The Martin D-18 Satin acoustic guitar will take you back to the days when acoustic guitars were king, and players depended upon rich tone and acoustic projection alone to convey their songs. Pick up Martin's absolutely amazing D-18 Satin, and you'll be captivated by its rich tonality, beautiful sonic detail, and vintage-tinged looks. The D-18 Satin gives you the classic Martin guitar experience with a dreadnought body, a 14-fret design, and beautiful tonality to match its looks. Its solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides provide the foundation for stunning sound, and the Martin D-18 Satin acoustic guitar will only sound better as it ages.

Ultra-light satin finish

While the mighty D-18 is most often seen sporting a high-gloss nitrocellulose finish, this particular dreadnought is finished in a smooth, sleek satin finish. The difference is mainly down to your own personal tastes and aesthetic affinities, but many acoustic guitar players believe that a satin finish can improve a guitar’s tone. By their very nature, satin finishes are almost always lighter than a full gloss, so the thinking goes that the less finish applied to an instrument, the more the wood is allowed to resonate. We’ll let you decide what to believe, but one strum of the Martin D-18 Satin certainly makes an impressive case for the sonic benefits of a satin finish!

Classic "just-right" Martin tone

Ask anyone who knows their bluegrass why the Martin D-18-style of acoustic guitar has been a top choice for serious performers. It's because the D-18's iconic tone sits "just right," cutting through and holding its own without overbearing other instruments. Whether you're playing solo or in a full bluegrass jam, your D-18's rich tone will always be heard without fighting with vocals or covering up the low-end impact from the bass player.

The choice of session guitarists for decades

The Martin D-18's tonality is just as useful in your studio as onstage. Just ask any recording engineer who's been in the business for a couple decades: the D-18 style of guitar 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, point your favorite small-diaphragm condenser mic at the 12th fret, and you've got a sound that practically mixes itself.

Part of modern music's history

You've already heard the sweet sound of the Martin D-18 more times than you probably realize. That's because it was the choice guitar of legends such as Clarence White, Elvis Presley, and many more. Even Andy Griffith played one on "The Andy Griffith Show." The Martin D-18 is a perfect example of an instrument that became iconic purely based on its tone and craftsmanship.

What Martin Says...

Understated looks, timeless tone. The warm tone of mahogany and spruce couple with resonant scalloped bracing under the hood for a sound that's honest, authoritative, and clear. Vintage details include open-geared tuners and classic 18-style appointments pair with a modern, low profile neck for an old-soul sound. Available in full gloss, full satin with an aging toner top, or full satin with an amberburst top!