1937 Authentic D-18 Custom Shop Clones

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by jw3571

I got one of these and they are awesome. I've had an 06 and an 08 D18 1937 and I prefer the tone on this one. Huge sounding.

Nice! Congrats.

Question: If you look inside your custom, are the #3 & 4 back braces low and wide like the authentics, or tall and thin like the standards?
Bonus question, have you noticed if the custom has the thinner authentic fretboard, or thicker standard?

[TJNies]

Originally Posted by brencat

Hi Roy. I noticed Wildwood got a bunch of D-18CA 1937 Authentics in recently... in standard Mahogany and Sinker. $6748 for the standard mahogany is steep, and frankly if Martin announces an official D-18CAA this year, it's probably going to price out in the 5s somewhere. So right off the bat, you're running the risk of a devaluation in the near future. By the way, a D-18CAA will also destroy the D-18A 1939 market as well. This is a tricky situation for Martin to navigate, but it's very clear that there is demand for a 1937 forward shifted style D-18 Authentic.

The Wildwood guitars have VTS tops and T-Bar neck reinforcement. If Martin does a D-18CAA, you'll get the Aging treament with the rolled fingerboard edges, an adjustable truss rod, but give up the VTS... all for a lower price. And it will be an official model, like the D-28CAA is. I just don't want to buy any more guitars without an adjustable truss rod because I like to experiment with different strings to find that sweet spot in playability and it's different with every guitar.

I'd agree, with the exception of the "true Authentic D-18AA" price being degraded.
Not everyone wants an adjustable truss rod. Once stable, non-adjustable truss rod Martins can remain stable for decades.

But that said, I could easily consider an 000 or OM-18 CAA (sinker or just lovely Honduran mahogany). But I also traded a custom shop OM-18 Sinker to buy my CAA 000-28, so who knows?

[wvblues]

Pre War D?
You said clone. Not sure it gets much closer than this.

[Mr. Jelly]

Originally Posted by tuner440

Yes, The new Custom Shop Authentics do have the tucked bridge plate and braces.

Thanks. But I bought a 000-18 GE 12 fret and a 1999 D-18VS instead. That'll keep me going for the short term.

[Zissou Intern]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

Thanks. But I bought a 000-18 GE 12 fret and a 1999 D-18VS instead. That'll keep me going for the short term.

I'm with you, Jelly. I'd have to sell my GE and my Orpheum to buy an Authentic. For me, it wouldn't be worth the small tonal advantage gained.

[brencat]

Originally Posted by Zissou Intern

I'm with you, Jelly. I'd have to sell my GE and my Orpheum to buy an Authentic. For me, it wouldn't be worth the small tonal advantage gained.

If you've played multiple Authentics and come to that conclusion, that's fine.

Prior to playing (and then buying) a D-28CAA, I was sort of in this camp as well. The D-18A 1937 and 000-18A 1937 I used to own were great guitars. Definitely a step up from the GE line, but not hugely so.

But the D-28CAA to me is so far above everything else Martin makes right now as well as anything I've played or owned to date by Martin, that I can't believe it came from the same builder. Like I said in another thread, it's almost as good as one of my Merrill C-28s.

[Zissou Intern]

I have played probably 15 or 18 of the D18A '37 and D28A '37, but nothing more recent than 3 years ago. So I haven't played any of the Custom Elite or Custom models. One of my good friends just bought one from TME, and says it is the guitar he has been looking for all his life. He has a stable of high-end instruments, so that is a big statement.

[UncleJesse]

I have a 2006 D-18A 37 and a D28CAA and based on how good the CAA is it sort of makes me want to sell off the 06 D18A and buy one of these new D18 Authentic Aged Customs. I think the thinner finish really helps tonewise but letting a known quantity go on a gamble is tough.

[NervousNrG]

UncleJesse - which one are you talking/thinking about? The only custom 1937 aged authentic I know of is from Music Emporium.

[Zissou Intern]

There are several shops ordering them, including TME, Wildwood, and Tone Shop Guitars. Wildwood just received a half dozen.

[Zissou Intern]

For the going price, I am not certain I wouldn't try to find a used PWGC, Merrill, Smith, Suda, Hooper, etc.

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by Zissou Intern

For the going price, I am not certain I wouldn't try to find a used PWGC, Merrill, Smith, Suda, Hooper, etc.

It’s crazy, these aged and sinker customs are more expensive than buying a Hooper new directly from Ken. I’m sure they’re incredible guitars, but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around $7-8000 for a factory built D-18. With the amount of variation there is, guitar to guitar, and diminishing returns you start to get with each $1000 you sink into these high end martins, I’m with Jesse in that it’s a big gamble and a lot of money if you have to sell a known great authentic to get it.

I think if you’re one of those people who’s one and done and just wants to drop a big chunk of cash into a guitar you’ll keep for 50 years, it’s easier to justify $7500 on these customs. If you’re like too many of us, and there’s a good chance it may not still be around in a few years, these just don’t make sense at this price.

To those who said they’ll kill the D-18AA39 market, I assure you I’m one example of someone who has chosen the A39 on price alone. D-18CAA37 would be a game changer, but TME told me last month, martin has no plans for that. We’ll see.

[Mr. Jelly]

And then I listen to Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings Preston Thompson guitars while looking at the prices and go hmmmm?

[NervousNrG]

zoopeda - where have you sourced info about bracing in the authentics? I've found mention of tucking and no popsicle brace, but not the low/wide #3 and #4 back braces.

[zoopeda]

Originally Posted by NervousNrG

zoopeda - where have you sourced info about bracing in the authentics? I've found mention of tucking and no popsicle brace, but not the low/wide #3 and #4 back braces.

There’s a lot not necessarily advertised about the Authentics. Little things like back bracing, neck block size, headstock thickness, bridge plate size, bridge wing thickness, cloth side strips, thinner fretboard, thinner finish. If you look inside them, you’ll see authentic series guitars have low wide back braces #3&4 compared to virtually every other guitar martin makes. I believe they introduced the taller stiffer back bracing at around the time cnc came into martin in the 90s but am not certain the exact date. These Authentics are the first guitars martin has made that bring back the old vintage back bracing.

The reason I’m curious is that martin traditionally hasn’t allowed certain authentic series features through the custom shop (the recent Custom Authentic series D-28 and 000-18 are the exception, but one off customs, as I understand, are still subject to certain authentic series limitations). Now they allow authentic top bracing on these customs, but I was told they still won’t allow the thin fretboard for some reason. That makes me wonder if these have the authentic neck blocks and back bracing.

Here’s a good list from Todd Yates…

Authentic vs. Golden Era (D-28A 1937 MRW / D-28GE)
MRW back and sides
Bold herringbone
Hot hide glue
Smaller bridge plate
Tucked bridgeplate and braces
No popsicle brace
Narrower #1 cross brace (5/16” vs. 1/2”)
Lighter top bracing
No L-shaped neck block
Larger neck block
Unslotted bridge pins and slotted bridge
Tapered bridge pin holes
Low, wide #3 and #4 back braces
Reinforcement strip on the tail block
Under-finish Delmar pick guard
Tee-bar neck reinforcement
Thinner fretboard
Thinner headstock
Thinner lacquer finish
Gloss neck and headstock
Neck that is thicker toward the body
Unfinished fingerboard extension

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