NGD! D18 Content

[Mike777]

Beautiful. That's a Keeper.

[gfspencer]

Beautiful guitar! I love the back.

I still can't get over the back. Stunning wood.

And I'm a sucker for D-18's in general.

[guitararmy]

Congrats, and as others have said, nice back! Resembles pics I've seen of "the tree"...

[Coach Jim]

Beautiful guitar! I bet it has great tone. You just can't go wrong with a D-18.

[Scolaguitar]

Stunning in looks and in sound! Congrats!

[ChrisE]

I looked at this thread on my iphone over the weekend and couldn't really see the awesome woodgrain on the back.

Now I'm looking at it on my computer and all I can say is "Wow!"

That's really nice looking.

[Groberts]

Thanks everybody. Man, How could I have waited so long to get a D18?

The only thing that would make this better ..and maybe I'll find out one day ...is to try a DC-18E (cutaway) D18 with the Fishman Aura VT Enhance.

[mickthemiller]

Looks and sounds perfect. Enjoy.

[Shades of Blue]

The key is a good setup as well. The action on mine was REALLY high when I got it, but lowering the action made it wonderful.

[Groberts]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

The key is a good setup as well. The action on mine was REALLY high when I got it, but lowering the action made it wonderful.

Great point. The action on this guitar is "Ideal". Perfect set up.

Hey, what strings do other D18 owners favor? The Elixirs on it actually sound really good, but I can see where the coating has come off over the sound hole, so it may be a good time for a fresh set of strings. I got a set of Martin Lifespans to try, but wondering if anyone else prefers D'addario, John Pearse or ???

[ChrisE]

Originally Posted by Groberts

Great point. The action on this guitar is "Ideal". Perfect set up.

Hey, what strings do other D18 owners favor? The Elixirs on it actually sound really good, but I can see where the coating has come off over the sound hole, so it may be a good time for a fresh set of strings. I got a set of Martin Lifespans to try, but wondering if anyone else prefers D'addario, John Pearse or ???

I got my D-18 in April and used Elixir PB (light and HD light) all summer long because I play all my gigs near the ocean and need them to last. Once fall came along I tried the Martin Retro LJ's. So far I like them the best. I've had them on for about three months and they sound great. The Retro LJs are the same gauges as the HD Light. They sound and feel great.

I'll probably go back to Elixirs in the summer, though just because of how long they last.

[Groberts]

Originally Posted by ChrisE

I got my D-18 in April and used Elixir PB (light and HD light) all summer long because I play all my gigs near the ocean and need them to last. Once fall came along I tried the Martin Retro LJ's. So far I like them the best. I've had them on for about three months and they sound great. The Retro LJs are the same gauges as the HD Light. They sound and feel great.

I'll probably go back to Elixirs in the summer, though just because of how long they last.

Thx Chris. I am probably going to stick with medium gauge for this guitar initially and see how it goes. (.013's)

You make an interesting point about trying a hybrid gauge. Splitting the difference might work well too. But I'll start with mediums and see how it goes. How would you characterize the Martin Retro's? I thought they were a much warmer, less detailed sounding string set compared to phosphor bronze strings?

[CAPS]

Originally Posted by Groberts

Great point. The action on this guitar is "Ideal". Perfect set up.

Hey, what strings do other D18 owners favor? The Elixirs on it actually sound really good, but I can see where the coating has come off over the sound hole, so it may be a good time for a fresh set of strings. I got a set of Martin Lifespans to try, but wondering if anyone else prefers D'addario, John Pearse or ???

Love the sound of PB Elixir nano lights on my D-18. I don't feel that moving down from mediums had a large impact on volume. Prefer the feel of elixirs more than other strings (lifespan, etc.).

[Rmz76]

Originally Posted by Groberts

Here's something that will make you go hmmm. I played my friends AMAZING D18A 1937 Martin Authentic ... then threw the new standard Martin D18 up against it. Well, the Authentic has a bass presence that is seductive and sweet. But the new D18? My goodness! It sounds wonderful. ..for Thousands less! ...and a friendlier neck profile ...and has a truss rod for adjustments that invariably occur with weather change.

Not to hijack my own thread, but here is the video A-B I made last night at my friends house:

D18A Authentic 1937 version versus Standard Martin D18. (He had new Lifespan strings. The Standard has Elixir NanoWeb PB's.)

Congrats on the D18 and thanks for sharing the samples. Not enough NGD post have audio samples and I always love it when they are shared.

I have to say that I much prefer the sound of your modern D18 to the Authentic which you A-B tested it against. The Authentic has a little too much clang and I believe I'm even hearing what sounds like traces of fret buzz. It's also not a very balanced sound compared to the modern D18.... But that's not all that unexpected.

Martin's only intent with the Authentic line was to give players accurate historical recreations of their museum relics. I think the intent ends there and the subjective idea that those instruments play and sound superior to their mainstream, modern counterparts has always been something Martin refuses to voice an opinion on. They are just bringing a product to market to fullfill the demand.

The idea plays into the myth that modern construction techniques are inferior to the old traditions and the myth that the more you pay for a guitar the better sounding that guitar will be compared to instruments less expensive. From my small sample of playing real vintage instruments, faithful replicas (I've not played many Authentics, but I have a few) and their modern day counterparts, I much prefer the modern versions of Martin's lineup. The modern D18 is an excellent example of how they have incorporated the right historic elements while leaving the best of modern techniques in place.

That's not to say the Authentic line isn't great... I love that for those players with deep pockets, and glass cases to display them in, Martin is making these recreations available... as usual concepts of "pay more = get more" without any real rational of context of intended use happens often with instruments.