1948 Martin D-18 Dreadnought Natural w/HSC

1948 Martin D-18 Natural w/HSC

This Item Is Located At IVG Sherman Oaks

The Guitar Is In Very Good Overall Condition (Please See Photos)

Solid Spruce Top Shows Normal Playwear Throughout Including Cosmetic Marks, Dings And Scratches (As Shown)

Previously Installed Larger Pickguard Has Been Replaced With 70's Style Martin Guard (See Photos)

Evidence Of Older Overspray On Back

Bridge Has Been Professional Reset And Reshaped For Optimal Playability 

Saddle Replacement

Mahogany Back And Sides Show Some Playwear Including Dings, Marks And Scratches (Please See Photos) 

Mahogany Neck Shows Heavy Playwear On Back Between 1st And 4th Fret (As Shown) 

Brazilian Rosewood Fingerboard Shows Some Dents Between 1st And 5th Fret (See Photos) But Is In Very Good Playable Condition 

Guitar Appears To Have Been Refretted With A Recent Fret Level For Best Playability 

Tuners Have Been Changed At Some Point, Currently Equipped w/ Later c.1950's Grover Open Back Tuners

Weight: 4lbs 2oz

Nut Width: 1.67"

Neck Depth At 1st Fret: .86"

Neck Depth At 12th Fret: 1.03"

Comes With c.1980's Martin Molded Hard Shell Case (As Shown)

Style 18 is one of Martin’s oldest and most iconic series of instrument appointments, celebrated for its rich tone and enduring craftsmanship. Today, these guitars are best known for their signature combination of solid spruce tops with mahogany back and sides—a pairing that delivers a warm, balanced sound. But when the first Style 18 instruments were introduced in 1857, they looked and sounded quite different from the models we recognize today.

Between 1850 and 1900, C.F. Martin & Co. was in a period of remarkable innovation, experimenting with new body shapes, sizes, and construction techniques that would eventually define the modern acoustic guitar. At that time, the guitar was still establishing its role in the music world, and Martin was laying the groundwork for what would become standard in the industry.

The earliest Style 18 models, such as the Size 1-18 and 2-18, featured spruce tops paired with rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboards with no inlays, and 12-fret necks. By 1898, Martin introduced the 0-18 and 00-18, continuing with the spruce and rosewood combination and adding features like unbound ebony fingerboards and rectangular bridges. In the years that followed—particularly around the time of the world wars—Martin introduced many of its most defining innovations, including the dreadnought body, the 14-fret neck, and the now-classic 18 Style appointments that have helped shape the sound of acoustic music for generations.