❌SOLD❌ Martin D-28 Brazilian Rosewood Natural, 1958

Introduced in 1931 but not the first appearance of the Dreadnought, the Martin D-28 quickly rose to become one of the standard, benchmark guitars. From 1931 to 1934, the D-28 had a 12-fret neck, soon changed to 14 frets as banjo players migrated to guitar.

Here we’re looking at a Martin D-28 built around July of 1958, with all of the standard features of that time. The top is Sitka Spruce; Adirondack had become unavailable by 1942 as war materiel demands led to overharvesting.

The sides, back and head plate are Rosewood, and for most guitar companies like Martin, Gibson and Fender, until 1969 this Rosewood was sourced from Brazil. A few guitars were built with the remaining, dwindling stocks of Brazilian Rosewood into the early 1970’s, and the very last too-small pieces were used in early 3-piece D-35 backs.

The body blocks and neck on the Martin D-28 are Honduran Mahogany, with Ebony for the fingerboard and through-saddle bridge. The simple dot-inlay position markers are Mother of Pearl. Introduced as a standard feature in 1958, the tuners are sealed Grover Roto-Matics, replacing the previous open-gear models. At the top of the back of the head is a small ‘MADE IN USA’ stamp, indicating that this guitar was destined for export – specifically to Canada.

Over time, virtually all steel string acoustic guitars will require service to the neck joint, typically referred to as a neck re-set. This corrects the natural
‘sag’ caused by years of string tension, but on a guitar like this with a dovetail neck joint, it is an advanced repair. This work has just been done to this guitar, followed by a setup, at The Twelfth Fret Repair Shop. The outcome is a very playable action, plenty of exposed saddle height, and many more years of use.

This 1958 Martin D-28 is in overall good condition, showing finish wear as expected after 65 years of use. Some time in the past it has been re-fretted and the frets are in good shape. It has definitely been played, allowing its tone to develop fully. It delivers a full, rich tone with plenty of volume and projection.

A period Geib style hard shell case is included, which fits it well.