Martin 000-18 Acoustic

Spruce top, mahogany back and sides. Bone nut and saddle. Came with a molded plastic hardshell case, no strap, no truss-rod tool. I'll give it a 9 for the lack of any kind of tool for ajusting the truss rod. I own and have own plenty of guitars, and so far this is the first one I get that has a truss rod but does not come with any truss-rod adjustment tool. This is apparently Martin's policy: never trust the end-user to be able to setup his guitar by himself. They've actually taken this one step further, and made the distance between the hole in the wood and the accesible end of the truss rod greater. So an allen wrench that would fit any other guitar is too short for a Martin guitar. You'll need to buy a long 5mm allen wrench from Stewart-MacDonald, or your local hardware store.

It sounds heavenly. It's that sound that only Martins have. It's a rich sound, with definite emphasis on the bass side - which I just love. It's about the warmest sound I've ever heard an acoustic guitar produce. And clear, too. It's great.
I play all kinds of stuff, mostly Pearl Jam / Bob Dylan strumming songs, and Robert Johnson-style acoustic blues. It's excellent for all that.

The intonation is perfect. It's about as close as you can have it with a "harcoded" saddle. Flawless finish. The action was too high though. I've heard that Martin sets up their guitars for bluegrass players, who prefer higher action. But they are kind enough to include adjustable truss-rods and drop-in saddles with their Standard Series guitars now, so all I had to do was tighten the truss rod about 1/4 turn, and sand 2 or 3 millimeters off the bottom of the drop-in saddle (WARNING: don't take these measurements literally, your setup might need to be different. Also, if you don't know what you're doing, don't try to do that by yourself - find a competent luthier!)
The owner of Martin has been quoted saying that their guitars should be set up by the stores according to the client's specifications - it would follow somewhat logically from this that the guitars leave the factory with either no setup, or some generic setup that's easy (and recommended) to tweak (hence the drop-in _high_ saddle and adjustable truss-rod).
Despite the action issue, I'll still give this a 10, because I prefer to set up my own guitars. I'm a control freak and only trust about 2 luthiers in the whole world with a Martin, so it was all fine with me to set up my own guitar. And the result ended up close to perfect for me, so hey. No worries.

This guitar looks and feels like it will withstand anything short of deliberately attempting to destroy it. I've only had it for about 2 weeks, but I've owned and played many acoustic and electric guitars, and all the signs of build quality are there.
I would definitely depend on it.

I've only dealt with customer support via email - in that, they've always been fast and precise with their replies. I like the specifications on their website, they're very helpful and complete (unlike Gibson, who prefers to omit half the stuff they're using on their guitars).

I've been playing guitar since 1993. I've owned, and still own, Gibson Les Pauls, Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters, Hohner acoustics, Epiphone Les Pauls, Washburns. I was going to buy a 000-15 guitar initially, but an extremely reputable world-class luthier warned me against the "15" series - they are very fragile and not consistently built. I'm extremely glad that I've eventually bitten the bullet and bought this one. I love everything about it - the warm sound, the size (I'm not partial to dreadnoughts), the feel of the neck, the smell of the lacquer.
I'm never staying without a x-18 guitar ever again. Hopefully my next one will be a nice vintage one.

Mine is a stock 000-18 that was built in 1969 and purchased from a music store in Teaneck NJ in 1970 for $200. It has closed box tuners that are looking pretty ragged and starting to fall apart. Spruce top, mohogany sides and back. I had Barkus Berry "hot dots" passive pickups installed in the early 70's, non-obtrusive but they have never sounded very good. Black PG, very spartan no-frills instrument.

I have owned this guitar since day one, 37 years, every scratch on it was made by me (and there are a lot of them...). I have a love/hate relationship with this thing. It produces a dead on accurate sound, but it is not loud and it does not respond well to banging it hard. The top is all worn from aggressive picking and I am sure this is from trying to keep up with other players whenever I use this guitar out. Even when recording with it, it sounds best when played at a lower volume. So this is like the ultimate guitar to play when playing alone, woodshedding or songwriting; but it has been problematic for me in live settings. I mic it live with a Shure SM81 which sounds good but is still not really loud enough if a drummer is in the lineup. Am currently looking at LR Baggs Ibeam as an option. I tend to play acoustics as an attack instrument so this guitar is not the best fit for my style - but it has too much sentimental value for me to ever get rid of it. Other players generally love the sound of this guitar - so part of the equation is that I have been living with this guy for 37 years, so, like relationships, maybe I'm just in a rut with it. I recently bought a re-issue Gibson AJ, which is the polar opposite of this guitar, and now I'm happy as a clam - the Martin stays out at home for grab and play moments, the Gibson comes with me to the gigs.

Over time the action got high - and I had the neck reset 2 years ago. This totally brought the guitar back to life and improved the sound a bunch - the lower action really brought some funk back into blues style on the guitar. I had the pickguard crack malady, had that fixed (Martin paid for repair). Tuners are badly oxidized and I have been thinking of swapping some Waverlys in - keeping the old guys, of course. All of the finish flaws were imposed by me! Top has mellowed nicely, it seems to darken every time I pull it out. Friends tell me it looks like Willie Nelson's guitar without the hole kicked through it.

This is a workhorse guitar, these guitars, despite what other reviewers have said, are made for the duration and are made for live playing. Tuners look like they will give out, but they have looked that way for the past decade or so. Finish of top definitely shows the wear, but, after all, I have been wailing on this thing for 37 years. I can absolutely depend on this thing. In my wild and stupid younger years I used to take the guitar camping with me and just leave it outside in the case. Stupid, but no damage done.

When I saw the pickguard crack I freaked out. Did some research and found a certified Martin repair dude. He asked me for the warranty information. Warranty info? Come on, I bought this guitar on a whim while in NYC to see the Dead play in 1970. Think I would have the clear thinking to keep the paperwork? So, I wrote to Martin, and explained the story, and they sent me a certificate of ownership - and the repair was covered under warranty. This was about 10 years ago, so 27 years after I bought the guitar, with no proof of ownership, Martin did that for me. I was blown away that Martin would do that.

I have been playing guitar since 1964.I have owned a ton of electric guitars, which seem to come and go. Currently own a couple of Strats, a Tele, a LP custom, a USA Schecter, a couple of basses and a cheap 12 string. Just bought a Gibson AJ. The only piece of gear I have held onto longer than the 000-18 is a blackface Fender Pro Reverb that I bought with paper route money. I have a few Fender "Rivera" amps from the 80s (Super Champ, Champ II and Princeton Reverb II) which are my main amps now. Also have an old Vox Cambridge Reverb that is great for recording. I probably would have been happier with a D-18 than the 000-18 but at the time I had exactly $200 to spend so that was that. I'd cry if the 000-18 was lost or stolen, but for sentimental reasons mainly. I'd probably replace it with another 000-18 and I would shoot for a slightly older one, like early 60s. What I love about this guitar is that it has been with me for almost my entire playing life so it just has a lot of "me" in it. I also have enjoyed watching Martin 000 models come into style, for so long I seemed like the only person with one. I really hate getting out-volumed by someone playing a laminate Takamine in a jam - but there is nothing you can do about that with the 000-18. The AJ was my remedy for that.

2007 model,simple black trim,straight cross braced,sitka-mahogany and a mahogany look alike neck,no wings compensated bone saddle and nut.Nice nitro finish,and the wood on the top and sides and back is REAL nice>Lot of silking,beauty mahogany like the old stuff.Simple yet classy

I was a dred guy but Im little so I switched.May have have lost a bit of volume but this baby is loud when flatpicked and chords ring out.Gotta say bright and full.I pic mostly but this does the work of a bigger guitar AND stuff my d 18 couldnt and the shorter scale is a bonus for reach

the set up from the factory was a tad high but that was an easy home remedy and now Im flying!The top is super nice tight grained sitka,I think because they make fewer 000s they can use nicer looking woods cause all the wood including the rosewood bridge and fingerboard are gorgeous.The finish is great BUT on the heel seem to the fingerboard there was and is some glue or polish from the factory showing,just a liitle but should not be there and costs points

this guitar is what it is all about,great finish ,thin and hard!tuners are modern and good enough,not great,take this puppy anywhere and give er!! she should handle anything

lifetime warranty to me, the original owner .will be handy in 20 years when it needs a neck set.Martin should be the best but Ive yet to try.They do answer emails promptly and Ive asked lots of questions about old and new Martins alke

Im 51 and been noodeling for years and lately(15 years) got some time in on some beauty gibson taylor Larrivee and MARTIN guitars and Martin has that extra something ... sounds great are great

This is a review of my Martin 1934 000-18 transitional long-scale acoustic guitar. These longscale versions are pretty rare guitars (only made for a year I think) and are very similar to an OM-18V in specification (visit www.mguitar.com for that). It has a long 25.4" neck, 1.75" at the nut (great for finger-picking), Mahogany back and sides, spruce top. When I first aquired it had rusting, open-back, grover tuners which, sadly, I had to replace with new grovers as they weren't holding (still kept the old ones of course!). I've given it a 10 because it's a perfect unfussy design which works superbly.

I play finger-picking, light strumming, folk and pop which it suits perfectly. It also works really well in drop D and DADGAD tunings. I have it set up quite low with martin lights (after a very necessary neck re-set). It sounds, to my ears, totally perfect. It's rich, woody, clear, sparkly, buttery, warm, infinitely beautiful. When it gets going the whole guitar resonates wonderfully and I feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up with pleasure! I've tried lots of high-end and vintage acoustics (martins, collings, lowdens, brooks, gibsons..) and many sounded fantastic...it's just that this one sounds even better. It's also perfectly balanced, with an amazing bass for a 000 and it's incredibly loud and wonderful at projecting...It also works superbly well in drop D or DADGAD tunings. All in all it's a versatile and fantastic sounding guitar.

Considering it's 70 years old it's doing remarkably well. The finish is falling apart all over the place...but that just adds to it's charm. The neck is, miraculously, perfectly straight and the original bar frets in good order which allows me have a really easy, buzz-free action. It's as light as a feather (much lighter than a new one) but structurally sound..no real issues. They sure built these babies well in the 1930's!

I'm not sure I'd take this baby on a gig...not because it couldn't handle it, but because I'd never forgive myself if it was damaged or stolen (God forbid!!). So I use it for writing and recording only (and playing on the sofa at every opportunity!!). Also, it's not practicable (or morally allowable) to fit it with a pick-up. It sure is durable though (70 years!!).

I took it to Martin for it's neck re-set and Vince Hockey (who did the work) was fantastic. Really knowledgable, friendly and caring about the work. He did a superb job (and neck resets aren't easy I'm told) and the fee was fair.

I've been working as a musician and composer for long-time and own a lot's of other instruments...but none as special as this one...if it were lost or stolen...I'd be mortified...I really love this guitar as it effortlessly allows me to create the sounds of my imagination..which is, in my humble opinion, what it's all about. If I had to replace it, I'd definitely try and find another one (which wouldn't be easy!). If you come across one, I suggest you buy it, and never let it go. You won't be sorry.

1965 000-18 purchased used at a country auction nearly 2 years ago. Filthy, smelly and neglected as found but all original. 14/20 body style, I don't really have an opinion on "features" per se because this is a guitar that advertises it's utter lack of features instead. The rosewood fingerboard is 1 11/16ths, compared to 1 3/4 on the 000-18WG I bought 2 weeks ago. It has acquired the seminal "pickguard crack" that has not been addressed and poses no problems at present. The pickguard remains adhered and flat.

People have walked across rooms to get closer to this thing and hear it. Once I had it cleaned up and had gotten the cat-piss smell off(it had been in a barn for years) I strung it with John Pearse phosphor - bronze mediums. Contrary to another review here this guitar is designed and braced for medium strings according to Martin. The soundboard needs the energy to be driven properly. The breakup point is raised considerably with mediums over lights. The overall theme of the tone is balance, balance, balance. I find this guitar much easier to "inflect" voice with than my D-18V. It seems capable of producing a wider variety of sounds. The bass side is "thinner" than a dread but I don't know that the volume is any less. I concur with all other statements above with regard to tone. I have 5 Martins including a 000-18 WG and a '92 D-18 Vintage but this is the first one I grab in a fire. Physical ease of play is also big with me as I have a bum shoulder.

High E string is approaching 9/64ths at the 12 fret with a little saddle left and the neck still at it's factory angle. That's 37 years and still very playable. I have a neckset coming, as soon as I can get the '92 D-18V to stay stable. 10 years old and it is being reset now for the second time. The 000 has aged beautifully, and is now the color of a pumpkin. Finish is still completely intact except for a some dings and a social secuirty number tatooed in the back.

At 37 it has a pickguard crack, a 2-inch back crack and another 2-inch crack in the upper treble bout where it hit something hard enough to cave it in a tad. None of this has been repaired yet. This guitar has been neglected and tossed around and I know for a fact it was in the Army. Despite being so light, it has remarkable durability. Intonation is on the money, neck is fine with good relief, bridge is down flat and hasn't budged - 3 things that I cannot say of the D-18V. It now has a hardshell case for the first time too.

I've had a few conversations and exchanged emails but since I'm making no warranty claims I don't much to form an opinion on. Despite having 5 of their guitars not one is new so I guess I'm not really a "customer" to Martin. But they have been helpful in all my dealings with them. Humans answer the phone, speak english and know what they're talking about. That's getting to be a rarity.

I knew from the first strum that this guitar was what good guitars were supposed to sound like. I had a Takamine before this, and while it serves it's purpose well it is a laminate body and the sound suffers a bit as such. This doesn't mean every Martin is great - there are duds out there. I suggest playing before you buy. I have no intention of ever getting rid of this one.

Mine was made in 65. I've had it since 68. the basic specs remain unchanged (except for now they have adj. truss rods) are: acoustic, 14 fret, solid mahogany back/sides, solid spruce top, 24.9" scale, non-cutaway. Gloss finish. Not as much body depth as a D-28. Unbound fingerboard. Basically a classic example of post WWII Martin minimalism and understatement: good materials, no ornamentation. I rated this category a 9 because, if simplicity can ever be beautiful, the 000-18 might be one example of that.

My 65 000-18 was the first quality musical instrument I ever owned. It is what I cut most of my chops on. I think I was just lucky to have stumbled upon that model, because I was not a Martin addict back then; it really was perfect for what I was hoping to learn ... which was finger style "American Primitive" music.

The sound goal of this model is essentially well-enunciated string-to-string balance, along with your basic solid mahogany woody tone. Unlike rosewood dreadnaughts, 000-18's don't overwhelm you with sound. Players who like guitars that generate monstrous tone with the slightest string attack usually don't care too much for 000-18's. But my favorite thing about these 000-18's is that they are responsive i.e. if you put a little bit of energy into the guitar, a little bit of sound comes out; if you play hard, it responds accordingly. As one reviewer alluded to in another review, if you really play super-strong, the tone will start to break up at some point. So it's not linearly responsive at the hi-volume end. But it can be a very expressive instrument for a variety of styles.

They do age extremely well, especially after 30-45 yrs. The best sounding acoustic I ever played was a 1936 000-18.

The also have beautiful sweet tone when played in front of a good condenser mike.

In general, the 000-18 is OK for strumming, verry excellent for finger-sytle, not too good at all for flatpicking bluegrass, although you can occasionally see a bluegrass rhythm guitarist playing a 1930's 000-18.

I was not the original owner of this guitar but I bought it near mint. The quality control at Martin back then was legendary. There was nothing wrong, essentially. Even on these boring little 000-18's.

the 000-18 is a very comfortable guitar to play. It kind of fits well with a human body; it is easy to think about what you are playing, as opposed to dealing with a massive guitar body or neck.

re: Action: One important design spec on this model is the 24.9" scale. This has the effect of reducing string tension which makes it real good for blues. In addition, the 000-18 neck has a very user-friendly feel to it .. no binding, no ornamentation or carving. Every single person who plays my 000-18 wants to steal the neck.

Of course, the 24.9" scale does reduce string volume and the lower string tension works against bluegrass flatpickers.

I have a dozen instruments but the 65 000-18 is my basic axe. If God called me up and asked me to play the worlds biggest music gig, I'd use this instrument. re: Durability: I have beaten on this thing for 30 some-odd years now and it's still completely solid and actually improving. Except for one tuning machine which is finally starting to show signs of wearing out.

These had a lifetime warranty. I never needed any warranty work, but Martin has always had good customer relations as far as I can see. I don't know too much about their customer support in the 21st century.

I have a photo of most of my guitar heros playing a 000-18. It's a model that simply seems to do a good job. For my styles, anyway. I cannot think of a better instrument for someone who is setting out to learn how to play finger style guitar. Most people I know who once owned an 000-18 and then sold it rue the day they let it go.

Six string accoustic, small-ish body and short-ish scale, usual traditional no-frills Martin look, no cut-away or electronics. Solid sitka spruce top, solid mahogony back and sides. Skinny neck with rosewood fretboard. Feels VERY light (this affects the tone, see below). Soild case with good neck support. Smells great if you keep it stored in its case!!!

I've played classical for many years (but I DO have a strat and a distortion pedal hidden in the playroom). Quite simply, I wanted a steel string accoustic for classical and this one is it for sure. A full-sized neck/body/strings is too difficult to keep the volume even and the strings feel to stiff to be responsive to my nylon tastes. I played a friend's 000-28 Clapton signature model and loved the feel of the strings and action but not the tone so much (very dark with the rosewood back and sides). So I ordered a 000-18 for myself thinking that it would be brighter and it was.
For playing classical it works just fine and I'd recommend it for anyone looking for something different from the traditional red guitar with nylon strings. It's fun to go back and forth between the two and helps keep your playing fresh. The short scale loosens the strings a bit and the volume is fairly even and easy to control. All that Bach stuff sounds a bit more contemporary on steel!
So here's where you'll get yourself in trouble with this guitar. You can EASILY overpower it, especially with a pick. And, when you do, it breaks up really badly and sounds awful. With just your fingers it's not often you'll push it too hard but, if you use a pick along with your friends playing their full-size accoustics, you'll bust up and they'll all grimace. This guitar is a good soloist instrument and would also be fine for accompanying a single unamplified vocalist. I use a pick on it quite a bit, but you have to learn to take it easy.
Might be a good guitar for female players due to the size and easy action. And, the ladies won't be so prone to whacking it too hard with the pick! Maybe a good church guitar too . . .
In short, do not buy this guitar to play with other guitars unless you ALL have a lot of restraint. But for finger-picking classical or ragtime, it's simply great.
I guess I should finally mention the sound: very sweet, but with little bass. You MUST use light strings on this instrument or it would turn into a bow. If you think the tone too thin, and some might, don't try to remedy this with heavier strings. Get a D-28! After much experimentation I like D'Addario EJ16 phosphor bronze/lights (12 - 53). Note that these are just very slightly heavier than SRV used on his strat (11's, but tuned down 1/2 step) so, if you play electric, it's not too hard on the fingertips.
This instrument sounds good every time I pick it up.

The action was fine right out of the case and it hasn't moved a bit since. The frets were dressed just very well. One very minor surface flaw on the side and the fret markers on the fingerboard are off center (I expect perfection from Martin!). The top was sufficiently fine-grained but I have a bit of a dark stripe of graining about 2 inches wide and mirror imaged due to the cut of the wood. I would rather they saved this top for a D-1 and gave me a more flawless one.
But I think that, overall, the workmanship is very good. The inside is clean with no glue visible. The braces are sanded smooth and the fretboard is flawless.
The case is first-rate. Don't make the mistake that I did and leave the guitar in the case with just one latch engaged week after week. The lid of the case warped and I can't get the case to close evenly without a little oomph.

Mine hardly ever makes it off the deck so I really can't say. The instrument is very light but, swung with sufficient force, might be able to injure one of the Spice Girls.

No experience here.

I've played for 20 years, mainly finger-picked classical and accoustic. I've purchased many guitars to see if they are keepers and this one is. But be advised that, for me, it fills a specialty niche. I'd be embarrased to tell you about all the guitars I spent good money on and sold a few months later but this is not one of them. I'd replace it in a minute, especially at the mail order price.