Martin D-28

Features? Its a D28, the most copied guitar in the world. The features are listed in the myriad of other reviews. The finish is exemplary, the neck is the standard neck, the wood selection is very good. A stock dreadnaught does not have alot of features

Sound is what it is all about. Frankly some Martins have a great sound and some don't. I bought min new in 1984 and was very happy with the sound the day I bought it. Over the years it has become richer and fuller. Once it hit 20 years old it was nothing short of phenominal, now each year it sounds better. It is an amazing instrument. There is good reason why Martin has the loyalty that it does.

Action, as shipped from Martin, was Ok. A little high. Over the years, I have had it set up several times. I like very fast action, and it now has it. Martin has a reputation of High action stemming from the days prior to an adjustable truss rod. The fit and finish of the guitar, as shipped, was very good. The bookmatching was perect, binding was perfect, overall quality very high

I have had several issues through the years. A crack on the front that needed to be cleated, the binding came loose on the front, then a year later on the back. The neck had to be reset. It needed a fret job (not the guitars fault!). The finish on the front is now extremely checked due to our cold weather, again not the guitars fault. It has held up well for its age and treatment.

Martin's support was very good. Never any qualms about honoring the lifetime gaurantee.

This has been my main guitar since the day I bought it, I also own Gibsons, Taylors and Guilds. If this one was lost or stolen I would definately get another Martin D-28. I recently had the necked reshaped to be more like a low profile neck, an option that is now offered.

I am rating this guitar as 10 because it has soul. Its sound is unmatched by any, and it has been my best friend for the last 22 years.

This review is for my brand new, 2005 Martin D-28, made in Nazereth, PA.

It is the basic 14 fret Dreadnought, the standard by which all dreadnoughts are measured. The top consists of two fine pieces of quartersawn, medium grained, stika-spruce, with beautiful striations throughoutand. The back and sides are made of richly colored deep dark Indian rosewood, with such a beautiful grain.

The neck is a satiny feeling low profile mahogany neck, that just begs to be grabbed onto. The frets are perfect, of course, and rest on an ebony fretboad, which matches the mild striping of the ebony bridge perfectly.

The binding is white and provides a perfect contrast to the dark rosewood. It is amazing how such simplicity can be so remarkable. In fact, the sppearance of this guitar exudes quality from stem to stern.

I give it a 10 on features, and why did I do that? What do you expect form a rosweood dreadnought? Perfectly sawn spruce on the top...and this has it... Perfectly slected rosewood for the back and sides...and this has it. A comfortable, solid mahogany neck...and this has it. Perfect frets with perfect tuners on an ebony fretboard, witha matching ebony brige...and this has all of those things.

The remaining features are subjective, and what may be right for some, may not be right for others. For example, I did not want the herringbone, I think the standard looks much better. I did not want the tortoise pickguard, I prefer the black. I did not prefer the sound of the scalloped braced D-28s to that of the non-scalloped. So in a nutshell, the featued were perfect for me.

I play bluegrass, country, classic rock, travis pick, and some old country blues. American roots if you will. I will lay down some nice Neil Young style licks, or I will play a delicate Simon and Garfunkel number. I will play James Taylor, and on rare occasion...James Hetfield (Metallica). I love bluegrass and traditional gospel. I will flatpick, strum and fingerpick.

The D-28 may not be perfect for each of those things, but it can play each of those styles quited nicely. The sound is not nearly as boomy and the HD-28 or HD-28V. It is a much more balanced sound, but not quite as balanced as a Martin D-18 for example. Also, a 000-18 or something like that would be more suited if you stayed mainly with blues and fingerstyle.

If you do a little of everything, like I do, you will want a dreadnought. And a rosewood dreadnought, in my opinion is a better rhythm insturment than a mahogany dreadnought. The sound of my D-28, is what you expect in a rosewood dread. Dark, rich, warm sound, emanating from deep within the belly. My playing will usually accompany my singing, or someone else's singing, and I prefer the rosewood sound for that.

Again, we are judging this for the expected sound of a rosewood dreadnought, and unlike the features, I will deduct 1 point for sound, because this guitar has not been in my hands long enough to get to the "perfect" score. i have a 2000 Martin D-18, which, in my opinion, has reached that perfect status expected from a mahogany dread.

The guitar was set up extremely well. I bought it off the shelf in West Palm Beach, Florida, knowing full well that I was going to take it to my luthier to put the finishing touches on it.

After the purchase, I had a hand crafted bone nut and saddle installed, and the action was lowered slightly. I replaced the strings with D'Addario mediums, which is what I prefer. So I will not deduct for the guitar shop in West Palm Beach, nor will I deduct for Martin in general. They have to sell guitars to the masses, and when you fork out big bucks for a guitar...do youself a favor and take it to a luthier and let him/her make it perfect for you.

No doubt this is the standard bearer. This guitar will stand up to any challenge...just take good care of it. The finish is durable, but it will wear off, like any good guitar...eventually. The tuners are solid, and the feel is solid all the way around. No worries at all with this one. I always travel with two guitars. Main reason is that I tune one standard, and the other to Drop D. So, if anything was to happen, I woudl adjust the tuning on the other one, and drive on.

Martin is the best company to deal with. They are so incredibly proud of their product, and seem genuinely appreciative that I picked their D-28 amidst all of the available choices from their competition.

I have been playing guitar for 18 years. I am a decent player. Currently, I own a 2000 Martin D-18, and this 2005 Martin D-28. I am very happy that I made this purchase. Is it the best guitar that I own? I don't know. My D-18 kicks butt, and offers things that the D-28 doesn't, and vice versa.

The D-18 was the rock upon which I built my repotoire for open mike nights, jams, and various shows at events, both solo and in a group setting. The D-18 is great, but I wanted to add another dimnension to my playing, so I purchased this guitar, and made an excellent choice.

I take both guitars with me everwhere I play. They both perform like champs and I have no complaints. I am a Martin guy through and through, and that is for good reason.

There comes a time when you are faced with making a decision on what guitar to buy, and in this realm, you will have close to $2000 riding on it, so you do not want to make a decision you are going to regret.

I urge each and every one of you to go to the guitar shops and play the instruments. You may think you want a D-28, but end up liking a D-35 more. Or you may prefer the HD-28, with it's scalloped bracing. You may even discover that rosewood is not your thing, and opt for a D-18.

Heck, you may even prefer Taylors, and not like Martins...or maybe even you would like Larrivees or Gibsons better.

The bottom line is that you make your choice for you and no one else. Regardless if others may think you are nuts for buying a Martin, Gibson, Larrivee or Taylor. Others may also tell you to buy a scalloped braced guitar. You may or may not prefer scalloped over non-scalloped. It's your money, and your hands playing it, and your ears hearing it. So do what your heart and your gut tells you to do.

Rock on!

Just some basic "FYI" about factory set ups on Martins. People tend to give a lower score for the higher action. Martins have a higher action out of the box for a reason: It's easier to take material off a saddle or nut than it is to add material to one.

Any store selling a Martin should set it up for nothing. If they won't, tell them you're taking your business elsewhere and will tell everyone you know to do the same.

I personally don't like the Martin tone; I'm a Larrivee guy. I do however believe Martin to be at the top of the acoustic game as far as quality, and people should be aware of the reasoning behind the factory set ups on their instruments.

I can be found on the Acoustic Guitar Forum (AGF) as "notamartinfan".

1995 model D-28.Serial# 553XXX. This axe was first purchased at Veneman music Rockville MD U.S.A.(from warranty registration).Now it is in Oriental . Solid East Indian Rosewood back and sides, some bookmatch Bear-claw solid Sitka Spruce top, one piece Mahogahny neck, Ebony fretboard and Ebony bridge.No electronics install. Made in Nazareth, PA. Came with #640hardshell case. The saddle was changed to bone.The frets were a little wear off.without electrics install.I was looking for D-28 or HD-28. The used D-28 is a half priced of used HD-28. I choose it.

It's 10 years old, . The sound has been open up matured as its got older.Very full rich volume clear & sweeeeet sound. rich warm harmonics.And balance.I plays without amplification. At the party of I amplified it with L.R.Baggs passive pickup soundhole the cable running out the soundhole to L.R.Baggs DI. to Trace elliot Ta100. It's sound great.I liked it.

The factory is set it up in high touching. But it's very good for strumming.I play it only by strumming. The dried glue under the pickguard rim protruded all around pickguard.The finish have been aging, spruce top finish is changed to golden. The neck is in good condition.

This guitar is the heaviest built dreadnaught.No fancy of pearl inlay. It's far better than scalloped HD-28. The Martin tuner is fit well. With the diamond neck can be strenghten headstock and neck.

It's 3rd hand. No warranty outside U.S.A.

I'm 55 yrs old.I want the sound of old guitar.Can't wait for aging process. It 10 yrs old that perfect for woodtone. This thing is the best of mine.The another are 1994 Martin D-1,1995 Taylor412 + fishman natural I and 2005 Taylor420ce-L5 + ES . D-28 for strumming, D-1 and 412 for fingerpicking, 420ce-L5 for open tuning strumming picking and slide playing. If it was stolen I will buy the another D-28

New 2005 Martin D-28. Personally picked by Stan Jay of Mandolin Bros. (who makes the setups for McCartney's guitars).

Standard features which are more than documented... classic spruce/rosewood combo. I won't make you lose your time reading them over again.

It came with the molded case stringed with D'daddario .012's with an extra set included.

That's what's the legend is all about, right?

Ok, out of the box it's a good sounding guitar but nothing spetacular. Play it for a few days though and as it starts opening up you'll feel the urge of playing it more and more. After a couple of weeks you'll understand all the hype and mystique behind the D-28. Then you'll find out why it is considered THE standard steel stringed guitar but be prepared: After that aural bliss you'll probably lose some hours of sleep or even get a little sloppy with your day job. It'll be almost impossible to put it down. Those innocent '5 minutes' can become hours if you don't watch yourself.

I play blues, classic acoustic Pop Rock, and some hard to be labelled music that falls somewhere between New Age and Raga Rock. For those I use lots of alternative tunings and the ringing sustain and amazing overtones the guitar produces makes playing a truly magical experience.

Deep and resonant basses (you can feel the vibrations that comes from the box...) and crystal clear highs. It's exactly how a acoustic steel string must sound like.

It has a vey snappy fast and percussive response and that's why is so revered by bluegrassers and flatpickers. But I play mainly with my bare fingers and it sounds much warmer and percussive to me that way.

I haven't played the scalloped model - the HD-28, but I've heard that the standard non-scalloped is more solid and has more defined highs. The HD-28 seems to have a slightly better projection and volume with a boomier bass that some might consider muddy. Since I needed clearer and brighter trebles as much as deep basses I opted for the D-28.

Also I couldn't spring the extra $400 and since all my heroes (including the incomparable virtuoso Michael Hedges) played the standard D-28 I had no reason to justify for the fancier herringbone.

The setup was nice. I read lots of reviews of people who complain about the high action of the factory setup, but the truth is I don't know how it was setup from the factory since Mandolin Bros sent me with .012's (It comes originally equipped with .013s). I dislike low setups since they kill the natural harmonics of the instrument so the medium action it came was fine to me.

I exchanged the 0.12s for .011s and kept the low E from the .012 set but that thicker string had intonation problems up the neck and whenever I used a capo. After replacing it with the low E from the Custom Lights set it was fine.

The top is nicely bookmatched...I hate it when the halves of the top have different colours - one darker than the other. I think that's inadmissible on an expensive guitar.

The gloss finish is beautiful but it scratches fairly easily. Also it can became a bit dull and lustreless on some spots, specially on the top bout where your right arm rests. Martin polish and rubbing won't remove them. Too much rubbing might damage the lacquer, so you have to learn how to live with them.

Since it's intended to be a workhorse guitar you shouldn't worry too much about that but I'm only mentioning it because it's brand new and I'm still on that 'kiss & polish all the time' phase.

There was something rattling inside the guitar which was a bit disturbing...some tiny wooden chips. After removing the strings and bridge pins I found out that those were leftovers from the bridge drilling. So don't panic if it happens to you.

It's designed to be a workhorse guitar and although it appears so delicate when you first pick it up brand new it will undoubtly withstand the rigours of live playing and pretty much abuse.

It's a solid, dependable guitar that's built to last (hence Martin's lifetime warranty)

The strap button is easily removable but I don't think it might slip during a gig.

The machine heads are sealed with amazing ratio. You have to turn them quite a bit to change the string pitch. Much better than those open-geared reissues of the vintage models.

Since I rarely break strings I would surely gig without a backup.

The only contact I had with Martin & Co. was upon registering my guitar online. They've sent the confirmation, registration number and papers by mail to Brazil.

They seem to be nice people who care. I'll probably will never require their services anyway.

Mandolin Bros. on the other hand is top-notch. Mr Stan Jay, a great guitar coinesseur and enthusiast, personally picked the guitar and actually asked for my email feedback to check my aproval. He was glad to answer all my questions prior to my purchase including a highly informative discrimination about the D-28 and the slighly more expensive D-35.

Although it was specially designed for strong rhythmic play - which makes it a strummer's machine - the overall quality is so high that it can handle it all, a fact that can be backed up by the artists with many diverse styles such as: Lennon, McCartney, Dylan, Joni Michell, Jimmy Page, Michael Hedges, etc.

I've been playing guitar for ten years and spent most of my finest acoustic moments with a Yamaha APX4 (a nice guitar) - a small-bodied cutaway with onboard eletronics which I ended plugging very little. I missed the bass response of a larger instrument and wanted a nice resonant guitar with plenty of volume and the most amazing unamplified sound I could possibly get. So that meant getting almost the opposite features of what I had.

So I sold the Yamaha, an Epiphone Casino eletric hollowbody and a fretless Fender Jazz Bass and I have no regrets.

Rest assured that when acquiring a D-28 you'll be paying for the sound only. That means great woods with even greater worksmanship. A no-nonsense workhorse guitar. If you care too much about glitz and fancy inlays you'd better look elsewhere. It's pretty spartan on it's appointments, though the glossy finish beautifully highlights the quality woods.


I think I'll go play now...

1958 Martin D-28. Sitka spruce top, Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck. Grover Rotomatic tuners. 14 frets to the body. Bone bridge saddle, long saddle (not drop-in saddle). K&K mini-western pickup. T-bar neck (non-adjustable truss rod).
It is what it is, of course. It's a mighty fine vintage guitar. Other features that I'd like to have on a rosewood dreadnought might (or might not) be: scalloped bracing, bolt-on neck joint, truss rod, bone or fossilized ivory bridge saddle, nut, and bridge pins.
The t-bar (non-adjustable) truss rod is sort of a drawback, as any action adjustments must be performed by a (very involved) neck reset procedure, rather than a simple truss rod adjustment. The neck reset is complicated by the dovetail neck joint; it would be a job of just a few minutes if the neck were bolt-on. But bolt-on necks have suffered (undeservedly) a bad reputation through most of the past century.

The sound is very very good. The guitar is powerful & loud throughout its entire range. Plenty of bass, mids, and penetrating trebles. It sounds wonderful when flatpicked or strummed (especially with a heavy pick, I use a 1.14mm Wegen Bluegrass Pick), and also sounds great when fingerpicked with or without picks. I would describe the sound as strong, full, and complex. It sounds like a piano. It is extremely good for bluegass, and singer-songwriter type music, country, and rock rhythm. I think it would sound good in just about any genre. It can produce a wide variety of tones, from sweet to strident. I can play it softly and it is responsive. I can flatpick the bejesus out of it, and it doesn't overdrive the top. Balance between strings is good.
I primarily use it to flatpick bluegrass, swing, and fiddle tunes, and also to play at church (where the music ranges from traditional hymns to uptempo rock songs).
The only dislike I have about the sound is that the low E string can sometimes sound a little dull or muffled. I think this is specific to this guitar, not d-28's in general, and is related to humidity.

I can't speak for how the guitar was set up from the factory, as I got it used. When I got it, it was in need of a neck reset and new frets, which I had done, as well as a new bridge saddle and pickup. The setup went excellently (a luthier named Bryan Kimsey in New Mexico, I recommend him), and the guitar plays like a dream. The action is low enough to play very comfortable up the neck, and high enough to flatpick very loudly without buzzing.
My main fit & finish complaint on this guitar is the pickguard. The pickguards on older Martins (up to the 70's, I believe), was put directly on the topwood, and then lacquered over. Nowadays, pickgaurds are put on top of the lacquer, and for good reason. The topwood and the pickguard expand and contract differently in heat & cold. This differential expansion leads to small cracks in the top around the pickguard. Be very conscious of this if you're buying a used older Martin. Look carefully...
Other than this minor issue, though, the workmanship is outstanding.

It's a very sturdy guitar. It has seen plaenty of abuse, and lived through it, and even still looks good. The finish has lasted almost 50 years, and I expect no problems. I use it in gigs without a backup all the time. It is pretty stable in different temperatures and humidities compared to other high-end guitars, except that high humidities sometimes make the low E string sound a bit muffled.

I've been playing for about 15 years. I own various other guitars: a custom Tele, a Guild cutaway acoustic-electric, a Sigma acoustic, a Jom classical, a Mosrite hollowbody, a couple of mandolins, a handmade mahogany dreadnought, an 1886 HC Dobson Silverbell banjo. I've owned many guitars over the years. This is, hands-down, the best instrument I've ever owned. I feel fabulously lucky to have such an inspiring instrument to play. I love the sound and feel of it. I love the way it looks (and love that most people have no idea that the old-looking acoustic they see on stage is an awesome guitar to die for). A vintage D-28 is extremely expensive (to me, anyway). But if you have the money, you can't beat 'em with a stick.
If it were lost or stolen, I'd be heart-broken, because I know I could never find the $5-6K to buy another. I would have to get something else, and it would never be the same...

2002 Model D-28 Built in the Nazareth, PA U.S.A.
14 Frets Clear of the body
Solid Sitka Spruce Top with East Indian Rosewood back and sides
Solid Mahogany neck
Solid Ebony Fretboard and Bridge
Corian Nut/Micarta Saddle
For all intents and purposes this guitar is loaded with features that contribute to sound. No frills visually...body binding is tasteful and simple. Nothing to get in the way and distract you from all of that beautiful wood.

I do a little of everything...fingre pick, strum, and flatpick. This guitar does everything very well and best of all it just keeps getting better everyday. Over the last three years she's really opened up quite a bit. I'm very happy and I can't imaging how she'll sound in another 10, 20, or 30 years from now.

I bought this guitar brand new. In fact, the case was still sealed with plastic. Everything was perfect from day 1...Zero flaws!

I have never had a problem with this guitar. She is the most stable guitar I own. I also own a 1980 Martin D-19 and a 1996 Martin 000-28EC. My D-28 sounds great year round. The D-19 can sound a bit thin during the winter and the 000-28ECs B string tends to go a little on the sharp side also during winter, but my D-28 stays in tune all of the time even with dead strings.

Martin has always been very friendly and courtious over the phone and e-mail responces are always prompt.

I've never had any warranty issues with this guitar. I don't expect that I will.

I've played off and on most of my life, and my D-28 is by far the best guitar I've ever owned. If this guitar was lost or stolen, I would be crushed, but I would buy another D-28!

1975 D-28 w/ 14 frets/Rosewood/Solid Top/grover tuners, you name it. Blue thermo case also. It also has a grey colored acoustic pick up mic, but the chord that goes into the guitar is quite smaller than the usual guitar plug.

This thing roars! It has a deep, colorful tone to it. As a matter of fact, I'd rather not amp this one, it speaks for itself!

I'm not too sure of how the action was, because I wasn't alive when this guitar was made. It is 10 years older than me. The action is slightly high, but I can deal with that. There's a few blemishes due to age right around the pick guard, because this guitar sat practically unplayed for 20 years. It was my dad's first acoustic guitar and once I started playing, I never imagined it would be in my hands. For 30 years with no telling how many pounds of pressure, this guitar's appearance is an A+! The tone of the wood is darker than newer D-28's, which I think looks better.

This guitar is a rock! I watch over it closely. I never keep it out on a stand because accidents DO happen, and as a matter of fact I had a scare one time. I was adjusting my blinds and had the guitar out on the rack (last semester in my apartment) and I knocked a small lamp off of my computer desk and it hit the side. It only nicked the white finish on the sides. Did not mess up the sound at all or appearance (that is, unless you happen to notice it). I would definately use it on a gig (without backup, because nothing sounds as good).

I'm looking at a neck reset, but I have no way to prove that my dad is the original owner. His parents bought it for him. You get the picture... it would be pretty tough!

I have been playing for close to 6 years now counting when I first picked it up. I've made it pretty far with my talent. I don't think I could have asked for anything better. To make a long story short, last year, just before starting my first semester at the University of South Carolina my dad suprised me with this guitar as a birthday present. I had a dean, that I thought sounded good, but now I won't even touch it. The closest I've ever played or heard to my D-28 is my buddy's 1976 D-35, but I still chose the D-28.

Martin D28 Standard 2003 US made .Rosewood back and sides ,spruce top ,gloss finish, Gotoh Tuners,Martin 640 case Included ,14 frets clear.

The best sounding guitar I have ever had the pleasure of owning. bass and treble response is excellent .I have no complants of the sound.

The set up at the factory is good concidering the older models, the bookmatching is excellent, good finish, could use a better rossette, kind of plain looking but otherwise a very nice guitar.

This guitar will last a lifetime with proper care and will only sound better with time, great tuners, they never go out of tune. Everything is solid, you can play everyday with no problems, Excellent.

haven't delt .lifetime warrenty

I have been playing about thrity five years on and off, I first got hooked on martins when I was about thriteen, my friends dad had a old D18 from the sixtees and I loved the sound right away, It was all beat up and played like hell but ooo that sound. I have owned three Martins since then and wouldn't even concider anything else to play, My D28 will be the last Martin I buy because otherwise I would just be wasting money. The only thing I wish Martin would had done is to put a better rossette on and mayby a few more dots or differen't design on the fingrboard, of coarse if you by a B28 you buy Martin tradition right? I would buy another one if it was stolen as soon as the insurance check cleared.

martin d-28 standard

excellent sound

perfect finish

will last a lifetime if properly cared for

have not delt

35 years, I have owned two other martins a 1977 d-18 and a 1996 d-16 spd and have recently purchased 2005 d-28 that I have always wanted, It is new and I can't waut until the wood opens up because it sounds great now and Ican't imagine the sound after a few years. the only thing i wish the d-28 had is a tortise pickguard i think it looks better. if it wes stolen i would but a new one right away because my d-18 was stolen and it took me 15 years to get another martin. I have played a gerat number oof guitars in my life but a good quality martin seems to be my only choice. keep on pick'in