Martin Guitars Wildwood Spec Custom Shop 000-18 - Quilted Sapele

Sonic Evaluation

Your eyes do not deceive you: this is a Custom Shop 000 with gorgeous quilted sapele back and sides with a Style 45 Rosette and a Style 45 Inlays. Why? Well, we thought it would look awesome, and there's no adult supervision at Wildwood to tell us no, so why not? This decked-out 000-18 has a different voice than the others because of those beautiful back and sides, too. Sapele is warm and punchy like mahogany, but it has more top-end chime, which coats the high-end of each chord in a lovely sparkly sheen. The Adirondack spruce top has also undergone Martin's Vintage Tone System treatment, which basically torrefies the moisture out of the wood and ages the guitar prematurely, giving it the same chemical composition as a vintage Martin. It all makes for a woody, warm, punchy-sounding guitar with a little extra sparkle.

It's also as versatile as it is beautiful. Fingerstyle players will fall in love with its round attack, its warmth, its pure fundamental response, and its exceptional note separation. Flatpickers will dig it for its powerful midrange punch, its well-mannered yet booming low-end, and its trebles, which have juuuuuuust the right amount of jangle. If you like to do both, you're in luck! Anyone looking for an elegant-looking Martin with a workhorse personality and a warm, woody voice will love this audacious 000-18!