Martin D-18 1951 Vintage Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

No sales tax for customers outside California.

This 1951 Martin D-18 is an absolute beast!  

The guitar was a favorite of Larry Cragg for decades.  Larry is a guitar tech in Marin County, CA and is known for his years on the road with Neil Young.  Larry knows a good guitar when he finds one!

Larry sold the guitar to a regular customer of his, who then traded it in to us.  We sent the guitar off to our luthier for a neck reset, refret, and new saddle.  It sounded huge before it left, and now it is even better.

I just added some blacklight pics and revised the previous text below.

There is a very small, repaired crack next to the original pickguard, which is standard on a vintage Martin.  It does appear that the bridge lifted at some point and was re-glued.  The original bridge plate is in place inside the guitar and the bridge itself is also original.  There is a small area of overspray behind the bridge.  There is a relatively small crack repair on the lower bout, one on the side, and one on the back as well.  All were repaired and very lightly and closely touched up prior to our ownership of the guitar.  The guitar plays perfectly.  It rings, sustains, and projects with huge, full tone.

The case looks like a 60s hardshell. 

Excerpt from real online user reviews of 1950s Martin D-18s:

“1950s D-18s are magic—light, loud, and alive.” – Acoustic Guitar Forum
“Dry, woody tone that records beautifully.” – The Gear Page
“Neck feel is perfect on early ’50s Martins.” – Reddit r/Guitar
“Hard to beat a vintage D-18 for flatpicking.” – Mandolin Café
“One of the best vintage values in the acoustic world.” – Harmony Central 

Whether you’re a collector, studio musician, or flatpicking traditionalist, this 1951 D-18 represents the best of Martin’s golden-era craftsmanship. It includes professional inspection and setup through Mahar’s Vintage Guitars.

We buy, sell, and take trades on fine vintage instruments daily—see more in our Vintage Acoustic Guitars Collection, Gibson Guitars Collection, and if you're thinking of selling your matin guitar you should visit our Sell Your Gear page.

• Color: Natural
• Weight: 4lbs 2.5oz
• Top: Sitka Spruce
• Body: Mahogany
• Neck: Mahogany
  
• Fretboard: Brazilian Rosewood
• Inlays: Mother of Pearl Dots
• Frets: Freshly replaced
• Fret count: 20
• Nut: Original
• Nut width: 1-11/16"
• Scale: 25.4"
• Radius: 16"
• Neck thickness at 1st Fret: .88"
• Neck thickness at 10th Fret: 1.02"
• Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 3/32"
• Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 3/32"
• Total length: 40-1/2"
• Body length: 20"
• Lower bout: 15-3/4"
• Waist: 10-3/4"
• Upper bout: 11-5/8"
• Body depth/thickness: 4-3/4"
• String gauge: .012-.056
• Electronics?: No
  
• Pickguard: Original
• Bridge: Original, Brazilian Rosewood.  New saddle
• Tuners: Kluson Deluxe
• Case: Hard Shell - probably from the 1960s
• Notes: 

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There are multiple shipping cost options for purchases made on our site.  Select Ground, 3 Day, 2 Day, or Next Day Air Saver.  For Reverb purchases, there is one cost option for these Eastern states and shipment will be made by UPS three-day-air.  Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions.  If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to sales@maharsvintageguitars.com.  Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.