The Interstellar Tone Traveler has always had a soft spot for the Dreadnought — that big-shouldered, full-bodied workhorse that launched a thousand campfire legends and filled a thousand honky-tonk back rooms with sound. The Martin D-12E Retro takes the accessible Road Series formula and dresses it up a notch: where the 000-10E keeps things satin and understated, the D-12E steps into the room with a full gloss finish that adds visual depth and richness to its solid spruce top and solid sapele back and sides. The Old Style 18 multi-stripe top inlay, Boltaron rosette, and butterbean knobs on nickel open-gear tuners lean hard into Martin's Style 18 heritage, giving this Road Series guitar a classic, vintage-leaning personality that belies its price point. It looks the part — and it plays it too.

Sonically, the full Dreadnought body delivers exactly what you'd expect from that big, resonant box — bold, projective tone with strong bass response and a voice that carries across the room without breaking a sweat. Scalloped X-bracing keeps things clear and responsive, and the Performing Artist neck with High Performance Taper makes the 25.4" scale feel approachable and fast, even for players making the jump from a shorter instrument. Martin E1 electronics and a built-in tuner mean this guitar is stage-ready whenever you are. From the front porch to the festival stage, the D-12E Retro is a no-nonsense tone machine built for the long haul.

Top: Spruce 
Finish Top: Gloss
Top Color: Aging Toner
Top Inlay: Multi-Stripe
Binding: Black
Bridge Material: Ebony
Bridge Style: Modern Belly 
Bridge String Spacing: 2 5/32"
Bridge Pin Material: White Plastic
Bridge Pin Dots: Black
Pickguard: Faux Tortoise 
Pickguard Inlay: None
Rosette: Old Style 18 Boltaron
Saddle: White Tusq
Saddle Radius: 16"
Body Size: D-14 Fret 
Construction: Mortise & Tenon Neck Joint 
Back Material: Sapele
Side Material: Sapele
Body Finish: Gloss
Back Purfling/Strip: None
Back Inlay Material: None
Bracing Pattern: X-Brace
Brace Shape: Scalloped
Brace Material: Spruce 
Brace SIze: 5/16"
Heel Cap: Black
Endpiece: None
Endpiece Inlay: None
Neck Shape: PA Profile
Neck Taper: High Performance Taper
Neck Material: Select Hardwood
Neck Color: Natural 
Neck Finish: Hand Applied 
Scale Length: 25.4"
Number of Frets: 20
Neck Joins Body: 14 Fret
Fingerboard Material: Ebony
Fingerboard Width at 12th Fret: 2 1/8"
Nut Width: 1 3/4"
Inlay Style: Old Style 18
Fingerboard Inlay Material: Faux Mother of Pearl
Fingerboard Binding: None
Headstock Shape: Solid 
Headplate Material: Brazilian Rosewood HPL
Headplate Logo Style: Script Ink
Headplate Binding Material: None
Tuning Machines: Nickel Open Gear
Knob: Butterbean
Nut Material: White Corian
Electronics: Martin E1 
Case: Martin Gig Bag