1953 Martin D-28
In the world of Martin Dreadnoughts built after 1944, the best sounding instruments strongly tend to be those built during late 1952 and into 1953. Martin discontinued the use of Adirondack red spruce in 1944, which, along with the change to non-scalloped braces, marked the end of the ‘Golden Era’ of Martin flat-top production. Ever since, Sitka spruce has been the standard top wood used at the Martin factory, with a notable exception during part of 1953, and a small number of guitars made in 1957 and 1960 when Vermont red spruce was used.
The D-28 pictured here is one of these red spruce topped Dreadnoughts that left the factory in 1953. It’s an exceptional sounding guitar, with the unmistakable snap, dryness, fundamental clarity, punch, presence, and headroom that red spruce brings to the mix. Blindfolded, even an unexperienced guitarist would be able to pick this guitar out of a lineup of Sitka-topped Dreads. It’s flatpicker-heaven, and it’s unlike any other version of D-28, with rear-shifted straight bracing, red spruce top, hide glue, and a T-bar neck support.
This example has clearly been well used and heavily played but remains largely original and in good structural order. There are no brace repairs, the original bridgeplate is still in the guitar, it’s light on cracks, and the original finish is intact. There is plenty of playwear to the body and neck, and localized sections of the worn areas have been sealed with lacquer as should be evident in the photos provided. The bridge is a properly sized replacement, the neck has been reset, and the frets, nut, and saddle are somewhat recent. The original tuners are in good working order.
There is a repaired crack along the top’s centerline, and a second, smaller, top crack extending about 2.5” from the bridge at the low E pin. The pickguard margin crack has been glued. The back shows plenty of finish wear but has only one small crack that follows the grain north from the binding at the back’s bottom for about 5”. There are no side cracks, but there is a plugged output jack hole and some associated repair surrounding it.
The guitar’s frets are excellent, and playability is top-notch. We have the guitar set up with mediums and an action of 5-7 64ths at the 12th fret. The neck has a wonderfully worn-in feel, and a nut width of 1-11/16”. There is on average about 3/32” of saddle height above the bridge.
With modern hardshell case
The D-28 pictured here is one of these red spruce topped Dreadnoughts that left the factory in 1953. It’s an exceptional sounding guitar, with the unmistakable snap, dryness, fundamental clarity, punch, presence, and headroom that red spruce brings to the mix. Blindfolded, even an unexperienced guitarist would be able to pick this guitar out of a lineup of Sitka-topped Dreads. It’s flatpicker-heaven, and it’s unlike any other version of D-28, with rear-shifted straight bracing, red spruce top, hide glue, and a T-bar neck support.
This example has clearly been well used and heavily played but remains largely original and in good structural order. There are no brace repairs, the original bridgeplate is still in the guitar, it’s light on cracks, and the original finish is intact. There is plenty of playwear to the body and neck, and localized sections of the worn areas have been sealed with lacquer as should be evident in the photos provided. The bridge is a properly sized replacement, the neck has been reset, and the frets, nut, and saddle are somewhat recent. The original tuners are in good working order.
There is a repaired crack along the top’s centerline, and a second, smaller, top crack extending about 2.5” from the bridge at the low E pin. The pickguard margin crack has been glued. The back shows plenty of finish wear but has only one small crack that follows the grain north from the binding at the back’s bottom for about 5”. There are no side cracks, but there is a plugged output jack hole and some associated repair surrounding it.
The guitar’s frets are excellent, and playability is top-notch. We have the guitar set up with mediums and an action of 5-7 64ths at the 12th fret. The neck has a wonderfully worn-in feel, and a nut width of 1-11/16”. There is on average about 3/32” of saddle height above the bridge.
With modern hardshell case