1943 Martin D18 Natural

Better than good this super clean 43' D18...Was sold, buyer backed out citing job hours being cut etc., etc., so here we go again...Selling now only $16k as I won't be playing this as the Martin neck is too small for me being a big vintage Gibson guy. This needs a new home that will play it and enjoy it. Would accept cash and trade ONLY if I can move your piece fast which means you're probably better off selling what you got then calling me.

This guitar has been examined thoroughly and had a neck set and complete set up by a leading 55 year Charleston, SC luthier Joe Wilson. No overspray and no refin.

This needs a new home as I do not play it with the smaller neck. I'm a Gibson man...This is an all original clean 1943 Martin D18...that's right 1943...40's Martins do not pop up that often and nearly impossible to top a “pre-war” appointment Martin. This guitar is light as a feather and well under 4 pounds, the Adirondack top so fine when you tap it you're afraid you'll go through...so resonant with the scalloped bracing, really an exquisite piece of “prewar” martin craftsmanship and it shows and sounds like it.

There are two light top cracks behind the bridge as you would expect in a guitar of this age that are cleated and solid, a small crack in the back on lower end that was cleated and a crack on the upper side that was cleated. All are stable and perfect and all were there when I bought it.

It is called Prewar because it is built with pre war features like Adirondack spruce top, scalloped braces etc. May be the most balanced acoustic tone wise I've ever heard. I own and have owned quite a few pre and post war Martins and Gibson acoustics and this guitar is special. No one spectrum of the tonal rainbow jumps out, this guitar is just "butterfied," as they say in the south. Balanced and equalized throughout the tonal spectrum. Just a precious sound.

Just had a complete neck reset and full set up by noted luthier Joe Wilson in Charleston, SC and action is awesome, playability superb and no real fret wear. As you see it is extremely clean and a really a fine piece of history. Has some lacquer checking which is hard to photograph but did best I could. Comes with a Martin hard shell molded case.