Martin D18 or 000-18

Jonathanthomas83

Went to Denmark street to drool over guitars yesterday and ended up trying a few guitars:

• Fender Paramount (P1?) - hmmm, attractive guitar but not for me
• Taylor 700 and 800 series something or another - lovely looking but too bright for my current tastes
• Maton (beautiful!)
• Avalon (amazing)
• Lowden (WOW!)
• Martin D28, D35, D18 and 000-18 and another I can't remember

Sorry, can't remember the models of most. I loved the Maton and the Lowden was on another planet. But the stand out for me and my tastes was either the D18 or the 000-18. 

I'm torn though, the 000-18 felt more comfortable but the D18 had something about it...they both sound gorgeous to my ears. Lovely, lovely guitars.

Am I missing anything or discounting a guitar that I should be looking at?

BigLicks67

Soundwise the D18 has a wider scope and is more versatile, whilst the 000-18 is comfier and easier to play due to the shorter scale. So it depends where your preferences are and what type of stuff you are playing. If you are an out and out strummer go for the D18.

Koa

I don't think you can go wrong with either of those Martin models, different tone though as you've found. Body size makes a huge difference to the sound. I love the huge sound only a dreadnought can achieve but my 000 is my guitar of choice around the house, my kitchen guitar, surprisingly your ears become accustomed to the 'smaller' sound, it's all about dynamics too, i.e. What kind of player are you? Pick, finger style or strum.....

Jonathanthomas83

Thanks, guys, I love the fullness of sound on both. I love big chords and open chords. But I'm learning to do a lot more picking and single note arpeggio stuff. Fingerstyle is another ball game and I'm rubbish at it, be nice to have the option., though I imagine fingerstyle wouldn't be difficult with either of them. My heart says get the D18 for the big sound, but my head really, really likes the 000-18...like you, I'll be playing it around the house a lot more than taking it out.

VimFuego

it's always tricky questions like this, cos it kinda depends on what you want and the sort of music you play. For me, even for strummy strummy stuff, I prefer a more balanced sound, so I'd probably go for the 000, even more so as I play a lot of fingerstyle as well. I don't really do the single note kinda flatpicking. However, if you do a lot of flatpicking, then I'd go for the D in a heartbeat.

However, you won't go far wrong with either, I've yet to play a Martin I didn't like.

Lewy

You can flatpick on either, although flatpicking on the smaller bodied guitars tends to work best for players with a lighter touch. If you want to rip out Doc Watson tunes, and big rest stroke bass runs, go for the dread every time.

jellyroll

Leave it a few days and then go back and try them both again. I'll give you good odds that you end up with something else entirely. IME the "right" guitar leaps out...and there is no decision to make.  

jellyroll

PS Go to Ivor Mairants if you haven't already. Try the Brooks and Atkins and the used Kronbauer...

ICBM

Do you want to sound more like Neil Young, or more like Eric Clapton?

OK, they don't play those exact models, but the character of their sounds is pretty illustrative of the D and OOO sizes.

Or alternatively you could end up with both… I didn't mean to buy a Gibson dreadnought *and* a Gibson orchestra-size, it just somehow happened .

Jonathanthomas83

Which style does Clapton play?

Johnspreyer

It's sometimes a help to go and sit at the other side of the room/shop while someone else plays them for you to listen.

Lewy

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Which style does Clapton play?

000-28

Jonathanthomas83

Ahhhh, that could be the one, you know!

@Johnspreyer, nice idea!

octatonic

Dreadnoughts don't really do it for me.
I'd always go for an 000, or an OM.

AliGorie

Lewy said:

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Which style does Clapton play?

000-28

thats Claptons style on an 000-28 - if you like what he does - well 'n good.
The MTV Unplugged has a lot to answer for, including Rod Stewart (sp) Unplugged WTF.
Just people milking they're back catalogue - on acoustic - don't mean they're 'acoustic players'.
As for Claptons (acoustic) tone - ??? I only hear a 'plugged in' tone.
Sure he's big in electric circles  - ok
I'd like to see him )only him) walk on stage with a Greenfield or Michi Matsuda (read cutting edge instrument) and play half an hour (or more) of original music - from now.
rant over  

Lewy

AliGorie said:

Lewy said:

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Which style does Clapton play?

000-28

thats Claptons style on an 000-28 - if you like what he does - well 'n good.
The MTV Unplugged has a lot to answer for, including Rod Stewart (sp) Unplugged WTF.
Just people milking they're back catalogue - on acoustic - don't mean they're 'acoustic players'.
As for Claptons (acoustic) tone - ??? I only hear a 'plugged in' tone.
Sure he's big in electric circles  - ok
I'd like to see him )only him) walk on stage with a Greenfield or Michi Matsuda (read cutting edge instrument) and play half an hour (or more) of original music - from now.
rant over  

I'm not a Clapton fan boy, but he's totally a legit acoustic player - he plugs in a lot because he plays massive stadiums

And I think he could pretty comfortably fill 30 mins of originals!

Jalapeno

I found the D series a tad too whumpy ( © Lewy ) when strummed, not very subtle (or pleasant).  Maybe they mellow with age ... ?

Swapped my HD35 for a similarly specced 000 - (he wanted more oomph. I wanted less - win:win !

Lewy

Jalapeno said:

I found the D series a tad too whumpy ( © Lewy ) when strummed, not very subtle (or pleasant).  Maybe they mellow with age ... ?

Swapped my HD35 for a similarly specced 000 - (he wanted more oomph. I wanted less - win:win !

Although the HD35 is a special case when it comes to whumpitude (scalloped 1/4" bracing on a dread top is just a step too far imo). I don't think D18s are whumpy. Thumpy, but not whumpy.

AliGorie

Lewy said:

AliGorie said:

Lewy said:

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Which style does Clapton play?

000-28

thats Claptons style on an 000-28 - if you like what he does - well 'n good.
The MTV Unplugged has a lot to answer for, including Rod Stewart (sp) Unplugged WTF.
Just people milking they're back catalogue - on acoustic - don't mean they're 'acoustic players'.
As for Claptons (acoustic) tone - ??? I only hear a 'plugged in' tone.
Sure he's big in electric circles  - ok
I'd like to see him )only him) walk on stage with a Greenfield or Michi Matsuda (read cutting edge instrument) and play half an hour (or more) of original music - from now.
rant over  

I'm not a Clapton fan boy, but he's totally a legit acoustic player - he plugs in a lot because he plays massive stadiums

And I think he could pretty comfortably fill 30 mins of originals!

oh ok Lewy - just a bit to contrived for me - Mary Whitehouse hair fop / architects glasses / vintage Martins and music from last century - not to mention the white blues thing.
BTW I meant original 'new' music - remember what Michael Hedges was doing on acoustic guitar over 30 yrs ago ? - wonder what he'd be doing if HE was still alive ?.

Jonathanthomas83

@AliGorie I don't get people who moan about music or musicians, if you don't like it, don't listen, which I'm sure you don't, but it's strange to me to hear anyone feel the need to bash a decent hard working musician, no matter their taste in music.

VimFuego

Jalapeno said:

I found the D series a tad too whumpy ( © Lewy ) when strummed, not very subtle (or pleasant).  Maybe they mellow with age ... ?

Swapped my HD35 for a similarly specced 000 - (he wanted more oomph. I wanted less - win:win !

odd you thought that. I only played it once but I seem to recall thnking your HD35 was a pretty well balanced guitar.