Martin Guitars Custom Shop GP-18E

An Autumn Sunset Burst with Big Tone

Wildwoodians, this Custom Shop GP-18E has a beautifully evocative name for its finish, and it sounds even more exquisite than it looks! Its Grand Performance body makes it a versatile all-terrain vehicle capable of handling fingerstyle and pick playing with equal aplomb, and its tonewoods are magnificent. It has an Italian Alpine Spruce top, which gives it a supremely clear "wooden church bell" tone. And, its back and sides are made of sinker mahogany, which is pretty special, too.

If you're unfamiliar with sinker mahogany, here's a quick primer: centuries ago, the fastest way to get lumber to the mill was to float the freshly-cut logs down a river. Some of the denser logs sank and sat marinating in silt for decades. The minerals in the water permeated the wood (which was already quite dense) and made it harder. Once people started salvaging these long-lost logs, luthiers quickly realized that the reclaimed wood had amazing sonic properties.

Sinker mahogany exhibits many of the characteristics we love best about mahogany: warmth, woodiness, roundness, punchiness, and fast response time. But, because it is a bit denser, it produces more overtones across the board. So, there is more chime in the highs, more richness in the mids, and more mass in the lows.

We have no doubt this spectacular GP-18E will inspire you to harness the power of sinker mahogany and vanquish all comers in the acoustic arena!