“It’s probably impossible to prove, but it’s likely that the Martin dreadnought is the most recorded guitar in history”: How the Martin D-18 and D-28 changed the world –and became the definitive acoustic guitars

Mark Knopfler wears an old denim short and poses with a Martin dreadnought acoustic guitar.

It is no overstatement to describe the Martin dreadnought as the definitive acoustic steel-string guitar. A Martin dreadnought is probably the image that instantly appears in one’s mind whenever the words “acoustic guitar” are spoken.

The company’s D-18 and D-28 models have remained best-selling standards since their introduction in the mid-1930s, and the familiar square-shouldered Martin dreadnought body is quite possibly the most copied design in the history of the guitar industry. It’s probably impossible to measure and prove, but it’s highly likely that the Martin dreadnought could be the most recorded guitar in history.