Brookfield, WI, United States
About this listing
The Martin D-18 in 1933 Ambertone takes one of the defining American dreadnoughts and gives it a warm, vintage-inspired presentation that feels right at home on this straightforward classic. For nearly a century, the D-18 formula has appealed to players who want projection, clarity, and a strong fundamental without unnecessary ornamentation. Its spruce and mahogany construction gives it the punch to drive a bluegrass ensemble, the balance for singer-songwriter accompaniment, and the definition needed for recording. The 1933 Ambertone top adds plenty of visual character while preserving the purposeful identity that makes a D-18...a D-18.
A solid spruce top is paired with solid mahogany back and sides, producing a direct, articulate voice with firm bass, focused mids, and clear trebles. Martin's refreshed Standard Series construction incorporates Golden Era scalloped spruce bracing in a forward-shifted X-brace pattern. The 5/16" braces allow the top to respond freely while supporting the power and headroom expected from a full-size dreadnought. Whether you're digging into open chords with a flatpick or backing off for lighter accompaniment, the D-18 is built around a clear fundamental that keeps notes distinct.
The updated neck uses Martin's Golden Era Modified Low Oval profile with a High-Performance Taper, combining vintage inspiration with an approachable modern feel. Its 25.4" scale length provides the tension and snap that suit a powerful dreadnought, while the 1 3/4" nut width offers comfortable spacing for both flatpicking and fingerstyle work. An ebony fingerboard carries Old Style 18 abalone inlays, with 20 total frets and a traditional 14th-fret neck joint.
An ebony Golden Era Modern Belly bridge, compensated bone saddle, and bone nut provide a traditional foundation for the strings. Nickel open-gear tuners with butterbean knobs keep the hardware simple and functional, while ebony bridge pins continue the understated Style 18 aesthetic. A dovetail neck joint completes a construction package rooted firmly in Martin tradition.
The 1933 Ambertone top gives this D-18 an especially handsome old-school personality. Black binding, multi-stripe top inlay, an Old Style 18 rosette, faux tortoise pickguard, dark mahogany back and sides, and an East Indian rosewood headplate keep the presentation restrained and purposeful. At Cream City Music, the D-18 remains one of those acoustics that's easy to recommend because there isn't much standing between the player and the guitar. This Ambertone version delivers the clarity, punch, and projection that define the model, wrapped in a finish that looks every bit as timeless as the design itself.
Specifications:
- Body Size: D-14 Fret
- Top Material: Spruce
- Back Material: Mahogany
- Side Material: Mahogany
- Bracing Pattern: Forward-Shifted X-Brace
- Brace Shape: Golden Era Scalloped
- Brace Material: Spruce
- Brace Size: 5/16"
- Construction: Dovetail Neck Joint
- Top Finish: Gloss
- Back and Side Finish: Gloss
- Top Color: 1933 Ambertone
- Back and Sides Color: Dark Mahogany
- Binding: Black
- Top Inlay: Multi-Stripe
- Back Purfling: Style 18
- Endpiece: Black
- Rosette: Old Style 18 Multi-Stripe
- Neck Material: Select Hardwood
- Neck Shape: Golden Era Modified Low Oval
- Neck Taper: High-Performance Taper
- Neck Finish: Satin
- Neck Color: Dark Mahogany
- Scale Length: 25.4"
- Fingerboard Material: Ebony
- Fingerboard Width at Nut: 1 3/4"
- Fingerboard Width at 12th Fret: 2 1/8"
- Number of Frets: 20
- Neck Joins Body At: 14th Fret
- Fingerboard Inlays: Abalone Old Style 18
- Side Dots: White
- Nut Material: Bone
- Headstock Shape: Solid with Square Taper
- Headplate Material: East Indian Rosewood
- Headplate Logo: Script Old Style Overlay
- Tuning Machines: Nickel Open Gear
- Tuner Knobs: Butterbean
- Bridge: Golden Era Modern Belly, Drop-In Saddle
- Bridge Material: Ebony
- Bridge String Spacing: 2 5/32"
- Saddle: Compensated Bone
- Saddle Radius: 16"
- Bridge Pins: Ebony
- Pickguard: Faux Tortoise
- Electronics: None
- Case Included: Hardshell Case
Sku: D18AMBERTONE
Price$2,999
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