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Martin’s new 2023 guitars includes two historically-inspired models

Martin has unveiled a series of new guitars, including the pre-aged StreetLegend series.

Martin StreetLegend D-18 and D-28

Credit: Martin Guitars

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Martin Guitars has debuted eight new acoustic guitars as part of 2023 dreadnought lineup, including Authentic Series D-18 and D-28 dreadnoughts.

Leading the way for the series are StreetLegend D-18 and D-28 models, which sport aged aesthetics that were inspired by “historic models” in the Martin Museum. Both models also feature flash bone nuts, compensated bone saddles, tortoiseshell pickguards and nickel open-gear tuning machines.

The D-18 sports considerable amounts of wear on its satin-finished spruce top and mahogany back, neck and sides, and features Forward Shifted X scalloped bracing with an ebony bridge, purfling binding and a Dovetail neck joint.

The guitar also features some very premium abalone inlays on an ebony fingerboard.

The D-28 features somewhat more modest aging, with a East Indian rosewood back and sides and spruce top. Other appointments include mother-of-pearl inlays and non-scalloped bracing, a multi-stripe back inlay, an ebony fretboard, Dovetail neck joint, and mahogany neck.

Martin StreetLegend D-18 and D-28
Martin StreetLegend D-18 and D-28. Credit: Martin Guitars

By comparison, the D-18 Satin, D-18 Satin Amberburst, D-28 Satin and D-28 Satin Amberburst guitars offer a more unaged experience, with an all-new satin finish and aging toner treatment that will eventually give the guitars a pre-war vintage look. The D-18 variants include mahogany back and sides with a spruce top, alongside a mahogany neck topped with an ebony fingerboard, while the D-28 variants feature rosewood back and sides with a spruce top, which have all been equipped with non-scalloped forward shifted X-bracing.

Both the D-18 and D-28 models feature an ebony bridge, scalloped bracing, abalone inlays, and nickel open gear tuners.

Martin D-18 Amberburst and D-28 Satin
Martin D-18 Amberburst and D-28 Satin. Credit: Martin Guitars

The D-18 Authentic 1937 VST Aged and D-28 Authentic 1937 VST Aged guitars round out the series with high end appointments suited to the ‘Authentic’ badge. The D-28 features Guatemalan rosewood back and sides with brown tortoise binding, while the D-18 boasts an Adirondack spruce top, with both models sporting a new body profile said to recreate Martin dreadnought shapes from the era.

D-18 Authentic 1937 VST Aged and D-28 Authentic 1937 VST Aged
D-18 Authentic 1937 VST Aged and D-28 Authentic 1937 VST Aged. Credit: Martin Guitars

Notably, both guitars have been treated with Martin’s Vintage Tone System, which the guitar maker claims will reproduce both the look and tone of vintage instruments.

More information is available on Martin Guitars’ website.

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