Martin D-45 Dreadnought Steel String Guitar ✓

The Martin D-45 has been the top of the line in the Martin Guitar Company’s line of regular production instruments since its initial introduction in 1933, and its re-introduction in 1968. It has normally been used by the most prominent, top shelf artists on the largest stages.

Production of the Martin D-45 halted in 1942 due to wartime pressures, with 96 built from 1933. Martin re-introduced the model in 1968, but with some modernization changes, particularly the use of Indian Rosewood in place of Brazilian, and with Sitka Spruce for the tops instead of Adirondack Spruce. Adirondack had been discontinued for instruments in the early years of WW2 due to depletion of stocks, and anything available was used for aircraft components.

The Martin D45 is a distinctive guitar. It is based on a full sized dreadnought design and built similarly to the D-28 with Spruce top, and Rosewood for the sides, back and head plate. Mahogany is used for the neck, body blocks, linings and back braces and Ebony for the bridge and bound fingerboard. However, it also has distinctive inlays of Abalone or Puau shell for the C F Martin headstock inlay, Style 45 hexagonal position markers, rosette and purfling. On the Martin D-45, the use of coloured shell includes purfling – a trim layer to the inside edge of the binding – on the top and back, and on the sides. For the top and sides, the shell purfling traces the outline including the fingerboard on the top and the heel on the sides.

This Martin D-45 is brand new, built at the Martin plant in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and its serial number dates its construction to 2022. On a Martin, the serial number is impressed into the heel block, and is visible through the soundhole. Its location means that the serial number is applied quite early in the construction of the guitar – before the top or back are installed. The guitar will be completed some time later, and come out of the finishing booths weeks after that. Lacquer finishes take some time to apply and to fully cure.

Martin D-45’s are fairly expensive guitars, and this one really feels, and importantly, sounds like it – it delivers on its price. Though it is new and its voice is as yet undeveloped and immature, it has a remarkably warm, rich, enveloping bass and mid with matching high end sparkle. It plays very comfortably, and looks great.

But critical to any guitar is its tone, and this is one of the best sounding dreadnoughts we’ve seen for some time. In our store right now, one of the very few guitars to sound better is a pre-war, 1941 Martin D-28 (at over five times the price).

The orignal Martin Geib style hard shell case is included.