 1944. During WWII the ebony T-bar was replaced by ebony reinforcement, which changes the character of the tone. This one has the metal reinforcement which many feel give the guitar a more powerful bass and a more complex midrange. This guitar certainly has that in spades. The foundational tone is a rich woody mahogany with plenty of midrange, treble sparkle, and chordal blooming. It has seen plenty of action. There is playwear through the finish on both sides of the fretboard and some buckle rash on the back. There’s a pickguard crack that is capably sealed and a small surface crack in the lower bout that cannot be seen from the inside. There are dings and dents commensurate with an honestly gigged guitar of this age. The bridge is a correct replica and the bridge plate is original. There may be two small repaired holes in the bridge plate but no sign of washer or screw marks. It’s possible the original bridge had been screwed down. The Adi top has properly domed over the years and the neck has been reset with a small shim under the fingerboard extension. Tuners are the original Grover G-98s. The back has two long cracks and one shortish one. One of the longer ones can be partially seem on the inside and the other are just in the surface. Everything has been capably tended to. The guitar is structurally sound and ready for the next generation. The action is medium low with saddle to go down if needed sometime down the road. The neck is the soft V with the 1 11/16th nut and 2 1/8th string spacing at the bridge. It’s addictive to play and makes me sound much better than I am. Comes with one of those plastic Martin cases that do a great job protecting at festivals. On consignment.