Martin's D-18 and D-28 have been around for nearly a century, with so many separate series and variations created around them that one could write a whole guide teasing out the differences. (Luckily, we've done so in our "How To Choose a Martin.")
Four more variants of each are the first guitars Martin has unveiled in its 2023 lineup, including a pair of relic'd dreadnoughts that look like they've been loved for decades. Martin is also expanding on its Junior Series with four new bass models and a StreetMaster guitar, as well as adding two new ukuleles to the 2023 mix.
Junior Series Basses
Martin's Junior Series models are slightly smaller than the brand's standard builds, making them easier to play for smaller people, while still promising the same professional level of tone and volume.
The new DJR-10E Bass is being offered in a natural finish as well as a Burst variant and features a spruce top with sapele back and sides, a high-performance neck taper, 24-inch scale, and built-in Fishman electronics.
Two more new basses, the 000CJR-10E Bass and 000CJR-10E Bass Burst, are also available as of today.
These models share a lot of the same features as the aforementioned Junior basses—a 24-inch scale, built-in Fishman electronics, spruce tops with sapele backs and sides—but also feature a cutaway for easy access to upper frets.
000CJR-10E StreetMaster
Also joining the Junior Series is this 000CJR-10E StreetMaster guitar, promising players all of the gusto of an auditorium-style guitar at a smaller size. This guitar features a 24-inch scale length, thinner body, and high-performance neck taper which all contribute to its great feel and easy playability.
The 000CJR-10E StreetMaster will retail for $749.
New Ukuleles
Two new ukuleles will also be joining the 2023 lineup. The 0 Soprano Uke is the smallest ukulele Martin offers and features a top, back, and sides made from sinker mahogany that was reclaimed from a river bottom in Belize. "Sinker mahogany is denser," Martin says, "and offers slightly more harmonic complexity than regular mahogany." This uke will retail for $1,599.
The second new ukulele on offer this year, the SK1 Uke, is another small soprano-sized model that features a top, back, and sides crafted from koa—a wood native to Hawaii and a favorite of island players. This uke also features a hand-rubbed, ultra-thin finish and will retail at a more affordable $499 price point.
D-18 Authentic 1937 VTS Aged
Built to exacting historical specs—with the wood itself aged to match vintage resonance—Authentic Series models are some of the truest to Golden Era Martin guitars you can find.
The updated-for-2023 D-18 Authentic 1937 VTS Aged is a replica built with 1937-era materials and construction techniques (like the use of hide glue and forward-shifted X bracing). Martin says this guitar's body has "a more accurate body profile based on dreadnought shapes from the early Golden Era of Martin's history."
The D-18 Authentic 1937 VTS Aged will retail for $7,999.
D-18 Satin Amberburst
New to Martin's Standard Series the D-18 Satin Amberbust adds a little something not-standard in its satin sunburst finish. The different look stands out from the typical natural top, and it will help save you a few hundred dollars compared to the D-18 Standard.
Beyond their finishes, these models match: handbuilt by Martin luthiers, with spruce tops, mahogany back and sides, and all the tone and projection you expect from the iconic dreadnought. Styled after the guitars of old, while using a few modern construction techniques where they make sense.
The D-18 Satin Amberburst will retail for $2,399.
D-18 Satin
Another new member of the Standard Series, the D-18 Satin offers a closer-to-normal natural top, while still benefiting from the lower price of the satin finish.
Otherwise, the construction of this guitar is identical to the D-18 Satin Amberburst and D-18 Standard models.
The D-18 Satin will retail for $2,399.
D-18 StreetLegend
One last new D-18 doesn't look new at all. The D-18 StreetLegend has a relic'd finish that gives it the appearance of a beloved guitar that's toured for decades.
The D-18 StreetLegend will retail for $2,399.
D-28 Authentic 1937 VTS Aged
2023's updated model for the D-28 Authentic 1937 VTS Aged includes the vintage-style sound, feel, and materials of the Authentic Series, recreating an exceptional year of dreadnought construction.
It features Guatemalan rosewood for its back and sides, while the body has what Martin is calling "a more accurate body profile based on dreadnought shapes from the early Golden Era of Martin's history," the D-18 Authentic 1937 VTS Aged guitar mentioned earlier.
The D-28 Authentic 1937 VTS Aged will retail for $8,999.
D-28 Satin Amberburst
Joining the Standard Series, the new D-28 Satin Amberburst offers a unique finish for less than the current D-28 Standard model. That said, its appointments are still a bit more elevated than the D-18's.
The D-18 Satin Amberburst will retail for $2,799.
D-28 Satin
The D-28 Satin in natural will, as well, save you a few hundred dollars when compared to the D-28 Standard with the typical Martin finish. In all other ways, its identical to the other D-28s in the current series.
The D-18 Satin Amberburst will retail for $2,799.
D-28 StreetLegend
The D-28 StreetLegend is another new, relic'd wonder. It looks like a road dog but is in fact a brand new guitar.
Like the D-18 StreetLegend, the D-28 is worn to match some premium examples of vintage guitars from the Martin museum.
The D-28 StreetLegend will retail for $2,799.