VIDEO
HIGHLIGHT
Log InSign up
Martin D18 OR Martin D28? ★ Acoustic Tuesday #133
SummaryTranscriptChat

Martin D18 OR Martin D28? ★ Acoustic Tuesday #133

The Martin D-18 and D-28: Why Every Guitar Geek Must Play or Own One

In this video, the speaker discusses five reasons why every guitar geek should play or own a Martin D-18 or D-28.

Swiss Army Knives of Guitars

Summarize any video like this, free →
  • The Martin D-18 and D-28 have been involved in nearly every single musical scenario you can think of.
  • These guitars span well beyond the bluegrass genre, including modern fingerstyle guitar, traditional fingerstyle, and singer-songwriters.

History

  • When you purchase a D-18 or a D-28, you take a step into that guitar's history.
  • The dreadnought shape started in 1916 and has gone through many changes.

Bass

  • The DAT and the D-28 offer bass in spades.
  • The D-18 offers a nice dry woody type of bass while the D-28 offers a mid-scooped kind of very present bass.

Sound

  • Both guitars have their unique sound characteristics that make them stand out from other acoustic guitars.
  • The Martin dreads are known for their projection and volume.

Legacy

  • Many famous musicians have played these guitars throughout history.
  • Owning one is like owning a piece of music history.

Conclusion

The Martin dreads are versatile instruments with rich histories that offer great sound quality and bass. They have been used by many famous musicians throughout history, making them an essential addition to any guitar geek's collection.

Introduction to D-18 and D-28 Guitars

The section introduces the topic of D-18 and D-28 guitars, highlighting their unique features and why every guitar player should play them.

Features of D-18 and D-28 Guitars

  • The section highlights the different flavors of bass offered by the two guitars.
  • The section explains that both guitars are the most imitated in the market due to their fine combination of tone woods, Sitka spruce top, mahogany, and rosewood on the back.

Affordable Models of D-18 and D-28 Guitars

Blue Ridge B Series

  • The Blue Ridge BR 140 is a phenomenal instrument for its price range. It has a spruce top, mahogany back, and sides.
  • Archival footage shows Tony playing a young bearded flannel-wearing Tony playing a Blue Ridge BR 140.

Blue Ridge BR 160

  • This guitar is a counterpart to the BR 140 with an AD 28 kind of version in the Blue Ridge world. It's another fine instrument as well.

Recording King RD Series

  • Both RD 318 and RD 328 are fine examples of d 18 and d 28 models respectively. They have all solid wood which contributes to fantastic tone.

Differences Between Mahogany and Rosewood

This section explains how mahogany absorbs sound while rosewood reflects it.

Mahogany vs Rosewood

  • Mahogany is more porous than rosewood so it tends to absorb sound rather than reflect it. As a result, it produces a nice round warm bass.
  • Rosewood reflects sound more, producing a little bit more string and articulation in the sound.

Why Every Guitar Geek Must Play a Martin D-18 or D-28

In this section, the speaker gives five reasons why every guitar geek must play a Martin D-18 or D-28.

Reasons to Play a Martin D-18 or D-28

  • The first reason is that they are iconic guitars with a rich history and heritage.
  • The second reason is that they offer great value for money, especially the Eastman E10D and E20D models.
  • The third reason is that they serve as a measuring stick in the guitar world. People often use terms like "D-18-ish" or "D-28-like" to describe other guitars, so it's important to have experience with these models.
  • The fourth reason is that their tone and consistency of tone are pretty incredible.
  • The fifth reason is that owning them is an obligation for any true guitar geek.

Artist Spotlight: Sturgill Simpson

In this section, the speaker talks about Sturgill Simpson, an artist who uses a Martin HD 28 and custom Martin D-18 as his main weapons of choice.

Sturgill Simpson's Guitars

  • Sturgill Simpson uses a Martin HD 28 and custom Martin D-18 as his main guitars.

Guitar Geek Trivia: What Feature Was Offered on D 18 and D 28 Guitars for the Very First Time in the Year 1934?

In this section, the speaker poses a trivia question related to Martin D-18 and D-28 guitars.

Trivia Question

  • What feature was offered on D 18 and D 28 guitars for the very first time in the year 1934?

Guitar Geek List: Non-Martin Versions of the D-18 and D-28

In this section, the speaker shares some non-Martin versions of the D-18 and D-28 that are worth trying.

Non-Martin Versions of the D-18 and D-28

  • Sturgill Simpson's Martin HD 28 and custom Martin D-18
  • Three non-Martin versions of the D-18 and three non-Martin versions of the D-28 that have impressed the speaker.

Introduction to Sturgill Simpson

In this section, the speaker introduces Sturgill Simpson as a true country music artist who sings like an angel and plays Martin dreadknots. The speaker also mentions that he will play a couple of tunes by Sturgill Simpson and his band.

Sturgill Simpson's Music

  • Sturgill Simpson's main weapon of choice is a Martin HD 28 and a custom Martin d-18.
  • "Water in a Well" is one of the songs played by Sturgill Simpson and his band.
  • "Long White Line" is another song played by Sturgill Simpson and his band.
  • "You Can Have the Crown Thompson Baby" is another song played by Sturgill Simpson. The speaker notes that it has some explicit language.

Appreciation for Sturgill's Voice

In this section, the speaker talks about how much he loves Sturgill's voice and how he could listen to him sing for hours.

Highlights of "Long White Line"

  • The speaker highlights the lyric "I'm gonna push that rig til I push that girl out of my mind."

Favorite Songs from High Top Mountain Album

In this section, the speaker shares one of his favorite songs from the High Top Mountain album called "You Can Have the Crown Thompson Baby." He also talks about how he discovered Sturgill's catalog through this song.

Discography

  • The albums available in Sturgill Simpson's discography are High Top Mountain, Meta Modern Sounds in Country Music, Sailor's Guide to Earth, and Sound and Fury.
  • The speaker notes that Sound and Fury is a concept album with a companion Netflix animation.

Introduction and Shoutouts

Tony introduces the show and gives shoutouts to viewers who left comments. He also provides links to Sturgill Simpson's website and albums.

Shoutouts

  • Dee Dee talks about hockey and the LA Kings' goaltending.
  • Mickey Underwood is waiting for open-heart surgery but finds joy in the show.
  • Boucher Guitars thanks Tony for reviewing their BG 52 guitar.
  • Scott Hunter shares his thoughts on music theory not being essential for playing guitar.
  • Jabba 1997 quotes Whitney, Tony's wife, about buying new guitars.

Links

  • Tony provides links to Sturgill Simpson's website and albums.

Supporting the Acoustic Tuesday Show

In this section, Tony shares how viewers can support the Acoustic Tuesday show by purchasing merchandise and submitting pictures of themselves with their merchandise.

How to Support the Show

  • Order merchandise from acousticTuesday.store.
  • Take a picture of yourself with your merchandise and submit it on acousticlife.tv.
  • Submitting a picture could earn you Santa Cruz strings.

Mail Bag

In this section, Tony shares items that have arrived in his mail bag, including a magazine about guitars, a Fender Cousteau Sonic guitar, and a Boucher JP Komi signature model guitar.

Items in the Mail Bag

  • A magazine called "The Great Plains Traverse" arrived from Emporia State University.
  • Fender sent Tony a Cousteau Sonic and one of their new Stratocaster versions of an acoustic sonic.
  • A Boucher JP Komi signature model guitar arrived on its way to Sound Pure Studios.

Promoting Personal Music

In this section, Tony promotes his personal music album titled "Rodent" and provides information on where to purchase it.

Promoting Personal Music

  • You can listen to "Rodent" on Spotify or purchase physical copies at scratchfootacoustics.com.

Non-Martin D-18's and D-28's

In this section, Tony shares his three favorite non-Martin D-18's and non-Martin D-28's.

Non-Martin D-18's

  • Tony shares his three favorite non-Martin D-18's that he has played.

Non-Martin D-28's

  • Tony does not share any non-Martin D-28's in this transcript.

Top 3 Martin D-18 and D-28 Guitars

In this section, the speaker lists his top three favorite non-Martin D-18 and D-28 guitars. He provides a brief description of each guitar and plays it for the audience.

Top 3 Non-Martin D-18 Guitars

  • Bourgeois Country Boy: A fantastic model with dry bass, powerful projection, and great sound.
  • Boucher BG 52: Captures everything that Martin D-28 offers and much more. Has a great sound.
  • Thompson DCMA: One of the best d-18 style instruments on the market today. Has a dry crispiness, cutting power, and projection.

Top 3 Non-Martin D-28 Guitars

  • Callings CW (Winfield Model): An awesome guitar with Adirondack spruce top and rosewood back in sides. It has bark, growl, large sound hole to cheat a pickguard.

The Best Acoustic Guitars: Gold Medal Position

This section discusses the best acoustic guitars in the gold medal position.

Pre-War Guitars

  • Pre-war guitars are at position 1 and 1/2.
  • Molly Tuttle plays a pre-war D model guitar.
  • Molly Tuttle also plays a pre-war HD model guitar.

Wayne Henderson D18 Style Guitar

  • Wayne Henderson's D18 style guitar is considered the best D18 style dreadnought that's not a Martin.
  • Trey Hensley brought his Henderson D18 style guitar to play at the Acoustic Life Festival two years ago.
  • The guitar has incredible power and is easy to play.

Santa Cruz Guitar Company

Brad Paisley Model

  • The Brad Paisley signature guitar from Santa Cruz Guitar Company is a d28 style instrument with an under-the-radar model.
  • It uses Bear Claw spruce top, which offers great power and sound even for heavier-handed players.

Santa Cruz D28 Style Instrument

  • Another gold medal nan Martin d28 comes from Santa Cruz Guitar Company.
  • It has an understated design with only cowboy hat inlay on the headstock and santa cruz inlay on the fretboard.

The Holy Grail of Guitars

In this section, the speaker talks about a large sound hold d-28 style guitar with Brazilian rosewood back and sides. He describes it as a Holy Grail in his mind and how it stole his words.

The Santa Cruz Guitar Company Tony Rice Pro

  • This guitar has Brazilian rosewood back in sides.
  • It is very much a Holy Grail in my mind.
  • When I played it, I couldn't even speak.
  • This guitar stole the words from me.

Generating Conversation About Gold Medal Guitars

In this section, the speaker asks viewers to share their gold medal non-Martin d-18 and d-28 guitars in the comments below.

Share Your Gold Medal Non-Martin D-18 and D-28 Guitars

  • Let me know in the comments below what's your gold medal non-Martin d-18 is and your gold medal non-Martin d-28.

Guitar Geek Trivia: Martin D18 & D28

In this section, the speaker shares some trivia about Martin D18 & D28 guitars.

What Feature Was Offered on D 18 and D 28 Guitars for the Very First Time in 1934?

  • The feature offered on D 18 and D 28 guitars for the very first time was a 14 fret neck.

Conclusion: Mahogany Body Dreadnoughts vs Rosewood Body Dreadnoughts

In this section, the speaker concludes today's episode of Acoustic Tuesday dedicated to Martin d-18 s and Martin d-28.

Mahogany Body Dreadnoughts vs Rosewood Body Dreadnoughts

  • Let's just call it mahogany body dreadnoughts and rose with body dreadnoughts.

Lessons from Birds

In this section, the speaker talks about different lessons we can learn from birds.

Early Bird Catches the Worm

  • The speaker mentions that we will learn that "the early bird catches the worm."

A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush

  • The speaker also mentions that we will learn another lesson: "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

  • Lastly, the speaker says that we will join together and learn that "birds of a feather flock together."

Celebrating Gibson Hummingbird

In this section, the speaker announces that they will be celebrating the Gibson Hummingbird guitar on next week's episode.

History and Significance of Gibson Hummingbird

  • The speaker mentions that they will dig deep into the history of Gibson Hummingbird.
  • They also mention discussing who played it and why it is special.

Where to Find More Acoustic Tuesday Content

In this section, the speaker tells viewers where they can find more content related to Acoustic Tuesday.

Visit Acoustic Life TV for More Content

  • The speaker encourages viewers to visit acousticlife.tv for more content related to Acoustic Tuesday.
  • They mention that viewers can do a deep dive on anything discussed on previous episodes.

Conclusion and Farewell

In this section, the speaker concludes their episode and thanks viewers for tuning in.

Thank You for Watching

  • The speaker thanks viewers for sharing their time with them.
  • They thank viewers for being guitar geeks and remind them to tune in next Tuesday.

Closing Music

  • The episode ends with closing music.

Turn any video into a summary like this

YouTube links, meetings, lectures. With transcripts, search, and chat.

Start for free
Video description

Nearly eight years later, I'm revisiting the Martin D18 and the Martin D28. These two iconic acoustic guitars are getting my full, undivided attention. I'll cover why these two guitars should be in your guitarsenal, famous players who use them, and 5 excellent alternatives. To kick things off, I want to cover why the Martin D18 and the Martin D28 should be in your guitar collection. There are tons of reasons why these two iconic Martin acoustic guitars need to be in your collection, but I distilled it down to my top 5 reasons. Reason #1: The Martin D18 and Martin D28 are EXTREMELY versatile. There's almost no musical situation where a Martin D18 or D28 hasn't been used. Think about it. These guitars are mostly associated with bluegrass, but these guitars work for almost any genre. To prove it, I've got proof of singer-songwriters, rockers, and trad players using Marin D18s and D28s! Reason #2: The Martin History What's remarkable about owning a Martin guitar, especially a D18 or D28, is the history. When you play one of these guitars, you are stepping into history. Starting in 1916, the dreadnought shape was created. After that, there have been twists and turns that have defined and shaped how this iconic body shape (pun intended) came to be. The dreadnought is a historical guitar shape that Martin absolutely innovated. Reason #3: The Bass on Martin D18s and D28s For guitars that have unmatched bass quality, regardless of whether they are vintage or not, look no further than the Martin D18 and D28. Now, just to be clear, each of these guitars has a slightly different bass sound, but the bass levels are truly awesome. For example, the D18 offers a nice dry and woody bass tone. Meanwhile, the Martin D28 has a wonderful mid-scooped present bass tone. To demonstrate these differences, I have footage of Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle playing both Martin D18s and Martin D28s. Reason #4: Martin D18s and D28s are the most imitated guitars on the market today. I don't care what brand of guitar you choose, but they usually have a copy of the D18 and a copy of the D28. Why? Because the recipe is ingenious. With the Sitka spruce top and the mahogany rosewood back and sides, it's an unbeatable combo. For those of you who recognize that Martin D18s and D28s are expensive, and perhaps are looking for the best imitations, look no further than this list of guitars: 1) Blueridge BR-140 (D18) 2) Blueridge BR-160 (D28) 3) Recording King RD-318 (D18) 4) Recording King RD-328 (D28) 5) Eastman Guitars E6-D (D18) 6) Eastman Guitars E8-D (D28) Reason #5: The Martin D18 and D28 are used as standards for other guitars. In my decade of reviewing guitars professionally, I've compared countless guitars to the Martin D18 and the Martin D28. Why? Both the Martin D18 and the D28 are so finely crafted, that they have become the gold-standard for a well-crafted guitar. ///// Now that you know why you need a Martin D18 and a Martin D28, I want to feature Sturgill Simpson, a proud user of Martin dreadnoughts like his custom Martin D18. Now, I love that he uses a Martin HD28 and a custom D18...but can we talk about his voice for a little bit? When I listen to Sturgill Simpson sing, he has a classic country quality that I don't hear that much these days. Additionally, his lyrics are masterful, ranging from sorrowful to comical all in just one song. Be sure to check out Sturgill Simpson and listen to some of his music! ////// Now, I know I mentioned some good alternatives to a Martin D18 or a Martin D28 earlier in the episode. However, I want to revisit this topic to give you a more focused list of specific guitars. #3 for D18 Alternative: The Bourgeois Country Boy For a guitar that has the same dry bass and projection that the Martin D18 has, the Bourgeois Country Boy is a strong contender. I've been playing this guitar for a while now, and I love how punchy that bass sound can be at times. It never seems to drown itself out or get too muddy, which I also appreciate. Be sure to catch the full clip of me playing the Bourgeois Country Boy to see if this D18 alternative stacks up to your expectations. #3 for D28 Alternative: Boucher BG-52 Clocking in at my third-favorite non-Martin D28, the Boucher BG-52 is a stellar guitar from a stellar guitar maker. I've had the most recent experience with this guitar, and I truly believe this guitar can hold its own against a Martin D28. It has the open, voluminous sound as a D28 with maybe just a hair brighter tone. To catch the full list of alternatives to the Martin D18 and the Martin D28, be sure to watch the full episode and visit Acoustic Life today for links and more! ★ Request your invite to Tony's Acoustic Challenge today: https://tonypolecastro.com/al-request-invite/?ref=INVITE&src=AL ★ All show notes and links: https://acousticlife.tv/at133 ★ Get the show: https://tonypolecastro.com/get-acoustic-tuesday