Martin Custom Shop D-14 Fret 18 Style Walnut Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar - Natural Gloss

When it comes to acoustic royalty, Martin’s 14-fret dreadnoughts practically wrote the rulebook. The legendary Style 18 platform has been the trusted voice behind generations of iconic music, gracing the hands of trailblazers like bluegrass pioneers Doc Watson and Clarence White, the early Sun Records recordings of Elvis Presley, and even the raw, unplugged brilliance of Kurt Cobain. With this Custom Shop D-14 Fret 18 Style, the master builders in Nazareth, Pennsylvania have taken that venerable, time-tested dreadnought blueprint and given it an inspired boutique twist—swapping traditional mahogany for gorgeous, domestically sourced solid Black Walnut.

Acoustically, Black Walnut is one of the guitar world's sweetest sweet spots. Tonally sitting right between mahogany and rosewood, walnut delivers the crisp, articulate midrange punch and woody fundamental clarity of mahogany, while infusing the blooming low-end warmth and harmonic overtone richness you’d typically expect from rosewood. Paired with a premium solid Sitka Spruce soundboard and Martin’s scalloped standard X-bracing, this guitar yields an enormous dynamic ceiling. Whether you're digging in with a flatpick on a blistering bluegrass run or lightly fingerpicking an intimate ballad, every note leaps out with immediate response, sparkling definition, and room-filling acoustic power.

Crafted with the modern player firmly in mind, this Custom Shop powerhouse features a genuine mahogany neck shaped to Martin’s player-favorite Modified Low Oval profile with a High Performance Taper. Navigating the silky-smooth black ebony fingerboard feels natural and effortless from the nut all the way up the register. Visually, the guitar is a pure stunner: the rich, variegated grain of the walnut is accentuated by a crystal-clear full gloss finish, outlined with flame-figured European Maple binding, and finished with Old Style 18 appointments, vintage Grover nickel tuners, and a bone nut and saddle. It's an heirloom-grade dreadnought built to inspire your songwriting for decades to come.

Why Buy A Guitar From Palen Music Center?

Palen Music Center has a wide range of unique guitars to enhance the sound of your music! We have been trusted by musicians across the country since 1963 and are constantly working to provide the best value for our customers. With the addition of our new PLEK machine and our longtime veteran luthiers, we are pleased to provide top-quality guitar repair.

The instrument pictured is the exact instrument you’ll receive. All fretted instruments receive a free complimentary professional setup.

Please feel free to reach out to our knowledgeable sales staff with any additional questions!

  Highlights

Custom Shop Craftsmanship: A rare factory-exclusive build that breathes fresh boutique life into Martin's iconic 14-fret Style 18 dreadnought chassis.

Solid Black Walnut Back & Sides: Domestically sourced tonewood providing punchy, articulate midrange clarity alongside warm low-end bloom and harmonic richness.

Scalloped Sitka Spruce Top: Solid spruce soundboard with scalloped X-bracing delivers massive dynamic headroom, snappy attack, and exceptional acoustic projection.

Fast, Comfortable Playability: Genuine mahogany neck carved to Martin's Modified Low Oval profile with a High Performance Taper and a glassy black ebony fingerboard.

Refined Boutique Appointments: Accented with figured European Flamed Maple binding, Old Style 18 rosette/inlays, bone nut and saddle, and Grover nickel vintage-button tuners.

  Specifications

Body Wood: Solid Black Walnut

Top Wood: Solid Sitka Spruce

Neck Wood: Genuine Mahogany (12/4)

Left/Right Handed: Right Handed

Fretboard Wood: Black Ebony

Scale Length: 25.4"

Fretboard Radius: 16"

Fretboard Inlay/Material: Old Style 18 Dots / Mother-of-Pearl

Neck Profile: Modified Low Oval with High Performance Taper

Finish: Full Gloss

Bridge Material: Black Ebony

Nut Material: Bone

Tuners: Grover Nickel Vintage Button

Electronics: None

Bridge: Modern Belly - Drop-In Saddle

Manufacturer Part Number: 10CMDBLKWALNUT

Depth at 1st Fret: .811"

Depth at 10th Fret: .918"