Dreadnought (guitar type)

)[6] The supplier of this information also states that Harry L. Hunt, the manager of the Ditson New York City Store, may have been inspired to order a guitar to be built to this design as a cross between an extra-large, but narrow waisted guitar already built by Martin for the Hawaiian guitarist Mekia Kealakai, and the smaller, but wide waisted designs already being sold by Ditson.

[6] These guitars were produced by Martin for Ditson from 1916 to 1921; a small number (19 instruments) were subsequently made in the same style as the 111, in dreadnought size, between 1921 and 1930, including #19734 for Roy Smeck.

[8][a] Up to 1923, the early dreadnought-size guitars constructed by Martin were fan braced, not X-braced, that innovation being first combined with the "dreadnought size" body in 1924.

[10] In 1931 Martin began producing dreadnought guitars (sometimes also spelled "dreadnaught") under its own name, the first two models named the D-1 and D-2, with bodies made of mahogany and rosewood respectively; later that year, these 2 styles were renamed the D-18 and D-28 with "D" indicating body size, and the numbers the timbers used and degree of ornamentation as per other Martin models of the time.

[7] Early in their production (e.g. between 1931 and 1934), Martin seems not to have had much faith in these "extra large" guitars, making them only on special order (even the "000" size was considered large by the standards of the day) and to one interested customer writing in 1933 that the firm considered the dreadnought "a bass guitar, not suitable for solo playing".

Thus, the D-45 was born, Autry's 12-fret example being the first, and soon other country singers in particular wanted the large size instruments, which proved effective in sound carrying power (particularly for vocal accompaniment) over the otherwise primitive stage amplification systems of the day.

While most players prefer the tone of the standard, 14-fret instrument, noted for its more penetrating sound especially when played with other instruments, a few prominent players—including Peter Yarrow of the group Peter, Paul and Mary, Norman Blake, and on occasion Paul Simon (per the cover of his 1974 Live Rhymin' release)—have still favoured the slightly different sonority produced by the 12-fret, larger body shape.

Up to approximately the mid 1970s, dreadnought guitars from Martin, the original maker, were available in a fairly basic set of model styles, comprising the "D" designation for body size, plus the numeric designation—drawn from the range 18, 21, 28, 35, 41 and 45—indicating the degree of ornamentation, and wood used for the body construction (custom models were also sometimes available upon request); the D-45, however, was out of production between 1943 and early 1968, in which year it was re-introduced to the Martin line.

[16] Up until late 1944, the main X-braces were "scalloped" (selected areas reduced in mass) to achieve the best tonal response, but following that date the braces were first merely tapered, then left unscalloped to produce a more robust instrument that would withstand the use of heavy gauge strings without causing warranty work, which the company was keen to avoid; this makes the historic instruments manufactured between 1933 and 1944 of the highest value to both collectors and players.

[11] Scalloped bracing was reintroduced on selected new models (designated the HD-28 and HD-35) in 1976 in response to player demand;[12] such instruments are advised to only be strung with light or medium gauge strings.

Prior to mid 1939, the X-braces crossed at a position 1 inch from the soundhole (known as "high X" or "forward shifted" bracing), being moved back a little towards the lower bout after this date.