1943 Martin D-18

1943 D-18, serial number 8369x. Weighs 3 lbs 9.2 oz. Arrived with original finish, and all parts original except a replaced pickguard and a maple bridge plate doubler, needing a neck reset and with a thinned original bridge and worn frets. One center seam crack and a pickguard crack. No cracks on back or sides. Finish shows wear and has flaked in a few parts. There are several indentations or scratches on the top. Arrived in the original case.

After a replacement bridge (original still in the case pocket), neck set, removal of the maple bridge plate doubler, refret, and fingerboard divot fill by noted vintage Martin repair expert Dennis Berck, she's ready to go for another few decades! I LOVE the tone. It's a loud, lively guitar. There's a roundness to the notes across the strings and up the neck that's very, very cool - even on the upper registers you get a beautiful, full resonance around the piercing high notes. Liked each type of pick I tried and I really look forward to finding what it does best. Full soft V neck profile that's plenty big for my hands...I know some of you guys swear by the wide necks, but this one's perfect for me.

I purchased this guitar from the original owner's son, who is in his 70s. The guitar was purchased new by his father for $100 in 1943 - passed on to the son in the 1970s when the original owner had a stroke and couldn't play. Has always been taken good care of, and shows it. In a few conversations with the seller, I was lucky enough to obtain pictures of the original owner as well as some recordings from the '50s or '60s of him playing it, as well as some great anecdotes of this beautiful vintage Martin's rich history.