Martin D-19 190th-anniversary Acoustic Guitar – Dark Mahogany

Celebrating Nearly Two Centuries of Martin Guitars

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 Sweetwater 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!

Martin D-19 190th-anniversary Acoustic Guitar Features:

• Limited-edition model celebrating Martin’s 190th anniversary with a tribute to the short-lived D-19 model of the late 1970s and 1980s — only 190 models available worldwide!
• Stained Adirondack spruce top delivers massive projection and a crisp, powerful response
• Forward-shifted X-bracing supplies booming Martin bass and a touch-sensitive response
• Genuine mahogany back and sides deliver all the midrange warmth and harmonic depth found on Martin’s classic D-18 dreadnoughts
• Mahogany neck in a Modified Low Oval profile offers speedy playability from the first fret up to the 20th
• Gorgeous Guatemalan rosewood fingerboard in a standard Martin 16-inch radius
• Elegant multi-ply binding with a multi-strip rosette