Up for sale, a 1944 Martin D-28 in exceptional condition, complete with a hardshell case. An exceedingly well-kept Wartime Martin with sparingly few repairs and a limited service history, this genuine vintage herringbone D-28 has the transitional feature set consistent with late '44 production including tapered X-bracing on the Adirondack spruce top, ebony neck reinforcement, and one of the first ebony fingerboards on a D-28 to feature dot inlay (a shift from the notched diamond inlays seen earlier in the year).

The Adirondack top is paired with a set of straight-grained, bookmatched Brazilian rosewood back/sides, a mahogany neck with a V-shaped profile carve and an ebony fingerboard and bridge, complete with the original maple bridge plate. Ceaselessly balanced, clear and lush across all strings and in all registers, this D-28 delivers rich overtones and a piano-like resonance and sustain. The wound strings are bold yet with a distinctive sweetness, not boomy or punchy, but clear as can be. The midrange is woody and percussive, while the trebles are sparkling, not overly snappy in the highest frequencies and with a round, relaxed quality. This Martin is immediate and full-sounding with even a light touch, delivering on the promise of Martin's best Pre-War/Wartime dreadnoughts. This Martin weighs 4lbs 3oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with a fresh set of 12-53 bronze strings and easy-playing action.

Neck Specs:

• Wood: Mahogany
• Shape: V, measuring .890” 1st fret, 1.075” 9th fret
• Fretboard: Ebony, dot inlay
• Frets: Slender (original), leveled/crowned, faint wear beneath the plain strings on frets 1-4
• Scale Length: 25.4”
• Nut: 1 11/16”, bone
• Tuners: Open-gear (Wartime), white button

Body Specs:

• Wood: Adirondack spruce, Brazilian rosewood
• Bracing: Rear-shifted X, tapered
• Bridge: Ebony belly, bone saddle
• Marquetry: Herringbone purfling, grained ivoroid binding
• Plastics: Tortoise pickguard
• Serialization: Stamp on heel block dates to late 1944

Servicing is limited to a professional neck reset and bone saddle, and the original ebony bridge sits flush with the top on all edges. The saddle has good height, and the top shows sparingly little deflection on the lower bout. The top has only one very short repair on the center seam extending from the binding on the lower bout, and there are three very tight, short and professionally repaired cracks on the treble-side lower bout on the back. Each repair has a single rosewood cleat on the inside of the body, and the repairs are so tight, flush and flawless that they’re nearly impossible to identify from the outside of the body.

There is very light overspray on the original lacquer finish and playwear is limited to some light pickwear across the soundhole with the small scuffs, dings and finish crazing on top consistent with any well cared for vintage acoustic, while the bookmatched Brazilian back and sides are extremely clean with a bit of faint vertical checking and a few minor marks.

A hardshell case is included.