Martin 00-18 Review

New Grand Concert Size Martin, the 00-18 Enters the Standard Series

World-class tone from a small-body mahogany mighty mite

Specs include: 14-fret 00 (Grand Concert size) body; all-solid wood construction; South American mahogany back and sides; Sitka spruce top with scalloped 1/4″ Sitka spruce bracing; short-scale High Performance mahogany neck with Modified Low Oval profile, 1-3/4″ at nut, 2-1/8″ at 12th fret; ebony fingerboard and bridge; bone nut and saddle with 2-5/32″ string spacing; Standard Style 18 appointments including faux tortoise shell pickguard and body binding; mother of pearl dot fret markers, Indian rosewood headstock face plate with vintage style C. F. Martin & Co. gold foil logo; chrome open back tuners with butterbean knobs.

“The new 00-18 provides a relaxing, comfortable playing experience that rewards the guitarist with a prosperous voice, lavish with presence in the undertone resonance and the wafting high harmonics.”

Read the Full Review and See the Video Here

Martin 00-18 bridge

6 thoughts on “Martin 00-18 Review

  1. “A man in the building next door has a 1940 00-42 that is outrageously good. He also has a modern-era 0-45S and a Brazilian rosewood 00-45S. He can barely strum cowboy chords. But he loves the craftsmanship and artistry of those guitars and marvels at the tone that comes out of them when it strums those cowboy chords.”

    I’m a beginner…and I chose a Martin OM-28 as my first guitar, soon after I bought a damaged D-18v that I’m having repaired because I can’t stand it that a guitar of that magnitude should be broken and unplayed…and I am very much thinking about buying a 00-18 because I love the smaller body for just what music radar says not to play it for, sitting around the house on the couch with friends and enjoying the sound of beautifully crafted musical instruments…no matter how amatuerishly they are played by us.

    1. A 00-18 would be ideal for that setting, or even the new 0-18. But I like the 00 better for the better bottom end.

      And yes, we should all be allowed to own “beautifully crafted musical instruments.” Having a great guitar that one might feel is better than their playing can inspire one to keep getting better.

  2. A fantastic review. You covered the things I was interested in including neck, size, tops, playability, tone, and related models. I learned a lot. Thanks

  3. so.. music radar, says “If you sit at home practising, playing for pleasure, writing songs, we say, don’t play this guitar” that makes no sense to me, i love small bodied guitars. care to elaborate on why someone would say such nonsense about this model lol everything i’ve seen on youtube has sounded fantastic,, i haven’t had the pleasure to play one yet, but i would love to have an instrument of this calibur.. no matter where i play it, at home, or on the go..

    1. You got me, Zeb. Why indeed. Your quote does not say they are dissuading someone from buying the guitar, but rather from playing the guitar. Perhaps they are implying that if such a guitarist would play it they would want to spend all that money to buy it, when some less expensive guitar would do? Did they offer any alternatives?

      I like the anonymous quote about playing a guitar that is better than one’s playing actually is, because it inspires one to play better. But really, it is about enjoyment.

      A man in the building next door has a 1940 00-42 that is outrageously good. He also has a modern-era 0-45S and a Brazilian rosewood 00-45S. He can barely strum cowboy chords. But he loves the craftsmanship and artistry of those guitars and marvels at the tone that comes out of them when it strums those cowboy chords.

      1. I just saw this response that is a great reply, thank you. I currently have a guild m20, have yet to have a Martin , had a chance to play a 00-18 a few times and have consistently been impressed by it.

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