Elvis' 1942 Martin D-18

Elvis Presley's 1942 Martin D-18  #80221
Photo© courtesy Michael Malone, DMX Music, Inc.

This Martin D-18 bearing serial #80221 was manufactured on January 15, 1942 at the Martin factory in Nazareth, PA.  Sometime after November of 1954 Elvis traded his Martin 000-18 for a (reputedly this) 1942 Martin D-18 at O.K. Houck Piano Co. in Memphis.  The guitar was $175.00 but Sid Lapworth said he gave him his $79.50 purchase price of the 000-18 in trade for it.  The D-18 was used for performing and recording until sometime after June 15 of 1955 at which time he purchased and started using a Martin D-28*. 

Note the excessive wear due to Elvis' aggressive strumming style.  Scotty has said "He’d break strings all the time.  In the early days he’d just keep beatin’ on it until we got through the set."  Like the 000-18 he used stick on letter's spelling "ELVIS" on the top, only on the D-18 they were positioned in a parallel orientation.   Bill Black also applied "BILL" likewise to his bass.  This guitar, reputed to be Elvis', was on loan to the Country Music Hall of Fame from 1974 until 1991 (the 'S' on the letters long since missing) when it was sold at auction in the U.S. to a British collector.  On May 14, 1993 it sold again at auction by Christies in London to Michael Malone for $151,700 who then had it on loan in 1998 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  It is currently on display at the corporate offices of DMX Music, Inc in Seattle, WA.

Photo© courtesy T. Bacon "The Ultimate Guitar Book" 

 
Scotty with ES 295 and Elvis with Martin D18 (1955)
Photo© courtesy of Louisiana Hayride Archives - J. Kent

The Martin D-18 has a 40 1/2" total length, a 20" body length, 15 5/8" body width  and a 4 7/8" body depth.  It features a solid Mahogany neck, 20 fret Rosewood fingerboard with a 25.4" scale length, solid Spruce top, Mahogany back and sides, Rosewood bridge, Black Boltaron® endpiece and Black/White binding.

Elvis pictured playing both his D28 and a 2nd D18 in Ft Worth, TX April 20, 1956

*Several photos exist of Elvis with a D-18 in 1956 from the 5th and 6th appearances on the Dorsey Brother's Stage show in NY in March, at the San Diego Arena on April 5 and with Liberace in Las Vegas in late April that is not this one as well as other performances too.  They appear to be the same guitar at those appearances though they bear no letters spelling "Elvis" which suggests he likely owned and traveled with second D-18 for a time while regularly performing with his D-28.  It seems to always be held on with a knotted string as a strap.

specifications courtesy C.F. Martin Co.