Vintage guitars that bear the soul of a movie legend."

"A guitar is history only when it is in the hands of a human being."

Each guitar that passes through the hands of people around the world bears a story of its own.
Because we work with vintage guitars, we understand the special emotions and experiences that each instrument holds.
While there are as many stories as there are instruments, sometimes a guitar becomes legendary because of who it has been in the hands of.

For example,
Bob Dylan's debut album, Bob Dylan (1962), and other early favorites 1947 Gibson J-50、
Eric Clapton used it on his famous album "Unplugged Martin 000-42 made in 1939、And Kurt Cobain's legendary "MTV Unplugged" gig. 1959 Martin D-18E。

These guitars became objects of worship throughout history, regardless of the intentions of their owners or the instruments themselves.
This phenomenon is unique to the world of music.

In our history as well,
We have had the opportunity to touch guitars with the souls of musicians in our history,
One guitar in particular that has become "history" has now made its way into Advance Guitars.

That is the guitar we are introducing this time!This is a 1944 Martin D-18 owned by the famous actor "Peter Fonda".

Before going into the main topic, we must focus on the 1944 Martin D-18. The vintage market is booming worldwide these days, and a Martin guitar from the 1940s is something special.

The year this guitar was born, 1944, was during World War II, a time when the world was at war. Even in the chaos of wartime, Martin kept its traditional techniques and craftsmen produced this D-18, which is a very special guitar in the history of Martin, a so-called "war time" guitar.

On December 8, 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the war with Japan broke out, and the traditional use of metal, a military commodity, became unavailable, and Martin was affected. This particular guitar also has some unique specifications.

First of all, we would like to focus on the sharp-edged headstock, which is unique to this period. The tuners are open backs with plastic knobs made by Crewdson.

Until around 1942, the knobs were also made of metal, but it is thought that the war forced a change in specifications.
Looking at further details, the metal bushings that hold the pegs securely to the headstock are not used.
It is very interesting to see the background of the time period from such detailed specifications.

Next, let us look at the neck reinforcement material, the truss rod.
Since 1934, Martin had been using a metal T-bar rod.
However, on this particular model, the ebony wood is processed into a square bar shape,
Ebony rod is used as a reinforcement material, which is embedded inside the neck.

This is widely known as one of the war-influenced specification changes.
However, before 1934, ebony rods were standard, and this can be seen as a return to the roots.
Compared to a metal truss rod, it is lighter in weight, and it is not difficult to imagine that it also affects the acoustics.
The lighter weight of the neck maximizes the potential of the neck sound, and the player's expression is reflected more clearly in the sound.

Excerpt from Marti Guitars : A Technical Reference

The wood used is also special.
Adirondack spruce for the top, Honduras mahogany for the sides and back, and ebony for the fingerboard and bridge.
The wood is naturally aged after more than 80 years of use,
Even today's top-of-the-line "Authentic Series" Martin guitars will never be "exactly the same".

From this year Non-scalloped X-bracing was also one of the features that began to be used.
It is believed that this was introduced to secure the strength of the instrument, since thick strings such as heavy gauge were the mainstream at that time.

The tone produced by the 1944 D-18, which is a combination of these individual pieces, is both beautiful, transparent, and delicate, as well as powerful.
When a chord is struck, a delicate sound reminiscent of thin, clear glass rises to the surface, and the afterglow is smooth and fleeting, like the melting of ice crystals.
And the single-note melody is as clear as a cold, dry morning, bringing brilliance to the entire space.
On the other hand, the deep strokes add a rich, voluptuous bass that gives a sense of power, like a large block of ice quietly shimmering on the surface of the water.
The tone, where delicacy and power coexist, can be said to be unique to the D-18 of this era.

During the war, people looked to music for hope and healing.
Acoustic guitars must have been required to have a sound that resonated with people's hearts and minds.
I imagine that the D-18 also played a role in transforming such wishes of the times into sound.
This precious D-18 has another special story to tell.

It was once owned by Peter Fonda.

Peter Fonda (1940-2019) was an American actor and film director. Born into the Fonda family of Hollywood fame, he made a name for himself in the film industry with his father Henry Fonda and sister Jane Fonda, working in film and television from the 1960s.
In particular, he starred in, wrote, and produced the 1969 film Easy Rider, which became an icon of the counterculture.

In 1977, he starred in the film "Outlaw Blues," which became a hot topic and is considered an important work of the American New Cinema. In this film, he portrayed a young man on the outskirts of society in search of freedom, and his own liberal spirit is strongly reflected in the film.

As a young man, Fonda gained attention for his LSD experiences and anti-establishment statements, and is credited with inspiring the lyrics to the Beatles' "She Said She Said. His embodiment of freedom and rebellion has left a rare presence in American film history.

And how he actually played it?
The secret is hidden in the body.

the guitar for right-handed players.Left-handed guitarsHis unique technique of playing right-handed guitars left-handed can be seen in the playing scars on the opposite side of the pickguard. This scar symbolizes how seriously he took his music and became one with his guitar.

The music he played on set and on the road with his guitar.
The music he played on set and on his travels must have been filled with his own views on life and his desire for freedom.
Each of these scars still exists as a "memory" of this guitar that walked with him through his life.

And there is a work that everyone can touch the "memory".

The film "Outlaw Blues

It was used in this film, his masterpiece.
You can actually see a raised mark on one part of the pickguard and a sticker mark.

The tone of the guitar would have represented his thoughts and deeply touched the hearts of the viewers.
The power of the guitar's sound may have conveyed his soul's search for freedom without his own words.