Martin HD-28 Acoustic

you know the features

Nice Full Round tone with lots of volume. It makes any of the taylors sound thin and weak.

Medium action - Perfect for me. Fit and finish are perfect

Very solid guitar with no belly bulge or othe issues after 2 years.

Great technical support.

Been playing 34 years. I've owned em all - gibsons, taylors, tacomas, guilds, and other martins. If you could have only one guitar, the HD28 will do it all - even fingerstyle.

My HD-28 was built in '93-94, and had a solid spruce top and solid rosewood back and sides (very attractive herringbone detail on back).

Overall, the sound was disappointing to me. The low-end was powerful but indistinct, and the mid- and high-range was largely absent. Some may prefer this sound, but I found it largely unsuitable.

Fit and finish were inconsistent; The wood and herringbone detailing were absolutely beautiful, but the fret ends were very sharp.

Factory set-up was poor for a guitar of this price. The action was far too high and the sharp frets inexcusable.

The guitar was subjected to live playing on only a few occasions. It seemed durable and well built.

N/A

I have been playing for 15 years, and currently own and play guitars made by Bourgeois, Taylor and Gibson. I owned this guitar for about 1 year and was very happy to trade it. In my opinion, those seeking a dreadnought would do far better to consider a Taylor 810.

2006, HD28 , see their webpage for all the details, the herringbone and spruce top and the best I've seen!!, Collings, Huss and Dalton, you just can't beat the Martin HD28. I didn't want a ton of features , I wanted a Martin D28, period.

I play in a country western / rock band. Fits that sound like a glove. Will probably have an LR Baggs pickup installed soon. The guitar sings with a familiar rich voice. Rich and full, well welll well balanced. I've only played it a few hours now, it was perfect right out of the box. It was in the store only one day and I snagged it. Wasn't even up on the wall yet. I had played 30 or 40 acoustics before finding this one, Martins, Laravae's, northwood, Huss and Daltons, Collings, Santa Cruz, breedloves, traveled hundreds of miles to different stores, etc. I knew this one was 'the one' when I first saw her, then... I played the first G chord. OMG!!! It sounds like a million songs I love.

perfect setup from factory, action smooth and easy, the best spruce top I have ever seen, the eboney, and other woods are beautiful. Very nice, I am lucky and blessed to have gotten this particular guitar and I wasn't going to stop looking until I found it. took about 2 months of looking. well worth the wait.

I think this guitar will last me the rest of my days. Everything looks well made and put together. I have seen many old d28's around. They last.

don't know.

Have been playing 35 years. I own a Martin 017, 1958 (got it at a garage sale $350). Got that one from the original owner. I will be selling that very soon on ebay. I own three G&L electrics (asat custom special, legacy reverse headstock, commanche and a Cort M-800), Mesa boogie amp, and a 58' super. lots of effects , etc. This guitar will be used for everything. I am in a country rock band, play at church, teach guitar, write songs, just have fun and enjoyment with playing. I love the sound !! My lead singer has a very nice Laravae guitar (an older one made in Canada), he's gonna hate me for awhile, but I guarantee you he will end up with an HD-28 of his own. If it were lost, that would hurt alot, if it were stolen I would hurt someone alot. Either way I'd have to replace it.

This 2005 Martin HD-28 is what any other dreadnought guitar wishes it was. Straight ahead, no real frills. I had a D-28 and it is a great guitar. Cant say the HD-28 is significantly different in sound yet. But I am just an intermediate player. One thing I dont like are the tuners. They are OK but for a two grand guitar...well, its an important issue with playability. The herringbone makes the guitar look absolutely beautiful. These things (as Ive heard) need to be played for awhile to open up. This aint to say it sounded better than any other acoustic Ive ever played straight out of the box. To me, when God said make me the finest acoustic guitar, Martin made the HD-28. The pre-war D-28's had the herringbone binding. I just have to be patient and watch her age.

Just play an open G and it vibrates for all the day long. Resonance is huge. Rich and very full sound...very even. Not too high or low. It plays very easily and will make you sound better than you ever thought you were. Gosh darn, she just sings. The most playable acoustic hands down. I simply cant put it down.

Martins come set up pretty high. I guess its for them bluegrass players. Just sand down the bridge to where you want it. But Ive heard that lowering the bridge lessens the sustain. I dont know about this cause the sustain is unmatched. Beautiful bookmatched finish. I think these guitars put Taylors to shame. Just simple beauty/sound. HANDS DOWN!!!

Just watch and listen to Neil Young playing his old Martin once owned by Hank Williams. Its a very special thing. These things are ment (and will) hold up for your grandchildren if taken care of. I ALWAYS keep mine latched and in the case EVERY night. I would play this thing anywhere. I am very overprotective of her now. Not too many people understand how special Martin guitars. I let professional players have a good time with mine. Cause they understand it for what it is.
Just one thing, the nitros cellous (sp.) finish is very sensitive to some rubber guitar stands. It will eat right through the finish ASAP.

Call Martin, even if you are just wanting some good info before you buy, and you will get (mostly) a very pleasant and patient guy who will help you out. These guitars are pure USA...none of that Asian crap (though some of theyre work is pretty good. Comes with the lifetime warranty and these guys have been doing this for a very, very long time.

Ive been playing for some thirty years off and on. Ebay has been a bad addiction cause Ive gone through old Silvertone, Harmony, Gretsch, Fender and Gibsosn (acoustic and electric) guitars in a totally unwarranted. I always bought vintage cause I thought the guitar had spirits imbeded in them and I like an older and worn look. This was a huge step for me. Brand new and my wife is wondering how long I will keep this one. Im not really an electric player and now that Im 45 tears old, I like Country music much more and an acoustic guitsr is simple (no amp, effect pedals, cords, etc.) And I believe omore in the K.I.S.S. principle more snd more. I dont plan on (and never have) had my guitars ripped off in the past (and some of the guitars were worth six or seve thousand dollars). But its insured just the same, but I believe we were ment for each other,

My HD28 is a 2005 model and I'm sure you know the features. One important thing I'd like to stress here is that I'm not big on fancy looks like Larrivee and Taylor guitars have. I'm more interested in playability and TONE. I went to the GC and sat in the high end room for 4 hours playing every high end guitar they had. I intitially went in with the idea of buying a Martin D35 which is an excellent guitar too but when I picked up the HD28, I was blown away. This guitar has perfectly balance sound, is very very loud and has that nice boom a guitar should have. I played Taylor, Larrivee, Gibson, Legend and a $3,200.00 Alvarez Yarhi. Every one of these guitars looked nice but sounded too thin and boxy to me. I picked up the Martin, hit a G chord and the neck vibrated in my hands. At this point I was sold. The Martin HD28 is the MacDaddy of acoustic guitars in my opinion. Sure they are high $$$$ but you get what you pay for and they retain their value and increase in value with time. The folks at Martin have been building guitars since 1833 and they know what they are doing.

Excellent for strumming and finger picking. You can also get different tones strumming on different areas over the guitar body. The best sound I've ever heard from an acoustic.

Perfect! Not 1 single flaw. Martin stakes it's reputation on it's quality. American made! Nuff said!

Do I really need to respond? LOL

Martin cares PERIOD!

I've played for over 35 years and have never played an acoustic as nice and that sounds as good as my HD28. I've owned every high end guitar you can think of and I'm now a lifetime Martin owner. She's my baby! I stated that mine was a 2006 model but it's a 2005 model. My mistake!!!!!!!

My HD28 is a 2006 model and I'm sure you know the features. One important thing I'd like to stress here is that I'm not big on fancy looks like Larrivee and Taylor guitars have. I'm more interested in playability and TONE. I went to the GC and sat in the high end room for 4 hours playing every high end guitar they had. I intitially went in with the idea of buying a Martin D35 which is an excellent guitar too but when I picked up the HD28, I was blown away. This guitar has perfectly balance sound, is very very loud and has that nice boom a guitar should have. I played Taylor, Larrivee, Gibson, Legend and a $3,200.00 Alvarez Yarhi. Every one of these guitars looked nice but sounded too thin and boxy to me. I picked up the Martin, hit a G chord and the neck vibrated in my hands. At this point I was sold. The martin HD28 is the MacDaddy of acoustic guitars in my opinion. Sure they are high $$$$ but you get what you pay for and the retain their value and increase in value with time. The folks at Martin have been building guitars since 1833 and they know what they are doing.

Excellent for strumming and finger picking. You can also get different tones strumming on different areas over the guitar body. The best sound I've ever heard from an acoustic.

Perfect! Not 1 single flaw. Martin stakes it's reputation on it's quality. American made! Nuff said!

Do I really need to respond? LOL

Martin cares PERIOD!

I've played for over 35 years and have never played an acoustic as nice and that sounds as good as my HD28. I've owned every high end guitar you can think of and I'm now a lifetime Martin owner. She's my baby!

mine is a 2005 HD-28 I especially like the satin finish on the neck but wish that it was the V style. The dots on the fretboard are nice but snowflakes would be nicer. I also like the way that this guitar's appearance is understated. I wish that Martin would ship this guitar with the same case that they supply with their artist series. The plastic case is probaly just fine and is definitely lighter than those plush cases are, but they are not as nice as they should be with such a fine flag ship instrument. I also think that the gear pocket is too small inside of the case.

When i walked into the guitar store down the street from me the teacher was sitting on a stoll playing a Zep song on it. The whole store was filled with the beautiful sound of this instrument. I had just purchased a Martin 000-28EC that I thought sounded like the best guitar on the planet. NOT! Once i heard this HD-28 I knew just what to do. I traded straight across and man am I ever glad that i did. I play folk music and finger picking type stuff. Recently I have been going to Bluegrass pick n grins. At these events there are all makes and models of guitars. The song will be in progress, people just playing away. Then I strum the HD-28. Everyone turns their heads and their mouths drop open. This even happens when i play the correct chord,...lol. I replaced the stock nut, saddle, strap buttons, and bridge pins with fossilized irory ones. This change made an already fantastic sounding guitar sound even better and they looking swank. The store where I got this guitar has many Martins. This HD-28 has a much better tome and balance than the Clarence White, Eric Clapton, Norman Blake, or any other guitar in the store. Ive had high end Martins, Guilds, Gibsons, and Taylors and have played Collins and Bouguois (spelling, sorry). I have found MY guitar in this instrument. I use medium gauge Martin phospher bronze strings. I have found that the material the pick is made of as well as the thickness makes a huge difference in the tone of this guitar. Even bare finger style finger picking is clear and can have any amount of volume that I desire without sounding muddy of thin with this instrument. I like to allow friends to play this guitar so that I can hear what it sounds like from the other side. You folks know how they always sound different when you are playing them than they do when you are sitting in front of them just listening. Mine sounded already broken in right off of the show room floor. The sound of this guitar always makes my sticker peck out.

This was one of the few guitars that I have ever had that was perfect right out of the box. The grain on my tops is superb and tight, even has some bear claw in it. This is probably why my particular HD-28 sounds so much better than other HD-28's that I have played ( though they sounded great also).

This guitar is a tank. My buddy has a 1957 model HD-28. Its an old war horse that is worn and tattered but it sounds heavenly.

I have not had to deal with Martin yet.

I've been playing for about eight years and i have owned many acoustic guitars. The only other acoustic guitar that I have owned that even came close to the sound quality of this HD-28 is an old guild that once belonged to Jackson Brown. Dang I should have kept that guitar.

You can read the Martin website to get a complete list of features. Mine is a 2004 model that came with the micarta saddle, nut and pins. This is the rosewood dreadnought that most people think of when they think dreadnought. I would be dinging it for the micarta components, but in 2005 they have changed the standard offering to bone for all three of these components. I upgraded my saddle and pins to nut and it improved an already good sound.

I play just about any type of music my limited skills will let me. This guitar hangs in with everything from fingerpicking to fingerstyle to rhythm to jazzier strummed to flatpicked folk to bluegrass. It is full of great tone and resonance that responds beautifully to the nuances of the player.

This is the classic Martin dreadnought tone. When I hit an open G chord on this beauty it sounds of history and legend. Harmonics pulled from the sounds of time captured in the grain of the rosewood and spruce embrace your ears. The vibration from the back cascade along your body letting you feel the sound as well as hearing it.

There are specific technical reasons why this guitar sounds like it does - the style and type of bracing, the tonewoods, the finish, etc. - which are all important, but only matter when you actually hear it and go "That is the sound I have always wanted from an acoustic guitar."

Every time I play my HD-28 I fall in love with the tone again. As with any high end acoustic, this will only get better over time. After 7 months of consistent playing it is beginning to show the promise of its mature voice. Don't mistake this statement. Out of the box this was a killer guitar. Playing an acoustic brings changes the tone of the woods and they begin to exhibit greater depth, harmonics and resonance. A great sound getting greater!

Fromthe factory the action and fit was right on the money. I tweeked it a little with a truss rod adjustment (probably less than a 32nd at the 12th fret). I changed the pickguard just for personal preference (a vintage Tortis) and no other reason. This plays wonderfully and just continues to feel like my guitar.

It is an acoustic so keeping that in mind, this is a workhorse and will take a lot of acoustic playing abuse and still shine sonically. If ancient D series guitars from Martin are any indication, this guitar will last my lifetime and, hopefully, that of my children.

Great support. Martin isn't as much a guitar manufacturer as it is a culture. There are few companies that make their product into something greater than just the product, and Martin has done that.

Bottom line is this is a no frills, workhorse guitar that can stand up to whatever challenge you throw at it. I find that I am continually challenging mayself to play more and better because this is such a good sounding and feeling guitar. I had a Yairi Alvarex YD-90 for years and was fine with it, but it never had a connection with me. Last year I decided that I would do what I had always wanted to do - buy a Martin. I looked at lots of them (D, 000, OM, etc.) and lots of other brands and acoustic electrics. I kept coming back to this style of dreadnought. I finally sold the YD-90 to help fund the new one. I have not been dissappointed. I have no intention of ever getting rid of this guitar, although I am thinking about buying another Martin. Any guitar that keeps you wanting to play and discover is a great guitar. I don't worry about the sound any more, just my playing.

2005 model- you know the spec. Molded 640 case which provided excellent protection for its trip from USA to UK.Purchased from acoustic axis virginia for very competitive price. Beautiful finish, unfussy but classic style.

I play a mixture of musical styles mainly employing a flatpick style. This guitar gives a full rich sound particularly with open chords towards the headstock. I have tried several hd28's but disagree with most reviews in that the treble could be more crisp. Having said this the overall sound is awesome.

Factory set up was fine but action a tad high for my preference. A quick shave off the saddle and hey presto! perfect. Beautiful bookmatching not a flaw to be found. Was advertised as having bone nut and saddle but is in fact corian- a bit miserly of martin given the overall craftmanship of the guitar.Neck as flat as a pancake and extremely easy to play.

Appears hardy enough to withstand coinstant gigging but I have only had it for 2 weeks. Everybody comments on the sound.Would have appreciated 2nd strap button.

Not applicable.

Been playing for 20 years. Previously owned les paul custom, les paul studio/ ibanez and washburn acoustics. Acoustic wise this blows anything I have played out of the water.Had set my heart on a Gibson acoustic but once I played them alongside the hd28 there was no competition. Would definitely replace if lost or damaged after initial heartbreak of course. This guitar makes you want to just pick it up and play. Without doubt it makes you sound better than you are.

2004 Martin HD 28

Features: Rosewood back and sides with herringbone trim. Features as per Martin guitars, Nazareth PA.

10: Fantastic tone. I own a taylor 510 and Gibson Songwriter and the martin is the best sounding guitar with a rich base tone. Great booming sound when you want her to. Nothing compares to the sound of a Martin guitar. This sound is what every other guitar company sets out to emulate and capture.

High from the factory but a setup lowered the action and with that she is a dream to play.

10: This guitar is meant to last a lifetime. That's the reason why it costs so much. Very dependable and sounds great in a recording studio.

Very professional, very responsive to emails.

Been playing for 10 years. I own a taylor 510, 3 Gibson jumbos, a Gibson Songwriter, Tacoma DF-21, Tacoma DM1812 and a Larrivee D-03 and aMartin D-35 (2004) and the Martins and Gibsons ar the best guitars. Trust me. Gibson jumbos have their place but nothing, nothing is as good as a Martin HD-28. If you're serious about music, trust me you will not be disheartened with this purchase.