Martin HJ28

I bought the jumbo, great guitar, classic Martin gloss, it's a 1997, very pretty guitar, my only complaint is that it didn't come with a pickup. but that's an easy 200 dollar fix.

This guitar sounds incredible. I'm in an alternative/indie rock band that's used it for recording (we don't play acoustic live), been playing folk music for a long while, and this guitar hits that nail right on the head. Also lead worship at a church for a living. A very warm, rich sound. No guitar i'd rather have as far as sound goes.

I bought this guitar from a private owner, and when i bought it, the action was great. so i don't get everyone talking about it's poor action. i got this guitar in 2005 and have it set up once every few months just for upkeep... but the action has never gotten seriously high.

I've played this guitar countless times live, it seems to be fine. This guitar does however, aquire dings and dents a bit easier than other guitars, a bit more body work than i'd like to have paid for. I've never used a backup with it, and it's never let me down.

Haven't gotten the chance to experience CF Martin & Company's customer support. All the work i had done was by a friend of mine.

Been playing for nine years, so apologies that i can't supply 30+ years of experience like several other reviewers, but i'm only nineteen. I've owned a Taylor and a Larivee and countless lesser brands, this guitar blows them all away. The tone of this guitar is just too good to pass up, overall, it was worth paying for a pickup and paying for the body damage. Overall, this guitar wins.

The 97 HJ28 had hung on the wall of the music store nearly 2 years, as if it had been waiting for just me. Bought in 99, I was drawn by its clear, yet rich, almost like piano bass sounds when tuned down.
A veteran rock, blues, and country performer on both guitar and piano, I had waited 20 years to pick up a Martin. This HJ smoked all the D28's, and D35's I'd tried, its startling big, clear tone has a resonance unlike any other.
Had a well known Nashville tech set it up with a LRBaggs ribbon pickup, adjust the action, using medium elixir strings. Wish it came with Takamine style electronics. The indian rosewood back and sides are workmanlike, yet the top seems to be special...lots of bearclaw shimmer with a real tight grain. Rings like acoustic piano with the sustain pedal down. One other guitar in 30 years of playing did that.

This HJ28 is most unique sounding. I've worked for major retailers selling guitars, and bought/sold independently for nearly 3 decades.
This one started out with a too tight, almost thuddy bass, decent mid and hi end, but at about 3 years started to bloom. Noticably got sweeter and fuller dynamic range, and people would stop and stare, on the outrageously good tone. Taught this old timer a valuable lesson on how a good instrument can get better with loving care and the gift of time.
A larrivee OM in mahogany is a new instrument for me, and it is telling to switch from HJ28 to the OM, the martin is full of rich detail, like a rembrandt painting.

Factory set up was ok. Had a very good tech set it up for my preference, and it made a ton of difference in action, response, tone and recordability. The finish is great, only complaint is the tech noted the neck fit wasn't perfect, not enought to cause a problem, but he noticed it. I didn't.

Never do a gig without a back up. The HJ28 is rock solid, and takes a beating, able to go from rockabilly thrashing, to delicate finger picking in the same set. Use a cheapo ibanez acoustic electric as a backup, rarely need it.

had no probs

I've been disapointed for several years at not being able to find a similar guitar, always looking, HJ28 is finest acoustic I've heard, tried many martins, gibson, larrivee, breedlove, etc. Continues to get better, and better, richer, fuller, more sing.
Own over 20 acoustics and electrics, vintage Gretsch, Fender, Gibson, mostly. You could not pry this Martin HJ28 from my cold dead hands.

Made in 1999. Bought it Christmas 2000 (oh, boy, what a gift!)The lenght (of the body) and the lower bout is slightly longer/wider than a dreadnoght. Apart from that, I don't see the need to describe the features, since the earlier posts already have done that. But I would like to say it's a beautiful guitar, not flashy like a, say, Gibson J-200, but elegant and "rootsy". Even people who doesn't play guitar comment on its good looks. I'm giving it a 9 because of the plastic nut and bridge pins.

Martin's jumbo line might just be their most versatile line. It has got the puch and bottom of a dreadnought but it is much more clear and balanced. I play everything between bluegrass and rock and it suits me fine in every situation; the reason I bought a HJ-28 instead of a HD-28 is because of its unique tone. Imagine a louder and boomier OM-28 and you'll get the picture. Since it's fairly new, it hasn't bloomed yet; the bass is sometimes a bit muddy (especially in lowered tunings) and the treble might be a little spiky. Still, it's the best guitar I've played. It's clear, balanced and loud. Pianolike in open tunings. Thanks to the scalloped bracing, you can just brush it and it will play with nuances. It gets pretty raw when you pound it. If you're after a great strummer, you might be better off with a non-scalloped dreadnought. But this one can do a lot more than a dreadnought. I play a lot in altered tunings (DropD, DADGAD, open G, Drop C, open C etc) and the HJ-28 projects beautifully. I might even sound best in altered tunings! A friend has a '80 D-35, which is a great guitar, but compared to mine, it's pretty bland.
All in all, it's that great Martin sound, but clearer, more dynamic and more distinct. It's what you might call a "canon", it's kinda spongy and slightly compressed but still wide open. I must admit I bought a Martin because of my love of Neil Young and all those late '60:s/early 70:s folk/country rock guys/girls, and playing Neil songs on this one sounds pretty authentic. It handles bluegrass well, especially leads, which cut through well. In, say, ten or fifteen years, I'm sure I'll give it a ten!
(I installed a EMF B-Band under saddle pickup which is pretty good. I'd really like to get a Trance Audio Acoustic Lens, somewhat like the Frap system that Neil uses, but it's way too expensive.)
I use Martin Marquis Phosphor Bronze medium/light, which I feel suits the guitar well. I used to play mediums, which are great for bluegrass but a bit too boomy and loud for singer/songwriter stuff.

The action is a tad high so I'll get that fixed. I'll also get a bone saddle and bone bridge pins. (It's a shame that you don't get that in a guitar at this price! I have no clue what Martin are thinking of here!) The finsih is superb (although the top of the lower bout has started to darken a bit, due to too much playing in the summer wearing a t-shirt!)
Also, another point that needs to be made: If you live in dry places or in colder areas where you have radiators in your house, which makes the indoor environment dry, you MUST use a humidifier!!! It will not only prevent cracks, it will also make the guitar sound better. I live in Sweden, so between September and May, the humidifier is in whenever I'm not playing it. Also, keep it in its case when not used.
Had the action been a bit lower and if the saddle and brigde pins would be top standard, I'd give it a ten.

I've played it live (although not in rowdy bars, which I don't play anyway) and I'm not worried. It's insured so why should I pick up a guitar of lesser quality and sound just because I'm playing live? If you just remember to use the humidifier, I expect it to outlive me. It holds the tuning very well. The tuners seem good. However, it's a quality instrument, also with scalloped braces, so you should be careful.

Haven't been in touch with Martin.

Like I said earlier, in maybe a decade or so, it will be a guitar of dreams. Still, it is already the best acoustic I've ever played, let alone ever owned. Prior to the HJ-28 I had a Yairi DY-50N Dreadnought, which was a fantastic guitar for its price, but I simply grew out of it. The Martin met all my expectations. I remember playing it just after receiving it..Man! That sound! The bass and that volume! I checked out a Taylor 415 jumbo weeks before I bought the HJ-28 and that was a good guitar but with a different, more modern sound. I ended up spending more than I really could afford but I'm glad I chose the Martin!
I've been playin for about 15 years. I mostly play original material, which could be described as pretty intricate country rock/power pop. I like rootsy and authentic (maybe even classic) tones, so electrically I play a Telecaster through a Vox AC-30, which is the most honest, dynamic and harmonic combination I've tried.
If it were stolen or damaged, I'd at least try a HD-28V (doubt I'd find one in Sweden, though), but I'm pretty sure I would go for a HJ-28 again. Only problem is they don't manufacture this model anymore. I guess it's to tight in the gap between the J-40 and the J-15. I played a brand new J-40 and I wasn't that impressed. Sure, it was more mellow and refined, but the HJ-28 has more old-time vibes in its sound. Keeping in mind the amount of dough I spent on it, I doubt I'll ever buy a guitar of this quality again (since I'm not a professional) unless I get ridiculously rich...
If you want the Martin sound, but with a little twist, go fot the HJ-28. I'm sure you could find them for very reasonable prices in the US. The jumbos tend to be a little over looked in the Martin line, since everybody wants D-28:s, just like everybody else...Too sad, really.

Martin's sorta Jumbo, with herringbone binding and a nice herringbone strip on the back. Spruce and rosewood. I think it's an ebony fretboard; sure doesn't look like my rosewood guitars. Hard to think in terms of features for an acoustic guitar...

I played lots of guitars for months approaching my 40th birthday. I liked lots, but I kept coming back to this one. Actually, I played this one almost weekly for over a year. I'm a strummer, a real long-term amateur, and I try to play Dylan, REM, Aimee Mann, Tom Waits, Beatles, Elvis Costello, and lots of other stuff in my version of a folk style. The guitar seems really well balanced, but with enough warmth and low end to steady my croaky voice. I've been looking for another small bodied acoustic (my Gibson LG-2 is starting to seem kinda frail) and I keep deciding that the big Martin at home is the sound I like. It's warm, it's balanced, and I just plain like it.

I've yet to buy a guitar that couldn't be made better by Tracy Longo at Guitar Tech Corner, and this was no exception. It hung in the music store for a long long time. Once I humidified it and Tracy tweaked the neck a little, it just got better. I like to work on stuff myself, but I think everyone should give their guitar to a HIGHLY SKILLED tech at least once to see what's possible.

I'm thinking of painting targets on this guitar. More than any other in my collection, this one collects dings and scrapes. I keep 3-5 guitars out on stands at any given time, and this one is usually out. It's been repaired three times in three years; once for a gash on the top, once for a chip in the binding on the bottom, and once for a belt gash on the back. Since I wasn't actually aware of the events that caused these, and the binding chip looked like a pretty good smack, I think it might be fairly fragile. And why shouldn't it be?

N/A

Right now I've got a Gibson LG-2, a Stratocaster, a G&L ASAT Classic, a Heritage 150, a Teisco Del Rey something or other, a guild D-25, a guild classical, and probably something else under one of the beds. I really love this Martin. It's too big (torn right rotater cuff leaves me in agony playing this one) and it's too loud and it's too bassy and it's too fragile and it's absolutely just right for me. I guess we've bonded. I've let a lot of really good guitars get away over the years, but this one's a keeper for sure. I'm rating it a fantastic value because I expect to have it for the rest of my life; how's that compare to the computer you're reading this on?

This is an acoustic guitar. It doesn't look that special although as others have noted there is some herringbone work at the back. There is no cutaway which can be a problem when playing up the neck. It stays in tune like a dream.

Its main features are volume, tone and sustain. Medium strings have been best for me.

I play a wide variety of acoustic rock and blues. I've played a few other guitars but none are in the same league as the Martin, so its like chalk and chees.

The sound is fantastic particularly with new strings. However there is not quite enough volume to make lead cut through against a 12 string and a piano.

Action is fantastic for me.
Fret is perfectly in tune (according to guitar tuner) write up the neck (that's better than my 1970 Gibson ES 335)
There are no flaws. If you wear short sleeves and play in hot weather a lot (like in Sydney) you can probably wear the finish off after a while.
The frets are a bit soft. Mine are starting to wear down. That's why I'm switching to electric for a while.

This guitar will be up to any standard of playing. Its a professional guitar. Although as a complete amateur, how would I know.

No opinion

I've been playing 25 years, but the first 20 were a waste of time. To think that Clapton was in Cream after 7 years makes me want to park one.
This guitar turned me into a passable player. I'd replace it with the same model although there are probably plenty of other great Martins out there. I tried 3-4 Martins in the shop over 2 days and brought my brother in law along to help test. This one souded the best to me and has lived up to that choice in the past three years.

This is the jumbo 'heringbone version of the HD-28, with the more concert or 000-body shape. The top is a superb solid spruce, glossy, with Indian (I assume) rosewood, solid sides. The neck is a fine, thick mahogany. Tuners, standard Martin (not 'butterbean' or whatever). The fretwork is thick, but not jumbo. The case is standard molded one -- nothing special, or anything better than you'd get with, say, a Tak. As a matter of fact, it fits too tightly at the bout end.

Let me state, as a kind of both disclaimer and caveat, that I love and admire the Martin company, and for its service to American folk music. That said, if the purpose of these contributions is sincere critique -- then let's get going. The action on this thing is too high; unnecessarily high. I've got strong hands, and have played for 32 years, so I feel no need for pompous bragging about how I 'need' to have big strings and high action. Nor would this guitar. Still, I'm aware of other points of view, or at least, why this is. And that's why I bring it up at all. Martin guitars, at least the fifteen or twenty I've played, are bluegrass guitars. They're made for strumming and twanging, and projecting. This is why some of us love them, but more importantly, it's also why you have a tendency to love them in the music store, Satuday afternoon, while you're trying them out among other brands. From the 00's on up, they're "boom boxes." The soundboards and bracing are designed to compete with this emphasis, worldwide, brand-on-brand. This guitar does that, to the 10th degree. You could play this thing ina jug band, and be the loudest instrument, unless someone was at piano. But I'm not going to say the workmanship, finish, etc. is Superb. I refuse, because I will not gush through one of these "this is the greatest guitar ever, I would commit suicide if it were lost or stolen." I'm tired of those reviews. Arent' the rest of you?

I don't know, but I don't trust ANY guitar for this. They're machines, all of them, even if you're an idiot, and you're one of these living room lawyers who have helped to inflate the price of guitars to the level of pure stupidity. I repeat: it's a tool; it's a machine. YOU'RE the artist. It's made of wood, and glued together. It can warp, it can come UN-glued. I knew a guy who owned five martins. His misfortune was to get wealthy enought to own a lakefront cottage as well as the extravagence of five guitars, none of which he could play anyway. ALL of them came unglued or warped. Martin or no Martin. Then -- at the same time, mind you -- you have the consideration that you'd paid $1,500, $2,500 whatever, for the status of a guitar like this. Do you really want to take it out to Homer's Bar and Grill, for an evening of hammering through 'Knock-Knock-Knockin on Heaven's Door,' five feet away from an amalgamation of people with 2-digit I.Q.'s? I didn't think so.

I'll find out, I'm sure.

32 yrs. I own five guitars, all of which are insured, most of which have turned out to be VASTLY overpriced, compared to a good 'ol $600 Takamine or a easy-to-get $450 japanese Strat. Simplify, my friends. Follow the adage of Occam's Razor. Quit paying $2,000 for guitars, and give some of the money to your unemployed brother-in-law or something.

I purchased this guitar secondhand - having intended buying a new one. Nearly two years old and in immaculate condition - it could have come straight from the factory. It is a heribgbone jumbo made in 1997. Solid wood througout - spruce on top, rosewood back and sides. Finish is Martin's excellent high gloss. It came with a Martin case.

The sounds this guitar produces are pure Martin - in my view no other manufacturer comes close. Before buying this guitar I tried several by other 'top' manufacturers - Santa Cruz, Taylor and Lowden to name but three. It has a gorgeous full sound, ringing treble and reasonant warm bass. I love it! I play a variety of styles from fingerpicking folk to blues and rock - this guitar suits them all.

The finish is excellent - the only slight quibble would be the slightly high action.

I wont be taking this beauty out on the road - its too beautiful - I'll stick with my Godin A6. This is an exceptional guitar - I don't expect any problems.

Haven't needed to take advantage of this.

I have been playing for 30+ years. I have owned many electric and acoustic guitars from Ovation to hand built English ones. I have always wanted a Martin - ever since learning Neil Young and CSN songs in the 1970s! I also play a Godin A6 (1997) and a Fender Telecaster (1983). Up until trying the HJ28 I had intended to buy a D35 - I'm glad I waited. At #950.00 I fel that this guitar is a bargain. If it was stolen or lost I would be devestated but I would definitely replace with another Martin. In my view martin guitars are head and shoulders above the rest.