Martin 0-18 Acoustic Guitar - Natural Reviews

Nice little guitar to sit in the recliner and play. This little guy gives a lot of sound from a small body with a sweet balanced tone. Thanks to Eric at Sweetwater for giving me a good deal and getting my guitar out on the same day as my order was placed. Dosen'd matter if I order a $ guitar or a $ set of strings I get the same service at a fair price.

This little Martin is absolutely AWESOME! It plays so easily and feels very comfortable while playing. It's perfect to play while relaxing on the sofa as it's a small bodied guitar. It has plenty of volume and tone. Appearance wise it's very pleasing to the eyes. Very well made with high quality materials and construction. After all, it's a Martin guitar, that's what you are expecting a high quality instrument. Kudos to the Sweetwater staff once again making my visit a very pleasant experience once again.

I own a couple dozen guitars including high end Gibsons, Martins and Taylors. Up until now the smallest guitar I owned was a dreadnought and I wanted something to use in my home studio to compliment my J45 and HD-28. I love this guitar. It is so much fun to play. It's comfortable and feels good in your hands. While it doesn't have the deep resonance of a larger guitar, it has plenty of low end and punches like a prize fighter. It will stand out in the mix with little eq except perhaps rolling off a little low end. I find myself gravitating to this guitar. It's hard to put down. Also I love the Martin Lifespan phosphor bronze strings that come on it.

Let me start by saying there is no better place to buy you gear than Sweetwater and no better sales engineer than TONY WATSON - what a great partner to have when deciding on and purchasing equipment and no one better to fulfill the order than Sweetwater. Top Top Drawer customer service and care !!!

Now to th 018 - what a phenominal instrument - what beauty - what a great sound - what easy playability - what a great finger picking guitar (my style) - "couldn"t get any better".

After a 35+ year hiatus decided to get back to playing guitar. Not knowing how committed I would be, I purchased a Martin D Jr-10 in April this year. Great guitar for the money (see my May 5, 2023 review). Really got the bug and decided I wanted to step up the game - I missed the sound of my 1967 D28. Tony and I tossed about a number of choices (all Martin of course) and initially settled on a 0018 - my hearing has changed over time and I just gravitated to the warmth of mahogany versus the rosewood I loved years ago - think about that "older" folks when you choose your guitar woods - unfortunately Sweetwater was out of stock and I was awaiting a new shipment from Martin when I heard the 018 - I was blown away - being a finger picker with a small hand and fingers (becoming less nimble with age) thought the 018 would be the way to go - and it was - saw one in stock that spoke to me and ordered it. Never looked back. For me the perfect guitar in every aspect - size - sound - playability - fullness - you name it. I did have mine oredered with a special set-up and the Martin Liquid pins installed by a Sweetwater Luthier - (the set-up and pins are definitiely worth the money) - It came from Sweetwater very close to what I wanted but needed just a touch of tweeking - I had the set-up completed by Joe Pichkur who is located in Floral Park, LI, NY - phenominal luthier who just makes the adjustments to your instrument so well based upon your playing style - (I drive 160 mile round trip from the east end of LI to get to him - his work is worth the trip) -

To close this out I just got off the phone with TONY and ordered a Little Martin LXK2 - all laminated KOA - want something I can use anywehere - in any climate - and is not as fragile or needs as much care as my D Jr or 018 - says a lot about what I think of sweetwater - I'll post a review after I've played it for awhile.

It's been about a year since I purchased the Martin 0-18. I was hesitant at first because of the size I thought the volume would suffer, it does not! Very loud and clear, very clean tone with a wonderful sustain. As with most any new Martin the build quallity is perfect.

A year later and it has really opened up. Won't be selling or trading this one or my D-28 which is also a fabulous guitar. Martin really is an amazing American guitar manufacturer. Wish they had more choices in nylon string guitars, my next purchase.

Just got this two days ago. I own a mahagony D16H and a D45 and truthfully I have always preferred the sweet mids and clear ringing tones of the D16H. I was on the fence about getting a dreadnought or a 0,00 or 000 for a new guitar and decided on the 0-18 for its mahagony tones and smaller size. At first I wasn't sure of the volume having mainly played my dreadnoughts but that got laid to rest as soon as I started in on the 0-18. The thing not only has wonderful clear projection but has that typical Martin growl. Highs are high,mids are balanced and sweet and lows are clear and bright without being boomy. It sounds alot like my mahogany D16H with a slight sort of containment in sound without affecting volume or tones. It just sounds superb. Hard to explain until you play one. Neck is wonderful to grip. Intonation is perfect. Build is flawless. I just love my new 0-18. Thanks to Derek Spaulding for his awesome assistance in making this guitar a reality.

I've got one made in 1955. Because the action was a bit high back in 1974 I had the neck reset and the bridge shaved down a little. It's a funny match for me because I wanted something snappy like one of the D styles, but this one became available and I felt like it was a one off chance. As it turned out it taught me to play differently. The harmonics are so pronounced on this guitar that I can't just slash a chord on it with a pick. It sounds best when I downstroke with my thumb or cross pick with my thumb and fingers. Try playing something like Cry Me A River or Summertime and this guitar really shines. Along the way I grew up, got a day job and have been able to buy myself a D-28 and a D-18. I love them too, but this guitar is just perfect for some things and I will never sell it. My nephew who was a better guitar player than me after one week of playing will inherit it. So my recommendation is, get one of these, take care of it and pass it along when you can no longer play it. They only get better.

Purchased this guitar to have something to play while sitting on the couch. What a great purchase! This guitar has such a sweet, pleasant tone. Just what I was looking for. And the quality of the guitar is Superb. What else can be said other than it's a Martin made in the USA!

This model has been in/out of Martin's line-up since the 1800's; there's a reason for that!!! Don't let its size foul you, this thing is much louder/larger sounding than it would appear. I have a Gibson SJ and a Collings OM and this 'lil Martin 0-18 can hang with either of them. It is clear, loud, articulate and balanced with a focused mid-range and reduced bass, that should make it a dream to record. The small overall body size of this concert sized model makes it the ultimate couch or travel guitar (with its well-fitted hard case); it is so easy and comfortable to play - you won't want to put it down!

While I have smaller hands and generally prefer guitars with vintage style v-necks and a 11/16ths nut width (max.), the larger 3/4 nut width doesn't hamper me like others have in the past. This is likely due to the neck's modified low oval profile and its performance taper, which are easy and fast to get around on, without feeling too small or large "in-the-hand". The neck material itself is listed as a "select hardwood", which looks like mahogany to me. Regardless, it's well made from a quality material. The ebony fingerboard is a nice upgrade from the traditional rosewood board, and should make things a little easier for international travelers/sales. The nickel, open-backed tuners have a high gear ratio and have that classic styling while ensuring top-notch tuning stability/accuracy.

All your money goes into build features and quality materials, instead of bling with this guitar. It has a simple 1 ply body binding and an unbound neck, which is a preference for me. I'm glad that Martin replaced the original black pickguard with a faux tortoise one on this run; it looks great and adds a classy element to its simple styling. The guitar has a solid sitka spruce top with solid mahogany back and sides. The scalloped x-bracing under the hood, and the slightly tinted nitro finish brings all the resonance forth and will ensure this 'lil treasure continues to sound better, mature and look better in the years to come.

Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and would highly recommend this guitar to anyone looking for a small sized, high quality guitar from a classic, world-class/renowned, American, family-owned company. It's a very happy addition to my herd, and I look forward to playing it for years to come and to eventually pass it on to someone deserving, as the heirloom quality piece it is. Thanks Sweetwater and especially thanks to my rep, Chris Nunely for all his help (and the candy), as usual.

A wonderful little instrument with a huge voice! Probably my favorite out of this series, very inspiring to play. I find it to be exceptionally woody, focused, punchy, raw and quick decaying. Super light and comfortable to hold sitting or standing (without a strap).
Thank you Shawn McCullough for helping me choose this 0-18. An unexpected gem!

I use this Martin O-18 guitar for playing classical music. Because the standard models all have the nitrocellulose finish on the the top,back,side. I bought the StageWork guitar support. Suction cups will not stick to any nitrocellulose finish. This guitar is easy to play anywhere on the fretboard. The timbre colors are beautiful, harmonics are sweet,the sustain is outstanding. I play this guitar in the classical position sitting.

I just wanted a more manageable size guitar for longer sessions. The added bonus has been the tone, growl, rumble and effortless playability.

I'm a producer by trade, and primarily a keyboard player. I've always been around guitar players and had beater acoustics around me, and wanted to have something during quarantine that would take me outside of the screen and away from my usual scope.

Enter this gorgeous 0-18.

This instrument lets me express my musical ideas in a different way than any other instrument I've tried before. Chord progressions just fall out of the thing. Small enough to curl up on our tiny sofa and jam, with a tone that projects further than I thought was possible out of such a tiny guitar when picked. Switch to fingerpicking and you get something incredibly round and warm. Recording-wise, it shines. Robust low end, but not boomy at all; frequencies I typically roll off on acoustic guitars are already tamed.

Low stock on many of the guitars I was looking at forced my hand to this one, but with all options on the table I would definitely choose this again. Getting the LR Baggs Anthem installed as soon as businesses open back up so I can lay down quick ideas wherever I am. Thanks Nitish, you rule.

I'm a Martin guy! I have been wanting a smaller Martin guitar to play fingerstyle. I saw this Martin o-18 here at Sweetwater and I had 4 to choose from. I was excited to pick the one that was speaking to me without ever playing it. Online it is a beautiful guitar but when I received it and unpackaged its true beauty. The playing of this guitar feels so hand in glove and sounds so good I felt a tingle inside. The guitar spoke to my soul the same way it spoke to me the day I met my wife - Love at First Sight. I absolutely would recommend this guitar, the Martin o-18 made from the oldest and best guitar maker in the world.

Yes, I have a lot or Martin Guitars. I have had a number of guitars form other top brands but somehow they all fell short - so I stayed with Martin for Acoustic guitars.

My thoughts on this one after playing it for a couple weeks now are this. if you own only one guitar - this should be it. The guitar is stunning. I keep expecting it to have a tiny voice - it does not. I keep expecting it to be low key figure picking parlor - but it isn't. I have parlor guitars - this one is so far above all one them that it is scary.

Here is my take on Martin Guitars and how this one fits. you have your booming guitars - the dreadnoughts (I have two - HD35 one D28). if you like tons of volume - get one. Next is the OM (orchestra model) and 000. I have both. the body is the same - that's right, the same body is used for both of them. the only difference is that length of the neck. The clever trick here is this. Get a capo. put it on the first fret of the OM model. then retune it down to normal standard tuning. you now have the exact action and tuning as the 000. yes - buy an OM and you have both. (I wish someone told me that when I bought them). Then you scale down in size to the 00-18 (or for more amazing upgrades - the 0028) and the 0-18 (sorry - no 0-28 here).

Now you know where it fits in - it's the parlor guitar from years past but it is WAY better! if you want a great finger picking guitar - this is definitely the funnest one you will ever play. volume - is stunning. I have no idea how Martin made this guitar sound so amazing - punchy, boomy, wonderful on every level.

yes - I have the full run of Martin Guitars - all sizes and shapes. Looking at all of them - if you could only have one - I would get this one. Make no mistake, as people discover this model, it will quickly become the top selling model.

Yes - Martin makes lots of great guitars and has seasons luthiers. Yes - you can play it save and buy a D series. or maybe you love finger picking and wander over and get an OM or 000 model. But there is this hidden gem - the 0-18. it is so packed with FUN that you will push the others aside and go to town. You will wonder why this wasn't your first guitar.

My person take - if you could only have one guitar - this is it. Don't take just my word for it - go PLAY one at your local store. it is stunning - so much fun to play. there are YouTube videos of some seasoned guitar players playing it. look at the smile on their face. that says it all. this guitar will sneak up on you!

I have been buying Martin Guitars for a long while now. the last couple of years I started buying at Sweetwater. they have wonderful sales people and excellent support. one of my goals in buying lots of Martin guitars and asking lots of questions - was so that I could pick the one model to have Martin customize it. I was hovering around the OM and 000 models for that. Then I bought there 0-18 after hearing it at a friends house. I remember thinking - wow! How in the world does that small sized guitar sound so fricken amazing?! Thinking it twas just the beers talking - I bought one. the answer to my question was - because it IS amazing! On every lever it is amazing. Martin created another masterpiece!

So, as I was saying, I was looking to have one guitar made in Martin's custom shop. Lot's of reasons to go with 000, OM, Dxx. But when it comes to fun - I have decided the 0-18 will be tone one I have fully customized.

With that said, if you are looking at this model - be assured it's amazing. if you can only own one - my choices would seriously be down to two models - the 000 series and this one.

Do yourself a favor - go play it. you will end up getting it. Action is awesome, tone is awesome, build is amazing! you simply cannot go wrong with a Martin and you certainly won't regret getting this model.

After a long debate I have chosen the 018 rather than the 00-18 or the 000-18 . I could not find this guitar in stores in LA and when I did I purchased it from Sweetwater anyway. Yea I know sounds strange why not "falling in love with one guitar" with 'the chosen one"?
I realized that with Martin you do not have to they are so obsessed with quality control and their craft and Sweetwater puts another layer of checking each instrument that I Thought that I trust Sweetwater to carefully package and deliver the guitar and do what they promised to check the guitar and make sure it is a musical instrument and to just a furniture...
This kind of trust developed through the years especially after I was assigned to Carl Blake my rep. that is always there when I need him I ask millions of questions do my research. He never pushes product on me just fairly services and represents and answers my questions. Thank you Carl.
This is the second Martin I have purchased. The first was for my son when he finished high school.
This particular model 0-18 is an amazing instrument. Perfectly tuned reliable played out the box as if the best Luther was at my service.
All I want to do is play it all day.
I was fortunate to be invited to SUMER NAAM and the Martin reps there busy with buyers also helped me touch and feel and realize this is the optimal Martin not that bigger size no expensive ornamentations
But the neck and sound and all are so perfect.
It comes with a nice case that will protect this beauty for generations to come.
I am now recording an acoustic album featuring this guitar.
All I want to do so Hugh this instrument and play it.
It is projecting so well the tone is balanced. I bend I pick and strum and it is so responsive.
To my fellow musicians that hesitate to buy on line it is not the typical on line store there is a slew of people that proudly do what they do in this Sweetwater team. Never thought one can have such an experience. But both Martin and Sweetwater are live organizations customer oriented.
Thank you.

My personal experience exceeded expectations. My order was confirmed by phone and delivered on the second day after ordering.