Since the 14-fret iteration was unveiled in 1934, the Martin D-28 has set the standard by which all acoustic guitars are judged. With massive bass response and articulate high end detail, it's easy to understand why the D-28 has been the choice of guitarists across a wide array of genres and generations of players. The D-28 is the quintessential workhorse. From Hank Sr. and Johnny Cash to Neil Young, The Beatles, and Jimmy Page, every guitarist sounds right on a D-28.

By the mid '70s, the Martin company had grown substantially, but the D-28 hadn't changed much. At that point, Brazilian Rosewood was no longer available, so the D-28 was built with East Indian Rosewood back and sides. Warranty concerns had shifted the Martin line towards a stouter, more durable—and perhaps overbuilt—design. The burlier bracing produces a different, more direct voice heard on countless recordings. This D-28 (#367526) left Nazareth, Pa. in 1975, and it is one of 4996 made that year. 

This 1975 D-28 was recently in the care of luthier Lou Hayes (Hayes Guitar in Paonia, Colorado) who repaired two back cracks and binding that was damaged in shipping. While it was in Lou's shop, he also reset the neck, fit a new saddle for it, reglued a small section of X bracing, and optimized the guitar for playability and sound. It still has its original Ebony bridge and Rosewood bridge plate. At some point along the way, the bridge was sanded down and re-glued, and someone cut slots into the bridge which cause the saddle to lean forward a little bit. The bridge is stable, but the bass corner is slightly warped and lifting with visible glue underneath the edge. From there, it looks like the neck has been refretted, and there's a repaired pickguard crack and two repaired cracks on the treble side. The original Grover tuning machines still hold tune as they should, and thanks to the recent neck reset, the action is nice and low. For a '70s Martin dreadnought, the intonation is pretty good, too. 

This 1975 Martin D-28 produces a robust dreadnought sound—volume, shimmering treble content, powerful bass, slightly scooped mids, and detailed clarity across the register. Because of the recent neck reset, it plays nicely and has plenty of room for future adjustment. All in all, this is a hardworking dreadnought that is ready to put to the test. A great player with the rich, nuanced sound of a vintage Martin! It includes its original blue molded plastic case.