1975 Martin D-18D Natural, Excellent, Original Hard, $2,495.00

Never heard of a D-18D? That’s what I thought too, until I searched the depths of my memory and also looked at the dang thing, inside and out, and put two and two together. The original bill of sale (which comes with it; the guitar came to us from its original owner) and the Martin Owner’s Registration Card (ditto), both say D-18D and it’s also stamped right inside on the neck block, but in not quite the usual place. This is a really nice, clean, and in fact truly wonderful 1975 Martin D-18 but with one original addition: it has a factory-installed, while the guitar was being built, FRAP pickup system. The FRAP, which stands for Flat Response Audio Pickup, was a very early, ultra-high quality active Piezo-type pickup system, but instead of the element being a strip under the saddle it is a small sensor glued to the underside of the top in the bridge area. It used a pair of standard 9V batteries, in a little clip inside the guitar, and the pre-amp is in a little blue box glued to the lower portion of the neck block, which is why the serial and model numbers are stamped into the upper portion of the block as opposed to the usual center area. Real bottom line here is that even after after forty years of development, there are few pickups on the market that sound as clear and natural as this one. There is a volume control near the neck, right where you’d expect it, and the output jack is also where you’d expect it on any traditional hollowbody electric, in the lower bout of the treble side, where it sits naturally. As for the guitar itself, as mentioned, it’s a wonderful 40+ year-old Martin and it sure does sound it. Plays perfectly too, having been back to the Martin factory for a complete refret a few years ago, at which time they also put on a new pickguard and gave the entire guitar an additional coat of lacquer, all factory done. This is quite the lovely, incredibly clear and powerful-sounding older Martin D-18 and will make anyone who wants one extremely happy. The pickup system is pure bonus. Comes with all of its original paperwork: purchase receipt, Martin Owner’s Registration Card, "Care and Feeding of Your Martin Guitar” booklet, and FRAP instruction pamphlet, printed by Martin in the true Martin style of the day. Original Martin hard shell case of course. $2495 w/ohsc