Martin D-18 "Peter Fonda," Made in 1944

"A guitar only becomes part of history once it passes into someone’s hands."

Each guitar that finds its way into the hands of people around the world carries its own story.
It is precisely because we work with vintage guitars that we can understand the special emotions and experiences these instruments evoke.
While there are as many stories as there are instruments, sometimes a guitar becomes legendary simply because of "who played it."

For example,
the 1947 Gibson J-50 that Bob Dylan cherished during his early years, including on his debut album *Bob Dylan* (1962),
the 1939 Martin 000-42 used by Eric Clapton on his classic album *Unplugged*, and the 1959 Martin D-18E played by Kurt Cobain during his legendary *MTV Unplugged* performance.

Regardless of the intentions of their owners or the instruments themselves, these guitars have become objects of worship throughout history.
This phenomenon can truly be described as a unique occurrence specific to the world of music.

Throughout our store’s history,
we’ve had the opportunity to handle guitars imbued with the spirit of such musicians,
but among them, a certain guitar that has become a piece of “history” has now arrived at Advance Guitar.

That is the 1944 Martin D-18 we’re introducing today, which was owned by the renowned actor Peter Fonda.

Before getting into the main topic, we must first take a closer look at this 1944 Martin D-18. The vintage market has been booming worldwide in recent years, and a Martin guitar from the 1940s is something truly special in and of itself.

The year 1944, when this guitar was made, was in the midst of World War II—a time when the world was in turmoil due to the war. Even amid the chaos of wartime, Martin preserved its traditional craftsmanship, and this D-18, created by its artisans, is a special instrument in the history of the company—a so-called “wartime” guitar.

On December 8, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor marked the beginning of the war with Japan. As a result, metal—a vital military resource—could no longer be used as before, and Martin began to feel the impact. This particular guitar also exhibits distinctive specifications resulting from those circumstances.

First, let’s focus on the sharply edged headstock, which is characteristic of this era. The tuners feature open-back designs with plastic knobs manufactured by Kluson.

Until around 1942, the knobs were made of metal, but it is believed that the war forced a change in specifications.
Looking more closely at the details, we see that the metal bushings used to securely fasten the tuning pegs to the headstock are absent.
These subtle details offer a glimpse into the historical context of the time and are truly fascinating.

Next, let’s discuss the neck reinforcement: the “truss rod.”
Starting in 1934, Martin adopted a metal T-bar rod.
However, this particular instrument uses an ebony rod—a square piece of ebony
embedded inside the neck—as its reinforcement.

This is widely recognized as one of the specification changes brought about by the war.

That said, prior to 1934, this ebony rod was the standard, so one could view this as a return to the roots. Compared to a metal truss rod, it is lighter in weight, and it’s not hard to imagine that this affects the acoustic characteristics.
By reducing the weight of the neck, it maximizes the potential for neck resonance, allowing the player’s expression to be reflected more vividly in the sound.

*Excerpt from *Marti Guitars: A Technical Reference*

The wood used is also exceptional.
The top is made of Adirondack spruce, the sides and back of Honduran mahogany, and the fingerboard and bridge of ebony.
Wood that has been naturally aged over more than 80 years
cannot be replicated “exactly” even by Martin’s current top-of-the-line “Authentic Series.”

Another distinctive feature is that non-scalloped X-bracing began to be adopted starting this year.
Since the use of thick strings, such as heavy-gauge ones, was becoming the norm at the time, it is believed this bracing was introduced to ensure the instrument’s structural integrity.

The tone produced by this 1944 D-18, crafted from the combination of each of these individual pieces, feels as though it possesses both a beautiful, transparent delicacy and a powerful presence.
When you strum a chord, a delicate sound emerges, reminiscent of thin, translucent glass, and its resonance is as smooth and ephemeral as melting ice crystals.
And the melody of single notes is as clear as a cold, dry morning, filling the entire space with radiance.
On the other hand, deep strums add rich, voluminous bass tones, evoking a power akin to a large block of ice gently rippling the water’s surface.
This tone, where delicacy and power coexist, is truly unique to the D-18s of this era.

During the war, people sought hope and solace in music.
Acoustic guitars were surely expected to produce sounds that resonated deeply with people’s hearts.
I imagine this D-18 also played a role in transforming the hopes of that era into sound.
This is another special story behind this precious D-18.

It is the fact that this guitar was once owned by “Peter Fonda.”

Peter Fonda (1940–2019) was an American actor and film director. Born into the prestigious Fonda family of Hollywood, he made a name for himself in the film industry alongside his father, Henry Fonda, and his sister, Jane Fonda, and was active in film and television from the 1960s onward.
In particular, he starred in, wrote the screenplay for, and produced the 1969 film *Easy Rider*, becoming an iconic figure of the counterculture.

In 1977, the film *Outlaw Blues*, in which he starred, became a major talking point and is considered an important work of the American New Cinema. This film depicts young people who drift away from society in search of freedom, and it strongly reflects Fonda’s own libertarian spirit.

In his youth, Fonda attracted attention for his LSD experiences and anti-establishment remarks, and he is also known for having inspired the lyrics to The Beatles’ “She Said She Said.” As an embodiment of freedom and rebellion, he left a rare and distinctive mark on American film history.

And how did he actually play it?
The secret lies hidden in the body.

His unique playing style—holding a right-handed guitar left-handed—is evident in the playwear marks left on the opposite side of the standard pickguard. These marks symbolize just how seriously he engaged with his music and how completely he became one with his guitar.

The music he played when he picked up his guitar—on film sets and while traveling.
That music must have been filled with his own outlook on life and his longing for freedom.
Each and every one of these marks remains there today as a “memory” of this guitar, which walked alongside him throughout his life.

And there is a work through which anyone can connect with those “memories.”

The movie *Outlaw Blues*

This guitar was used in this film, one of his most iconic works.
You can actually see the raised marks where the pickguard was once raised, as well as the traces of stickers.

And that tone surely spoke for his feelings, resonating deeply in the hearts of viewers.
Perhaps the power of the guitar’s sound conveyed his soul’s quest for freedom, even without him having to say a word.