
( Brand: Hondo ), ( Model: H-18 ), ( Part Type: Guitar ), ( Size: Full Size ), ( String Configuration: 6 String ), ( Dexterity: Right-handed ), ( Model Year: Early 1980s ), ( Body Type: Dreadnought ), ( Soundboard Style: Flat Top ), ( Body Material: Mahogany ), ( Country/region Of Manufacture: Japan )
Introducing the Hondo H-18 Martintown Limited Edition acoustic guitar, an exceptional instrument that combines classic design, premium tone, and eye-catching aesthetics. This model is a collaboration between Hondo and Martintown, combining Hondo's craftsmanship with Martintown's unique finishing process.
Body:The Hondo H-18 Martintown Limited Edition guitar boasts a solid Sitka spruce top, combined with mahogany back and sides. The solid wood construction ensures superior tone and responsiveness, providing rich and dynamic sound ideal for various music genres. The classic H-18 body shape, with its single cutaway and narrow waist, offers exceptional playability.
Neck and Fingerboard:The neck is made of mahogany and features a comfortably slim profile, making it perfect for players with smaller hands or preferring a more contemporary feel. The 14-fret fingerboard sports 20 frets, with dot inlays and a 25.375-inch (644mm) scale length.
Hardware:The Hondo H-18 Martintown Limited Edition guitar comes equipped with a chrome open-gear tuning machine for accurate and stable tuning. In addition, it sports a sealed 5-ply body binding, purfling, and rosette, adding a touch of elegance and durability to the instrument.
Finish:The Martintown finishing process is what sets this limited edition Hondo apart from others. It undergoes the Martintown "sunburst aging" process, which simulates the effects of aging and sun fading without compromising the structural integrity of the guitar. This unique finish creates an authentic, weathered look while allowing the wood grain to shine through, making each guitar a one-of-a-kind piece.
Additional Features:This Hondo H-18 Martintown Limited Edition guitar also includes a unique, collectible serial number on the label and the back of the headstock. It comes with a deluxe humidified hardshell case, providing optimal protection during transportation and storage.
Overall, the Hondo H-18 Martintown Limited Edition solid wood acoustic guitar is a stunning instrument, ideal for intermediate to advanced players seeking impressive tonal characteristics, outstanding craftsmanship, and exotic visual appeal. With its solid wood construction, premium hardware, and distinctive finishing process, this guitar is truly a standout piece in any musician's collection.
The Hondo 18 Copy Martingale Solidbody Electric Guitar is a budget-friendly option for those who wish to own a Martingale H-18 style guitar without paying the high price tag of the original model. let's examine the pros and cons of buying this Hondo variant:
Pros:1. Affordable: The primary advantage of the Hondo 18 Copy Martingale is its reasonable price. It is an excellent option for beginners or hobbyists who wish to explore the Martingale H-18 sound without breaking the bank.
2. Decent Build Quality: The Hondo 18 Copy Martingale boasts good build quality for its price range. It features a solid mahogany body, maple neck, and a rosewood fretboard.
3. Authentic Tone: The H-18 is known for its distinctive archtop jazzbox tone. The Hondo 18 Copy Martingale delivers a comparable, but slightly different tone. The guitar's laminated top, however, may not provide the same resonance and depth as a solid archtop top.
4. Playability: The guitar's set neck and 14-inch radius fretboard ensure good playability, as they offer a comfortable playing experience and facilitate fast and easy bending.
Cons:1. Laminated top: The guitar features a laminated spruce top instead of the solid arched top found in the original Martingale H-18. This laminated top may not resonate the same way as a solid archtop top and may not deliver the same tone depth and clarity.
2. Finish: The Hondo 18 Copy Martingale's finish may not be up to par with higher-end guitars. The finish might not be as smooth, and there may be some imperfections or inconsistencies.
3. Imperfect hardware: The tune-o-matic bridge, tailpiece, and tuning keys might not be as precise as those found on more expensive guitars. This could result in occasional tuning stability issues.
4. Limited availability and brand reputation: The Hondo 18 Copy Martingale is not as widely available as other guitars in this price range or those offered by more well-known brands. While the brand may not have the same reputation as Martingale or other high-end manufacturers.
Conclusion:The Hondo 18 Copy Martingale Solidbody Electric Guitar is an affordable alternative to the pricier Martingale H-18. It offers good build quality, decent playability, and reasonable sound quality, but its laminated top and imperfect hardware do impact its overall performance and value proposition.
Recommendation:If you are on a tight budget and looking for a Martingale H-18 style guitar, the Hondo 18 Copy Martingale is a solid option. However, you should weigh its pros and cons carefully and only consider it if you're okay with its limitations. If you want to invest in a guitar that offers better overall performance, better hardware, or a more accurate tone, consider looking into intermediate or professional-level guitars priced slightly higher.
Truss rod turns freely. Comes with its original soft shell case. This guitar looks like it was bought new back in the early 1980by someone intent on one day learning to play guitar, but for whatever reason they just never got around it, and sat its case all these years untouched.
USA sales only. Grover automatic tuners. All original, nothing added or taken away.
Fresh strings put on, sounds great. These are allot more scarce, especially in this condition. Dead ringer for a martin d-18, even the script on head stock is copy. This guitar is from my personal collection of Japanese lawsuit acoustics.
Action is very playable not low, high, intonation where it should be. No dents, scratches, repairs, cracks, nothing. This is an early made in japan Hondo.
The Hondo ii that came out some years later was made in Korea.