Martin 000-28VS

This is a brand new, 2003 model. The only features I would add would be either bone or fossilized ivory for the nut & bridge.

The sound is astounding. It has surpassed my expectations and it really makes my playing sound twice as good.

The action, fit, and finish are perfect right out of the box. I was expecting to have to take it to a shop for a set-up, but that won't happen as this is ready to play. The guitar is twicw as beautiful in person as it was in any of the photo's I've seen.

Martin guitars are well built, and this one might be built a little better than other lower-end models. It should last forever.

My limited experience has been very good.

I've playing for over 20 years, and this is the nicest acoustic guitar I've ever had the good fortune to own. I got an incredible deal on this guitar, especially when you consider the quality of the sound, playability, and fit & finish. I can't imagine another guitar that would sound & play as nicely as this one. If you are considering this model, do yourself a big favor and take the plunge. You'll be glad you did.

Recently acquired 2003 Martin 000-28VS. Specs already given by other reviewers and available at C.F. Martin's web site. Spruce top good and even, and the herringbone is great with it. Rosewood back and sides all excellent. 12 Fret Neck. Headstock is classy - Nice Waverley butterbean tuners which do keep the strings in tune. Wide nut - a large part of the reason I chose this model. Pyramid style bridge with long-ish saddle. All in all a good vintage-style Martin. The body is not a thick body. Don't need any other features. 9/10 as I suppose a bone / ivory nut and saddle would have been just perfect.

Play rag, blues, folk etc. Suits style Extremely well. String spacing is just great - couldn't get on with D-28 - this is just lovely. The V neck makes a difference! It's comfortable, and you can dance with your left thumb if you want to. It has good even tone across the strings. This guitar is opening up quickly, and it has a wonderful, wonderful mellow sound. Far superior to D-28 - a lot of difference. As previous reviewer has said, you can pull a lot of different timbres from this instrument. Like it very much! :-)

This guitar is set up fine from new. The action on my D-28 was way too high and had to be set by a luthier. I don't need to adjust this baby. It's fine. Have noticed no imperfections and hope not to.

It's an expensive guitar, and I don't like to think of damaging it. It seems robust enough. I'm a home user, and hope there are no accidents. I'd like to think it'll just carry on for a good life time. It's very well made, and I have no reason to suppose it will let me down. It's not delicate, but nor is it a tank. So 9/10?

UK buyer. Don't think Martin service overseas. It would be great if they did - hence 6.

Playing episodically 30-odd years. Have owned Gibson, Seagull, D-28 and 00-18C. Nothing I regret with this purchase. If you're thinking of buying one, make sure you're happy with the string spacing. I hope this is my last guitar, so if there were misfortune, I'd replace with same. Apart from the look / feel, the special thing about this guitar is its tone. It's just superior! 10 in this category is "Fantastic Value", and I can't give a guitar at this price a 10, at least until I know it better. If it lasts a life time, and shows improvement in tone with months and years - then yes I will regret not awarding a 10 now.

Others have described it but in a nut shell:
Solid Sitka Spruce top with aging toner (why I'm not sure)
Indian Rosewood back and sides
Slotted head stock 12 frets to the body with Waverly Butter Bean tuners (not in-line)
Superb hardshell case
This got close to a 10 in my opinion however there are a few things that I would have liked to see done differently. The most important is the the use of Corian for the saddle, nut and bridge pins.

I am a finger picker from back when everyone else was strummin' power chords to the latest Jimi Hendrix tune. This guitar sounds *fantastic*! I have a dregree in Classical Guitar as well so my fingers are not beginers. There is so much tonal capability built into this guitar. Loud/soft crisp/round jangle/mellow are some of the sounds colors I would say this thing can do. I have owned many guitars including Martins and none came close to this. Another person said that this is not a strummer but I have to disagree. When strummed with the fingers I can hold me own in a room full of plugged-in strummers. Picks might make it too crispy in sound.I should mention that I have replaced the saddle on this guitar and am in the process of getting ivory bridge pins. Not that there was a sustain problem before but these mod's have made it even better if you can believe that!

The factory setup was OK. There was a slight intonation problem that was fixed when I replaced the Corian saddle with an ivory saddle (not fossile mammoth). The nut slot for the 'G' string is a bit low so there is some buzz when I play the string open. It will be repaired with a new nut. The finish had some sort of residue on it that was easily removed with a good polishing.

Only time will tell. I suspect that this guitar will be around for a long time, God willing. Considering that I also have an 1890 Martin parlor guitar that is quit playable even after a century of abuse, I think this one will last as long.

My local repair guy who is Martin certified is my only contact with Martin. They send me stuff in the mail (borderline junk) but that is all the contact I've had. They did cover the saddle/nut replacement.

40+years behind the strings. I own a full recording studio full of MIDI gear. I also own 1890 Martin style 26, Gurian dreadnaught, Gibson ES335TD, Blade Strat copy, Robert Ruck cedar top classical, and a Matsuoka flamenco.

2002, made in US at Martin Factory, Solid spruce sound board, Ebony fingerboard, Mahogany neck, Waverly tuners, Indian rosewood back and sides. Great case(comfortable handle).

Unbelievable, full, rich and well balanced sound. Straight out of the case this guitar sounds like a dream. I have been playing it for a few days and it already feels like an extension of my soul. The sound of this instrument is as good as it gets period. Both fingerstyle and strum style this guitar opens up beautifully and proves that Martin are still making some of the finest guitars on the planet.

This was set up to perfection. I often play in different tunings & this guitar seems to respond very well to all of them, giving me flawless action and stable intonation.

I haven't had it long enough to really say but the guitar looks and feels like it was built to last with impeccable attention to detail.

I spoke to somene from Martin who was very freindly and helpful.

I have been playing for 26 years. I own a 1964 Gibson J45, a 1962 Gibson b45 12 string, a 1964 Martin Tenor guitar, a Martin acoustic bass guitar, 1959 Tele etc... I am floored by this guitar. It is one of the most beautiful instruments I have ever played...gush gush...no seriously... If I lost it or it was stolen, I would firstly hunt it down to the far corners of the earth and if I still didn't find it, buy another one....for sure!

I love the even, balanced sound, the playability is unsurpassed, it also looks great in an old school way. Sometimes I want those extra 2 frets but that is purely subjective and there is an obvious trade off ie. the sound board being that size is one of the reasons the guitar sounds so good. Really I cannot gush enough....this is a stunning instrument!

I guess this category is subjective, since you buy a guitar based upon the features you are looking for, but this is fits the bill, in terms of what I was looking for. All the vintage "28" features are here, including solid woods throughout(spruce, rosewood, ebony), herringbone, Waverlys, etc.
There is no side bracing, tape, or otherwise, which seemed a bit curious. I suppose it's because the sides are narraower. Also, I will probably upgrade the plastic and micarta nut and saddle to fossil ivory. Other than those things, this guitar's a beaut.

Out of the box, brand new, I've never heard a better sounding guitar. It's round, balaced, and full. I disagree slightly with the last reviewer in that besides being a perfect fingerstyle guitar, you can strum this thing 'till the proverbial cows find their way back to the barn.

I haven't touched the setup, but the guitar had been opened before it came to me so I'm presuming the folks at Music123 had something to do with its setup. It plays very well, and you really have to try very hard to make anything buzz. I'm surprisingly impressed with those folks. I'm fairly sure that it has a glued-in saddle, although I did read somewhere that someone found that theirs wasn't. I haven't yanked hard enough.

It's a Martin.

I haven't had any dealings with the company with this guitar, but Martin has always done a decent job of taking care if their customers. If you're in a hurry, though, you's better go somewhere else. As I said Music123 did a good job getting this to me on the very date they promised it would be in stock, and held it for me when there was a credit card snafu.

Been playing professionally for 30+ years. I own a Martin Golden Era D-18, Guild F-212, Larrivee D-03, Larrivee Parlor, Heritage 575, DeArmond M-72, and various and sundry other instruments. The caveat here is that I've only owned it for a month, but can't imagine being without one.

Replica of a pre 1934 00028. Sitka spruce top ,indian rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard.No pickguard. Waverly tuners on a slot headstock. Twelve fret neck. Good case included.

I am playing ragtime blues stuff (blind blake etc) it has a full jumbo sound ( this is an early review so i'm sure the sound will open up in time) I was looking for a loud tight bass sound and this delivers. very even sound. The sound will be a ten with age

This guitar has a wide neck since it is a replica of a guitar without a truss rod (don't panic this is one of the few modern improvents).Even though it is a wider neck its easy to play. The neck shape is a mild vee and lends itself to use of the thumb on the sixth string (a la fingerstyle blues). The action was a little high for my liking but still very playable. the top spruce grain is not a straight as I was expecting but kind of curves in at the sound hole. it reminds me of the fairer sex (hmmmm). The pyramid bridge has a coulpe of sanding marks which should not be there.The back and front are both bookmatched beautifuly.

This is a very early review so time will tell. I am sure it is built to last (what martin isn't?) As far as durability, I'm treating it very gently as I can only think of how much green I sank into this.You know the pre first ding jitters.

The authorized dealer is great. The martin web page less than great. Where is their e-mail address for questions? I have never tried to call them. spend a little less on advertising and a little more on customer accessability martin.

I've played for twenty five years (recreationaly) I own a Martin D15, SP00016 and a johnson resonator. I bought this because I wanted a guitar that was like those which my mentors played. I can't picture this guitar being used for a variety of styles. It certainly isn't a strummer.I am very happy with this axe and look forward to many years of playing and it fits the niche I was looking to fill. The price is high but you get what you pay for. The quality is very consistant (are you listening Gibson?) I would buy it again if it was stolen but I would be divorced. I don't put too much stock in ratings but I hope these comments are of interest. cheers