Martin Guitars D-18 Satin Amberburst

The Martin D-18 Satin Amberburst at a glance:

• Full-solid acoustic guitar of the Standard Series
• Spruce top in satin amberburst finish
• Forward-shifted scalloped X-bracing
• Mahogany body with black bindings
• 645 mm scale length
• Mahogany neck with Modified-Low-Oval profile
• Ebony fingerboard with dot inlays
• 44,45 mm nut width and compensated bone bridge inlay
• Open gear nickel tuners
• Case included

With the Martin D-18 Satin Amberburst , the US manufacturer presents a traditional dreadnought Western guitar made of the finest materials in a decidedly tasteful look. For a well-balanced sound Martin Guitars uses selected and conscientiously matched woods, through which the sound unfolds particularly easily and completely with the slightest touch. A solid neck construction ensures very easy playability in all positions and, in combination with a carefully machined nut and saddle, clean intonation over the entire scale length. The sleek appearance of the Martin D-18 Satin Amberburst features subtle decoration that perfectly matches the toned woods and has hardly changed since its first edition from the 1930s. This gives the unique feeling of holding a real piece of history in your hands. The scope of delivery also includes a sturdy case.

Spruce wood for powerful frequencies

Especially the choice of the top material is fundamental for a fast and perfect sound development, which is why the manufacturer deliberately chooses a spruce top. Due to its fine structure and high vibration behavior, it has been used for decades to build the finest musical instruments. Thanks to a Forward-Shifted-Scalloped-X bracing and a gauzy varnish , the high-quality spruce wood can move freely and produces a fast-responding tone that gives the instrument a powerful expression in the midrange and treble frequencies and a long-lasting fade in the overtones. A satin amberburst finish expertly sets off the even and tight grain of the wood, while a simple delineating black binding, a matching tortoise pickguard and a delicate multi-stripe rosette add visual detail to the overall look.

Mahogany body for warm midrange frequencies

To add a warm saturation to the overall sound, the Martin D-18 Satin features a high-quality mahogany body whose grain creates golden reflections depending on the viewing angle 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 for the thin back material, allowing the raw material to vibrate freely and promoting a fast and powerful response. A thin Style 18 backstrip almost imperceptibly divides the opened back wood and emphasizes the symmetry of the fine grain in a very aesthetic way. In combination with the dark binding, a smooth transition is created between the individual components of the entire body.

Easy playing due to Modified-Low-Oval neck profile

The mahogany neck equipped with a Modified-Low-Oval neck profile ensures a high level of playing comfort here. Thanks to its carefully crafted bone nut with a width of 44.45 mm and a compensated bridge in lay, it not only intonates perfectly over the entire scale length of 645 mm, but is also easy and clean to play right up to the highest of the 20 frets. A fine ebony fingerboard with dot inlays perfectly rounds out the neck construction in terms of function and value, and visually harmonizes extremely well with the other materials of the body. 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 tuning vanes.