1950 Martin 000-28

ARCHIVED • SOLD

1950 Martin 000-28

Brought to Folkway by its owner of the last 65 years, this 000-28 led a storied life leading up to its time on our repair benches and, now, to our sales floor. It’s a beautiful example of one of Martin’s highest-end models of its era, with stunning rosewood, attractive patina and gentle wear, and classic post-war 000 tone.

Purchased in 1959 or 1960 at Noah Wulfe’s 48th Street guitar shop in New York City, this 000-28 spent its time in the folk scenes of NYC and Philadelphia with its then-college-age new owner who shared the stage with the likes of Jack Elliott and Brownie McGhee. The guitar was played by Lightning Hopkins, who shared the bill with this Martin’s owner on one such night. Lightning, we’re told, needed to borrow a guitar for his set and this 000-28 ended up in his hands.

In 1969 the guitar and its owner moved to Canada, and for the last number of years have called Kitchener, Ontario home.

We’ve just completed the required age-related restoration most older Martins need. The neck has been reset and refretted, the bridge has been replaced, a few cracks were repaired, bridgeplate wear repaired and reinforced with a tiny maple patch, new bone nut and saddle installed along with Antique Acoustic Style 28 pins, and Grover Rotomatic tuners were replaced with a set of original Klusons from the mid 1950s with conversion bushings that were aged to match. The guitar now plays properly and is set up with 5-7 64ths action, a fairly straight neck, and 12-54 strings.

With strong and rounded treble response, full and supportive mids, and basses that are well defined and controlled, this 000-28 is an excellent melodic lead flatpicker and a versatile fingerstyle guitar.

The neck has a C shaped carve with a hint of V, 1-11/16” nut, and 1st fret depth of .845”. 9th fret neck depth is .956”, the scale is 24.9” and string spacing at the bridge is 2-3/16”. The guitar weighs 4lbs.

The top has a repaired pickguard crack and a reglued center seam, but no added cleats. The sides are crack free, and the back’s only crack is impossible to find (it’s a hairline crack that’s 1.5” long at the lower treble bout’s binding edge). Original finish throughout, with worn sections along the back of the neck and between the pickguard and bridge, as are visible in the provided photos. The front of the headstock shows minor washer imprints from the small bushing washers that early Rotomatics used.


With non original hardshell case.
1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28
  • 1950 Martin 000-28

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