Martin HD-28 Acoustic

They are already well stated so I won?t bore you.

I would have to reiterate some of the reactions previously stated such as ?Oh My God?, ?The Sound is Magic?, etc? Most balance I?ve ever run a thumb across on a dreadnaught. Some complain that the HD-28 and D-28?s are boomy. Well, yes, they can be. That doesn?t have to be a bad thing though. There are times when that will express a run on a song best. I find that this box is so responsive that I can finger style it with bare nubs and pull gorgeous complex lows, mids, and highs from it. On the other hand, if I?m feeling some attitude, this baby has all the power you could ask for with a heavy pick. Very full sounding even with light strings. I?ve experimented with both lights and mediums and find that the guitar is more versatile with lights. I will say though that as far as rhythm and flat-picking goes, mediums are best. With mediums, it sounds like an atomic bomb going off when you attack a G cord. The D-18 and D-18Vs are nice and have good cut being mahogany, however, they sounded empty compared to the HD-28. I realize that the D-18 is a bit more popular for flat-picking because of the more trebly highs that can cut through the mix. For me ? loud for loud sake is not enough. The HD-28 has enough cut, but is superior to my ear as far as sweetness of tone and color. It deserves a 10 no question.

Setup was perfect. Fit and Finish was perfect ? beautiful for a simply appointed guitar.

Stay?s in tune great. Seems to be built strong and should handle a lifetime of playing.

Limited Lifetime warranty. Haven't had to deal with them.

I?ve been playing 32 years. I?ve owned an embarrassing number of acoustic guitars, always looking for the right one. Martin 00015S, (great guitar) Martin D35 (should have kept it), Guild D25, Guild D40 (my sons now), Larrivee OM-O5, Tacoma Dr12, Tacoma L09 Alverez D44. It was previously said that if you could have only one guitar, the HD-28 would be the right choice. I agree! It is the right one. I would have more than one acoustic like maybe a D-18, but in order for the HD-28 to reach its full potential in tone, it should be played a lot. For that reason and the fact that my wife doesn?t like my GAS, I probably won?t own another.

I know that many high-end builders have made incredible copies of the prewar D-28. I?ve played many of them and was very impressed. However, they are not Martins. Martin started it all and invented the dreadnaught. They have the longest lineage as the inventors and builders of acoustic guitars. Its not the name that justifies it, it is the sound and workmanship that they have created.

yer standard martin 28 model. traditional with the white binding and the herringbone inlay down the back of the body. made in the 2000s sometime i believe. indian rosewood sides with a capitvating piece of spruce on top. plastic nut and so-so tuners stick out amongst the perfectionist hand-built quality of the rest of the guitar. plastic molded martin case included. the 28 model martin is by no means about the "features" this guitar is plain jane in a sense but very much high class at the same time. it has simple appropriations rooted in a lot of history and well-done. as mentioned earlier, i would trade the beautiful herringbone inlay and the binding in a heart beat for a finer nut and tuner heads. and otherwise higher rating has to be knocked down for these gripes.

my lord! this is a magic guitar. when i brought it home and strummed out a beck song for my roomates it captivated the whole room with just three chords. huge sound with a focus on the bottom end. these guitars can get loud if you let them. it sounds best in the open positions of the neck toward the headstock and tends to lose intonation as you head toward the soundhole. lately i've been playing fiddle tunes fingerstyle and dropping the low e to d. the guitar handles this reasonably well, but even with the heaviset strings martin allows on the model (medium gauge) there's still some intonation issues. don't take this wrong though- this guitar has a fantastic sound and is incredibly balanced and toneful all over the fretboard. the fact of the matter is plainly this- 28 models have a beautifully clear and punchy bass end with a chimey top and this otherwise unimaginably sweet sound is attained on some areas of the fret board by sacrificing performance at other spots. if you want to sling your fingers all over a fret board with perfect intonation and easy string bending, this might not be yer box. but if yer willing to let go of some versatility in exchange for some sounds that may well resemble the voice of god then give this old standard a try sometime.

setup was impressive. if you get one of these from a shop, it's likely a martin licensed one that probably is run/owned by lutiers good enough to make fine violins and they are going to setup the guitar right. it may not be to yer exact specifications, but it'll be a good job. an irony of owning such a guitar is that you get nervous whenever you move and need to find a good luthier to work on it.

this guitar is synonymous with the idea of quality to me. like all acoustics, to sound good, its gotta have light bracing on it to let the fine wood do its thing, so this detracts from the durability in the sense that you can't knock it around with as much disregard as you would that old fender acoustic. but i've banged it around a fair amount and it feels as though a happy medium was reached in building a box that vibrates and projects but has enough wood left in it to take a few hits. only one strap button at the bottom so you have to pull an elvis and tie a rope to the headstock. martin will void the warranty if the install of a second strap button at the neck joint is not done right, so keep that in mind. hell yes i'd gig this one without a backup. what am i going to do, play this enchanting piece of wood and then get out some stale sounding box. no way. if it broke in the middle of a gig do some acapella or something and fix it up for the next one. or, if you win the lottery sometime, buy two.

luckily, i haven't had to deal with martin directly, but i trust this legacy owned, PA company enough to give them a strong benefit of the doubt.

i've been playing guitar for five years or so and not so much the last two. previously i used a pawn-shop grade acoustic from the seventies and a mexican strat through a tech 21 for playing and gigging. now i play fiddle tunes arranged for fingerstyle and beck songs when i get the chance on this beautiful dreadnought that a very generous friend gave to me for christmas two years ago. if it were lost/stolen i'd be a sad, sad little boy for a long time. i don't have the money to replace an instrument of this caliber. but if i did, i'd love another martin dreadnought, though i would seriously consider some of the modified fingerstyle/blues models they have. i love this guitar primarily because it was a gift from a close friend but also because it makes beautiful sounds. this guitar won't let you play anything that's not up to par. it literally tells you "no way man, that whole thing you just did was lame" and makes you play it till you get it right. if i could wish anything done to it i would put on a nut that is of the quality of the rest of the guitar and maybe try and have a luthier fix it up so that it accepts the drop d even better than it already does. if yer in this price range for handmade guitars pickup one of these martins. they're venerable for good reason.

2003 Made here in PA USA ... See Rest of Reviews or Martin Site for Specs ... Sita Spruce Top with Scaloped bracing, Indian Rosewood Back & Sides, Ebony Fretboard. Nice Herringbone Binding... Siple Ring Rosette. Molded Plastic Case... Non Electronics...

I play a Mix of Music ... Primarily Blues, Bluegrass and Folk... Flatpick and Fingerstyle ... While I have only had this Beauty for a Couple of Months it's sound is just as good as it gets ... Warm and Rich ... Can make one smile and cry at the same time. Overtones at the low end can be overpowering if you are an indiscriminate pounder, but hey this is what Martin is all about ... Deep, Rich, Round Sound ... Fits 90% if what I do Perfectly

Really not anything to Complain about, Perfect as nearly all Martins Are ... Book Matching is Flawless ... Setup was Perfect... Action was a bit lower than the most Martins I've seen ... Plays well...

About the Only Demerit I can find is that when you Hold the Top up to the Light and Stare up the Bidge, you can see signs of Tight Riples, Obviously signs of the O'l Planer used in the Manufacturing Process... I looked at nearly a Hundred guitars and they all have this sign of the Modern Machine Age...

This Guitar is built like a Tank ... I have seen a lot of 20 Year Old HD 28's around ... I suspect that it will treat you as well as you treat it. Again No Complaints. For you Power Players out there, Martin Pick Guards and Finish will show your rath ...

I own 4 other Martins ... Have never had a Problem ... I've called & Emailed the Company to get Info and they are always prompt, friendly and helpful. What I find Fascinating is that a Company that produces so many guitars really has not lost track of the Customer (It's strange in this day in age but I think they actually like Us!)

I've been playing on and off for 20 years ... I own a flock of other Martins (80's Vintage D18, 90's Vintage 000-21 and a 2004 000-15), I recently acquired a CA Vintage AE (a break from tradition, look for a review in the upcoming weeks). I've owned a lot of other brands, the only thing consitant is that I seem to keep only Martins.

If your only going to Have One Guitar, the HD28 is the Way to Go ... Versatile Sound (the D18 is a lot cleaner sounding but you miss the Depth that Rosewood can provide), You can get an amazing array of Sounds from this Instrument ... Warm and Rich ... Rewards Touch and Chord Voicing Varity with beautiful sound.

If it where Stolen or Lost ... I would replace in an Instant.

I suppose the choice of tonewoods is a feature, but seriously, it's an acoustic. Don't get fewer features than this. I like the rosewood and ebony, herringbone trim is nice looking, but not useful. This is a '93 with black pickguard (which I like better than tortoise).

Sound is way up there with the best I have heard. I'm no expert in terms of acoustic guitar vintage, but I like what I hear. I nearly took a Martin D-18 instead of this one just because it was cheaper, but I could easily hear the harmonics and richness in the HD-28. Incidentally, I got this from a guy who only deals Martins on the side, so you don't get to play 10 of them side-by-side. Long story short, this is like a benchmark of great acoustic tone. It's a dreadnought, so the tone is scooped somewhat, but it gives off the biggest bass while retaining clear trebles. There is loads of harmonic richness that sort of screams quality. The neck is fairly chunky with a deep taper. I only use mediums, DR Rare Phosphor to be exact. No other strings sounded quite right. I had a K& K Western installed and put ebony bridge pins on it which look classier. I don't play a heck of alot of acoustic, but I plan on playing more since I own such a pleasing instrument. I've had it for 5 years, and I have only heard a similar or better tone out of a few other guitars (in the same price range BTW). The Taylor 710 was pretty close, and some smaller size Karol guitars sounded mighty fine. I'm convinced that I have an heirloom on my hands. You can't get sick of the sound becaus it's like a Steinway -just clean and balanced, powerful when needed, responsive, and well built.

Can't say. I didn't get it new, but it's just holding up to the meduim strings. Anything bigger and I'm sure there would be cracking. I'm happy with the looks, and the original owner (supposed to be a blind country artist in Hamilton) took care of it, so there' only normal wear on the lacquer.

I think this should last forever unless someone drops something heavy on it. You have to take care of this calibre instrument like it was a child, which is a rag, but you get used to it. You should see the difference in action between the winter and summer months! I need to refine my climate control skills...

Won't say it's a great value, but you get what you pay for, and it's a top notch investment if you like good guitar tone. If you can't hear the difference, go get a Tak or something made of plywood. Not gonna say this is the finest guitar in the world -I'm fully aware that many handmade guitars have gone above & beyond the Martin sound- but you couldn't knock the tone of a HD-28. It may not be for you, but this is a top quality dreadnought tone, slightly improved on the D-28 witht he scalloped bracing (methinks).

2004 made in good old usa.at the martin factory..its your standard dreadnaught ...and a hard shell martin case included you know the specs if ypu are reading this spruce top rosewood bck and sides...it has a laquer finish..i like it alot not to thick like some other guitars....great looking guitars overall...neck is perfect low profile easy to play for long periods just enjoyable!

OH MY GOD!! man i was lost till i played this martin ..i was wasting my time with larrivees and yamahas, taylors not that there not good guitars but i heard the exact sound i have been wanting in a guitar for years...i played 4 other hd 28s and 2 d 28 before i bought this one they are not all alike..action is perfect for me low..tone is deep lets just say every rock song i every heard came to me the first 4 hours i played and then i wrote a song and the guitar was harmonizing with me ,when i was singing ,no i am not stoned...bassy booming down right loud and perfect you can play soft and loud and hear all diffrent sounds tones its a very bassy guitars sings with you!...i cryed the first day i played her all day...and i have owned alot of guitars i wish i had not wasted years playing other lesser guitars...no dislikes i am in love with this guitar...i play rock n roll ,country, punk ,alterative....it rocks!!!

factory set up was perfect for me low...no pick up i will mic it for gigs...bookmated perfectly....finish is perfect..

yes this guitar is meant to be played live i cant wait to gig with it...it seems built like a tank....also have a back up for broken strings during your set...if you play hard like me..

limited lifetime ...dont know never dealt with them...

20 years playing...i own a fender strat plus, larrivve om o9, om 03r..used to own a taylor 410...yamaha fg 340 345....and a few others i forget...if this martin was stolen i would cry and the start search again for the right hd 28....i love the sound of this guitar it is the sound of most if not all acoustic great rock songs...it blows me away all i can say is play a few and you mite feel the same way...rock on!!

Made in 2004, and in the USA. Standard Dreadnought design, tortoise shell pickguard, herringbone binding around top. Solid Sitka Spruce top, Indian Rosewood back and sides, Ebony fingerboard and bridge, Mahonghony neck, zig zag inlay strip running down back, all acoustic with no electronics of factory pickup system. Chrome plated Martin/Shaller tuning keys. See the Martin web page for exact details. There are no other features that are needed on an acoustic guitar. Unless you want a cut away body style. I wanted a classic steel string design with the best possible woods, tone, and action. That is why I chose this guitar, my first Martin. Oh yeah, it comes with a nice plastic molded case.

My music style varies. This guitar will be used for roots, blues, folk, rock, and any other genre that can be played on an acoustic. I have not used the guitar outside my home, and use my Ovation acoustic for live situations. This guitar is incredible. It is very full, from deep driving bass notes, to very smooth treble, without coming close to being shrill sounding. When picked it is clear, very rich sounding. When strummed the sound is very even with just the right amount of percussive sounds added to the actual musical notes. I like everything about the sound of this instrument. Very refined and full. Probably the best sounding acoustic that I have ever played.

The only real problem that I have with my purchase is the action. I haven't played much acoustic guitar lately, so my hands and fingers have gotten acustomed to the electric guitar. This HD-28 could use some minor set up changes. Mainly the height of the strings. The intonation is perfect. I will have it lowered as soon as I can stand to separate myself from the guitar since the procedure will probably take a couple of days at the shop. The wood selection on this guitar is superb. The rosewood is very rich looking with dark black streaks running through the grain. The spruce top is beautiful and there is a lot of "silk" (waves in the wood grain running opposite the straight grain) that makes the top almost look like miniature flame that you see in electric guitars made of maple. The top and sides are bookmatched superbly. The back has two very nice pieces that are mirror images of each other. All of the wood grain on this guitar is very nice and has interesting patterns to them. I can find zero flaws with this guitar, but would enjoy the action set a bit lower.

This guitar is solid but should be handled with care. It is a high end acoustic instument so don't leave it lying around on the front porch. It will serve me well playing any venue. You just have to respect it for what it is, a precision instrument.

I hear that they are fantastic. I haven't used their service yet, but my friend just had his 25 year old D-28 worked on. The neck had to be reset and the neck joint shaved. All completely free of course and the Luthier was paid in full by C.F. IV. How can you complain about that. Lifetime warrented. The guitar plays better and sounds better that it did before the surgery. Don't let just anyone remove the neck on your Martin. Choose a qualified Luthier.

I've been playing for over 30 years. I own an Ovation Patriot, a Fender USA Stratocaster, an Ibanez AS120 (335 clone), and use Fender a Deluxe Reverb II amplifier, and a Princeton amplifiers. This guitar is one of the best models made. I'd compare it to any other make or model. It just rings with tone and is inspiring to play. I miss not playing it and must play it every day. I now only play the electric guitar at the gig. I grab my Martin when at home. It is like holding a grand piano under your arm. If you need a good acoustic, don't compromise. Save your money and get a Martin. They wrote the book on acoustic guitars. Even their low end models sound better than most other brands that are moderately or expensively priced. Don't cheat yourself. Save and get the Martin. They are pricey, but once you own one you will understand why. Tone.

Dark mahogany...repeat DARK! neck looks beautiful and requires simple "once over" wipe with polishing cloth...fingerboard is DARK ebony. Excellent feel fast smooth! Low frets much preferred to higher frets..better for bending. Herringbone inlay on the top...zig zag purfling on the back...simple and very nice! Endpin is removable (Thank you Chris!!) Bridgepins are up a little high because it is easier to change the strings (WOW! smacks side of head). If thats not acceptable buy Carricos pins or tusq. The case is 640 hard shell grass-green crushed.

Deep and full with modifications (I could care less) mentioned above will resound a little more. I love this guitar!!!!!!

As mentioned the neck is fast CLEAN always. Body will require wipedown with warm damp cloth when needed. Polish with Virtuoso. I use Nu Finish no rubbing 10 seconds max. Oh! if you are using a stap, the strings of the nut are far enough away from the headstock, so the lace slides right through to loop. Again nice touch Martin! And, WHEW! that rosewood aroma maybe 50 year strong :)

I'm a bedroom fretwiddler, so this one stays in the room with perfect humidity 45-55% constantly.

Lifetime warranty... just don't go reaming holes in the bridge and all that jazz--my advise.

I've been playing for 19 years my main acoustic before this was a Gibson J-160e. I bought this from samedaymusic.com nervously, but saved only hundreds, and it's flawless period. The high bridge pins mentioned above take a little getting used to...I bought some Carricos pins which look pretty, require no reaming, but in the long run I'll stick with the stock ones--without reaming the holes in any case! Originally, I looked over other makes Goodall, Santa Cruz, Collings but opted for Martin because of the lower frets. This is my first high end guitar--my first Martin, and it delivers the tone and depth that I want from an acoustic be it for recording or bedroom twiddling. It looks TEN-SQUARED! Yeah! this and a deserted isle--Castaway... give me the Martin!

Absolutely beautiful woods.The rosewood is as warm as any vintage rosewood dread, solid mahogany neck and ebony bridge and fingerboard.If the D-28 is the standard by which all others are measured, the HD-28 is defintely way over the top.Its vintage features, herringbone trim, pearl dot inlays on the figerboard, gorgeous nitrocellulose gloss finish, gotah tuning machines, tortise shell pick guard and my personaly added mother of pearl string pin and end pin set.

The HD-28 is warm, full, articulate and has the most balanced tone of any guitar I have owned.This guitar is truly a finger AND flat pickers delight in my opinion.I like everything about this guitar, dislike nothing about it.Martin's QC with the advent of CNC machines and new technologies is still the best in the business and the tone is the best overall of any brand I have owned or currently own.

Setup was dead on.Neck was adjusted to the normally high Martin standard,easy to play.Action was medium high and killer for me,was very surprised and had only very minor tweaking done to hit my personal playing prefernces and comfort zones.The finish is awesome, love the way this guitar looks.The spruce top is perfectly book matched and has a nice characteristic of the golden wood already.Just had her since April, she plays so beautiful with Martin Med. Phospher Bronzes and Daddario lights.

This guitar is far beyond the lesser acoustics and is a no brainer for live playing without a back up.The construction and materials are the finest in the business and I believe this guitar will outlive me by many many years.If you are looking a versatile and dependable dread, this would be my very top recommadation to anyone serious about acoustic guitar playing.

Martin has the best support of any manufactured goods company and very defintely guitar company out there.Any hype is far out weighed by thier attention to detail, answers to questions and shipping policies and standards.They have instilled confidence in many concerned callers and customers, I am very pleased with thier customer service.

33 years of playing guitar and I honestly love this guitar more than any I have owned or currently own.Have other Martins, Taylor and Larrivee guitars.Love thr tone feel and vintage vibe,,hate nothing about this axe.This guitar was far better tone and feel wise than comparably priced Taylors,Gibsons, Guilds and Gibsons I played.Would replace this guitar for sure.

Features: 1987 14-fret dreadnaught. Solid spruce top, Brazilian rosewood back and sides (confirmed with Martin by phone), mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard and bridgeplate. Polished gloss top. Schaller tuners. Original hard-shell case. Adjustable truss rod, which supposedly was incorporated into all Martin guitars in the mid 1980s. As with all HD-28's, small maple bridgeplate and scalloped bracing.

Actually sounds like the inside of a piano when you put your ear against the top bout and hit the low E string. The best resonance and sustain I've ever heard in a guitar. This is a guitar with rich harmonics, especially for bass and mid-range. Perhaps not the guitar to own if you're looking for a lot of treble when strumming. It also has the best sound I have ever heard for fingerpicking--the treble and bass are VERY well defined.

I can't comment on the factory set up, because this is a used guitar. However, the tolerances appear to be extremely close on all joints. I've found no flaws on the guitar except for some lacquer checking--this is my biggest critique of the guitar. I've also notice some slight upwarp on the top behind the bridge--I understand this is normal to some degree. The previous owner wasn't sure if the action was outside of factory specs, so I contacted an authorized repair shop and provided 12th fret measurements-the repair person considered the measurements to be within factory specs.

I haven't had this guitar very long, so I can't say how it will hold up first-hand. However, since the guitar is almost 20 years old and still in very good shape, I imagine it should hold up fine. The finish, strap buttons, tuners are all still in pretty amazing condition. The internal braces are snug. Overall, the guitar shows almost no wear at all. There is some very minor picguard wear and top wear right near the soundhole, but this is to be expected. The herringbone binding is still in perfect shape.

I have contacted the folks at Martin and they have been very helpful with my questions concerning this guitar

I've been playing for 18 years, and have only owned Yamaha guitars prior to this, although I've played lots of different brands at music stores. I would buy this guitar again without question if it were stolen or lost. I especially like the guitar because it has just what I was looking for: a "herringbone" D-28 with Brazilian rosewood and an adjustable truss rod to save on repair costs. The best of all worlds! Looks like a jewelbox as a friend said when he saw this. I compared this against less expensive Martins, as well as Taylors, Gibsons, Yamahas, Fenders, Seagulls, etc. The HD-28 had the clearest tone and most complex harmonics. Because this guitar was built during the 80s and has Brazilian rosewood, it must have been a custom order.

2003 model HD-28 with new problender dual pickup.

Seriously folks...this is the nicest acoustic tone I've heard in a guitar. I have a D-28. Used to have a D-15. I've played a Larrivee
JV-10E, which sounds and plays great, but the HD-28 blows it away in
my opinion. The closest was the HD-35. But it wasn't as balanced as the HD-28.

The action is like all Martin acoustics...tight at first, but loosens
up quickly. The factory did a good job setting it up. No flaws at all
in the beautiful finish. The only thing I don't care for on the HD, are the three separate white rings around the sound hole. Just a preference thing, so I won't downgrade it.

Just got it so time will tell. My D-15 and D-28 were tough as mules though. Don't expect this one to be any less.

Always been great, but maybe it's because I patronize a local retailer.

Been playing for 20 yrs. I also own a Custom Legend Ovation, a Fender
double-fat Strat electric, and a Brian Moore electric. For the first time, I feel this could be the last guitar that I buy. I'm that happy with it. I'd definitely replace it if it were stolen or lost, etc. Don't nobody hate my HD-28!