Introduced in the late 1970s, the short-lived Martin D-19 was intended to refresh the looks of the classic D-18 with a more elegant and understated flair. To celebrate nearly 200 years of guitar making, the D-19 190th anniversary brings back Martin’s legendary mahogany-stained, spruce-topped dreadnought into the 21st century! This guitar is essentially a premium-grade D-18 with a host of refined aesthetic features in place of the D-18’s usual rustic charm, brandishing a mahogany-stained Adirondack spruce top and mahogany back and sides. Next, a slim mahogany Low Oval Profile supports a 16-inch-radius Guatemalan rosewood fingerboard that feels smooth and glassy under your fingers. It’s finished with gorgeous multi-ply body binding and a matching multi-stripe rosette that’s sure to turn heads. Limited to a mere 190 models worldwide, the Martin D-19 190th anniversary is all but guaranteed to live up to the original D-19’s lofty legacy as a much-sought-after 6-string classic.

Premium Adirondack spruce top

At the one-time standard on every spruce-topped Martin, the D-19 190th anniversary’s Adirondack spruce top is a top-of-the-line feature that sets this guitar apart from the modern Martin pack. While it’s more of a personal preference than an undeniable “upgrade,” Adirondack is a supremely stiff spruce that’s ideal for players who value volume and headroom above all else, with an unmatched projection among the guitar world’s various top woods. Plus, while the D-19 190th anniversary’s massive acoustic power is sure to impress right out of the box, Adirondack is famous for its tendency to age, develop, and improve in tone over time.

In a mahogany kind of mood

When picking out your dream Martin, just about the very first question you must ask is “mahogany or rosewood”? Almost every standard-series Martin guitar’s body sports one of these time-tested timbers, with each tonewood supplying its own distinctive voice and character. The D-19 favors genuine mahogany back and sides, producing a crisp and warm response that’s a favorite among lead-playing bluegrass flatpickers and strummers seeking a well-focused tone. And while mahogany tends to be just a touch lighter on the low end compared to rosewood, this D-19 190th anniversary instrument’s booming bass goes toe to toe with any other dreadnought that Music Experience has to offer.

One after D-18

Few guitars boast a legacy quite like Martin’s mighty D-18 dreadnought. It’s a guitar with a résumé that covers the greatest rock musicians, bluegrass flatpickers, and country strummers in music history, enjoying universal popularity for almost all of its near-century-long lifespan. One of the few dips in popularity in the D-18’s history came in the late 1970s, prompting Martin to release a sort of “Deluxe” version with a more refined and understated appearance. And thus, the D-19 was born. Very much designed in the D-18 tradition from a construction point of view, the D-19’s alterations are mainly cosmetic, with the largest certainly being its dark brown stained spruce top — a quality that leads many tonewood aficionados to mistake it for mahogany at first glance!.

What Martin Says...

"One hundred and ninety years ago, on November 6th, my great, great, great grandfather and grandmother and their two children arrived in New York City from Germany. They came to America seeking opportunity and freedom. They initially settled at 196 Hudson Street and opened the first Martin Guitar workshop in the New World. I was looking for a way for us to celebrate this milestone. In 1976 (the anniversary of the founding of our nation) we introduced the D-19. It was designed as an upmarket D-18. We stained the top to utilize spruce that was cosmetically challenged. An early nod to sustainability. I thought it would be appropriate to dust off that model designation and make 190 contemporary D-19s to honor our 190th anniversary. This model also embraces sustainability by utilizing cosmetically challenged Adirondack spruce tops that we have had in inventory for a while. We sent them through our Mimaki printer to achieve a figured mahogany look for the top. Hope you like it." - C.F. Martin IV