1941 C. F. Martin D-18 Natural

SN: 77280. SORRY. ON HOLD. Friends, here is an early Martin 1941 D-18 with such a charismatic voice that it turns heads whenever it comes out of the case. It’s an early ’41 with a couple of characteristics I normally associate with 1940; high contrast pickguard with a lot of reddish mottling and very tight-grained, light-colored Adi top. It is otherwise consistent with prewar guitars made just prior to WWII – very high quality Adirondack top, Honduran mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck with steel T-bar reinforcement, arrowhead tuners, scalloped rear-shifted bracing and faux tortoise binding. It was built at a time when enthusiasm for the D-18 was surging. Martin made 575 that year.

The geometry and setup are both dead solid perfect thanks to a trip to the workbench of luthier Dennis Berck. Dennis replaced a compromised replacement bridge with a full height perfect replica. That bridge was held down, in part, with small bridge bolts (ala Gibson). Dennis plugged both the small holes in the top (under the bridge) with spruce and the small holes in the bridge plate with maple. The repair is completely invisible to me. The plate is original and very healthy looking. He reset the neck, crowned and polished the existing frets and lightly touched up the footprint of the old bridge. The action was set to 6/64” on the bass side and 4.5/64” on the treble. Some earlier work includes a tightly repaired top crack and a 3/8” plug in the top that was very well executed. The playwear east of the fretboard extension is lightly brushed with French polish and some more recent playwear that is not. On the back, there’s an area of buckle wear that is touched up and another that is not. The insides are quite clean.

The tone of this guitar has beguiled everyone who has played it. It has the cut and honk of a big dread plus the richly nuanced and complex midrange and trebles that are the hallmark of the rear-shifted, scalloped models. The setup is so nice it’s easy to bring out the best in it. The neck profile is one of the fuller feeling with the modified V and 1-11/16” nut. String spacing at the bridge is 2-1/8”. It ships with a newish 300-series martin case that fits very well. On consignment.

Top: Adirondack Spruce
Band & Sides: Honduran Mahogany
Bridge & Fretboard: Ebony
Appointments: Dot position markers, faux tortoise binding, b/w trim and rosette
Nut width: 1-11/16”
String spacing: 2-1/8”
Body width: 15-5/8”
Depth: 4-7/8”
Scale length: 25.4”
Case: HSC