Hondo H18 Acoustic

Transparent gloss finished Dreadnought with Grover tuners. This guitar has a 1 15/16" wide mahogany neck,(not 1 11/16" like the other H-18 I reviewed here)It is an ebonized rosewood fretboard and bridge. The Saddle is non compensated. I bought it with the original flimsy hardshell case.
This is a 1984 Korean made, serial numbered, Hondo Tradition 18.
The top is Solid Spruce with Laminated Mahogany Back and Sides.(not some non-descript cheaper wood, stained to look like Mahogany as in the other Hondo review. This is a decent Martin D-18 copy like I have had before,(more later). It is much heavier than the cheap Hondos. These were said to be made by International Music Corp.
Black faced Martin Style headstock with the Martin style curved gold logo. Black pickguard and white dot black bridge pins. It has the longitudinal back brace found in better guitars so it plays and feels solid like higher quality guitars. Too bad Hondo does not sell guitars manufactured like this anymore. It has an Oval Label that says Tradition Model on it with a serial number and does not mention the place of manufacture

The guitar features a rich/full sound with decent bass and bell like trebles. It has nice balanced overtones and resonates like any good Solid top guitar should.

I have played one before and heard one played many times before with a Martin D-18. The Banjo player for friends of mine, who have won eight Canadian Juno Awards,(think Grammy), for Bluegrass does impromptue cafe gigs using it, instead of his Gibson Gospel. Not all of their songs are Banjo/Guitar Combos.
It does not sound out of place beside the Martin, and the treble and mids match very well. It does not quite have the Martin Bass response, but is not anemic either.

There is the odd lacquer drip on it. Fit is very good but not exceptional. No flaws to speak of, and generally well made.

It is a quality instrument that is worth what you pay for it. This guitar would US List for about $450.00 today. Street Price new at about $275.00.

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I have had 12 acoustic guitars and still have 8 of them.
I have owned a Sigma DM-1ST and still have a DR-1ST.

This guitar IS a Sigma DM-1ST with different Headstock face colouring and Logo.

It is not unusual for a Korean, Indonesian, or Chinese factory to make and brand label a product for more than one company with slight differences.

As such....I know Martin Copies and have had this guiatr side by side with the Sigmas.

Not many know this so keep you eyes open for bargains. I paid $115.00 US including the hardshell case. Solid top guitar bargain.

Hondo H-18 1996 Korean,(round label,no serial number).Gloss Finish Dreadnought. Generic non-descript tuners.Thin mahogany neck. Ebony finished fretboard. Fourteen frets to the body...twenty total.
Laminated spruce top, black pickguard,non compensated saddle on an ebony coloured bridge. Mahogany stained laminated back and sides. Hondo,Martin style, Gold curved logo on a Martin style square headstock. Copy of a Martin D-18. Very light weight and reasonably well constructed.

This guitar is very thin sounding with a pick but is ok, with fingerpicking and thumb strumming.It does reasonate, but this is a laminate top guitar that is functional if not spectacular.

I set the action up very low and it works well since the neck is dead straight.
No notable construction flaws. However, there is no longitudanal brace running the length of the back. Kinda reminiscent of Yamaha F-310's, FD01's or the newer Sigma DM-1's. The Korean Sigma looks suspiciously similar.Hmmmmmmm!

This guitar was only purchased as a Campfire guitar. Laminated tops handle the temperatures around a fire well. Cheap enough, that I will not mourn it if it is accidentally damaged.

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This is adequate for it's intended purpose and I bought it dirt cheap in mint condition. I also use it as a Martin Prop for a Musical where playing it is not required. I would not buy one of these new.

Do not confuse this with the International Music produced, Hondo Labeled D-18 "Tradition" (Oval label), with the serial numbers and Grover tuners, longitudinal back brace, built during the 80's.

I have played one of those and it is a much superior product to this one. They are very nice guitars, not spectacular, but nice. I would not be ashamed to Jam with one. This H-18.....I don't think so.

I have some very nice solid wood acoustic guitars, which I worry about around Campfires. This has a limited appeal other than as a beginner guitar for the rough and ready crowd, or for my listed needs.

For what I paid....I will get my money's worth out of it. and probably sell it for more than what I paid for it eventually.

This is a Korean guitar made by Hondo, I bought it in 1987, so I suppose it's been made around that time. Mine was actually a twelve-string model, identical to the H18(H18-12).After a yaer or two I dumped the extra 6strings, to use it as a standard 6 strings dreadnought. there were 2 screws on the side of the saddle which allowed to adjust the bridge level. It didn't came with a case.
It was really well made, the wood was really nice.

I loved my Hondo, it had a lovely imperfect sound with a lot of character! The guitar had a great projection, quite bassy, the high frequencies were not its high point, but just enough.

Because it was originally a 12 string guitar, I had to adjust the neck a bit, but once I found the best setting, the playability was fantastic, I even got used to the wider neck.
I tried different types of strings on it, and found out that the dean markley electric medium, sounded best on this guitar, far better than traditional acoustic strings.

I used it from 1987, until 2001.
It was a cheap guitar, but really well made for that price range, so you can't expect it would last forever. The neck was starting to carve a bit (you could clearly see a dmajor chord!!!), as were the frets! But I think I played this guitar everyday for 14 years so...

This was probably my favorite guitar ever. I've never played high end guitars, although I'm an experienced guitarist.
I still regret it's been stolen in 2001, and still want to buy a hondo H18 from that era! I own a freshman now which is quite nice and technically superior (a lovely tone as well). But I'd love to play a H18 again!

this is an update to my previous review, see below...

I've noticed that the top is beginning to cave in a bit. It is still playable, but I think it's days as a playable guitar are numbered. I guess this is not unreasonable for an inexpensive guitar that is 13 y.o. As I began tightening and tightening the truss rod to keep the action suitable, I finally hit the end, where it wouldn't tighten anymore. With all of that tension the top, above the soundhole, is about 5mm indented. I'm now in the market for a Martin or other high-quality dreadnaught.

The craftsmanship seems good, it still looks and feels great, but the bracing on the soundboard, or the soundboard itself are not built for the long haul. Perhaps good for the value, but not built to last.

This was my first guitar, my mom bought it for me at Christmas, 1988. I have been playing it ever since. It was new at the time, so I imagine that it is the '88 model, and I believe it is Korean, but I peeled that "made in" sticker off a long time ago.
It is a no-frills acoustic, but has the essentials well-covered. It has a spruce top, mohogany back and sides, and a rosewood fingerboard. One of the highlights, which I have come to appreciate more over time, are the Grover tuners that came stock with it. Not sure if this is still the case, but they are great tuners which are subtle enough to get just the right tuning, but sturdy enough to stay there.
The finish is nice, clear and was done with care. The fretboard and body ornamentation are basic, but tasteful. In terms of overall construction, the seams are clean and there are no glue globs, miscuts, the guitar is put together well. It has taken a hell of a beating from me! Over the 13 years that I have had it, it has been knocked over and dropped a lot, and amazingly stays in tune, has no cracks and only a few nicks despite the treatment it has received.
It give it a nine, perfect in all categories except that 'features' are sparse (but I guess that's one reason why it's so affordable). Note that I am not sure whether more recent versions are comparable, but they may be.

I was fourteen when I started playing it, and that consisted of Led Zeppelin, Beatles, and the alternative rock bands at the time. It was just fine, and I thought it was competative my friends' Yamahas and Martins, but not as bright.
Nowadays, I do a lot of bluegrass fingerstyle stuff and jazz, and I think (and this may be unusual) that this has a great jazz sound. The sustain and resonation are great, the tone is full, deep but not muddy. I don't like the really jangly, thin, bright sound of some other acoustics, so this is perfect for me.
The sound is my favorite aspect of this guitar, I get a lot out of it. I have compared it to many others at different price ranges and still like mine the best. I will probably never part from it, and may put a high-quality pickup in it rather than mike it, as I have.
It has a sophisticated sound, really surprising for an 'intermediate' level guitar. I recommend virtually any style player at any level checking it out.

I can barely remember how it came from the factory, but probably couldn't appreciate it at the time anyway! As mentioned above, this guitar was put together very well. I have looked at it closely (for 13 years) and have not noticed a flaw, inside or out. I've played it in all sorts of environments (outdoor performances in the freezing cold and during humid summer weather) and it has been as tight and responsive as could be expected. Over the years it has only needed minor adjustments of the truss rod, which take a minute, and an occasional casual cleaning. Great in this category.

As above, well put together and very solid. Been treated very poorly during angst-ridden teen years, but holds no grudges and is still great great great. No cracks or dents despite many spills, but some nicks. After a little buffing the finish is crystal clear. Have used this guitar every time on many gigs without a backup.

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Been playing for 13 years, and have a cheap strat, vintage Sunn amp, an Epiphone fretless acoustic/electric bass, and am in the process of getting a reasonably-priced alternative to a Gibson 335. If I lose this fella I would get another, assuming the quality is now as good as it was in '88.
Really, the sound is great and I just love this guitar for that reason. I can really catch the subtlties of the instrument, from bright bluegrass-picking, to moody Jazz, to delta style blues. Chords, especially complex jazz-style chords, come across very clearly and make this guitar shine.
Recently, I went out and compared it to some Epiphones, Guilds, Martins, Oscar Smiths, and still like mine the best. Maybe because I'm used to it, but I really think the tone is just great for me.
I may add a pickup, but only a really good one so none of this great tone is missed.
This little company advertises as an intermediate/student guitar co., but that understates the one I have. The price is definately for this market, and seems like a super, super deal in that regard. I have no idea whether Hondo's acoustic guitars are still at this level. My impression is that the electrics are cheap, so the acoustics may be the exception.
Also, I'm a lefty, and Hondo seems to be lefty-friendly by producing this guitar. Usually, we lefties have a tough time finding a guitar that we like that we can play.
If you can find one, check it out. I find it very competative and it will save you a lot of money for a lot of acoustic guitar.