Martin D-18E Research

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"CF Martin fitted this version with an irregular ope in their flat-tops. The 00-18E had one pickup, while the D-18E and D-28E had two each. Note the two different locations for the bridge pickups in the first and third photos above."

This particular version of the DeArmond Model 2000 pickups were fitted on the D-18E which Kurt Cobain used for MTV Unplugged. I was just looking for fun for the prices of the pickups since it seems the guitar isn't being made anymore and the pickups are... somewhere.

The guitar itself, here's a review. I just love that feedback, and the sound is phenomenal.

Another thing, if anyone cares to do even more extensive research, is there an acoustic guitar close to the specs of the Martin D-18E that I may use to slap on some of those DeArmond pickups to replicate that sound?

yeah, that's one of those early attempts at an electrified acoustic like the Gibson jumbo with the P90 jidden behind under the neck joint before the soundhole starts that the beatles were so fond of... you see these crazy Martins with DeArmond(s) around periodically... like at guitar shows... the awesome pickups are wasted on a acoustic... they are a gretsch "dynasonic" in a slightly different cover/surround. They are what the LP custom's A5 "staple picup" knocks off. Seth Lover thought the DeArmonds adjustable magnet pickup was the nicest sounding pickup ever made so he copied it before inventing the humbucker.

there are a million guitars you can slap DeArmods on to ge the D18 sound, but they won't sound like an old one. its also a waste f time. THe pickups are more suited to electric. Youa re busy admiring a player whose tone is in their hands and not thinking about what's suitable for acoustic.... just trust me.

Sounds like you're not fond of it. Personally I kinda like the idea, and like I said, the feedback from such a light overdrive is fantastic. Also, I'm a fan of bells and whistles. Just like the idea.

So, you got any suggestions? Any guitars that are pretty much the same thing?

any dreadnought from old growth wood with a thin finish... spruce top required... its not a special guitar, dude

also, I do not get what that video is all about, what a crappy sound and crappy playing by a crapy Morissey clone

Haha, it looks special to me, mate, and it sounds special. Then again, the guy reviewing it commented that it doesn't even function as an acoustic guitar because of the pickups. It even has electric strings strapped on.

Maybe it's just the pickups.

the pickups won't work with acoustic strings as they have lots of non-ferrous metals and jack shit for magnetic field (the strings, the pickups have lots of wire winds around individually adjustable A5 poles, wow)... these guitars are all bad implementation of technology... to be fair I think Kurt Cobain used a guitar like this with 1 DeArmond on the unplugged performance we all liked so much in the 90s, but even at the time no one ever accused Kurt of sounding good or being a 1/4 way decent player

dearmond 200 pickups are amazing... I had a gretsch with the current dynasonic verions of them and a guild with original white bobbins (briefly, want another).... they have the worst 60 cycle single coil hum known to man, but apart from that are GLORIOUS

you can go to a guitar show and get the slanty cover martin version of these pickups for a couple hundred bucks a pair or you can get TV Jones' T-Armond replicas that are great.... get a matin dreadnought made of the right woods and install the setup, then wait 50 or 60 years until the wood ages in and you can get this stupid sound

LOL a bit mad, aren't we? Not such a fan? I suppose being a very seasoned guitarist would cause oneself to cringe at the idea of a perfectly good acoustic guitar wasted by magnetic pickups.

A purpose buil magnetic design can be great on an acoustic if you use the right strings. The dearmond 200 is not suited to the job. On an electric it is prone to microphonic feedback and massive hum/rfi interference. It can be worth it for the wonderful and unique tone when its dialed in right. On an acoustic it will probably be a feedback nightmare at stage level. Its also a very destructive mod.

I say 'dialed in right' the polepiece magnets on these pickups and the similar gibson staple puckup are notoriously hard to set. Too low and you get a shrill brittle tone, too high and they exert string pull like a fender pickup. Get really liw into the body of the pickup and you go from shrill to open and glassy but tend to get more microphonic squealing because of the vibration against the unpotted coil. If you must put an old school magnetic pickup on an acoustic consider the old dearmond rhythm king. It was designed to retrofit to an acoustic archtopand works well on an acoustic. It also clips onto the fingerboard in a nondestructive way and can be adjusted on its clamp to find an ideal location under the strings. Martins with the dearmond 200s on them just got yjem because martin had them laying around after a failed attempt at cracking the electric/amp market. By the way, old martin tube amps sound great. Of you see one at a yard sale, buy it. Think tweed deluxe on steroids.