Martin D-28

Mfg'd in 1974, I purchased my Martin D-28 in a small music store downtown in Wilkes-Barre, PA and has been my primary guitar ever since. I paid $450 with a trade and it was the best investment i have ever made. I will die with this guitar. I still play every week 30 years later and my guitar is like my right arm. I have replaced the frets twice and the pick guard once. I have a fishman pickup in the bridge. I started with transducers since the beginning starting with Barcus-Berry - remember them. My fishman has been fine since I installed it back in 87.

This D-28 has aged 30 years and sound better every day. As it ages, the spruce allows more flex and sustain will increase everytime you play it. Imagine after 30 years of vibration.

I am somewhat hard on my guitar since it is my primary guitar. I play Fla beach bars and patio bars and smokey bars and I polish it and guess what - it still looks great and has turned a shade of orange - it is absolutly beautiful.

30 years as my primary guitar and I have sold many other guitars that i have owned but will never sell this one. I don't need a backup guitar.

Once I was playing my D28 too close to a campfire and melted the coating on the headstock. At that time I lived in PA and took it to them. The VP of Marketing took me to his office and showed me a prototype electric they were working on, gave me a tour of the factory, fixed and shipped me my guitar at NO CHARGE! You can't ask for a better customer support.

I have been playing since I saw the beatles on Ed Sullivan Feb '63 I think. I started playing acoustic in the late 60' at coffee houses and small pubs. I have been playing the songs of this era ever since. I am 50 now and play every saturday evening. I have had nightmares about someone stealing my Martin. I would be devistated. I would try to find another - 30 year old one would be hard to find.
In my opinion there is no comparison to any other guitar.

D-28 (2002)
you know what it has.

Ah-sound-the reason why we're all here.
Well this is why I settled on a Martin for my first high-end acoustic,
After playing cheaper acoustics for a number of years I thought it was about time, so I spend six months researching and comparing models. The D-28,HD28,D-35 have the best sounds bar none for my style, some D-16s and 000s are sweet too-but thats a later purchase :)
The D-28 for me was beauty to behold in terms of sound and each one I had tried in Music shops were very consistent.
The D-28 resonates like you wouldn't believe and is quite balanced. I hardly play my electrics anymore-I don't need an amp or wires or effects.

I bought it from Elderly instruments and so it came set up perfectly-quality is remarkable-beautiful rosewood back and sides, top is perfect with slight silking going on and lovely figuring- Gloss Finish is wonderful but not thick at all which is great.

I don't understand Martin's website pictures of their guitars, you can barely see the detail in these instruments-i guess each guitar has a different grain pattern and they don't want to get the customer believing he is going to get that particular guitar.

I think this guitar could withstand anything,-'cept maybe a 3yr old child.
Very solid- Although I am afraid to leave it on a stand just for the simple fact that I have a 3yr old running around who occasionally likes crash his matchbox cars and likes a passing strum on my guitars.- so I leave my beater acoustic Fender out for quick inspired play.
I actually considered(for 2 seconds) leaving the Martin on a stand then envision crayon scrawls and severe dents. although he really hasn't damaged my other acoustic, I sometimes find toys inside the guitar.
I hope to have the "d" out later when my son grows up and gets his own guitar. Then I will put little men in his guitar.:)

don't know anything about it-newbie to Martins.

I give it a 10 overall because it deserves that. I was shopping for taylors and martins for a while and realized that Martins are far superior in sound which was the major factor, Taylors are pretty and sound nice but don't have the balls of a D-28, you can play any style(flatpick/Fingerstyle) on this guitar and it sounds perfect.

In my opinion the upper end taylors like the 700's are the best sounding but they cost some and dont have the feel & tone of the martins.

HD28 or D28? that was the question.. for a while. I found a HD28 once that sounded like heaven but was like 2200 and it was a bit overpriced & I wasn't ready at the time.
Continuing on I began to compare the HD's. I realized I needed a workhorse/ but beautiful sounding all around guitar & I shouldn't be going after herringbone and frillies -so I picked up some D-28s and realized the D-28 is what I need as well as want-
I wanted a lovely sounding and looking guitar that will not be a showpiece on the wall but something I would play often and not worry about an occasional ding(argh-god forbid).

Some say don't buy from the internet-however I spent many days in several music shops comaparison shopping- and the D-28 was consistent every time, even with old strings it sounded great.
so-I knew of Elderly and checked the vintage section occasionally, finally a afforable d-28 came on in perfect condition- I didn't want an oldie that looked liked someone use to use it as a plow blade & you needed a equity loan to buy it.
-& I didn't care if it was too new or worried about the lifetime warranty-I knew this guitar would be around many years before it had trouble or needed work.
I wanted one to grow old with me-So a 2 year old D-28 was perfect for me cuz it was somewhat broken it and still was like new in finish. It even smells great!
In Conclusion, find a small room and play a D-28 softly and then hard & let the sound bounce off the walls its amazing! My next quest will be for a 000 or OM just for fingerstyle- but that won't be for a long while- I want to spend some years with my D-28 before get into that.
Once you have a D-28 you know what a Drednaught should be.

Used 2001 left handed D-28. All the same standard features as already listed. My only complaint in the features: Chrome Schaller-type closed tuners with the C.F.Martin logo on them. They turn smoothly, but I hate the look of them. I would have preferred Grovers or, even better, open back Waverlys.

That small personal quam aside, the features are as simple and utilitarian as one could expect. No fancy abalone purfling, binding, intricate rosette design work, or extraneous inlays. The fanciest part is the art deco-motifed backstrip that separates the two pieces of bookmatched Indian rosewood on the back of the body.

The D-28 is a basic, no nonsence instrument It has one primary function: to provide the sound that has set the standard of steel string guitars for the past 70+ years. Read on.

Before purchasing my D-28 I owned a Taylor 714ce for a few years and more recently, a Gibson J-180(the Everly Brothers model). The Taylor sounded OK, but I realized as my ears and taste developed that it was too bright and somehow sterile sounding. The J-180 was a jumbo with a nice round tone but lacking in the high end. Again, nothing spectacular.

When I played the D-28, it was exactly the sound I had in my head that I couldn't get before. A loud guitar that projects well with high end "zing", crisp treble, slighty scooped mids and tight bass, as others have mentioned previously. The acoustic growl from the lower strings is a thing of beauty that is classic Martin. It is a very balanced sound and no frequency overpowers another. It is the quintissential acoustic guitar tone. I put medium strings on as soon as I was able and it brought out even more volume.

I agree with the others: forget detail issues like scalloped vs. non-scalloped, Brazilian vs. Indian rosewood vs. mahogany vs. maple vs. whatnot. Let your ears be the judge of what a good sounding guitar is. As an addition to the non-scalloped vs. scalloped debate, non-scallop braced Martins have been around since the mid forties and have been used by countless artists. If a post-war Martin is good enough for the Beatles, Jimmy Page, Elvis, Clarence White(yes, he played a '50s D-18), Bob Dylan, and Steve Howe then it's certainly good enough for me!

I have not compared it to an HD-28 side by side, but to my ears the D-28 has the tone of many a classic recording that I had been searching for years but could not find because of the scarcity of quality left handed instruments. This is the first lefty Martin I have found locally and I'm glad I did at a time that I was able to afford it.

The quality of the workmanship is outstanding.

The laquer is thin, glossy and immaculate compared to the bad orange peel on the top of the headstock of my J-180. Inside the bracing as far as I can see is very clean; not a drop of glue to be found.

Everything is fitted together tightly, no buzzing from any open or fretted strings, and the action is a high but comfortable 3/32" at the 12th fret. I didn't even have to play with the truss rod when I switched from light guage to medium. The satin finish on the neck has been buffed out to a nice gloss which I prefer (I don't know if the previous owner did this?)

The quartersawn spruce top is beautiful to look at. I imagine it will get better with age as the laquer takes on a deeper amber glow.

It seems as reliable as could be for an acoustic guitar. The nitrocellulose laquer will of course not be as sturdy as modern tone robbing plastic/poly finishes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. The finish is already wearing under the pickguard from heavy strumming. I love that!

I don't know. My warranty is void since I bought it used.

I've been playing 13+ years now. I've bought and sold more lefty guitars and amps than I care to mention. I've owned a couple of '52 reissue teles, some strats, a Taylor, Rickenbacker 12 string, '57 reissue Gibson goldtop Les Paul, original 1960 Fender tweed Bassman, the list goes on...Right now I'm down to 3 guitars: a '62 AV reissue Strat, '58 reissue sunburst Gibson Les Paul, and the Martin as well as a '70 50 watt Marshall JMP(great amp).

I wish I found this guitar before I plopped down the coin for the Gibson J-180. I lost some money on the trade-in, but gained the tone I was looking for.

If it were stolen, I would have to buy another Martin dread, no question about it. I would have to compare several lefties side by side, though. I don't know if I'll ever get that opportunity. Acoustic guitars are such individual animals and MUST be played prior to buying--the same model guitar can vary greatly from one to another.

I love the sound of this guitar. It's already opening up at 3 years old. I can't wait to hear it in a few more years. Like I already mentioned, I don't care for the look of the tuners. That's about the only bad thing I can say.

Pretty basic in features. No fancy inlay or binding but still a beautiful guitar to see, smell and play. I personally would like a tortoise pickguard but I'm not complaining. I bought it for the sound and playability, not the looks.

This is why they sell so well! When every other company is basically copying your (Martin's)guitar but putting their own headstock on it, you've created a standard. The rosewood back and sides give it such a clean, punchy tone that is ideal for pickers-which I really am not. I'm a strummer but I still can't think of a sound I would rather have.

FQMS does their setup according to your tastes before they ship it to you. I was concerned at first about mail-order instruments, but these guys are good. I highly recommend them. The action, fit and finish were absolutely flawless.

As long as you take care of it and keep the humidity in check, any guitar would probably last a lifetime.

Have not dealt with them.

I've been playing for 16 yrs. My previous acoustic is a 10 yr. old Epiphone PR-350-S which I have enjoyed playing and learning on. I just got to the point where I thought I deserved an upgrade. If all goes well this could be the last guitar I ever buy. Actually, if all went well, I would have more money and probably buy one of everything, but....
I also considered a Martin 16 series (ooo or dred.) mostly for the electronics at a comparable price to the D-28, but I really wouldn't have used it plugged in much so I went this route.

Industry Standard Dreadnaught, solid Sitka spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides. Not very fancy, but extremely elegant. Purchased new (2003 built)

This is the first rosewood dreadnaught I have ever owned. In fact, I went shopping for a mahogany guitar (D18, Hummingbird). In the past I have never been a fan of D28s, however this particular guitar sounds incredible. I can literally feel the vibrations pass through my body while strumming sitting down.

Guitar needed some adjustements, but dealer took care of all of them,

Brand new, but Ive seen and heard 30 year old D28s that are amazing.
I am sure with proper care and feeding, this D28 will hold up fine.

I am not rating this category as the guitar is to new so I cannot comment on how this particular instrument will hold up.

Purchased a Left D28 two years ago for my son as a graduation persent.
Both Dealer and Martin were superb!

There are other solid spruce/rosewood alternatives out there, some with more glitz, others cheaper. A Martin D28 (just like a Gisbon Les Paul or Fender Tele) is a timeless design. While not inexpensive, it is still the benchmark. Your find a good one, and you grab it. I have been playing for many years and while I am primarily an electric player, I wanted a good solid wood acoustic with a fixed neck (no bolt on excuses!). I own some pretty serious grear (Gibsons: Les Paul 56 Reissue, Les Paul Standard, ES335; Fender American Series Ash Tele and G&L Legacy) so I know a good guitar when I play it. The D28 inspires me to be a better player. Dealer (Guitars ETC is highly recomended as well).

1990 D-28 from Nazareth, PA, USA. Solid sitka top and Indian rosewood back and sides. Mohogany neck. Ebony bridge and fretboard. Nitrocellulose high gloss finish all around. Came with Martin Hardshell case. I guess it could have a pickup, but I don't want one... I got a $100 in soundhole pickup and it works just fine for me. Included bone or ebony bridge pins, saddle and nut would be nice, but they are cheap upgrades if I take the suggestions and go that route.

I play rock, blues, country, reggae, folk and more and this guitar sounds great for all of them. I was looking into Taylors (410s) before I got this guitar and played a D-28 at the store. It was far more expensive, but the tone was leaps and bounds above. I decided I would wait until I could afford a D28, and then found a good deal on this used one. It sounds beautiful and I personally like the tone better than the new D35 and 45s I've played. Big sound, but compact and tight, not real loose like a Jumbo. The guitar I own is the best sounding guitar I've played in any guitar store. It's a joke to compare my previous guitar, an ovation balladeer, to this. I think someone mentioned a Pepsi can... I'd say Gatorade bottle. The tone kills my fathers 1970 Guild steel string by all accounts.

I'm playing with strings right now... started with Elixir Mediums which I had always used on my other guitars. Very even toned, great for strumming, but slippery on the right hand picking. Went to D'addario EJ17 last night and they are taking some getting used to. For induvidual notes they kill the Elixirs on this guitar... nice woody sound that the D28 has with these strings... but far harder on the left hand fingers... just some extra info for those interested!

I think the action is perfect and a number of people have remarked at how easy the guitar is to play. The only finish flaws I've noticed are around the tuning pegs... it seems like the finish dripped so there are gaps of finishless wood around a few of the tuners. VERY minor and you have to really look for it.

I'd have no problem taking this playing live... I play it hard and often and have had no structural issues, nor do I ever feel there is undue strain on any of the guitar's parts. Hardware all seems top knotch and it stays in tune great.

Haven't had to deal with them yet.

I've been playing for about 4 years only, and am really glad to have found 'my guitar' so early. I love this guitar... great sound, applicable to all styles, plays like a dream. If this was stolen, I'd have a heart attack. After my recovery I'd get another D-28 (and maybe try out some HD-28's while I was at it), but I think this one is really special (kinda like getting another golden retriever to replace the one that got ran over... just not the same). I got this one at a good price, so for me it was quite the value, though I would pay full retail price for another one in a heartbeat(list price is a joke).

I've also owned an ovation custom balladeer and a baby taylor, and there's no comparison (thought the taylor is great if you travel, but I don't...)

This is a response to Jeffrey Tobbins. Jeffrey, Jeffery, what are we gonna do with you? I fully understand what you were saying, but you are misunderstanding solid wood guitars. All D-28's sound very lame when brand new. But you have to play it in! They have to break in--think baseball gloves. Cheaper laminate guitars sound the same the day you get them to the day you finally have them cremated. But a D-28 takes some time to give that legendary tone. I hope you haven't sold your guitar yet--keep playing it and you will see why people worship the guitar so much.

Standard D28 features as listed in other reviews. Good tuners.

When I first got this guitar, I was unbelievably excited that I had just purchased a real Martin and the hype of the guitar quickly got to me. As the door rang and the UPS guy delivered the guitar, my heart beat so fast that I thought I was going to die. Taking it out of the package, oh wow, it was just incredible.

The guitar was very well finished. The looks are classic Martin, although I thought the pickguard seemed less attractive than I had remembered it from playing many friend's Martins in years past.

The moment of absolute euphoria drew near, and I played a few chords after tuning it up.

and... oh boy... it was way under my expectations. Maybe it was just the amazing hype that this guitar has gotten but it sounded... well... plain. The best way to describe it is that it sounds like a Squier or an entry Epiphone. The oft-described mids of this guitar are extremely dull and lifeless.

I figured maybe I was just having an off day with my hands and decided to bring out my stage guitar, a Washburn D46SCE Southwest. There is just no comparison. The Washburn's sound was still full of life, energetic, clear, and simply beautiful to the hands and body as well as the ear. And the Martin was... well..., a Squier.

All I can say that while many guitar afficiandos worship this guitar, you really have to have a taste for its feel. Maybe that comes with being older, but at 24 I cannot fathom how a 2500 dollar guitar can sound so terrible. I can honestly say that I'm not one of those "nu" freaks that lives and dies by the high gain Soldano or Triple-Rec stacks, and nor do I have 3 compressors on my effect chain. I've played classical, blues, rock and country on steel string guitars for 10 years now...

For the price, this has to be a 2.

The action was very good, as was the finish. This has to be expected from such an expensive guitar though. Nothing spectacular.

Everything seems good except for the pickguard, which seems a bit cheap and more suited for an entry level guitar.

They were very helpful when I called them to return the guitar.

I have been playing for 10 years, since I was 14, and I am incredibly dissapointed with this guitar for many reasons, some of which are stated above. I have played many, many guitars over the years and have gotten a good feel for acoustic tone and feel.

The D28 is not a bad guitar, but one that should retail for about 300 or 400 dollars. It is solid, but overall just leaves the impression that its a souped up cheap guitar.

I returned it after a week of trying to make myself believe that I liked it.

I'm writing about my 1981 D-28-- I'm the original owner, and have been playing this guitar for 22 years. You all know the features-- rosewood back and sides, beautiful sitka spruce top, all solid woods and hand carved neck (diamond feature on the back), etc. The neck on this guitar was made without a truss rod- at the time they were carving the necks at a slightly backwards angle, such that the strings would pull the neck up to the proper placement. Big and deep dreadnought shape,etc. Original black hardshell Martin case (I got this just after they stopped making the blue cases which, apparently, had been too easy for thieves to spot). No inlay or decorative frills.

Incidentally-- I use a lot of alternate tunings, and these tuners have given me NO grief in all these years!

I have played this guitar HARD for many years and taken it with me everywhere. I used it as a summer camp songleader, have played around many a campfire, mostly folk and later fingerstyle playing... coffeehouses,accompaning choral performances,etc. It went with me to college. Has been on a few airplanes (hand carried, always!)

This guitar has always had a very rich and full sound-- loud projection, etc. I started playing with light strings and eventually developed the strength to play on mediums (which really brings out this guitar's fullness). The sound was originally very bright, of course, when the wood was new. 22 years later, the wood grain has loosened and the color has darkened...and this guitar has the mellowest deep tones you have ever heard-- and while it is not as bright as it once was, it has lost no richness of tone in upper registers.

It now suits my mostly fingerpicking style VERY nicely (and did well for the mostly strumming I did as a songleader when I was young)-- it projects beautifully and I can use very gentle picking and not rip up my nails and it sounds great. I use a thinline pickup which was installed under the bridge many years ago...I find that there is disproportionate pickup on the B string-- it is hotter than the others-- and this needs to be adjusted with EQ when performing plugged in or recording through pickup.

I don't remember the original set up-- but there were no flaws that I know of. Over the years, I have had lower fretwires replaced once (from heavy use) and have had the neck pressed once due to a small amount of bowing that mostly affects the frets close to the guitar's body (which I use in fingerstyle play). I replaced the original endpins (ivory colored plastic with black dots) with wooden ones made out of ebony with mother of pearl dots, just cuz they were prettier. I also I currently find the guitar most comfortable to play when capo'ed on the 2nd or 3rd fret-- I'm not sure why-- it just seems to sing best there.

This guitar is SOLID and very durable-- I have taken it everywhere with me, and thanks to a really high quality case, it has just lasted and lasted. It has a number of dings and scratches that were TOTALLY my fault. These are all superficial. The finish has held up remarkably well (is starting to check a bit now)-- the only place it didn't was just above the soundhole where it is my (bad) habit to rest the heel of my hand when I'm picking, and I had worn the finish enough that I decided to add a pickguard there.

Strap button is solid, and the tuners are awesome-- they continue to be very accurate and smooth despite hard use and using lots of alternate tunings. It is entirely dependable, and I have used it on many gigs without backup (not having any backup!) in many settings from intimate coffehouse to dining hall full of 500 kids, and it carries equally well in each! I had problems with string breakage in the hard-strumming dining hall setting, which was solved when I switched from light gauge to medium gauge strings.

I have had little dealing with Martin over the years. They have a lifetime warantee on their guitars to the original owner, but I understand at this time that they require some proof to that effect, and since this guitar was bought for me when I was a teenager, I don't have receipts or anything...would have a tough time providing proof. I have visited their factory and taken their tour, though, and would recommend this to anyone who is passing by the area...

I have been playing guitar since I was 10 y.o. (28 years) and was given this guitar on my 16th birthday-- my parents didn't understand why I wanted a new/better guitar, although I knew I was bumping into both high-end and low-end limitations on my Elger. I brought them into the store and played a song on my Elger... then I picked up this D-28 and played the same thing and the lightbulbs went off over their heads... they GOT it!

This has been my primary instrument for all these years. I've also owned a Yamaha 12 string, a vintage Gibson A4 mandolin, an Aria bass, and a cheap nameless tenor banjo. THIS GUITAR IS ABSOLUTELY IRREPLACEABLE!! It has all my travels and tunes worn into its grain and tone-- I'm sure I could find another good instrument, but this guitar has aged with me, and there is no replacement for that.

At this time, I am looking for a small, lightweight parlor/travel guitar that I can pick up and play more easily-- one that is smaller and lighter and can be trucked around in a gig bag. I currently find that the size and heft of this guitar is sometimes a deterrent to frequent playing now that I am not performing as much. But I think of this as something to help me keep my chops up so that I can keep playing the Martin and enjoyting it...

standard modern d-28 without scalloped braces...oh yeah....it came with a nice case.

what can i say? it sounds like a martin d-28. very loud, though the herringbone i tried on the same day was much louder, but not as clean. this guitar has nice bass, with clean treble. single note runs are defined nicely, though not as much as...say...an OM model. most people consider this the "bluegrass model," but that's doing it a disservice. it has a wonderful when finger picked. not as easy to record or amplify, but is that really what guitar playing is about? this guitar is great for songwriting....

very easy to play, even with medium strings. great fit and finish. i tried a few gibsons (a j-45 and an AJ, and the quality was laughable...they felt crappy, to be honest). i must say, martin has a handle on the consistency thing. every d-28 i tried sounded almost exactly the same.

everything seems of a high grade. the guitar is a 1998 model. i guess it will start sounding even better with time....can't tell since i play her every day. the case it came with is very nice and plush. i wish the top would age a little wuicker for that "yellowed" look....but you can't rush certain things.

i've had no problems. the warranty seems good, and i was invited to the factroy for a tour...which i haven't the opportunity to do...yet.

i would highly recommend this guitar. many sales people tried to sell me another model saying "it sounds just like a martin" or "you should try this one as well...it's like a d-28." honestly, i tried a taylor, a larrivee, a guild, as well as other high-end models and while they all sounded good (which they should at this price range!), none of them moved me like the martin. they all had specific abilities which may have exceeded the martin's attributes slightly (the larrivee sounded like a better fingerstyle guitar, the taylor had a lower action and was easier to play), but none of them approached the d-28's ability to play EVERYTHING well. it's loud, it's sweet, it's clean, it's bassy, and....if you are a romantic...a f^&$*% martin!!!!