Hi all, today I present this extremely special instrument and treasured family heirloom: a 1948 Martin D-28 named "Uncle Bill" after the original owner. I recently discovered this instrument from the family of the original owner. According to Martin's records this guitar's serial number indicates that it was manufactured around October 18th, 1948.

This D-28 features the typical post war D-28 specs:

-Brazilian rosewood back and sides

-Sitka Spruce top (with extremely tight and flamey grain)

-Mahogany neck

-Ebony fretboard and bridge plate.

-Rear shifted X bracing

-Tapered non-scalloped braces

-Small maple bridge plate

-Closed back kluson deluxe tuners

-Old style 'gold script' Martin logo

-Ivoroid cellulose binding

-Ivory nut and bridge saddle

Sound:

This D-28 has a crisp attack and sustains like a steinway grand. Its dynamics are unparalleled; if you gently finger pick you sound like every iconic mid-century folk record, but if you dig in you instantly sound like a Neil Young record. It is by far the most articulate and gorgeous sounding acoustic guitar I've ever had to privilege to play and hear. It is not only an incredible instrument; it is a true work of art. This D-28 also weighs under 4 lbs.

Factory work:

I have shown this D-28 to a myriad of collectors, stores, and specialists such as Retrofret, Carter's, and Martin themselves. They all agree that this D-28 shows signs of extremely high quality 60-70 year old Martin factory restoration work. The consensus is that this D-28 was possibly sent back to the Martin factory in the late 50's/ early 60's and was over sprayed top, back, and sides. The neck retains its original 1948 finish, while the rest of the guitar has a layer of glossy overspray. There was also a Martin acoustic pickup installed at one point then professionally restored to factory specs, again, presumably by Martin themselves. The case and pick guard are also period correct to the late 50's/ early 60's.

Condition:

There are absolutely no cracks in the Brazilian rosewood back and sides, no cracks in the mahogany neck, and no cracks in the top (no Martin 'b string' pick guard crack either). There are no cracks in the wood at all. The braces are extremely clean and the small maple bridge plate is in stunning and clean condition. There's little to no ball-end string wear. This D-28 is truly in stunning condition for its age regardless of the presumed light factory restoration work.

Case Candy/ Package:

This is one of the most stunning examples of a post war Martin D-28 complete with historical documentation from the family including: Uncle Bill's original hand-tooled leather belt, square dance caller cards, capos, thumb picks, and even a handwritten note from his nephew explaining the history and the importance of this D-28 to their family. These items must remain intact with this instrument as a complete package and are essential to the guitar's history.

Policy/ Shipping:

Local pick up preferred but will ship the guitar at the buyer's risk. Buyer pays for shipping and full insurance. This is an extremely delicate and fragile instrument in very clean condition; if buyer wants me to ship, it must be fully insured at buyer's expense.

Please do not hesitate to ask for more details and questions. This is a very special D-28 and a once in a lifetime opportunity to own an instrument with such historical provenance and an unparalleled gorgeous sound. Please message me for more photos if needed; I have uploaded a collection of up close photos, sound hole/ brace photos, and some black light photos.