The Guitar Player's Resource
After nearly a century of service to music legends, some instruments earn the right to evolve rather than simply age. Martin's reimagined D-28 represents exactly that kind of thoughtful evolution - honoring its incredible legacy while embracing innovations that make it even better for today's players.
This isn't just another vintage reissue. When you've got a guitar that's been the workhorse for Hank Williams, The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan, you don't mess with perfection lightly. Chris Martin, Chairman and CEO, explains their approach: "We have extracted the finest features from the D-28 of both my grandfather's and my father's respective eras." That's 184 years of guitar-making wisdom distilled into one instrument.
The visual appointments tell the story - open gear tuners, aged toner Sitka spruce top, antique white accents, and that classic faux tortoise pickguard. These aren't just pretty details; they're historically accurate elements that defined the post-WWII D-28 during the folk and folk rock movements' pinnacle in the 1950s and 1960s.
Here's where modern innovation meets vintage soul: Martin's forward-shifted bracing allows greater top vibration, giving you more dynamic response and projection. The modified low oval neck shape with high-performance taper provides contemporary comfort while maintaining that authentic D-28 feel. East Indian rosewood back and sides deliver the woody warmth and complex overtones that made this model legendary.
The compensated bone saddle and 25.4" scale length ensure perfect intonation across all 20 frets, while the multi-stripe rosette and Style 28 appointments remind you this is genuine Martin craftsmanship.
Specifications - Overview
Body Size: D-14 Fret
Finish Top: Gloss
Construction: Dovetail Neck Joint
Back And Side Finish: Gloss
Bracing Pattern: Forward-shifted X-brace
Scale Length: 25.4"
Brace Shape: Non-scalloped
Fingerboard Width At Nut: 1 3/4''
Top Material: Sitka Spruce
Neck Shape: Modified Low Oval
Back Material: East Indian Rosewood
Neck Taper: High-performance Taper
Side Material: East Indian Rosewood
Electronics: No
Specifications - Top
Top Color: Aging Toner
Bridge Style: Modern Belly - Drop In Saddle
Binding: Antique White
Bridge String Spacing: 2 5/32"
Top Inlay Material: Multi-stripe
Bridge Material: Ebony
Top Detail: None
Bridge Pin Material: White Plastic
Pickguard: Tortoise Pattern
Bridge Pin Dots: Faux Tortoise
Pickguard Inlay: None
Saddle: Compensated Bone
Rosette: Multi-stripe
Saddle Radius: 16"
Specifications - Body
Brace Material: Sitka Spruce
Back And Sides Color: None
Brace Size: 5/16"
Back Detail: None
Back Purfling/strip: Style 28
Back Inlay Material: Multi-stripe
Heelcap: Antique White
Side Detail: None
Endpiece: Antique White
Side Inlay Material: None
Endpiece Inlay: Multi-stripe
Specifications - Neck
Neck Material: Select Hardwood
Fingerboard Material: Ebony
Finish Neck: Satin
Fingerboard Width At 12th Fret: 2 1/8''
Neck Color: Dark Mahogany
Fingerboard Inlay Style: Style 28
Number Of Frets Total: 20
Fingerboard Inlay Material: Mother-of-pearl
Neck Joins Body At: 14th Fret
Fingerboard Binding Material: None
Side Dots: White
Specifications - Headstock
Headstock Shape: Solid With Square Taper And Diamond
Tuning Machines: Nickel Open Gear
Headplate Material: East Indian Rosewood
Knob: Butterbean
Headplate Logo Style: Script Old Style Overlay
Nut Material: Bone
