Feeling the need for a dreadnought - Brook Teign or Martin HD 28?

Ungulate · October 2022

As it says above - been hankering after a dreadnought for a while, and just spotted that Project Music - (who are not that far down the M5 from me) have a 2nd hand Martin HD28 and a new Brook Teign in stock.....

Anyone out there played both - I love the idea of a Brook, lived on the edge of Dartmoor for a long time & the name Teign has many happy associations for me.

Apart from the emotion there, how do Brooks sound compared to Martin.

I know, the answer is I'm heading down to play both in a few days. Just interested in opinions.

bertie · October 2022

Ungulate said:

, lived on the edge of Dartmoor for a long time

good innit

Id say (owning a Tamar) that Brooks are more "Lowden-esque" than "Martin-esque", a much lighter build. TBH - you do need to try em side by side

Ungulate · October 2022

Have a lol too for the "good innit" remark - yep will play them side by side, with eyes closed probably!

(Somerset's too flat for me)

bertie · October 2022

Ungulate said:

Have a lol too for the "good innit" remark - yep will play them side by side, with eyes closed probably!

(Somerset's too flat for me)

Quantocks are nice .................. cant beat a bit of north dartmoor tho

Ungulate · October 2022

Yeah live on the edge of Quantocks & cycle all over 'em, but Dartmoor is wilder & fiercer & madder -
back to guitars - will post back as soon as I've been to Exeter, long way from the shire.........

bertie · October 2022

Ungulate said:

Yeah live on the edge of Quantocks & cycle all over 'em, but Dartmoor is wilder & fiercer & madder -
back to guitars - will post back as soon as I've been to Exeter, long way from the shire.........

LOL - almost the same distance from you - Intersound in Dursley (Glos) usually have a really good stock, and great guys to boot

(we had a static in Watchet for years)

Ungulate · October 2022

Shit, forgot about Intersound, will check them out too.

Why thank you!

stickyfiddle · October 2022

Can you get to an Atkin dealer? My Forty Seven (admittedly not a dreadnought) knocks spots off my HD28. I'd wager their dreads do the same

drofluf · October 2022

I’m not very good at describing sounds but here’s my happenworth based on moving from a Martin 00015M to a Brook Lyn. The Brook had a more sophisticated sound with better Dynamics.

On page 2 of this thread there’s a link to a comparison of the two https://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/229935/ngd#latest

Different body size from a Dread’ and the Martin was all Mahogany the Brook Walnut with a Spruce top but it may help.

I was deliberately opaque in that thread but the Martin is worth.

And if you didn’t like the playing blame me, if you did praise the luthiers

Ungulate · October 2022

stickyfiddle said:

Can you get to an Atkin dealer? My Forty Seven (admittedly not a dreadnought) knocks spots off my HD28. I'd wager their dreads do the same

Yeah, another tempting option, I'm in Somerset need to google Atkin dealers near me :-)

Ungulate · October 2022

drofluf said:

I’m not very good at describing sounds but here’s my happenworth based on moving from a Martin 00015M to a Brook Lyn. The Brook had a more sophisticated sound with better Dynamics.

On page 2 of this thread there’s a link to a comparison of the two https://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/229935/ngd#latest

Different body size from a Dread’ and the Martin was all Mahogany the Brook Walnut with a Spruce top but it may help.

I was deliberately opaque in that thread but the Martin is worth.

And if you didn’t like the playing blame me, if you did praise the luthiers

I was impressed by the playing, haunting - makes me want to break out & write something original -

That was really useful - thank you!

BTW Project Music have an Atkin 43 in stock, slope shouldered dread...it could be a long visit to Devon.

hollywoodrox · October 2022

Surely the Martin D28 is like the acoustic equivalent of a Gibson R9 along with the D41 & D45
A sort of aspirational guitar seen in the hands of the mega famous for years . So The D28 gets my vote

Ungulate · October 2022

hollywoodrox said:

Surely the Martin D28 is like the acoustic equivalent of a Gibson R9 along with the D41 & D45
A sort of aspirational guitar seen in the hands of the mega famous for years . So The D28 gets my vote

Gonna reserve my judgement till I play them, preferably blindfold, seriously...

drofluf · October 2022

Would definitely recommend Project Music; I bought a guitar from them online this week and can’t fault their service and professionalism. I’m sure they’ll blindfold you if you ask nicely:)

Ungulate · October 2022

Yeah, am not a fetishist but would love to somehow impartially assess each guitar without just buying the Brook immediately ;-)

bertie · October 2022

@Ungulate ;

Project do have "some" Atkin - but they're usually made to order and often not kept in stock so to speak - give em a call

Ungulate · October 2022

Yep they have an Atkin 43 in stock atm, will call.

TheBigDipper · October 2022

I love my Brook Taw and would have bought a Tavy at the same time I was at Project Music if I’d had the dosh, so, good luck ! Although I've played a few Atkins at Oasis in Ringwood and liked every one of those, too. Played a lot of Martins and own an 0-16NY, but most left me cold. Too many guitars, not enough money.

bertie · October 2022

TheBigDipper said:

Played a lot of Martins...... but most left me cold.

with you all the way

Mellish · October 2022

What I would tell you is, if that HD-28 is from the Re-imagined series, make sure you go to try it out.

The soft V/1.75" nut combination felt a bit too much for me. Thinking I could get used to it, I bought it. Great guitar for sure, and I gigged with it, but I felt I was fighting it cos of the nut/profile.

But hope you enjoy choosing a dread

Ungulate · October 2022

bertie said:

TheBigDipper said:

Played a lot of Martins...... but most left me cold.

with you all the way

Never played a Martin, that's why I wanna be blindfolded:-)

Ungulate · October 2022

Mellish said:

What I would tell you is, if that HD-28 is from the Re-imagined series, make sure you go to try it out.

The soft V/1.75" nut combination felt a bit too much for me. Thinking I could get used to it, I bought it. Great guitar for sure, and I gigged with it, but I felt I was fighting it cos of the nut/profile.

But hope you enjoy choosing a dread

I'm sure it will be fun, no it's not re imagined...can't wait to check 'em out, had a bit of a shit few weeks....feel this is the right direction

Tannin · October 2022

The HD-28 is the cream of Martin's crop, factory dreadnoughts don't get much better than an HD-28. They do, however, vary a lot from one guitar to another (as Martins always do) so while a great HD-28 is excellent, a so-so one is merely competent. Playing the actual instrument is vital.

A good hand-made guitar, however, is a different animal entirely. I don't know Brook except by reputation but if they are even half as good as that reputation makes them, we are playing in a different league.

Counter-intuitively, hand-made guitars are much more consistent than factory ones. A luthier shapes and thins the timbers to get the sound he or she wants, where a factory makes every part the same. Because wood varies, factory guitars vary too. (Exception: carbon fibre instruments, which can be made exactly the same every time.)

Ungulate · October 2022

Tannin said:

The HD-28 is the cream of Martin's crop, factory dreadnoughts don't get much better than an HD-28. They do, however, vary a lot from one guitar to another (as Martins always do) so while a great HD-28 is excellent, a so-so one is merely competent. Playing the actual instrument is vital.

A good hand-made guitar, however, is a different animal entirely. I don't know Brook except by reputation but if they are even half as good as that reputation makes them, we are playing in a different league.

Counter-intuitively, hand-made guitars are much more consistent than factory ones. A luthier shapes and thins the timbers to get the sound he or she wants, where a factory makes every part the same. Because wood varies, factory guitars vary too. (Exception: carbon fibre instruments, which can be made exactly the same every time.)
.

This will be a bit of a day then, HD 28 v Atkin v Brook Teign can't wait, @ Tannin instinctively I'm with you here

crunchman · October 2022

I bought a Teign in 2004, which I replaced with a Martin HD28V around 2007. I still have the Martin.

The Teign is a different sounding guitar. It doesn't have that big full Martin sound. Don't get me wrong, it sounded great but it's not a Martin.

The thing that really made me sell it was the very flat fingerboard radius and shallow neck. I just couldn't get on with it. The fingerboard radius was so flat I used a classical capo on it. Definitely try before you buy. Martins can vary as well so try before you buy on those. The best ones might be the best acoustics you will ever find, but you might need to try a bunch to find one that good.

Cryptid · October 2022

+1 on the Atkin suggestion. The D37 I had was simply stunning, don't buy a Martin HD28 until you've tried one.

bertie · October 2022

Ungulate said:
This will be a bit of a day then, HD 28 v Atkin v Brook Teign can't wait, @ Tannin instinctively I'm with you here

might as well see if there's a vintage series Furch while you're at it - you'll have enough for 2

Mellish · October 2022

A Martin HD-28 is a great acoustic, or it *can* be. As someone said earlier, they vary. You can say that about any brand, especially tone-wise, cos you can't get identical woods.

Ungulate · October 2022

Yep Furch is on my shortlist, will sit & try them all for as long as the good people at Project music will allow

RandallFlagg · October 2022

My “reimagined” HD28 sounds better now that it did when I bought it just under 4 years ago and the top has started to “orange” nicely.

It sounded a bit zingy and thin on the E and B unwound strings when new but has mellowed and they sound warm and full now, it has sounded better and better each year. I don't know if it's the scalloped bracing but when played gently it doesn't die or go too quiet, it's still lively and loud. If you play a single note without dampening the other strings I hear this reverb type effect that is wonderful. The regular unscalloped braced D28 I had before it needed pushing hard to sound loud and the volume died completely when played gently.

My HD28 is the best sounding acoustic I've played or owned and is the embodiment of the sound I have always heard in my head for the perfect acoustic.

stickyfiddle · October 2022

I would also add a suggestion of a Bourgeois if you can get your hands on one. Expensive but oh my god.

That said, if you can get to an Atkin, Martin and Brook in a single day I'll be amazed if you don't fall in love with at least one of them

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Feeling the need for a dreadnought - Brook Teign or Martin HD 28?

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