Legendary Martin Guitar Tone
Not just any other D-18, the Martin D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged acoustic guitar is made the old-school way using hide glue and period-correct specifications. Martin's VTS aging system imbues their premium tonewoods with the character and harmonic richness of a vintage instrument. We've spent a lot of time with acoustic guitars at Sweetwater, and this guitar delivers the complex tone you'd expect from a well-played original. Its solid Adirondack spruce top and mahogany back and sides provide the foundation for stunning sound, and the Martin D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged acoustic guitar will only sound better as it ages.
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Woods aged to perfection with Martin's VTS
Tone connoisseurs are always in search of the perfect guitar tone, and in the acoustic world, one of the most-loved tones is that of a vintage Martin. We're talking guitars that have aged well over 50 years. Martin Guitars recently perfected a unique way of torrefying the top woods and braces of their guitars to achieve the sound of an aged and broken-in Martin. The Vintage Tone System (VTS) lets Martin age the woods to a specific age/time period without the typical change in color of the wood from the torrefaction process. A special Vintage Gloss Finish is then hand-applied to give the guitar the coloring of a vintage instrument. Martin's VTS series guitars not only look like vintage guitars, they also have that sought-after sound.
Historically accurate re-creation
Martin started designing the D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged acoustic guitar by taking a 1939 D-18 from their museum to the Smithsonian Institute so they could perform a CAT scan to examine and catalog every detail of this amazing instrument. From the premium tonewoods to the spot-on detailing to the historically accurate bracing and hide-glue construction, the Martin D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged is as perfect as it gets.
The choice of session guitarists for decades
The Martin D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged's "just right" tonality is just as useful in your studio as it is onstage. Just ask any recording engineer that's been in the business for a couple of decades: the D-18 has an uncanny ability to set itself into any mix nicely, with a minimum of processing. Sure, that jumbo-body rosewood guitar looks great, but you'll be rolling off low frequencies and carefully adjusting compressors to prevent it from getting too boomy or indistinct in the final mix. Just grab your Martin D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged, point your favorite small-diaphragm condenser mic at the 12th fret, and you've got a sound that practically mixes itself.
Martin D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged Acoustic Guitar Features:
- An iconic piece of Martin guitar history, with a focused tone that sits well with a wide variety of instruments
- Vintage Tone System (VTS) ages the woods to a specific age/time period
- Solid Adirondack spruce top for amazing projection and great note definition
- Solid mahogany back and sides for a well-balanced tonal range
- Focused low-frequency response that sounds tight, never boomy
