Martin D28

BigLicks67 · December 2015

Due to my Grandad leaving me a small amount of money in his will, it looks like I'll be in the market for a s/hand Martin D28 in the new year.

Just to be on the safe side is there any other Dreadnought I should try in the similar price bracket and has anyone got any opinions on the quality of Martin's made in the 70's.

Many thanks in advance.

fob · December 2015

I was in a similar(ish) position to you and was thinking about buying a 70s D28 or D18. It's been a few years since I looked but, from memory, the general consensus was that the 1970s was Martin's worst period.

I think if you want a 70s guitar you might be better off with Gibson (with the usual caveats of buying a Gibson a given) or Guild. If you want a Martin, the current crop are as good as ever.

ICBM · December 2015

If you're after a 70s guitar don't buy a Gibson, they're worse than Martins usually. Horribly overbuilt and 'square' looking and feeling.

70s Martins aren't all terrible, you just have to be a bit careful. Some of them have the nut in very slightly the wrong position relative to the frets - I'm really not kidding, my '71 D12-35 is one - which makes getting them to play in tune something of an artform, you can't just tune the open strings to a tuner and have all the chords sound right.

70s Guilds are generally better.

If you want a Martin I'd be inclined to get a post-1985 one when they introduced adjustable truss rods.

Lewy · December 2015

Many 70's Martins also had bridge/saddle placement issues affecting intonation.

There are lots of D28 models....are you able to share a bit more info on your budget and the way you play?

crunchman · December 2015

There have been a few structural and material changes over the years as well. Martin changed the bridgeplate from maple to a larger rosewood one in 1968. They changed back in in 1988. There are the usual internet discussions over this like there are over Les Paul neck tenons, but it's not reckoned to help the sound.

The other thing to consider is the bracing. Martin changed the bracing from the classic pre-war recipe in the 1940s. I think this was done because people were putting very heavy strings on to be heard when playing with horn sections etc. With strings that normal humans like to use, this makes them a bit dead sounding compared with the ones with the pre-war style bracing. The standard D28 has retained this bracing, but the D18 has gone back to the pre-war style since 2012.

There are D28 models available with the pre-war bracing (like the HD28V and HD28 Retro). Martin refer to the bracing as "forward shifted" if you are looking at specs. I think the herringbone binding on something like the HD28V or HD28 Retro looks nicer than the standard D28 as well.

I bought an HD28V (probably about 8 or 9 years ago) after trying a lot of acoustics. I played 3 or 4 HD28Vs and a similar number of early 70s D28s which were a similar price at the time. The HD28Vs were consistently better sounding than the early 70s ones.

I played a 1966 Brazilian Rosewood D28 the other week, and I prefer my guitar to that as well. Apparently that 66 hasn't been played much in recent times. It might open up a bit with some playing but I wouldn't put down £7k on it.

If you are not worried about having the Martin name on the headstock, US builders like Santa Cruz and Huss & Dalton make some stunning guitars. Getting a custom build from someone like Alister Atkin would be a good option as well.

BigLicks67 · December 2015

Thanks for the replies.

I wasn't particularly looking at 70's I'd just seen a few advertised lately and wondered if they suffered from the same problems most other guitar makes suffered from in this period.

@Lewy I reckon budget to be around £1300 - £1500 for a used D28 or HD28. I play most styles in a mediocre fashion ; >

@crunchman I've a vintage series OM so i know what you are saying but I'm pretty sure the budget isn't enough for a D28V, or Santa Cruz, Collings etc.

crunchman · December 2015

@BigLicks67 - for that kind of budget I'd seriously look at Furch. I've been in shops a few times and tried (and bought on one occasion) a Furch alongside Martin D28s and D35s and preferred the Furch.

BigLicks67 · December 2015

crunchman said:

@BigLicks67 - for that kind of budget I'd seriously look at Furch. I've been in shops a few times and tried (and bought on one occasion) a Furch alongside Martin D28s and D35s and preferred the Furch.

If I see one locally I will check it out.

Lewy · December 2015

crunchman said:

The other thing to consider is the bracing. Martin changed the bracing from the classic pre-war recipe in the 1940s. I think this was done because people were putting very heavy strings on to be heard when playing with horn sections etc. With strings that normal humans like to use, this makes them a bit dead sounding compared with the ones with the pre-war style bracing. The standard D28 has retained this bracing, but the D18 has gone back to the pre-war style since 2012.

Normal humans put mediums on Martin dreads...you're the exception, not the rule

In seriousness, a standard D28 with unscalloped standard 5/16ths bracing does need at least Light/Mediums (.0125's) or Mediums (.013's) to get the best out of it, but if you're fine with those gauges it's a perfectly good option. Whether those gauges work for you is a question of style, rather than strength or any macho nonsense, hence my question to the OP about what/how they play. I have fairly small and not particularly strong hands but have .013's on my dreads. Having said that, I capo a lot and 90% of what I play is below the 7th fret (relative to the capo) so heavier strings are fine.

richardhomer · December 2015

There is a tonal difference between the standard D28 and HD28.

The standard model is not particularly less-responsive in my view - but it isn't as bass-heavy and has more mid-range. You might consider it more balanced, depending on your tonal preferences.

With acoustics at this price level, there's really no substitute for playing as many as you can.

Lewy · December 2015

richardhomer said:

There is a tonal difference between the standard D28 and HD28.

The standard model is not particularly less-responsive in my view - but it isn't as bass-heavy and has more mid-range. You might consider it more balanced, depending on your tonal preferences.

With acoustics at this price level, there's really no substitute for playing as many as you can.

The D28 wins in this comparison to my ears .... playing starts at 2:52

ICBM · December 2015

For whatever reason, I've never liked any HD-28 I've ever played, but liked almost all D-28s.

The difference in that clip is what I hear too - the HD is boomier and brighter but thinner, the standard D is middier and punchier.

I don't like the two Huss & Daltons I've played - even boomier and brighter than the HD, and somehow too 'precise'. The only Santa Cruz I've played was very odd and different though - *extremely* thick and quite muddy-sounding, and only came alive with heavy strings and played aggressively, at which point it did sound fantastic, but not a versatile guitar.

The only Dreadnought I've played which I prefer to a good Martin D-28 is my Gibson Dove.

BigLicks67 · December 2015

I'm using .012 gauge strings on all my acoustics these days.

I don't see the bracing as a problem and the D28 is the preferred option at the mo, but you know how it is you just want to cover all bases.

crunchman · December 2015

HD28 still has the post war style bracing - it's just scalloped. If you want the pre-war style you need to get HD28V or HD28 Retro. Likewise the D35 has the post war bracing.

Lewy said:

crunchman said:

The other thing to consider is the bracing. Martin changed the bracing from the classic pre-war recipe in the 1940s. I think this was done because people were putting very heavy strings on to be heard when playing with horn sections etc. With strings that normal humans like to use, this makes them a bit dead sounding compared with the ones with the pre-war style bracing. The standard D28 has retained this bracing, but the D18 has gone back to the pre-war style since 2012.

Normal humans put mediums on Martin dreads...you're the exception, not the rule

In seriousness, a standard D28 with unscalloped standard 5/16ths bracing does need at least Light/Mediums (.0125's) or Mediums (.013's) to get the best out of it, but if you're fine with those gauges it's a perfectly good option. Whether those gauges work for you is a question of style, rather than strength or any macho nonsense, hence my question to the OP about what/how they play. I have fairly small and not particularly strong hands but have .013's on my dreads. Having said that, I capo a lot and 90% of what I play is below the 7th fret (relative to the capo) so heavier strings are fine.

I used to use 13s, and then I was doing something where I played a couple of hours a day every day for 3 weeks on the trot. My fingers were sore. After that I went to 10s for a while. I'm using 11s these days.

kjdowd · December 2015

I picked up an hj28 on here a few weeks ago. It's a '95 I think and hands down the best guitar I've ever played, electric or acoustic. I thoroughly recommend trying one - it has a lovely sweet, balanced tone. Even the family have commented on how nice it sounds and they are somewhat jaded with guitars coming in and out of house to say the least!

Feel free to come and have a try if you are in London at any point. Might help the decision making process.

BigLicks67 · December 2015

kjdowd said:

I picked up an hj28 on here a few weeks ago. It's a '95 I think and hands down the best guitar I've ever played, electric or acoustic. I thoroughly recommend trying one - it has a lovely sweet, balanced tone. Even the family have commented on how nice it sounds and they are somewhat jaded with guitars coming in and out of house to say the least!

Feel free to come and have a try if you are in London at any point. Might help the decision making process.

Yep, I saw that in the classifieds looked a nice guitar, if I come across one on my travels I'll try it.

Thanks for the offer to try yours, but i'm not likely to be in the Big Smoke any time soon : >

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Martin D28

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