TYPE
Acoustic Hollow Body Dreadnought guitar
FEATURES
Sitka spruce top, rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck
Solid black ebony fretboard
INFORMATION
The D-28, Martin’s widely copied dreadnought, is the benchmark for all other models. It was designed by Martin in 1916 and released under the Oliver Ditson label. Above all, it was, and still is, bigger, bolder and more powerful than most other guitars. In the 1950s he had become the favorite instrument of American folk singers.
Dreadnoughts with the Martin label entered the market in 1931. The D-28 had striking herringbone binding around the top and a zipper-like trim across the center of the back. The D-28 models dating back to around 1935 had a scalloped and crossbeam construction that was uniquely positioned close to the sound hole.
Because of the X-shaped bracing and the sound that the instrument produces, the D-28 still has many enthusiasts from that time. In 1945, a different bracing construction was used.
During the years that followed, many changes took place: the tortoise shell and horsehide glues were abolished and East Indian rosewood was used instead of the pricey Brazilian rosewood for the back and sides. But the design of all D-28s remained essentially true to the first dreadnought, the holy grail of the acoustic guitar.
