HD 28 VS

Andy79 · February 2019

Played 3 chords on a Martin HD28 VS today.
Wow. I have gotta get me one.
Wide nut, V neck, 12 frets. Tone , balance, big gut punch bass.
Sounds somewhere between a very expensive bell and a piano. It’s quite unbelievable.
No more Gibson hunt. This is the one for me.

Anyone else agree?

crunchman · February 2019

Stunning guitars. Neck is too wide for me though. I have the 14 fret HD28V, but if I could cope with the neck I would probably have got one of those.

There is something about 12 fret slot headstock guitars. The best sounding acoustic I've ever played was a 12 fret slot headstock Santa Cruz. Again a really wide neck, and seriously expensive.

Andy79 · February 2019

It was for sale. I’m now thinking how much gear I can sell... need to let this adrenaline wear off.
I cant play anything better than that Martin, bloody house will end up re mortgaged. So we will have none of that Santa Cruz talk thank you.

mgaw · February 2019

huge sounding guitars I had the collings equivalent and it was superb, so much so I obviously had to sell it like the twat I am..

Brize · February 2019

Yep, stunning guitars, and now out of production.

brucegill · February 2019

I had one for a long while. Loved it but it was VERY boomy on the bass. It’s a beast! I’d give it another go before committing. That said I think I’d get on better with it now I play with my fingers more than a pick. Loved the V neck. Not a fan of restringing a slot head either.... but I did love that guitar and was one I should have kept. I’d love a much smaller version of it now, like an “O” size.

Andy79 · February 2019

I really like a big bass. I don’t use a pick and palm mute a lot so it works out.
Having said that I’d love to seek out the 000-18vs to try.

brucegill · February 2019

Sounds like it’s right up your street

Good luck with it! Do miss mine for sure.

AuldReekie · February 2019

Had a Larrivee SD50 for a number of years - a12fret sloped dreadnought. It was a superb guitar but eventually had to go as neck too wide for me. Replaced it with a Santa Cruz Tony Rice, which is way better than any Martin I’ve played

RandallFlagg · February 2019

I have one of the 2018 HD28 standards, they were marketed as “reimagined”. It has the 1.75” nut width, modified low oval neck profile and forward shifted scalloped bracing as well as the aging toner top.

I had a standard D28 prior to this and played a previous standard HD28 a few times as well.

The thing I notice and like about the new HD28 is the volume and sustain, you can play quite gently and the notes jump out of the soundhole with ease, it sounds much better the the old standards on single note phrases and gentle finger picking. Consequently it can get a bit squishy and compressed sounding if big chords are strummed too hard, where the older standards needed to be pushed harder with a pick to get the same volume.

I think I prefer the old neck profile and 1 11/16ths nut width though, I have adjusted but barre chords up the neck are a little more challenging. I also prefer the grover tuners, the Schaller butterbean replicas tuner buttons are smaller and not as easy to turn.

I love the Martin dreadnought sound, all the different models offer slight variations in tone and features but the core Martin tone remains in the lineup and it is a wonderful sound to behold.

stickyfiddle · February 2019

I haven’t played the VS version but I have a regular HD28 which is just the perfect acoustic guitar “sound in my head”. I’ll never sell it

VimFuego · February 2019

I fully realise that it's confirmation bias, but I've never played a Martin I didn't like. People I know who's opinion I respect on these matters tell me there are better guitars out there for the money, and I don't dispute it, but there's something about a martin box.

stickyfiddle · February 2019

VimFuego said:

I fully realise that it's confirmation bias, but I've never played a Martin I didn't like. People I know who's opinion I respect on these matters tell me there are better guitars out there for the money, and I don't dispute it, but there's something about a martin box.

I agree with this, including the potential confirmation bias.

An old bandmate had a Lowden which was obviously a really technical fantastic guitar but I never liked it for some reason.

RandallFlagg · February 2019

Agreed, I love Martin guitars, that headstock shape and logo just warms the insides. There is something in the Martin dreadnought tone though regardless of model, that warm mid-range, dry woody bluegrass honk that you get on the wound strings when you play bluegrass runs in-between changing chords, I love it.

crunchman · February 2019

RandallFlagg said:

I have one of the 2018 HD28 standards, they were marketed as “reimagined”. It has the 1.75” nut width, modified low oval neck profile and forward shifted scalloped bracing as well as the aging toner top.

I had a standard D28 prior to this and played a previous standard HD28 a few times as well.

The thing I notice and like about the new HD28 is the volume and sustain, you can play quite gently and the notes jump out of the soundhole with ease, it sounds much better the the old standards on single note phrases and gentle finger picking. Consequently it can get a bit squishy and compressed sounding if big chords are strummed too hard, where the older standards needed to be pushed harder with a pick to get the same volume.

I think I prefer the old neck profile and 1 11/16ths nut width though, I have adjusted but barre chords up the neck are a little more challenging. I also prefer the grover tuners, the Schaller butterbean replicas tuner buttons are smaller and not as easy to turn.

I love the Martin dreadnought sound, all the different models offer slight variations in tone and features but the core Martin tone remains in the lineup and it is a wonderful sound to behold.

If you can find one, the HD28V has a 1 11/16" nut width - unless they have messed with that too. The V neck on it is wonderful.

Andy79 · February 2019

I have my fair share of V necks. 8 (!) I think but The vs neck trumps them all.
I feel I’ve wasted 20 years ignoring Martin guitars. It was easy to be a Martin hater. Until of course I actually played a few... what an idiot

Brize · February 2019

RandallFlagg said:

The thing I notice and like about the new HD28 is the volume and sustain, you can play quite gently and the notes jump out of the soundhole with ease.

Probably the forward-shifted bracing.

crunchman · February 2019

Brize said:

RandallFlagg said:

The thing I notice and like about the new HD28 is the volume and sustain, you can play quite gently and the notes jump out of the soundhole with ease.

Probably the forward-shifted bracing.

With the forward shifted bracing, the HD28 is almost what the HD28V was in the range. The problem is that it has a 1 3/4" nut width. I'm not sure if they are making any of them in 1 11/16" any more. I hope nothing happens to my HD28V. Would be very difficult to replace.

Brize · February 2019

crunchman said:

Brize said:

RandallFlagg said:

The thing I notice and like about the new HD28 is the volume and sustain, you can play quite gently and the notes jump out of the soundhole with ease.

Probably the forward-shifted bracing.

With the forward shifted bracing, the HD28 is almost what the HD28V was in the range. The problem is that it has a 1 3/4" nut width. I'm not sure if they are making any of them in 1 11/16" any more. I hope nothing happens to my HD28V. Would be very difficult to replace.

Exactly. I also have an HD-28V and wouldn't want to be without it for the same reason - the forward-shifted bracing combined with the 1 11/16" nut width.

Interestingly, I love the modified-V neck profile with that narrower nut width, but the modified V combined with a 1 3/4" nut (like on the HD-28VS) is just a hair too much.

WindmillGuitars · February 2019

Love the vintage Martin range - however nothing in terms of a Dred has beaten my early 90's D41.

As for a 12 fret @Andy79 you should consider the Avalon Americana I have listed here. Handbuilt and tone for days!

MORE PHOTOS >> https://bit.ly/2SB38Tf

Andy79 · February 2019

So if I wanted a dred with 1 3/4 nut and modified V the only option, on the general market, is a Golden era or VS?
Is this right?

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