Martin Solidbody E-18: Martin’s Return to the Electric Guitar Market:

Following the discontinuation of its first electric guitars in the late 1960s, C. F. Martin & Co. returned to the electric guitar market in 1979 with an entirely new line of solid-body instruments. Designed by Dick Boak, who would later become director of the Martin Museum and one of the company's most iconic figures, the E Series represented a significant departure from Nazareth's acoustic tradition while maintaining the exceptional build quality for which Martin had long been renowned.

Introduced in 1979, the Martin E-18 remained in production until the entire series was discontinued in 1983, bringing to a close one of the shortest yet most distinctive chapters in Martin's manufacturing history.

An Original Design Blending Tradition and Modernity:

The Martin E-18 stands out through a highly innovative design for the brand. Its carved three-piece solid maple body is accented with decorative walnut or rosewood center stripes running the full length of the instrument, giving it an unmistakable visual identity.

Its one-piece mahogany neck, joined using a mortise-and-tenon neck joint, is fitted with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard and a 25.4" scale length. The headstock, inspired by the designs of Johann Georg Stauffer, pays tribute to the Austrian roots of Christian Frederick Martin.

The hardware was particularly high-end for its time, featuring Martin/Sperzel high-ratio tuning machines, a brass nut, an adjustable truss rod with a brass cover, and a fully adjustable Leo Quan "Badass" bridge, allowing precise individual intonation adjustment for each string.

Electronics Designed for Maximum Versatility:

The E-18 is equipped with a pair of DiMarzio humbuckers: a PAF in the neck position and a Super Distortion at the bridge. Combined with a three-way toggle switch, a phase switch, dual volume controls, and dual tone controls, the electronics offer an exceptionally wide tonal range.

Capable of producing everything from articulate, crystal-clear clean tones to powerful overdriven sounds with unmistakably rock-oriented character, the Martin E-18 surprises with its versatility and sonic personality, standing in sharp contrast to the company's celebrated acoustic instruments.

An Extremely Limited Production:

Today, the Martin E-18 ranks among the rarest electric guitars ever produced by the Nazareth manufacturer. Only 341 examples were built during its entire production run, making it one of the most limited-production models in Martin's history and explaining its rarity on today's vintage and collectors' market.

A Cult Classic:

Long overlooked, the Martin E-18 has since been rediscovered by collectors for its originality, outstanding craftsmanship, and unique character. Its solid maple construction, mahogany neck, Leo Quan Badass bridge, and DiMarzio pickups provide generous sustain, precise attack, expressive midrange, and exceptional note definition, making it equally convincing for pristine clean tones and saturated rock sounds alike.

A Rare Piece of Martin History:

Produced in just 341 units, the Martin Solidbody E-18 Natural is one of the rarest American electric guitars of its era. Designed by Dick Boak, it combines exemplary American craftsmanship, a highly versatile DiMarzio-equipped electronics package, and a distinctive aesthetic inspired by Martin's earliest 19th-century instruments, particularly the Stauffer-inspired headstock.

Long regarded as an obscure model, it is now considered one of the most distinctive and rarest solid-body guitars ever produced by the Nazareth manufacturer.

Specifications:

• Body: Three-piece Maple
• Neck: Mahogany
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Nut Width: 41.5 mm (1.63")
• Fingerboard Radius: 12"
• Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Frets
• Scale Length: 645 mm (25.4")
• Neck Profile: C
• Hardware: Chrome
• Pickups: 2x DiMarzio Humbuckers – PAF (Neck) & Super Distortion (Bridge)
• Controls: 2x Volume / 2x Tone / 3-Way Toggle Switch / Phase Switch
• Country of Manufacture: United States, Nazareth, Pennsylvania
• Years of Production: 1979–1983
• Finish: Natural
• Appointments: White dot fingerboard inlays
• Details: Normal signs of use consistent with its age / Brass nut / Sperzel tuning machines / Excellent condition / Supplied in a rectangular Gator hard case

Like all of our instruments, this guitar has been professionally set up with great care.

As a result, it offers outstanding playability.

The Martin E-18 delivers a fast, immediate attack with remarkable sustain, thanks to its solid maple construction and Leo Quan "Badass" bridge.

The neck-position DiMarzio PAF produces warm, open and highly expressive tones, making it ideal for arpeggios, blues and jazz. The bridge-position Super Distortion delivers a thicker, more aggressive voice with rich midrange, natural compression and high output, making it perfectly suited to 1970s rock and richly saturated overdriven tones.