MARTIN COMMEMORATES LESTER FLATT WITH D-28LF BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD

LIMITED EDITION OF 50

Mint Condition

Sitka Spruce Top, Brazilian Rosewood Back & Sides

Extremely Limited Series of only 50 guitars produced by C.F.Martin during 1999

The Martin Guitar Company back in 1999 was honored to announce the Limited Edition Lester Flatt D-28LF Commemorative Dreadnought acoustic guitar.

Years ago, Lester Flatt, one of America’s greatest bluegrass stars, gave his priceless and legendary Martin D-28 to a 14-year-old mandolin prodigy named Marty Stuart. The Limited Edition D-28LF Commemorative is a replica of Lester Flatt’s original and a unique Brazilian rosewood Martin guitar (Serial #114855) made in 1950.

A maximum of 50 limited edition instruments were offered for sale worldwide in 1999.

Lester Flatt and his wife invited the very young and talented Marty Stuart to live in their home in Nashville when Stuart was launching his career as a teenager. Stuart found the guitar in a spare room of the Flatt’s house and he immediately recognized it as the Martin that Lester Flatt had played throughout his long and illustrious career. Flatt gave Stuart permission to play it. The D-28, which is now owned by Stuart, had been uniquely customized over the years with special fingerboard inlays and an enlarged custom pickguard.

Lester Flatt, a native of Sparta, Tennessee, was born in 1914. An innovator and composer, he was one of the first bluegrass artists to play in Carnegie Hall. A frequent performer at the Grand Ole Opry, Flatt was a star of television, radio and motion pictures. He and his partner, Earl Scruggs, are known for a number of bluegrass favorites including “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” (the theme from the Beverly Hillbillies and the first bluegrass song ever to hit number one on the charts). Flatt, a member of the Grand Ole Opry, died in 1979.

The unique inlays on the original Lester Flatt D-28 were done by historian, author and inlay artist Mike Longworth prior to his long and illustrious career with The Martin Guitar Company. Mike began doing inlay work in 1955 while he was still in high school, and most of his early jobs included the inlaid letter “L” (for Longworth) and a number designating the sequence of his work. It is interesting to note that Longworth’s third inlay job was done for Buck “Josh” Graves (the dobro player for Flatt & Scruggs), and his fourth inlay job was done for Curly Seckler (the mandolin player and tenor singer for Flatt & Scruggs).

Longworth’s fifth inlay job was the famous Lester Flatt guitar, hence the “L•5” inlay at the 17th fret which indicates “Longworth Professional Inlay Job #5.” Flatt’s first name, Lester, is engraved in block letters into a Mother-of-Pearl panel between the 14th and 15th frets, and larger than standard Mother-of-Pearl notched diamond inlays appear at the 5th and 9th frets, with double diamonds at the 7th and 12th frets.

In addition to the unique Longworth inlay pattern, the Lester Flatt D-28LF Commemorative model includes the special oversized tortoise colored pickguard, a pattern that appeared on virtually all of Lester Flatt’s wide assortment of Martin guitars.

Other specifications for the edition are matched closely to the original 1950 D-28 guitar, which include Brazilian rosewood two-piece back and sides, genuine ebony fingerboard and bridge, Martin 5/16” height standard X-bracing, a small maple bridge plate, grained ivoroid bindings, and a black and white checkered back inlay strip. A 5-ply Geib™ Vintage Style Deluxe hardshell case is included with each instrument.

Each guitar in the edition included an interior label numbered in sequence and personally signed by C.F. Martin IV.

Pure Effect Music Shipping & Return Policy

Shipping

We take great pride in ensuring your guitar arrives safely and promptly.

International Shipping:
We ship worldwide via DHL Express or FedEx International. Customs duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility. These costs are not included in your order and will be billed to you by the transporter during the customs clearance process or upon delivery.

Time:
Orders are shipped within 1–2 business days after payment is received and cleared.

All instruments are meticulously inspected, photographed, and securely packaged prior to shipment.

Returns

This item is sold As-Described and cannot be returned unless it arrives in a condition different from how it was described or photographed. Items must be returned to Pure Effect Music within 48 hours of delivery in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging.

Return Window:
You may return the guitar if the above conditions are met within 48 hours of delivery for a refund, less shipping costs and restocking fee.

Condition:
Guitar must be returned in the exact condition it was received. Any damage, alterations, or signs of wear may result in a reduced refund.

Restocking Fee:
A 15% restocking fee will be applied to all returns. This covers international customs fees, handling, inspection, and potential loss of sales.

Return Shipping:
Buyer is responsible for fully insured return shipping using a trackable carrier. Please pack with care—including original packaging.

Non-Returnable Items

• Custom orders or modified instruments
• Items sold as-is or listed as non-returnable in the product description

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