$55,000.00  

Dear Potential Purchaser, I have been privileged to own a few of the finest guitars Martin ever made and this is one of them. These pre WWII Herringbone D28 guitars are the stuff of legends. Guys like Clarence White, Tony Rice, Hank Williams, Neil Young, Charles Sawtelle, and Joni Mitchell just to name a few, all played “this” guitar. The reason I bring this up is to point out that these artists have and are significant contributors to the history of OUR AMERICAN MUSIC. These people could play any guitar they wanted and price was no object yet they chose the pre WWII D28.

This guitar in particular I have owned since the early 70s and I am only the second owner. It is exactly as it appears in the photos, completely original, the neck was reset in 74 if I remember correctly and at the same time a new bridge was made to allow for the correct placement of the saddle thereby allowing for perfect intonation across the entire neck. The original tuners come with the guitar but I replaced them with some several years newer. Having access to better metal post WWII they stay in tune a little better. There are no cracks, no cosmetic touchups, nothing.

I have seen most of the pre WWII Martins that have been for sale since Reverb started business. I admit I probably have not seen EVERYONE but I believe I have seen the great majority of them, I have not seen one better than this at any price. Quite honestly most have not been anywhere near as nice and at a great deal higher asking price. The vintage Guitar Price Guide has revised the price of most collectable guitars down across the board, I believe, and this is no exception. A few years ago the price was a little over 10% higher so I have adjusted accordingly.

If you are seriously considering purchasing this guitar then this part is directed at you. I have had more than a few offers for this guitar that didn’t come to fruition for various reasons. The last one being COVID, travel was too difficult. I mention this for this reason; everyone wants to and should, know what it sounds like. You can see what it looks like in the pictures, however there is no indication of the sound and over tonal quality; therefor everyone wants to hear a recording. To that request I have this to say : if you have ever done any studio work, including modest home studios then you know how much work and skill you need to bring out the TRUE sound in any great acoustical guitar in all it subtlety’s. Holding up a Smart Phone and hitting record just doesn’t cut it. So I offer this, travel here to my ranch, in western Montana, play, inspect and determine if this is the guitar I have described. If you believe I’ve mislead you in any way I will reimburse you for ALL travel costs including your time. You may, at your option stay at my ranch, in my guest house, as my guest, during your inspection.

I don’t know how much more I can do to put you into a position to make an informed decision about the purchase of a historically relevant musical instrument and significant investment. I have not seen a pre WWII guitar in a very long time that comes close to matching this one in structural integrity, cosmetics and sound quality. If you are truly looking for “this “ guitar contact me and we can go from there.

Sincerely,

An Old Guy

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