1975 Martin D-18 Shaded Top, in very good condition.
This is a rare example of the D-18 from the early 1970s, when this model absolutely ruled the world of flat-top guitars. This particular instrument featured a sunburst top finish, referred to as Dark Top or Shaded Top in Martin’s glossary. This type of finish appeared very early on in the Nazareth workshops, with production records dating back to 1898 mentioning this characteristic. The reason for this was the desire of some customers for the top of their new guitar to not have the whiteness of freshly finished spruce. Martin thus applied a darker shellac varnish, resulting in a finish ranging from orange to yellow. With the advent of spray-varnish systems in the mid-1920s, the finish could be applied in a gradient, thus taking on a more aesthetic role as seen on instruments produced by Gibson during the same era. This is the Shaded Top look we know today, as it appears on many instruments built from the 1930s to the early 1940s, which are among Martin’s most popular models. With changing tastes, the sunburst finish was shunned by musicians throughout the 1950s and 1960s and was only offered on special order in minute quantities. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the option reappeared in the catalog at an additional cost above the model’s base price. In fact, very few such guitars were produced during this period, which lends a certain refreshing charm to instruments like this D-18.
Otherwise, the specifications are identical to the standard-finished model: spruce top; mahogany back, sides, and neck; rosewood fingerboard, bridge, and headstock veneer. The guitar remains in very good condition to this day, free of defects, breaks, or restorations, with a beautiful patina and the usual signs of careful use. We have worked hard to completely restore the playability of this guitar: neck reset, complete refret, crafting of a new nut adjusted to the gauge, crafting of a new saddle, followed by a complete adjustment to restore all the playing comfort and accuracy possible to obtain from such instruments.
Sold in its original Martin hardshell case.
