Martin 000-28 32

-very nice spruce solid top.
-pieces manufactured in japan but guitar assembled in Martin USA
-solid rosewood back
-laminated rosewood sides
-pick up
-very nice Top finish

very good sound in acoustic.
very fine too with an Acoustic amplifier.

very good guitar with years !
no problem since I've had (18 years)

very fine guitar for the price. As good as a 000 28 standart but twice cheaper.

This is one of the models made in (I believe) the Yari Factory in Japan but assembled in America - hence stamped "Made In USA" unlike the Sigmas. It has a 14 fret neck join, solid spruce top, (apparently) laminated rosewood back and sides, and an ebony board (not the best ebony I've ever seen on a guitar but not bad all the same). I bought it new in 1986. Martin website says it was made in 1985 - which seems about right.

It is a 000 sized accoustic, factory fitted with a Martin Thinline Piezo Pickup. No equalisation (passive or active) is fitted and there are no extra holes cut in the box. It comes with Schaller Tuners (branded Martin) which have always worked perfectly. I've changed the pegs on the bridge from the standard Martin Plastic to ebony ones and fitted a Schaller Straploc to the heel lock (I cannot get along with tie on straps at the neck). Other than that the guitar is standard.

The case supplied was a strong, fitted, non-Martin shell case (possibly the Yari shipping case - I'm not sure) which I replaced recently with a Hiscox Shell Case (I'm still using the Martin Case for a second guitar though).

I Play a variety of styles, originally mainly accoustic fingerstyle (nail) - but I can and do handle most things on a variety of instruments. Although there are guitars which do some things better, as an overall balanced instrument which will switch from flatpicked alternate bass to nail picking - and handle open and altered tunings on the way, the guitar cannot be faulted.

It is used either as a pure accoustic or via a main p.a. I have used amps with it (Trace Accoustic amps, also Polytones).

Accousticly, the sound is very even and well balanced - no real bias to treble or bass. The response is fast and even, well defined and articulated. It has extremely good projection, but this is a guitar designed for performance so not a lot of the sound "hangs around" the player. If you really want to listen to it, stand in front of a solid wall and hear the sound bounce back.

Electrcally, the in-built pickup is loud - lots of output but unless the leads are good and and it is driving a well equalised high impedance source, the output is VERY toppy. Put it through a good pa via a good active DI Box and there are no problems. It also does not have, when properly set up, that piezo peakiness that so many rock musicians use when they want to show they are playing an accoustic...

Very well set up for a Martin (but I do not know how much the dealer had done to it). The action was perfectly playable with no buzzes or rattles. That being said, I ran the guitar for a year to let it settle and then sent it to a top flight luthier for a set-up/shakedown.

Most of it's life it has run 12's with a fairly low action - it now handles 10's with no issues.

I've run this one for 16 years - so can't cmplain in any way about durability. It's solid as a rock. Everything still works, the only damage to finish has been (unfortunately) inflicted by gigging (careless band members etc).

The guitar has had a partial refret (about 6 years ago) and there is some wear to the fingerboard - but nothing that is unexpected considering its life.

I use it on most gigs without a backup - that being said I usually have a second guitar to cope with altered tunings - depends how much I want to carry with me.

Martin claim a lifetime warranty - but I've never had any call to use it. I think I would be more worried about shipping the guitar to the States anyway

I've been playing thirty two or so years, and own, or have owned a variety of decent accoustics and electrics - and amps to suit.

If it were stolen, I'd weep... but the guitars I'd be looking at are things like Martin 021's, Fylde Ariels - or even custom builds. Trouble is, I would struggle to find one guitar to cover all the ground - the main reason I chose it was the versatility.