Martin Guitars D-18 Ambertone

A Sitka spruce wood for powerful frequencies

The choice of top material in particular is fundamental for a fast and perfect sound development, which is why the manufacturer relies on the North American Sitka spruce, which has been used for decades for the construction of the finest musical instruments due to its fine structure and high vibration behavior. Thanks to a Forward-Shifted-Scalloped-X bracing and a gauzy varnish finish, the high-quality spruce wood is free to move, producing a quick-response tone that gives the instrument a powerful expression in the midrange and treble frequencies and a long-lasting fade in the overtones. The eye-catching Ambertone finish allows the viewer a deep look at the even and tight grain of the wood, which is gently accentuated by a plain delineating faux-tortoise binding, a corresponding faux-tortoise pickguard, and a delicate old-style 18-multi-striped rosette.

Warm midrange frequencies thanks to a mahogany body

To provide a warm saturation to the overall sound, a body made of high-quality mahogany wood is constructed for the Martin D-18 Standard Series, which creates golden reflections depending on the angle of view and lighting conditions. Because of its even texture, the tropical wood colors the sound in the midrange frequencies with a gentle warmth that adds a soothing note to the overall tone and perfectly complements the bright frequencies of the top wood. The right varnish also plays a major role in the thin back material, as it allows the raw material to vibrate freely and promotes a fast and powerful response. A thin Style 18 backstrip almost imperceptibly divides the unfolded back wood and emphasizes the symmetry of the fine grain in a very aesthetic way, creating a smooth transition between the individual components of the entire body in interaction with the dark Binding.

Easy play thanks to a flat neck

For high playability, the manufacturer installs a Select Hardwood neck equipped with a Modified Low Oval profile, which thanks to a conscientiously crafted bone nut with a width of 44.45 mm and a compensated bridge in lay not only intonates perfectly over the entire scale length of 645 mm, but is also easily and cleanly playable up to the highest of the 20 frets. A fine ebony fingerboard with old-style 18-abalone inlays perfectly rounds out the neck construction in terms of function and value, and harmonizes perfectly with the other materials of the body in terms of appearance. The characteristic Martin headstock is equipped with open nickel tuners, which, in combination with the venerable script old-style overlay, discreetly refer to the almost 200 years of the company's existence and allow the player to tune precisely with their smooth-running butterbean buttons.

The Martin D-18 Ambertone at a glance:

• Full-solid acoustic guitar
• Standard Series
• Sitka spruce top with Ambertone finish
• Forward-shifted scalloped X-bracing
• Mahogany body with faux-tortoise bindings and Style-18 backstrip
• 645 mm scale length
• Mahogany neck with Modified-Low-Oval profile
• Ebony fingerboard with Old-Style-18 abalone inlays
• Saddle with 44,45 mm width and compensated bone saddle
• Open gear nickel tuners
• Ply hardshell case included