“It has that classic D-18 sound”: Molly Tuttle teams up with Martin on two new signature models inspired by her 1943 D-18
Martin has teamed up with Grammy-winning guitarist and bluegrass icon Molly Tuttle on two new signature guitars: the D-18 Molly Tuttle and the D-X2E Molly Tuttle.
Both models take direct inspiration from Tuttle’s beloved 1943 Martin D-18, an instrument that has shaped her sound and playing style for years. While the D-18 Molly Tuttle aims to channel the punch, clarity, and fast-playing feel of that vintage guitar, the D-X2E Molly Tuttle brings those same artist-driven details into a more durable, accessible X Series build.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing Martin guitars ever since I started playing the guitar,” says Tuttle. “To see my name on this Martin guitar and to have had a hand in designing it, it was just a huge moment for me.”
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Leading the launch is the D-18 Molly Tuttle, the more premium of the two models, and one Martin describes as being “all wrapped in timeless tone and vintage style”. The guitar features rear-shifted scalloped bracing, a slim 1 11/16-inch nut width favoured by bluegrass flatpickers, and an authentic 1940s-style neck profile designed for speed and comfort.
Custom moon-phase fingerboard inlays reflect Tuttle’s personal aesthetic, joined by a silver Martin script headplate logo, oval tuner buttons, and a classic vintage sunburst top. Crafted with a solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, and ebony appointments, the guitar delivers the balance, clarify, and punch D-18s are known for.
“I just love how D-18s sound,” Tuttle says. “It has that classic D-18 sound… it’s wonderful to use in the studio because the notes are so clear.”
The guitar ships in a vintage-style light blue molded hardshell case reminiscent of 1970s Martin designs and is priced at $4,199.99, with both right- and left-handed versions available.
Credit: Martin
For players looking for a more affordable option, the D-X2E Molly Tuttle brings those D-18 core specs into Martin’s X Series for the first time. Notably, it’s the first X Series model to feature a 1940s-style neck shape with a 1 11/16” nut width, a profile Tuttle describes as “extremely comfortable to play”.
The guitar’s solid spruce top is paired with figured mahogany HPL back and sides for added durability, while scalloped X-bracing, moon-phase markers, and Martin E1 electronics make it stage-ready straight out of the box.
“You could pick this up and go down and play a gig with it that very day,” says Tuttle. Priced at $999.99, it offers a far more accessible route into the Molly Tuttle signature lineup.
The moon-phase motif that appears on both guitars carries personal meaning for Molly as well: “I feel like the moon represents creativity, inspiration, your subconscious,” she says. “Sometimes when I realise it’s a new moon, I think that’s a good time to plant the seeds of new ideas.”
She hopes these guitars spark that same creative energy for other players: “I hope you pick one up. I hope you love playing it. I hope they kind of unlock some new ideas in your playing.”
The D-18 Molly Tuttle and D-X2E Molly Tuttle will be available online and through authorised Martin dealers following their debut at The 2026 NAMM Show.
Learn more at Martin.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
