Martin D-28 Dreadnought Acoustic 1969
Martin D-28, natural gloss, made in USA 1969. Well well well, here's one you don't often see in this fine country. CF Martin & Co invented the dreadnought shape in 1916, initially designed to deliver enough volume to keep up with a banjo. The D-28 launched in 1931 and is the most iconic dreadnought model of all time. This example dates to 1969, which means it's one of the last examples made with solid Brazilian rosewood back, sides and fretboard. It's stunning timber, truly: dark, streaky and detailed, and visibly different from the more consistently striped Indian rosewood of later years. The tone on offer is incredible: the bass is wildly fast and responsive and super weighty. The top end is expansive and expressive with natural volume aplenty, and the midrange is complex and understated with a lovely dry voice. We arranged some repairs as described below on arrival, so it's now playing very smoothly and easily. It's got quite an extensive repair history and is priced accordingly, so have a read of the notes below for a full rundown. It's very difficult to find a vintage Martin of this caliber on this side of the of the world, so if you've been waiting for the right one to come up and you prefer a guitar with some history and mystique to a case queen, this one is surely an excellent candidate.
Model: Martin D-28
Made: USA, 1969, Nazareth PA factory
Serial: 244624
Finish: natural, gloss nitro
Body: solid sitka spruce top, solid Brazilian rosewood back and sides, square shoulder dreadnought, X-braced
Neck: Central American mahogany, Brazilian rosewood fretboard, 25.5" scale, 43mm nut, 16" radius, no truss rod, new nickel frets
Weight: 2.110kg
Mods: upon arrival we organised a re-fret, neck reset and new pickguard by local luthier Paul Mineur. He also did a thorough inspection and noted the following repair history. The neck has been previously reset, and the previous tech used the method involving cutting through the fretboard underneath the 14th fret. The top has been removed and reattached, likely at the same time a number of cracks were repaired. There's thirteen cracks in the top, all of which have been glued, filled, and reinforced underneath. It's reasonably likely the top suffered some impact at some point, which necessitated the repairs. The neck block has a repaired crack. There's repaired cracks in the sides around both sides of the neck join, the elbow area and the bottom shoulder, as well as repaired cracks on the back on the bottom shoulder and near the back edge near the rear strap pin. The bridge has been shaved down, although it's possible it's been replaced.
Pickup: none
Accessories: Martin hard case, non-original
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has dimples on the end and scuffs on the edges, a small scratch near the top on the back and some minor clouding and scuffs on the back and front. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples and rub wear on the back as well as a small dent on the bass edge around the 9th fret. The back has a bald patch on the elbow area and a dent near the back edge in the center, as well as widespread minor scuffs and rub wear. The sides have some blading on the top shoulder, bald patches and rub wear in the elbow area, a scratch in the bottom bout area and rub wear on the bottom shoulder, as well as widespread minor scuffs around the whole body. The front has a chip in the elbow area, a dent near the neck join on the bass side and widespread dimples, scuffs and rub wear.
Overall: good condition (6.5/10)
Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good. Setup with 12/54 strings.
Fret Life: 10/10, brand new nickel silver frets