Yeah, Bridge. I'm afraid of lawyers who hang around music sites and dirty them up.

P-Gator, a cheap guitar can be improved I would think to a degree, but in the end, you still have a cheap guitar. Even Stellas had truss rods. It's all in the woods and craftsmanship. A spruce top can be of varying qualities. The glue that holds it together can have a bearing. Each time a corner is cut, I believe there is a compromise to sonics or craftsmanship.

I urge you to get your D-18 looked at. However, as I might have mentioned before, the high action might not be because of the neck, but because of some bridge lifting and bellying. A good luthier can fix this and it is definately worth fixing your classic Martin.

Martin standard series dreadnaughts are the benchmark that all others either meet or exceed.