Martin D-28 82272 (1942)

If pre-war Martins were valued solely on the basis of sound, 82272 would stand toe-to-toe with the priciest examples of them all. As a bonus, it's also in wonderful condition.

C.F. Martin serial number 82272 is this herringbone-trimmed D-28, featuring the expected model specs of such a guitar from this period: Brazilian Rosewood back & sides, Red Spruce soundboard, Mahogany neck, Ebony fingerboard & bridge, diamond & squares inlay motif, and scalloped braces with a rear-shifted "X" brace. Martin guitars produced between 1942 and 1946 sometimes featured an Ebony neck support rod, due to wartime steel shortages, but this guitar retains the conventional steel T-bar.

A pre-war D-28 is prized by bluegrass guitarists for many reasons, but chiefly present among them are the following: a booming low end, a dark, punchy low-midrange that occupies the sonic space between an upright bass and a mandolin, and a snappy, meaty high end that creates a push of air during solos where only a microphone is used for amplification. 82272 checks all these boxes with aplomb. And perhaps it's needless to say, but this is a very loud guitar that only seems to bark with more authority the harder the player digs in. Like all the great herringbones, it offers considerably more than raw horsepower: its voice is wide open, and more than capable of the ethereal Martin sweetness when the guitar is played delicately.

This instrument was previously owned by guitarist, Bryan Sutton, who is widely recognized as the preeminent flatpick guitarist of his generation (aside from his day job as a top-call Nashville session musician). Mr. Sutton used this guitar on his solo record, "The More I Learn," and Dwight Yoakam's bluegrass album, "Swimmin' Pools, Movie Stars ..." There's no praise we can heap on this guitar as proof of its greatness that will be more significant than Sutton's choice to own it and record with it next to some of the best musicians in the world.

As mentioned, 82272 is indeed in wonderful condition as vintage Martins go. There are two repaired back cracks, but the top (and the rest of the guitar) is crack-free. The bridge pins have been replaced, as has the nut (that work was done during Sutton's ownership). TJ Thompson reset the neck about ten years ago; and it has been refretted as well. All internal structural components, including braces and bridgeplate, are original and in great condition. The neck finish has been matted down a bit from lots of hours logged behind this box over the years; and it feels wonderful in-hand. The guitar is set up for a bluegrass player's approach -- a hair higher than what a fingerstyle player would want in order to accommodate a heavier flatpicked attack. The finish is original throughout all areas of the guitar.

A Calton fiberglass case is included. Interested buyers are encouraged to call us for an in-hand description of this amazing herringbone D-28.