[NEW] Martin HD-28 Review | martin d-28 – Australia.xemloibaihat

4.6/5 – (90 votes)

This is a classic. It has all the time-honored Martin tones of a dreadnought we have grown to love.

The Martin HD-28 Standard guitar offers the looks of a pre-war guitar with modern playability. It’s a high-quality instrument. If you’re looking to buy a solid wood beautifully made and beautiful sounding guitar, you’re in the right place.

Whilst there are similar guitars at this price point, and of this quality, the Martin HD-28 Standard has a very strong story to tell. It’s a guitar you’re unlikely to regret buying, ever! This Martin HD-28 Review aims to explain why.

So, let’s get this review underway and take a closer look…

Construction

The Martin HD-28 Standard is an all solid wood guitar, and the workmanship is flawless. It’s something we expect from a Martin and a guitar at this price point, but it still needs to be said. The grains of the woods and the varnished finish are so beautiful it’s hard to take your eyes off them. The bindings are uniform and perfect. Every part of this guitar sings quality.

It has solid rosewood back and sides with a solid spruce top. The contrast of the coffee-colored rosewood and the lightly stained spruce is simple elegance at its finest.

Will age to perfection…

Straight out of the box, the spruce top appears a little too pristine and light for our taste. However, we know as the years roll by, the spruce top will age and darken to perfection. It’s a journey we long to be on.

The HD-28 Standard has herringbone binding, which is a nod to the pre-war D-28 models. Until 1946 all D-28s were finished this way. The inclusion of herringbone binding is one of the visual differences between the current HD-28 Standard and the D-28 Standard. The other cosmetic difference is that the HD-28 Standard also has a tortoiseshell pickguard, whereas the D-28 Standard has a black pickguard.

Classy and refined…

Having herringbone binding and the tortoiseshell undoubtedly does make the HD-28 a little less of a plain Jane. Though despite this, it’s overall look remains restrained, classic, and refined. Thankfully, it’s not as blingy and glitzy as the Martin HD-45, which is all a little too Elton John (circa the 1970s) for our taste.

At this point, the zig-zag back purfling warrants a special mention. It’s stunningly beautiful. It turns the whole aesthetic of the guitar into something very special indeed. It’s yet one more example of Martin’s close attention to detail and design.

Vintage design…

The spruce top features forward scalloped bracing. The bracing is placed closer to the soundhole, which is a departure from the D-28 Standard that uses standard X tapered bracing. The scalloped bracing is another throwback to the bracing found on Martin D-28s between 1934 to 1946.

The forward scalloped bracing has a fundamental effect on the sound, which we’ll look at in more detail a little later.

Specifications & Hardware

The neck is made from mahogany and joined at the 14th fret. It has 20 frets with a 25.4” scale length. It’s a low-profile neck joined to an ebony fingerboard. The fingerboard has a width of 13/4” at the nut and 21.8” at the 12th fret.

The fingerboard is all business with just simple mother of pearl dot inlays. The side dots are the same. The fretboard has no binding, which is in keeping with the overall aesthetic of most Martin guitars.

Perfectly in tune…

The guitar has open gear nickel Grover Sta-Tite tuners paired with butterbean knobs. When combined with the ebony bridge, and bone nut and saddle, you can be assured of it being able to hold its tuning.

There is an electronic version of the HD-28 Standard. It features a Fishman Aura VT pick-up system. We know it sounds great, but there just seems something wrong with putting electronics on an instrument so pure. We understand that there’s no law against it, but it doesn’t make it right.

The HD-28 Standard comes with a quality leather strap and a case that looks strong enough to survive the apocalypse. No corners have been cut with the making of the case. Wherever you take your Martin, including on a plane, you can rest assured that it will arrive in one piece.

Sound

The sound is the main reason you’re here, and we can assure you that you won’t be disappointed.

Firstly, this is a big guitar with a big body. The upshot of that is, like all dreadnoughts, you won’t be short of volume or bass. Where a lot of the smaller and increasingly popular ¾ sized guitars are found wanting, the Martin HD-28 Standard will very much deliver. There’s no doubt that the HD-28 Standard delivers masses of bass, volume, and projection.

Great bottom end…

The forward scalloped bracing helps to increase the response at the bottom end. Although the D-28 Standard already has an excellent bass response, the HD-28 Standard is perceivable more present in the lower range. Never the less, it’s a subtle difference and, at no point either overwhelms the balance of the guitar or becomes boomy.

The forward scalloped bracing makes the spruce top less tight in comparison to the D-28 Standard, so it can vibrate a little more freely. This not only helps to increase the volume and bass but additionally increases sustain. The level of sustain is incredible. Frankly, we have no problems at all with the sustain on the D-28, but the HD-28 does sustain for longeerrrr.

Superb across the frequencies…

Overall, this is a guitar with great balance and an excellent dynamic range and response. The lows are pronounced and almost feel sculptured in their precision. The highs are every bit as precise plus clear and crisp. Yet, at the same time, even the steel strings give the feeling of substance.

The mids sound complex, warm, and well balanced with choral like qualities. They cut through beautifully but without drowning out the lower mids. This leaves the perfect place for the male voice to slot right in.

The choice of guitar legends…

No wonder the Martin D-28 range has been so popular with artists like Neil Young, Jimmy Page, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Chris Martin, Elvis Presley and so, so many other famous musicians.

The bottom line is that the HD-28 has all the tonal qualities to make it a great guitar for the fingerpicker or the singer-songwriter. It also has enough of the same strengths as the D-28 to make it a great recording guitar too.

Playability

So how does the neck feel?

The truth is that the latest HD-28 standard has a more playable neck than Martin guitars of old. The neck feels slimmer, more modern, and closer to something you’d find on an electric guitar. In fact, it feels quite similar to the neck on an 800 series Taylor.

The “high-performance” neck, as Martin calls it, allows you to more freely explore the fingerboard. You feel less constrained to play higher up the neck. Fretting anywhere is easy and will reward you with clean, crisp tones. The fact is that with the action set nice and low, you’ll have to work pretty hard to get the strings to buzz. That’s even with a bit of shoddy technique thrown into the mix!

PLEK machining…

Before finishing the manufacturing process, every Martin HD-28 is placed in a fret leveling computer-controlled machine. The PLEK machine assists to level frets within tolerances of .001”. It also assists in shaping the nut to perfection.

The result is a guitar optimized for the highest level of playability. There are no sharp edges or catching at all. Intonation and any problems associated with playing when the action is low are also eliminated.

This is all as good as it gets.

Martin HD-28 Pros & Cons

Pros

• Superb craftsmanship.
• High-quality tonewoods.
• Herringbone binding.
• Forward scalloped X bracing.
• High-Performance neck.
• Hard case made out of Kryptonite.

Cons

• Price.

More Superb Acoustic Options

Looking for a few more economical choices? If so, check out our reviews of the Best Acoustic Guitars under 500 Dollars and the Best Acoustic Travel Guitars currently available.

Or if you’re a fan of Taylor, take a look at our reviews of the Taylor BBT Big Baby and the Taylor GS Mini.

And whatever you choose, you will need a set of the Best Acoustic Guitar Strings every now and then.

Final Thoughts

The Martin HD-28 standard is one of those special guitars. It’s a grail guitar we aspire to. Frankly, if the HD-28 Standard doesn’t happen to be your guitar of choice, it could just as easily be any one of Martin’s solid wood guitars.

If you like the classic looks of the pre-war Martin D-28 and also want some extra bass response, increased volume, and sustain, this could very well be the guitar for you. If you’re already looking for this kind of quality instrument, then hopefully, the slightly increased expense over the price of a Martin D-28 Standard shouldn’t prove too much of a barrier.

Before we go, we’ll leave you with this happy thought.

This is a guitar that you’ll buy and will be with you like a faithful friend until it’s passed down to your teary-eyed grateful son or daughter. In turn, they will pass down to their ungrateful son or daughter, who will sell it for beer money.

Enjoy your playing.

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Martin HD-28 Acoustic Guitar

One of Martin’s best-selling guitars, the HD-28 includes many of the options guitar players and collectors prize in historic Martins. A Sitka spruce top with East Indian rosewood back and sides, all wrapped together in Martin’s classic herringbone inlay.

Since 1976, the Martin HD-28 has been the D-28’s slightly more ornate sibling, with herringbone purfling and scalloped bracing paired with its Indian Rosewood back and sides. The D-28 template just might be what most people think of when imagine an acoustic guitar, thanks in part to its use by thousands of players on stage and in the studio. Sturgill Simpson’s preferred Martin guitar is the HD-28.

The D-28 revolutionized the acoustic guitar world when it was released some 80+ years ago. Martin first started making these larger body guitars that they named Dreadnoughts after the largest British Battle ships of the time. They were first built and sold by Ditson a large sheet music publishing house and musical instrument retailer. These carried the Ditson branding.

The Dreadnought, was the first mass produced large bodied, steel stringed instrument and it was readily adopted by players across the country. For Bluegrass guitarists who needed a louder guitar with a pronounced bass to be heard on a busy stage, the D-28 was a godsend. Projective enough to be heard over multiple instruments without sacrificing tonal quality or detail. Since the D-28 has carved out a place in Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Pop and other genres. The D-28 is the guitar that made Martin highly successful.

When the Ditson company filed bankruptcy, Martin started to build these larger guitars that carried the Martin name and were marketed and distributed directly from Martin. The early versions were called the D-1 and the D-2, later becoming the now famous D-18 and D-28. The “D” is for Dreadnought and the number indicated a Martin style number. The pre-war Martin D-28 featured a Herringbone top inlays and scalloped “X” bracing under the spruce top. These guitars became the standard we all think of when we see a person with a guitar. It is actually hard to remember for some folks when guitars were smaller and were parlor instruments.

As performing musicians played in front of larger audiences, the D-28 played a large role. The Martin D-28 was associated with Hank Williams, the Bill Monroe band and countless other players in Country and Bluegrass. It is still the standard by which many guitars are compared. Martin has made countless version of these guitars. The D-28 in later years started producing the guitar with straight bracing as players were moving to heavier steel strings.

The D-28 and the HD-28 are identical when it comes to measurements. Both are 14-Fret (meaning the neck joins the body at the 14th fret) Martin Dreadnoughts with a long at 25.4″ scale length. Both feature Low Profile necks and 1-11/16″ nut spacings. The D-28 and the HD-28 are both constructed with a solid Sitka Spruce top, 5/16″ X bracing, an ebony fingerboard and bridge, and East Indian Rosewood backs and sides. What all of this is really saying is that, in terms of feel, there is no difference.

There are a few aesthetic differences between the two. The first is that the HD-28 has Herringbone inlays while the D-28 has a simpler black/white striped inlays. Originally all 28 Series guitars had Herringbone inlays. The “H” in HD actually stands for Herringbone. Originally the herringbone binding was taken off of the D-28 as a cost saving measure to keep the guitar affordable to everyday players. Neither guitar has binding on the neck, you would need to move up to style 35 or beyond for more ornate features.

In the mid 1970s Martin released the HD-28 as an answer to the customers who wanted a D-28 that was more reminiscent of the “Golden Era” 28s of the 1930s and ’40s. Martin also uses a decorative Tortoise Shell patterned pick-guard on the HD-28 while the standard D-28 has a more reserved plain black pick-guard. These guitars have been big sellers for Martin for many many years and are workhorses to most working musicians.

Scalloping is a process where a braces are made concave by the luthier who carefully shaves away at the brace, arching it and making the center thinner than either end. The idea behind this is simple. The sound of a guitar is highly dependent on the vibration of the top. The more vibration the top gets, the louder and more bass heavy the guitar will be. Luthiers try to find the “sweet spot” for lack of a better term where there is as little bracing as possible so that the top can vibrate freely but still enough support to keep the guitar stable and structurally sound. A guitar without this shaving away of the braces is refered to as straight braced.

Originally the D-28, and all Martin guitars had scalloped bracing. As the years progressed players began using thicker strings with more tension. To help make sure the guitars could stand up to this increased tension, Martin stopped scalloping them after the mid 1940’s and the standard D-28 has been straight braced ever since. To get a better idea of the difference between straight and scalloped bracing, please refer to the pictures below:

The first thing you’ll notice when comparing a D-28 to an HD-28 is the bass response. Right out of the box the HD will have a louder, fuller bass than a D-28. It may also just be generally louder. As we said, this is all due to the scalloping of the braces. As the wood ages, the sound will age as well. So an older D-18 or D-28 will not be as tight and will likely have a bit more bass response then a new one. Pre-war Martin D-28 featured scallop bracing.

The Martin HD-28 costs a bit more than the Martin D-18. They are both part of Martin’s Standard Series. Both are great guitars and the choice is quite subjective. Martin also sells a HD-28V which has all the features of the HD28 and also has a more forward bracing scheme and a “V” profile neck. They are said to have even more bass response, but I have no played one.

Martin HD-28 Acoustic Guitar

Indian rosewood & sitka spruce dreadnought body with white binding, herringbone top trim, scalloped braces, maple bridge plate, X brace crosses in the modern location (about 1-1/2″ below soundhole), low profile neck (1-11/16″ wide at nut), ebony fretboard with white pearl dot markers, 25.4″ scale, chrome enclosed tuning gears. High gloss finish. Thermoplastic hardshell case.

Plays awesome and has a nice well balanced sound with a slight amount more bass then the non-scaloped braced Martins. Love the Low Profile neck. Weights in at a light 4-lbs 9-ozs!

I blame my recent trip to Nashville for this G.A.S. purchase.

How does it sound? It sounds glorious… Martin says the “worst their guitar will sound is the day it leaves the factory.” As the wood ages and drys a bit the guitar will resonate more and over the years it will improve the tone. Well it sounds great now.

Specs:

• Construction: Mahogany Blocks/Dovetail Neck Joint
• Body Size: D-14 Fret
• Top: Solid Sitka Spruce
• Rosette: Style 28
• Top Bracing Pattern: Standard ”X” Scalloped
• Top Braces: Solid Sitka Spruce 5/16”
• Back Material: Solid East Indian Rosewood
• Back Purfling: HD Zig-Zag
• Side Material: Solid East Indian Rosewood
• Endpiece: White Boltaron
• Endpiece Inlay: Black/White Boltaron
• Binding: White Boltaron
• Top Inlay Style: Bold Herringbone
• Back Inlay: Black/White Boltaron
• Neck Material: Select Hardwood
• Neck Shape: Low Profile
• Nut Material: Bone
• Headstock: Solid/Diamond/Square Taper
• Headplate: Solid East Indian Rosewood /Raised Gold Foil
• Heelcap: White Boltaron
• Fingerboard Material: Solid Black Ebony
• Scale Length: 25.4”
• Total Length: 40 1/2″
• Body Length: 20″
• Body Width: 15 5/8″
• Body Depth: 4 7/8″
• Number Of Frets Clear: 14
• Number Of Frets Total: 20
• Fingerboard Width At Nut: 1-11/16”
• Fingerboard Width At 12th Fret: 2-1/8”
• Fingerboard Position Inlays: Style 28
• Fingerboard Binding: none
• Finish Back & Sides: Polished Gloss
• Finish Top: Polished Gloss
• Finish Neck: Satin
• Bridge Material: Solid Black Ebony
• Bridge Style: Belly
• Bridge String Spacing: 2-1/8”
• Saddle: 16” Radius/Compensated/Bone
• Tuning Machines: Chrome Enclosed w/ Large Buttons
• Bridge & End Pins: White w/ Black Dots
• Pickguard: Tortoise Color
• Hard Shell Case Included: 640 Molded