Time to just get a D-18?

[SpruceTop]

A Martin D-18 is the sound of down-home ...

[12barBill]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

I took the plunge about a month ago, Shrub. I've always wanted one too. It compliments my HD-28 and Eastman slope dread beautifully. As I've grown older I've developed a deeper fondness for mahogany over rosewood, not sure why.

The D-28 and -18 are the two most iconic acoustic guitars in the world, made by the most iconic company of all. Hard to go wrong. I don't normally buy new, but I had a windfall come my way so I pulled the trigger.

Happy Hunting. I have a buddy here in L.A. that's selling a super clean used one for $1800, if interested. Nice guy, original owner, takes great care of his instruments.

Best of Luck,
Scott

There you have it. You should jump on this while the jumpin is good.

[Sponserv]

I am of very small stature. When I first started playing I picked up a dreadnought and thought it was huge and I could never play such a thing.

Then I purchased a bunch of D Jr's and GS Minis and hot rodded them into very cool guitars. I always said that my hot rodded D Jr. was the only size dreadnought I could ever play. I was happy.

Then I figured I would try a full size dreadnought one more time. Traded for a mint 2020 D-18. Lo and behold I can play a dreadnought. and the tone of my D-18 is like nothing else I have played. Like one person above said guitars are cheap when you figure out how much joy they bring and for how long.

Just get the D-18.

[singlechange]

In early 2021, I bought a pristine used 2017 Martin D-18 GE with original case and tags and paperwork for $2550 from Guitar Center online website. Also had a new 2015 Martin D-18 Authentic years before that, but I was completely happy with the D-18 GE. If I were you, I'd keep searching for a good D-18 Gold Era preferably from the early years, like 2005 or so.

[Scolaguitar]

Oh yeah, get the D18.
As others have said, it will only go up in price. I got mine barely used in 2018. Hard to believe if I wanted to, I could sell it for several hundred more than what I paid only a few short years ago. They sell fast on the secondary market.

So even if you get bored with it down the line, you'll have no trouble unloading it and depending how long you keep it, you may make your money back and then some.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by 1neeto

Life is too short to keep putting off buying the guitar you’ve always wanted.

Absolutely. I wish someone had told me this thirty years ago.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

A Martin D-18 is the sound of down-home ...

Argh! Where's the <LIKE> button on this forum?

[Uncle R.]

Originally Posted by Corndog

<SNIP>
At $2600. a D-18 is sort of a bargain these days, IMO.
They compare very well indeed with MUCH more expensive guitars. <SNIP>

Originally Posted by Mandobart

You're right to be kicking yourself for not buying a D18 back when they were more affordable.

The thing is, the price is NOT going to drop. It's going to keep going up. In another year you'll be kicking yourself for not buying one... <SNIP>

I have several very nice Martin dreads ranging from a D-18V through a couple of 28s and an impressive Madagascar 35 up to one of Gruhn's sinker mahogany masterpieces which I love so much it's probably immoral. Every one of them seemed expensive when purchased, but each time I told myself "life is short" and made the leap.

And now?

Now I have a lifetime collection of incredible guitars that are all worth more than I paid for them. In some cases a lot more. I'm SO glad I bought them when I did. Not only am I pretty well set for the rest of my life, but I'll be able to leave these treasures to my family or friends when I go. Hopefully they'll inspire and encourage another generation of musicians, and help them to excel.

Good guitars are not toys like TVs or jet skis.
Good guitars are investments that hold their value for generations and pay dividends over lifetimes.

Invest wisely.

Uncle R.

[Zissou Intern]

Originally Posted by upsidedown

No affiliation, but if I were looking for a Martin D right now, I'd go here. Good price for a 28:

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=631830

I have to agree with my good friend upsidedown. I'd go there and buy the D16H. It's the precursor to the D18V with just a few variations in trim. The D18V essentially became the D18 Standard we see today.

Originally Posted by singlechange

In early 2021, I bought a pristine used 2017 Martin D-18 GE with original case and tags and paperwork for $2550 from Guitar Center online website. Also had a new 2015 Martin D-18 Authentic years before that, but I was completely happy with the D-18 GE. If I were you, I'd keep searching for a good D-18 Gold Era preferably from the early years, like 2005 or so.

I have an '04 D18GE that I love.

I truly think that every guitar player should own some iteration of a D18 at some point in her/his guitar playing life.

[Wellington]

D18's are awesome, the last one I played sounded fantastic, almost as good as my Guild D40. If you can scrape up enough cash, I think you should go for it, sounds like you make use of your guitar gigging and what not. As others have said, life is short and unpredictable, you know the guitar you've always wanted, everything else will be a compromise (which isn't necessarily wrong either).

Theres a 1980 D18 for sale in my province right now from a reputable guitar builder, not sure if you're into something older like that but it's listed at $2500 CAD, thats probably around 2 grand U.S. I'm sure you have access to many more used D18's in the south though (don't know why I'm assuming you're in the U.S).

[Glennwillow]

There are some used Martin D-18 guitars for sale on Reverb in the range of $1500-1700. New ones go for $2600.

I can see why you hear that classic Martin sound in your head. That's what I hear.

You might call one of our AGF sponsors who sell Martin guitars and see what kind of a deal they might be able to offer you on a new D-18.

Best of luck!

- Glenn

[Charmed Life Picks]

BTW, I should have mentioned that I bought mine from Maury's Music, an excellent dealer and long-time sponsor here. Thanks, Maury! It's really sweet.

scott memmer

[jazzd]

Imho part of the issue is that you may be "thinking inside the box" of "new guitar." - Why not think used?

Used D-18s are among the best musical instruments on the planet by any measure, and can be found for $1500-$2300 nooo problem.

Also imo, the more rugged-looking and played in, the better they've sounded to me. (I try not to get too hung up on appearance over sound, if it's to be a workhorse for me).

I'm not enough of a Martin head to know which years were their best, but folks here do, and I've never played one D18 that didn't give me goosebumps.

So if you're open to buying certain reliable models of guitar online, it's hard to go wrong with any of these.

(Especially at places like Sam Ash or Guitar Center that have a 45-day return policy on used gear. I've spent this entire winter just auditioning guitars and returning, and finally found my keepers like that).

https://www.guitarcenter.com/search?...recsPerPage=30

https://reverb.com/f/martin/d-18?sort_slug=price%7Casc


Pulled a few in your budget:
https://reverb.com/item/49003170-martin-1970-d-18

https://reverb.com/item/48774007-martin-d-18-1987

This one has a nice pickup:
https://reverb.com/item/46696588-mar...-18e-2012-2019

https://reverb.com/item/48340509-mar...8-2015-natural


So hopefully you'll think used! Tons of great used guitars out there should be in the hands of great players bc they'll sound better than anything new. Hope this helps, happy playing.

Originally Posted by Digitalshrub

I play a variety of music, mostly folk, rock, bluegrass, jazz, and blues. I also do a lot of theater work, playing guitar (and other instruments) onstage in shows that have hybrid actor-musicians. I'm hoping to spend more time in the near future working on my bluegrass chops in particular.

About three years ago I was on the hunt for a workhorse acoustic that could "do it all" and that had solid, dependable tone in a variety of situations. I wound up getting a Yamaha A3R dread.

A few years on with the A3R, I find myself drifting back to my girlfriend's Martin DM more often than not. The Yamaha has a fantastic sound plugged in (I really love the pickup systems in these) but the acoustic sound is not even close to the resonance and, for lack of a better word, presence that the Martin DM has in spades. And the recording projects I've had over the last three years have found me using the Martin every time because it's closer to the classic sound I hear in my head. I've also had some intonation issues with the Yamaha that have not been resolved after multiple trips to the luthier.

Which brings me to my GAS. I've wanted a D-18 forever. I always told myself I couldn't justify the cost of a $2500+ guitar, but after spending a few years with the Yamaha (which I got for a little over $1000), I'm beginning to question that thinking.

Anyone make a similar transition from middle of the road dreadnaught to an upper echelon instrument? Too bad I picked a particularly bad time to be in the market for a Martin...the prices are brutal these days (I think D-18s were closer to 1800 or 2000 when I began my acoustic hunt a few years back). I could keep tempting fate by borrowing my gf's DM, but I'd selfishly prefer to have my own dedicated acoustic in this category.

[jazzd]

Also what kcnbys said, 100%. Many fantastic cheaper options like the ones he wrote that'll still make your heart sing.

Perfect choices he gave; be advised Furch tend to have a wider fretboard. But hooo-boy do they sound great and truly world-class builds w great Baggs pickups.

(*Very well-priced used, I just returned one to GC that was only $1700 and I'll miss the pants off her forever. Will hang with custom luthiers and boutiques like Bourgeois/Collings etc. any day).

Also try Lakewood.

Might not scratch your itch but well worth a look.

Originally Posted by kcnbys

As a past D-18 reimagined owner, I'm certainly not going to rain on the love parade for the D-18. They are awesome. However, if money is an object for you (like it is for me and many others), A brand new (or maybe even used) D-18 may be out of reach for you. Wisdom would say, no, you can't afford it. If that is the case, peer pressure to get a D-18 may just be leading you astray. At least right now. There are several amazing options for a great all-around dread that are far more affordable. And when I say "amazing", it's the truth! Very high quality guitars that sound phenomenal at any price. Guitars like the Furch Green D-SM, or their Vintage 1 dreads, Eastman traditional series dreads, The newer Alvarez Bluegrass dreads, or the newer Recording King 318's and 328's. All those options are wonderful, lower priced options (some amazing low priced). Again, the D-18 IS all it's cracked up to be, but it IS expensive. If money is a concern, other GREAT options abound, and the only thing you're really going to be sacrificing (unless you HAVE to have the "Martin Tone") is a certain name on the headstock. Best to you!

[srick]

Shrub - well, I guess that most everyone here is in agreement! I’ll never forget the day when I bought my Bourgeois. I hadn’t intended to buy a guitar that day, although honestly I had been looking for something more ‘nimble’ than my Martin D35. Long story short, I couldn’t put this guitar down.

The clincher was, after a half hour of playing, my wife looked at me and with a smile said, “You really like that guitar, you should buy it.”

Followed by, “Just sell your old one. “

Which I did. I sold it to a good friend for a very low price. But I retain visitation rights.

Remember, you can always go used and save yourself a bundle. My Bourgeois was used and half the price of new. But I would absolutely want to audition a guitar in person. The D18 is a mighty fine guitar. It’s meant to be played, not gawked at. Go for it and enjoy it. You’ll be dead a long time!

Best,

Rick