Martin D-28 (1949)

This 1949 Martin D-28 is in "as clean as they come" condition, and carries a particularly lovely & powerful voice.

Why We Love This

This 1949 Martin D-28 is in "as clean as they come" condition, and carries a particularly lovely & powerful voice. The guitar comes to us from a long-time client, who purchased it from the original owner's estate. While the guitar has been played and serviced over the years (the bridge is a replacement, and the nut has been shimmed), it displays pride of ownership in spades ~ this is an instrument that was loved and well preserved. The body is shockingly clean and crack-free. Ditto for the neck, fingerboard, hardware, and all internal components.

Let's revisit the topic of sound briefly, since it certainly bears revisiting in this case! While post-war D-28s won't equal a 1930's guitar in the categories of low end and projection, this '49 will give most of them a serious run around the corral. Excellent, pillowy bass, full, punchy, dry mids, and a snappy-yet-round treble register are all on tap here. This is the consummate bluegrass flatpicking guitar for a player who prefers the narrower neck of a '40's guitar, but the classic, sumptuous voice will be appreciated instantly by, well, anyone who plays guitar and gravitates towards the classic warmth of a Martin D-28.

The bridge, as mentioned above, is not original; we had it expertly re-contoured, adjusted the saddle angle and, more importantly shifted the saddle forward to optimize intonation. Interesting thing about old Martins, not everything was perfect back then. The fact that this guitar was played for 70 years without anyone ever complaining about how out-of-tune it was up the neck is astounding (Snark tuners are the devil!). The saddle height is low, and, in conjunction with the guitar's mellow neck set, poses no structural concerns. New frets have also been installed, and the guitar plays beautifully up and down the neck. The action currently measures 3/32", bass side, and 2/32", treble side, under tension of medium gauge strings.

The original owner had the guitar stored in a 1970's Martin thermoplastic case, suggesting no hard case was purchased with the guitar (or that if it were, it was abandoned in the 70's). That case will be included with the guitar, though Calton Cases are available if an upgrade is desired.

Please note: international shipping is not available for this guitar.