This was the very first guitar I bought with my own money from my paper route, I was probably 13 or 14 at the time I purchased it used from the local music store "Bill Hawk's music" in Bethlehem pa . I think I payed around $400.00 dollars for it back then which was around , i want to say 1984 or 85 . I was so proud to own this guitar as it just sounded fantastic with so many pickup selections there wasn't another of it's kind like it and I was the owner . I literally slept with this guitar at my side in bed or anywhere . Such memories , but sadly some years later I fell on bad times and got in with the wrong crowd , and I was living temporarily at a run down weekly motel room . I returned home from work one afternoon and my room was broken into and my beloved Martin was forever gone. 😢 I called the police , checked all the pawn shops but to no avail . I wish she would find me one day again. You never know.
I grew up and live within 15 miles of the Martin guitar factory and knew some of the luthiers there at the time. Many of them felt a solid body electric was a sacrilege for them to produce. Some were embarrassed they made them and yet Martin never put out poor quality. It was a good guitar that never found a market. I think if it was made now it would be treasured.
I’ve got a 66 Martin gt75 thinline hollow body, all original , bigsby, DeArmond pickups, looks like Brazilian rosewood fretboard . Bought in a pawn shop in Richmond Va. in the 70s. Only about 450 made. Plays great.
I was searching for an e18 for a long time and finally found one 2 years ago. It was like a dream came true. All original state in near mint condition. Plays like a dream. Best neck of All guitars I own. I definetly wont let it go as long as I live.
Wow this is actually cool guys. That Martin sounds great for a 40 year old guitar and is in near-mint condition. As always excellent playing from Cooper. I hope Martin would notice this video and who knows they might reissue this.
I got one brand new in 1979 and I still have it. It was heavily discounted because nobody associated Martin with electric guitars. It's a very versatile instrument. The body is actually maple and walnut rather than rosewood.
I remember these! My next-door neighbor had one around 1989. I got to play it once, but that was before I knew how to play. It seemed very strange looking at the time, even to someone just beginning his guitar journey. The owner was super proud of it. He played classical guitar but got this guitar because it was very unique at the time (and still is). If I can, I will pick one up someday just for the uniqueness of it. Thanks for making this video!
I have an E-28. I was with my mother when she bought it new at B&H Music in Clute Tx for my dad. When he passed he left it to me. Then my son gets it when I'm no longer needed in current form. The active circuit board is out, so it is rigged passive right now. Awesome guitar
I have a Martin EM18. Mine has the Mighty-Mite pups. Had since around 1976 or so. Very heavy guitar weight wise. A shoulder-killer on a 4 hour set. Plays wonderfully though. Has the best neck of all my guitars IMHO.
It was the 1980-1981 school year and I sat out what would've been my junior year in college. In the Richmond, VA area, Guitar Works was one of the top independent music stores around and the briefly tried opening up a 2nd location in the Southside area of RVA and that's where I had the opportunity to play with both an E18 and EM18 and both were amazing...but I sat out that year to save up funds to go back to college so I couldn't justify the expense. But who knows...maybe one of these days...:-)
I actually owned one of these in my late teens. Probably 1988 or 1989. It was first electric guitar that I actually owned. Everything prior to that had been acoustic. I had always wanted a Martin guitar but could never afford one. When the opportunity to purchase the EM-18 came along I jumped on it simply because it was a Martin, and to me at the time that meant that it had to be good. I don’t remember the price for sure but I know I couldn’t have given more than $100-$150 for it at the time. They really weren’t very popular. I never intended to get rid of it but struggling through life and learning to become an adult dictated that I sell it. I’ve always regretted letting it go. Coincidentally, I have also owned a 1981 Martin EB-18 bass guitar as well. Had the original BadAss bridge and everything. Two Martins I’d love to have back. BTW I own many guitars now and for some strange unknown reason I still have never owned a Martin acoustic. Bucket list item I suppose. Anyway, thanks for sharing!
My brother has a sigma e18, same guitar pretty much with out the extra pickup options and the pickup selectors in a different spot. And the neck was broken off sometime around 1990, its been reset and its still rockin today.
I picked one up in the early 90's at a pawn shop in Dallas for $200. As I was getting ready to leave, the guy tells me he thinks there's a case for it in the back. Thankfully he was right and I got the custom double arrow hard case like yours, except mine is bronze plush. Although I don't play it much, I love this guitar and just keep it put up with some other gems I own. Great video man!
I have this guitar with the White pickups. I’ve had it since it was new, around 1979 ish. Not sure the exact year. It still looks new. I always loved it and the way it looked, thought it was super cool.
Gosh, I miss this guitar! I bought mine as a present to myself in February of 1979. It replaced a Memphis Les Paul DC Special clone my parents had bought me a few years before. I think I paid $340 or so... a lot for a 14 year old. But, when I dropped into Charley's Guitar Shop and let Rene Martinez eyeball it, he thought it was great out of the crate. The only musician of note I can think of that used the EM-18 is John Mayall. His s/n 3352 is currently listed on Reverb for $7500.
I have owned an EM18 and case for years. The case is junk but the guitar is great. It a little heavy but fun to play. I haven’t played it in several years, as I mostly play acoustic, but it’s in great shape, no dents or scrapes and a beautiful instrument.
Those are the DiMarzio pups, which Martin used in the later Em-18. The Mighty-Mite pups are white, as is the tip on the pup selector on the upper bout. The most useless feature IMHO is the 2 mini phase switches, which is a giveaway to it's 70's vibe.
I remember the marketing for them. The view back then was that Martin was not being original but riding coattails. But the main thing was that people could not conceive that Martin could make anything but acoustics. They couldn’t get past their own image!
Hey Cooper I watched a couple of You're RUclips videos yesterday man you can sing and write I didn't realize that when you are playing on the Alamo music channel that you're playing your own stuff! Very cool keep it up I have a 1981 Epiphone Genesis With coil splitting humbuckers. It was designed by Gibson to try and become the new flagship of the Epiphone line
I learnt about the existence of this guitar on Friday Dec. 30 (and your video came out on my YT feed the day after 😀) 15 pieces prototype were given to top guitarists in the late 70's. And I know that one is for sale. A collector's piece. Sent me your e-mail if interested.
Great vid...you guys ever come across a Martin E-28...? As a 10 year old kid, the E-28's were in guitar magazines and I really wanted one! I played an E-18 in a shop in London England in summer 2022.
I still have my EM18. It was my first electric guitar and bought it because of the 'acoustic' feel of the neck that I was used to. I always thought that the body was build out of Maple and Walnut. You mentioned Rosewood. What is it? And keep on making video's I love them!
I’ve never played one or seen one in person but I did have the Martin brochure of those guitars back in the early 80s. I believe there was an extra model or two in that lineup. I wish I had even kept the brochure. It looks like they were kinda going after the B.C Rich vibe. Another company that made a great guitar of similar vibe was a company called Lado guitars which I think may have been a Canadian company however I may be wrong on that assumption.
Gorgeous guitar. Immediately reminded me of surfboard designs of that period. Very jazzy sound, or at least how Cooper was playing it. Sounds like a Jazz Master? Martin should def reissue it and come out with a line of electric guitars. If Porsche and Lamborghini can make SUVs and sell a ton of them, Martin could make and sell a ton of solid body electrics.
No doubt I saw the marketing BITD, but I didn’t remember them. I had come across it online last year, but they were going for more than I’d want to spend. (The prices seemed reasonable but just more than what it’d be worth to me.)
Hey guys, I have a Martin EM-18 I’m looking to sell but don’t know it’s value. Do you know what it’s worth and know anyone who may want it? Cool video, thanks for this!
I've owned many many Martin guitars and in my opinion there way way overrated,I like some Martin guitars but with Martin you gotta play a lot of them to get a really good one,I still own martin guitars and the ones I got I will keep till I die, Taylor guitars are simply the best guitars made ,I have seven high end Taylor guitars and I can honestly say I've never played a Taylor that I didn't love,I've owned every brand you can just about name,For my money and my likings it's Taylor all the way.This is my opinion and don't expect everyone to agree with me ,It's my fifty five years in playing guitar,Strings and different kinds of picks make a big difference in sound on guitars, Taylor are well built and the easiest guitar I've ever played,And I love Taylor sound again my opinion only.
This was the very first guitar I bought with my own money from my paper route, I was probably 13 or 14 at the time I purchased it used from the local music store "Bill Hawk's music" in Bethlehem pa . I think I payed around $400.00 dollars for it back then which was around , i want to say 1984 or 85 . I was so proud to own this guitar as it just sounded fantastic with so many pickup selections there wasn't another of it's kind like it and I was the owner . I literally slept with this guitar at my side in bed or anywhere . Such memories , but sadly some years later I fell on bad times and got in with the wrong crowd , and I was living temporarily at a run down weekly motel room . I returned home from work one afternoon and my room was broken into and my beloved Martin was forever gone. 😢 I called the police , checked all the pawn shops but to no avail . I wish she would find me one day again. You never know.
I grew up and live within 15 miles of the Martin guitar factory and knew some of the luthiers there at the time. Many of them felt a solid body electric was a sacrilege for them to produce. Some were embarrassed they made them and yet Martin never put out poor quality. It was a good guitar that never found a market. I think if it was made now it would be treasured.
I’ve got a 66 Martin gt75 thinline hollow body, all original , bigsby, DeArmond pickups, looks like Brazilian rosewood fretboard . Bought in a pawn shop in Richmond Va. in the 70s. Only about 450 made. Plays great.
Very nice to see this. I’m 68 and don’t remember seeing this guitar. Fender and Gibson were all anyone wanted back in the day.
Thanks for this video
I was searching for an e18 for a long time and finally found one 2 years ago. It was like a dream came true. All original state in near mint condition. Plays like a dream. Best neck of All guitars I own. I definetly wont let it go as long as I live.
That's really cool
Don't let it get away from you!
Both you guys are absolutely the best out there. Keep up the great work!!!!👍👍👍👍
Wow this is actually cool guys. That Martin sounds great for a 40 year old guitar and is in near-mint condition. As always excellent playing from Cooper. I hope Martin would notice this video and who knows they might reissue this.
I got one brand new in 1979 and I still have it. It was heavily discounted because nobody associated Martin with electric guitars. It's a very versatile instrument. The body is actually maple and walnut rather than rosewood.
I remember these! My next-door neighbor had one around 1989. I got to play it once, but that was before I knew how to play. It seemed very strange looking at the time, even to someone just beginning his guitar journey. The owner was super proud of it. He played classical guitar but got this guitar because it was very unique at the time (and still is). If I can, I will pick one up someday just for the uniqueness of it. Thanks for making this video!
I have an E-28. I was with my mother when she bought it new at B&H Music in Clute Tx for my dad. When he passed he left it to me. Then my son gets it when I'm no longer needed in current form. The active circuit board is out, so it is rigged passive right now. Awesome guitar
I bought the bass version (EB-18) in high school and still have it today. Great bass guitar!
Hey guys, great show! I have a 78 Em-18 and it’s almost as nice. The only difference is the pickups were Cream colored.
I have a Martin EM18. Mine has the Mighty-Mite pups. Had since around 1976 or so. Very heavy guitar weight wise. A shoulder-killer on a 4 hour set. Plays wonderfully though. Has the best neck of all my guitars IMHO.
It was the 1980-1981 school year and I sat out what would've been my junior year in college. In the Richmond, VA area, Guitar Works was one of the top independent music stores around and the briefly tried opening up a 2nd location in the Southside area of RVA and that's where I had the opportunity to play with both an E18 and EM18 and both were amazing...but I sat out that year to save up funds to go back to college so I couldn't justify the expense. But who knows...maybe one of these days...:-)
I actually owned one of these in my late teens. Probably 1988 or 1989. It was first electric guitar that I actually owned. Everything prior to that had been acoustic. I had always wanted a Martin guitar but could never afford one. When the opportunity to purchase the EM-18 came along I jumped on it simply because it was a Martin, and to me at the time that meant that it had to be good. I don’t remember the price for sure but I know I couldn’t have given more than $100-$150 for it at the time. They really weren’t very popular. I never intended to get rid of it but struggling through life and learning to become an adult dictated that I sell it. I’ve always regretted letting it go. Coincidentally, I have also owned a 1981 Martin EB-18 bass guitar as well. Had the original BadAss bridge and everything. Two Martins I’d love to have back. BTW I own many guitars now and for some strange unknown reason I still have never owned a Martin acoustic. Bucket list item I suppose. Anyway, thanks for sharing!
My brother has a sigma e18, same guitar pretty much with out the extra pickup options and the pickup selectors in a different spot. And the neck was broken off sometime around 1990, its been reset and its still rockin today.
I have one. Plays and looks beautiful. One of my favs for sure. I have the EM with phasing and tapping switches. Mint condition
I picked one up in the early 90's at a pawn shop in Dallas for $200. As I was getting ready to leave, the guy tells me he thinks there's a case for it in the back. Thankfully he was right and I got the custom double arrow hard case like yours, except mine is bronze plush. Although I don't play it much, I love this guitar and just keep it put up with some other gems I own. Great video man!
I have this guitar with the White pickups. I’ve had it since it was new, around 1979 ish. Not sure the exact year. It still looks new. I always loved it and the way it looked, thought it was super cool.
Bought mine in 1979 imported from US (I am in Australia) still my cherished baby
Great looking guitar and awesome playing as well.
Gosh, I miss this guitar! I bought mine as a present to myself in February of 1979. It replaced a Memphis Les Paul DC Special clone my parents had bought me a few years before. I think I paid $340 or so... a lot for a 14 year old. But, when I dropped into Charley's Guitar Shop and let Rene Martinez eyeball it, he thought it was great out of the crate. The only musician of note I can think of that used the EM-18 is John Mayall. His s/n 3352 is currently listed on Reverb for $7500.
I have owned an EM18 and case for years. The case is junk but the guitar is great. It a little heavy but fun to play. I haven’t played it in several years, as I mostly play acoustic, but it’s in great shape, no dents or scrapes and a beautiful instrument.
Those are the DiMarzio pups, which Martin used in the later Em-18. The Mighty-Mite pups are white, as is the tip on the pup selector on the upper bout. The most useless feature IMHO is the 2 mini phase switches, which is a giveaway to it's 70's vibe.
I had one of these back in 1989. I wish I still had it.
Maetin should bring out a run of them to see how they get on, I suspect they will be popular if they can keep the original tones
I'd buy one if they could keep the price decent on them. if they could get them around 1500 to 1800 I'd buy one.
I remember the marketing for them. The view back then was that Martin was not being original but riding coattails. But the main thing was that people could not conceive that Martin could make anything but acoustics. They couldn’t get past their own image!
It sounds great, what a gem!
The clean tone sounds good i didn't know about this model, i am an owner of a Martin Stinger SSL...
Hey Cooper I watched a couple of You're RUclips videos yesterday man you can sing and write I didn't realize that when you are playing on the Alamo music channel that you're playing your own stuff! Very cool keep it up I have a 1981 Epiphone Genesis With coil splitting humbuckers. It was designed by Gibson to try and become the new flagship of the Epiphone line
I learnt about the existence of this guitar on Friday Dec. 30 (and your video came out on my YT feed the day after 😀) 15 pieces prototype were given to top guitarists in the late 70's. And I know that one is for sale. A collector's piece. Sent me your e-mail if interested.
Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Great vid...you guys ever come across a Martin E-28...? As a 10 year old kid, the E-28's were in guitar magazines and I really wanted one! I played an E-18 in a shop in London England in summer 2022.
I have one and what you have is a Kit guitar, that was put together with there parts. I have one of the very first ones that martin built
I still have my EM18. It was my first electric guitar and bought it because of the 'acoustic' feel of the neck that I was used to. I always thought that the body was build out of Maple and Walnut. You mentioned Rosewood. What is it? And keep on making video's I love them!
I’ve never played one or seen one in person but I did have the Martin brochure of those guitars back in the early 80s. I believe there was an extra model or two in that lineup. I wish I had even kept the brochure. It looks like they were kinda going after the B.C Rich vibe. Another company that made a great guitar of similar vibe was a company called Lado guitars which I think may have been a Canadian company however I may be wrong on that assumption.
Sounds great 👍
Gorgeous guitar. Immediately reminded me of surfboard designs of that period. Very jazzy sound, or at least how Cooper was playing it. Sounds like a Jazz Master? Martin should def reissue it and come out with a line of electric guitars. If Porsche and Lamborghini can make SUVs and sell a ton of them, Martin could make and sell a ton of solid body electrics.
I had one. It really was versatile with the electronics. I regret selling it.
No doubt I saw the marketing BITD, but I didn’t remember them. I had come across it online last year, but they were going for more than I’d want to spend. (The prices seemed reasonable but just more than what it’d be worth to me.)
Great! I bet NRG has never featured on of these.
Hey guys,
I have a Martin EM-18 I’m looking to sell but don’t know it’s value. Do you know what it’s worth and know anyone who may want it?
Cool video, thanks for this!
I'll gladly Take it!!
Does it just have a solid body or is it a neck through design like the gibson firebird?
No this is not a true neck through.
Super Cool 😎
I want one , there's several on reverb!!!!
I have one for sale if you’re interested?
Frusciante should definitely play one of these!!!
Cool guitar
Very VERY COOL!!!..💯
No, Fender got the headstock from paul bigsbys design.
I think it's odd that Martin didn't use their iconic paddle headstock for their electric guitars.
Agreed. I love the look of this guitar... except the headstock. A paddle headstock on this would look great.
The headstock was a throwback to the 1800s Martins. Look at their vintage catalog and you'll see it there.
I have seen pictures, but have never seen one in person
Of course now the price will jump!
Why isn't C F Martin manufacturing Electric guitars ?
I want one
I have one for sale if you’re interested?
@@Steve_Poegl ill tell my guitar player. I would only want one for the novelty of it. Cant play it. But he can.
@@morgunstyles7253 Thanks!
Some of your videos are to sell models of guitar in-stock which is fine because then you produce videos like this just for the guitar nerds.
As my kids would say Chris, gee your……..you know the rest.
I've owned many many Martin guitars and in my opinion there way way overrated,I like some Martin guitars but with Martin you gotta play a lot of them to get a really good one,I still own martin guitars and the ones I got I will keep till I die, Taylor guitars are simply the best guitars made ,I have seven high end Taylor guitars and I can honestly say I've never played a Taylor that I didn't love,I've owned every brand you can just about name,For my money and my likings it's Taylor all the way.This is my opinion and don't expect everyone to agree with me ,It's my fifty five years in playing guitar,Strings and different kinds of picks make a big difference in sound on guitars, Taylor are well built and the easiest guitar I've ever played,And I love Taylor sound again my opinion only.
Gross! I love Martins but this is an abomination.
It was the perfect smooth jazz guitar at the time.
Why?