Confession: I’ve got Martin issues. I know, that sounds like some particularly virulent strain of G.A.S., but it’s actually quite the opposite – I’m a man with a whole lotta guitars and not a single Martin. I want one, of course, and I’ve had a few for a few brief, shining moments, but never has one managed to stick. I’ve tried to fill the gap with Martin-esque guitars, and most of those have been keepers, but I still want to find the Martin, with a deep, dry tone and a sharp, responsive attack, a smooth strummer and a sweet picker. Sometimes I despair, and then…

I’ve got a nagging suspicion that this latest Catch of the Day is The One. If I were just a little more liquid, or if I could pick a guitar to let go, I’d certainly give it a try. It’s a 1966 D-18 that’s available at Folkway Music, and it seems to have a lot going for it, sporting some of the best features on either side of what was a transitional period at Martin, plus some nice, non-original upgrades: there’s the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and (aged replacement) bridge (with an “intonation-corrected” drop-in saddle), the maple bridge plate, the T-bar neck support, and Grover Rotomatic tuners. The binding and pickguard are tortoiseshell celluloid. Folkway describes the neck as “nicely rounded,” which is the kicker for me – if ever there were a Gibson Guy’s Martin, this one certainly seems like it. As Folkway puts it:

Classic dry and sweet D-18 tone with a well-developed midrange. It’s a loud guitar when you need it to be, but doesn’t lose its tone if strummed lightly. An excellent flat-picking or rhythm guitar as it can handle most any right hand attack. Excellent treble string power and fullness.

And it’s only $3,795.

Seriously, why am I telling you this? Nothing to see here, move along…

But if you must, check out the listing for more info.