MARTIN GUITAR INTRODUCES THE CFM IV 1955 D-18

FIFTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING – JUST LIKE ITS NAMESAKE


Like the recent CFM IV 1955 D-28, the CFM IV 1955 D-18 commemorates the 55th birthday and ongoing contribution of Christian Frederick "Chris" Martin IV to the company that bears his name.
But this is not just the mahogany version of the CFM IV D-28.
Since its introduction in 1935, the D-18 has been one of the major stalwarts of the Martin line, and for many years outsold the more costly D-28. In 1955, the year of Chris Martin's birth, Martin sold 1,103 D-18s versus 806 D-28s.
Prized for its bright treble, crisp midrange and clear bass, the D-18 is a favorite of many bluegrass, folk and country musicians. Its strong, loud voice is meant to be heard and hold its own over banjoes, mandolins, steel guitars – and, yes, raucous rock n' roll. It's also excellent recording guitar offering exceptional balance and distinct articulation.
Elvis Presley played a 1942 D-18 during his early career (it can be heard in on all of his Sun recordings, including the classic "That's Alright Mama"). Hank Williams also played a D-18 that he rotated with his D-28 (Hank's 1947 D-18 is now owned by the Martin company and is on permanent display in the Martin Museum). Oh, and you remember that great rockin' guitar intro on Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues"? That's a D-18, too.
In creating the CFM IV 1955 D-18, we carefully replicated D-18 specs in place during 1955. This includes Sitka top with non-scalloped top braces, small maple bridgeplate, elegant old style 18 rosette and tortoise body binding & pickguard, cedar ribbons, cloth reinforcement strips, ebony bridge (with long bone saddle) and fingerboard, bone saddle, rounded headstock (from template wear) with old style C. F Martin & Co. scroll decal and other authentic 1955-specific details.
So choosing the D-18 as the other half of the CFM IV 1955 celebration set was a natural.
But we've also added some very special features including back and sides of rare – and very beautiful – Quilted Mahogany (dark stain), adjustable 14-fret neck (with two-way truss rod), old style "waffleback" tuners, figured Madagascar rosewood back strip and head plate veneer (similar in look to the original Brazilian rosewood headplate), and a small paper label specially designed by Dick Boak and signed by C.F. Martin IV in numbered sequence. The guitar is finished in premium high-gloss polished lacquer.
Only 55 of these superb instruments will be offered, delivered in our highest grade Cabernet plush, 5-ply, hard shell case. And if you already own the CFM IV 1955 D-28, the CFM IV 1955 D-18 will make a perfect matched set.

The CFM IV 1955 D-18. Another extraordinary Martin collectable – 55 years in the making.

Martin Guitar Introduces the D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition

January 13, 2010
It is hard to believe Del McCoury just celebrated 50 years of playing bluegrass. The legend of traditional bluegrass with his Del McCoury Band continues to record and tour almost nonstop, and remains both one of its most popular artists and one whose music transcends the genre.
McCoury was already bluegrass royalty in 2002 when C.F. Martin created the D-28 Del McCoury Limited Edition guitar of which a respectable 115 instruments were sold in his honor, achieving a new level of success with music both timeless and groundbreaking.
True to its inspiration, the Martin D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition features exceptional premium tonewoods. The Adirondack spruce top and scalloped braces are crafted with early '40s-era placement, to produce a powerful, balanced tone. Back and sides are genuine mahogany, which imparts midrange "punch" and clarity. The genuine mahogany neck features a rounded, full thickness "V" profile and 1930's style heel.
The body appointments are pure, traditional Style 18: classic Old Style 18 rosette, Style 18 five-element black/white fine line top purfling, Delmar tortoise-brown top, side and back binding, Delmar tortoise-brown end piece, Style 18 back strip, and classic beveled and polished Delmar tortoise color pickguard. Only time can produce the rich patina of the top on Del's '47, but aging toner gives the D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition a good start in that direction. The neck's polished headplate is Madagascar rosewood and the Golden Era® C.F. Martin decal and nickel Waverly™ tuners with oval buttons closely replicate the vintage original. The unbound black ebony fingerboard features Old Style 18 abalone pearl position markers and is matched by the black ebony heelcap. The belly bridge likewise is black ebony. Both the vintage-style angled nut and compensated saddle are crafted from genuine bone. Ebony bridge pins and end pin are topped with abalone pearl dot inlays.
To approximate the color of the classic 1940s D-18, the mahogany on the D-18 Del McCoury Custom Edition is stained dark prior to finishing. Martin's flawless polished gloss lacquer finish completes this instrument's classic look. Delivered in a Geib style hardshell case, each Martin D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition guitar features two interior labels; a Del McCoury 50th Anniversary label and a Custom Edition label personally signed by Del McCoury and numbered in sequence with the edition total. In honor of his 50 years in music, only 50 of the D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition will be produced. Authorized C.F. Martin dealers will take orders (including orders for left-handed instruments at no additional charge) for the D-18 Del McCoury 50th Anniversary Custom Edition until the edition is fully subscribed. The names of participating Martin dealers then will be posted on the Martin website: http://www.martinguitar.com/ .

Guitar Maker Revives No-Frills Act From '30s

By TIMOTHY AEPPEL Wall Street Journal, July 6
NAZARETH, Pa. -- At a bustling factory on the outskirts of this eastern Pennsylvania town, one of the world's oldest guitar makers is using a Depression-era strategy to keep production flowing and avert layoffs.
Workers at C.F Martin & Co. are putting finishing touches on the solid-wood 1 Series model, so named for its simplicity. It lacks inlay, as did the company's stripped-down 1930s model, and is expected to sell for less than $1,000, breaking a key price point and far less than its $100,000 limited-edition guitars made of Brazilian rosewood. More popular Martins generally sell for $2,000 to $3,000.

Initial reaction is promising. The company, which had sales of $93 million last year, introduced the 1 Series in April and promptly... Read more