This was just posted on TGP in response to a post I started about using 12's on a D18. They use 10's thru 13's and compare the differences in sound/tone.  

A backbeat for the ages. RIP.

Can someone tell me what the differences are from the older AC722s and the newer. The only difference I’m aware of is the sound port, is there anything else? Also what would one expect to pay for one that’s 3 or 4 years old in excellent condition? Thank you.

Watching TomC's recent post containing the Martin history vid set me thinking. Did C F Martin really invent X bracing? In fact this is by no means certain, with all sorts of experimental builds existing from the early 1800s. To quote one article I read ' [a]  guitar, made by the Roudhloff brothers, Dominique and Arnould, with some input from a Mr. Barelli, used X-bracing, a form of bracing that turned up shortly afterwards in the guitars of C.F. Martin. While the assumption is that X-bracing was used to support the increased tension of steel strings, X-bracing actually goes back to English guittars (citterns), which, although strung with steel strings, had strings that were of low tension.
   Martin's first X-braced guitars were strung with gut, not steel, adding further to the confusion about the reason for the use of X-bracing.'  And the use of dovetail joints to attach guitar necks was certainly not a Martin innovation. But does all this detract from the significance of C F Martin in the development and popularising of the modern steel string guitar? IMO absolutely not.
   One final observation, concerning Taylor's 'revolutionary' V bracing - since when does advertising copy qualify as historical fact?

After a month of being socked in from California fire smoke, first the Dixie Fire, then the Tamarack Fire which was only 20-25 south of me, burned right next to the town of Markleeville, Ca. and now the Caldor Fire between highways US 50 and state highway 88 around seventy miles or so west-southwest of us. Day in and out we're downwind from all the fires.

Anyways my wife, my 7 year old Aussie and I decided to get away from the smoke without driving over an hour, hour and a half drove down south on US 395 to Virginia Lakes Ca. (between Town of Bridgeport Ca. and Mono Lake) which is just shy of 10,000 feet elevation to finally get to clear blue skies! Spent the day hiking around the lakes. It was wonderful to finally breathe some clean air! The winds were in our favor. Hated the drive back to the Carson City area as our visibility is about a half mile and our air quality index of Pm2.5 is over 450, which is extremely unhealthy. When we go outside we're wearing a mask and it's not just for Covid 19. 

Can't wait for cooler and hopefully wetter weather this coming fall. (Hope I posted this in the right section)

Even though we have to put with with just smoke my heart goes out to those that had to evacuate or even worse lost their homes.

Is the nut width the only difference between the SS model and the regular D's?  Everything else looks the same.  Is it just that nut width that makes a difference playing wise?

Guitar has sold Thanks to EGF!

What do you use for controlling humidity and what are reasonable levels of RH for acoustics?

I'm in the NW and our humidity ranges from approximately 50 ish to mid 60's.

Well. I did it. I had an older 522ce that I sold about a year ago. Regretted it immediately. But lucky for me. The new ones are awesome. The chamfered edge is great and the sound hole really gives it an intimate feel. The sound is wonderful I play for myself primarily so the sound hole makes sense to me. Didn’t know how I would feel about the Gold burst…. Now that it is here it is beautiful. Very tasteful and growing on me by the minute.

The sound is as you would expect from the wood combo. It is a bit tight but as to be expected for a brand new guitar. Great bass and mids. Plus the treble is toned down just a hair which I appreciate. My magical E10om has a bit more treble and I’m finding the ac to be more balanced.

The craftsmanship and detail and materials on this guitar are amazing. I find myself staring at it just as much as I have been playing it the past two days. Also the neck. It appears to be one solid piece… not three. If it is three pieces, I do not see any joints or change in grain.

On with the pics. Feel free to ask any questions. I’m just here at home drooling.

So, I was just about to call Sweetwater when someone on the AGF forum messaged me about wanting to to a trade.   He has a 2018 Custom Shop D-18 with Adi top that he'd like to trade for my E20.  He wants $1500 cash.  I'm nervous about doing a trade as I've never done one before.  What do you think?  Any advice?  Part of me just wants to do the sure thing and call Sweetwater but I'm also worried that I'm being chicken and could get a much nicer guitar.  HELP