Tracy Grammer's 2002 Martin D-18GE For Sale ("Chaka")

  • Serial Number 915792. Made in 2002.
  • New list in 2018: $4,949 (per Martin Guitars). List in 2002: $3,729.
  • Purchased new 3/12/2003 from Elderly Instruments, Lansing MI.
  • The D18GE model has been discontinued by Martin, so you know what that means: collector’s item!
  • Includes LR Baggs IBeam Active Acoustic Guitar Pickup System, a used Calton flight case, and a certificate of authenticity regarding prior ownership
  • Top (interior) is signed by Chris Martin.
  • ​One owner. Richard Shindell played this guitar for about six months beginning 3/24/15, and added the “CHOCHA” sticker to the case exterior
  • All repairs done by Jim Loewenhertz (Portland OR) and Jane Hamel (Easthampton MA)
  • ​Preference given to fans and friends. Questions? Write me.
  • Note: Price does not include shipping and handling.

Modifications:
What makes this one special:
The crisp, deep, detailed voice of this guitar, its lightweight construction, its easy playability, and its handsome sunburst are more than enough to sell this beautiful instrument. But it also has a good story, having served as my anchor, my armor, and a voice I could trust when I wasn’t so sure about my own during my recovery from partner loss in 2002. Fair to say this big guitar gave me strength and shelter and a sound all my own as I figured out how to be a solo artist. We traveled the world together, opening for Joan Baez, serenading Parisians in a French dungeon, crooning in the Canadian Rockies, cutting through the smoky din in a Dutch bar. She’s been the envy of guitar nerds since the day I got her; many have come up to play her at the end of my shows, which has been great fun. Jim Henry, Rob Schnell, and Michael Kurman played her on tours with me, and Richard Shindell took her out for about six months in 2015. She is a righteous presence on stage and in the studio and made several records with me, including THE VERDANT MILE, FLOWER OF AVALON, BOOK OF SPARROWS, and LOW TIDE.
    She’s no museum piece. I played this guitar. Scratches and dings are part of what happens with a touring instrument. She was manhandled by the TSA some before I got the Calton case, and shows little chewy nicks on her headstock and a few small cracks along the sides and lower back that have been sealed and smoothed by expert luthiers. Despite these cosmetic flaws, this guitar boasts a big, confident, crystalline sound. She is beautifully broken in after 14 good years of use, and ready to sing with you.

Why I’m selling her:
Chaka is lightweight, but she is BIG. I have thoracolumbar scoliosis and have been warned by several chiropractors and physical therapists that if I want to keep playing, I need a smaller guitar, STAT. I thought about keeping her for studio work, but even short sessions bring pain. It’s taken me two years to acknowledge that it’s time to let her go. So I’m hoping to find a fan or a friend to take this baby and run with her. Play her. Appreciate her. Sing with her. And I’ll keep looking for my next partner in song, my next perfect fit.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them. Thank you for your interest.
tg 12.20.18


​2002 Martin D-18GE Sunburst and flight case: $3,250.

Factory Details

Factory details below are cribbed from the Martin site. I encourage you to check it out on your own here.

SPECIFICATIONS OVERVIEW
BODY SIZE: D-14 Fret
FINISH TOP: Gloss
CONSTRUCTION: Dovetail Neck Joint
BACK & SIDE FINISH: Gloss
BRACING PATTERN: Forward Shifted X Brace
SCALE LENGTH: 25.4"
BRACE SHAPE: Scalloped
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT NUT: 1 3/4''
TOP MATERIAL: Adirondack Spruce
NECK SHAPE: Modified V
BACK MATERIAL: Genuine Mahogany
NECK TAPER: Standard Taper
SIDE MATERIAL: Genuine Mahogany
ELECTRONICS: LR Baggs IBeam

TOP
TOP COLOR: 1935 Sunburst
BRIDGE STYLE: 1930 Style Belly - Glue in Long Saddle
BINDING: Black
BRIDGE STRING SPACING: 2 5/16''
TOP INLAY MATERIAL: Multi-Stripe
BRIDGE MATERIAL: Ebony
TOP DETAIL: N/A
BRIDGE PIN MATERIAL: Black Plastic
PICKGUARD: Faux Tortoise
BRIDGE PIN DOTS: N/A
PICKGUARD INLAY: N/A
SADDLE: Bone
ROSETTE: Multi-Stripe
SADDLE RADIUS: 16"
BODY
BRACE MATERIAL: Adirondack Spruce
BACK & SIDES COLOR: Dark Mahogany
BRACE SIZE: 5/16"
BACK DETAIL: N/A
BACK PURFLING/STRIP: Style 18
BACK INLAY MATERIAL: N/A
HEELCAP: Ebony
SIDE DETAIL: N/A
ENDPIECE: Faux Tortoise
SIDE INLAY MATERIAL: N/A
ENDPIECE INLAY: N/A​

NECK
NECK MATERIAL: Select Hardwood
FINGERBOARD MATERIAL: Ebony
FINISH NECK: Satin
FINGERBOARD WIDTH AT 12TH FRET: 2 1/4''
NECK COLOR: Dark Mahogany
FINGERBOARD INLAY STYLE: Old Style 18
NUMBER OF FRETS TOTAL: 20
FINGERBOARD INLAY MATERIAL: Abalone
NECK JOINS BODY AT: 14th Fret
FINGERBOARD BINDING MATERIAL: N/A
SIDE DOTS: Yellow
RECOMMENDED STRINGS: SP LIFESPAN 92/8 PHOSPHOR BRONZE MEDIUM (MSP7200)
​
HEADSTOCK
HEADSTOCK SHAPE: Solid with Square Taper
TUNING MACHINES: Nickel Open Gear
HEADPLATE MATERIAL: Brazilian Rosewood
KNOB: Butterbean
HEADPLATE LOGO STYLE: Script Golden Era Overlay
NUT MATERIAL: Bone
HEADPLATE BINDING MATERIAL: N/A
​​