NGD: 2010 Martin D-18GE

[cc132]

A few weeks ago, I started a thread asking what my best bet was for a dreadnought with my preferred nut width, string spacing, and neck shape. It quickly became obvious to me that a D-18GE was my best bet, and I happened to find a good deal on eBay for one. As a bonus, it's got a nice 1935 sunburst and is in completely original condition - no strap pin, no installed pickup, no enlarged end jack, minimal fretwear, and the full original saddle. Short of a true "under the bed" find, this is about as close to a brand new 12-year-old guitar as one could hope for.

It does have some light scratches, which I hope to be able to buff out with a guitar scratch remover (see the very last picture for an example). I'd appreciate any recommendations that folks have about that process. I know that there are products out there for this purpose, but I've never used any of them.

It just got here today, so it obviously still needs to acclimate to Texas and probably get a new set of strings before I really know what it sounds like, but my initial impressions are that it is incredibly balanced and clear for a dread. I find a lot of Martin dreads to have an overwhelming amount of bass, and that's not at all the case with this one. It's definitely got a hefty low end, but it doesn't dominate the rest of the frequency spectrum. I don't have enough of an ear for dreadnoughts yet to wax poetically about how it's the best guitar under the sun, but it does sound very good, and I'm feeling confident that I made the right decision.

As a side note, sunbursts are very difficult to photograph.

[WFO!]

Love it. You've got a looker there and I am sure it sounds great too. Enjoy it!

[TBman]

That is in great shape, congrats!

[Glennwillow]

Great looking guitar! Congrats!

The scratches on the lower side of the bass bout will very likely come up with a light polishing compound judiciously applied, that is, don't rub too hard or you'll wear off a lot of finish.

However, the flat pick dings under the strings will not, as they are considerably deeper into the finish. They can be dropped filled, however, if you want to go to that trouble, but to me it wouldn't be worth the trouble. There are only a couple of dings and if you are a flat picker, there will likely be more in the future. StewMac has a great YouTube video on how to drop fill.



The D-18GE is a terrific guitar! Have fun!

- Glenn

[cc132]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

However, the flat pick dings under the strings will not, as they are considerably deeper into the finish.

Thanks for all the great info - I think what you're seeing in the picture is either dust or some kind of light refraction. I see what you're seeing in the pictures, but when I look at the guitar itself, I can't find them anywhere.

Even if they're there, pick marks wouldn't really bother me. Surface scratches that are unrelated to honest play-wear are a bit more unsightly to me. Regardless, there's nothing here that's a dealbreaker even if I couldn't "fix" anything on it.

I'm primarily a fingerpicker, and I was really hoping for a dread that could handle some fingerpicking and still feel familiar in my hands despite being a totally foreign shape to me, and I don't think I could have done any better than this. Ive been playing some Elizabeth Cotten, Maybelle Carter, and John Fahey on it, and it all sounds quite good. I'm very pleasantly surprised.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by cc132

Thanks for all the great info - I think what you're seeing in the picture is either dust or some kind of light refraction. I see what you're seeing in the pictures, but when I look at the guitar itself, I can't find them anywhere.

Even if they're there, pick marks wouldn't really bother me. Surface scratches that are unrelated to honest play-wear are a bit more unsightly to me. Regardless, there's nothing here that's a dealbreaker even if I couldn't "fix" anything on it.

I'm primarily a fingerpicker, and I was really hoping for a dread that could handle some fingerpicking and still feel familiar in my hands despite being a totally foreign shape to me, and I don't think I could have done any better than this. Ive been playing some Elizabeth Cotten, Maybelle Carter, and John Fahey on it, and it all sounds quite good. I'm very pleasantly surprised.

I am a finger picker, too. I spent quite a bit of time playing a used D-18GE some years ago and I found it really rewarding. I would have bought it, but the sound was so close to that of my Collings OM1A that I let it go. The D-18GE has a good sound when finger picked, so I think you'll be happy. It's also a whole lot less expensive compared to a Collings OM1A.

- Glenn

[columbia]

Beautiful guitar! Enjoy it!

[martingitdave]

Woah! You hit the jackpot with that one!

[llew]

The D-18GE is a great guitar...congrats and enjoy!

[J Patrick]

….wowza!!….stunning goods looks to go with what I know is a sounding great guitar….I never played a GE that didn’t impress me with its open clear tone and tactile response….congrats on snagging a nice one….

[cc132]

Thanks, everyone.

I've been playing it all evening, and I'm completely convinced that this is the right dreadnought for me. My 000-28 is still my "main" guitar, but this D-18GE is exactly what I was hoping for when I decided I wanted a dread for learning flat picking.

It's getting dropped off at my preferred tech tomorrow for a good refurbishing. I'm going to have them buff the finish back to new, give it a setup for what I assume will be the first time ever, and give it a good cleaning (while it looks virtually unplayed, I can definitely feel a little buildup on the neck, if you know what I mean). I'm also going to see if they will roll the fretboard edges for me, because my 000-28 has spoiled me in that regard. I have a feeling it's going to look like a brand new guitar by the time I get it back.

[brencat]

Great looking guitar! Don't go crazy with the polishing. I will use Virtuoso guitar polish super sparingly to remove stubborn arm oils and finish dulling, etc., but honestly most grime comes off with a microfiber cloth.

I like your idea of having the fingerboard edges rolled. Totally agree that is a worthwhile feature and a game changer as far as feel goes on the new Custom Authentic Aged guitars.

[KenL]

That is a fine guitar, congrats! The D-18GE is on my short list.

I played a brand new one in a guitar shop 7-8 years ago, and it was one of the top 3 guitars I've ever played.

[dave42]

Congrats! I've never played one I didn't like, and almost bought one a couple of times over the years. Enjoy!!

[jmjohnson]

Wow nice! I had natural for a few years…great guitar.

Enjoy!