Martin HD-28

The Martin HD-28 was introduced in 1976 in the wake of a renewed popular interest in the acoustic guitar—thanks in great part to artists like James Taylor, Loggins & Messina, and Seals & Crofts. Unlike the other models introduced by Martin at this time, the HD-28 represents a reaching back to the past “pre-war” models that helped to make the company famous. Like the early Martins, it features scalloped “X” braces that “open up” the sound by reducing their mass and allowing the sitka spruce top to be more flexible. Furthermore, the HD-28 utilizes a herringbone purfling/marquetry (binding) that hasn’t been seen on Martins since around the end of World War II. Originally made in pre-war Germany, Martin switched to cellulose binding around 1947 when the herringbone stockpiles ran out. The sides/back are east Indian rosewood, the bridge/fingerboard are ebony, and the neck is select hardwood (normally mahogany). The HD-28 provides an exceptionally even sound from deep booming lows to rich mids and highs that have been described as “bell-like.”