Description
Built in mid 1969, this Martin D-28 Dreadnought is one of Martin's last Brazilian Rosewood guitars, made just before the company shifted to Indian Rosewood.
The serial number of this Martin D-28 Dreadnought Brazilian Rosewood model indicates construction around June of 1969. It is in good physical and playing condition with a well developed, full, rich well balanced voice and lots of projection. A few years ago it received a neck reset and fret dress at the Twelfth Fret Repair Shop.
The finish is original with a fair amount of natural lacquer checking on the top, and light finish wear on the back and sides. The back of the neck has some capo pressure marks in various positions. The pickguard has been replaced, but the top does not have the characteristic crack from the original pickguard being glued directly to the wood.
Sold with its original hard shell case containing a strap, service receipts for its neck reset, fret dress and setup, and original bridge pins.
Construction and Materials
Martin D series Dreadnoughts share a basic construction pattern that began around 1912 with a series of guitars for the Oliver Ditson company. The design finally became popular in the early 1930's.
The basic formula pairs a Spruce top with either Mahogany (Style 18 or lower) or Rosewood (Style 21 and higher) for the sides, back, and head plate. Mahogany is used for the body blocks, linings and neck. The fingerboard and bridge materials also follow the style split, using Rosewood or Ebony - Ebony on this D-28.
This 1969 Martin D-28 Dreadnought pairs a wide-grained Sitka spruce top with Brazilian Rosewood for the sides, back and head plate. As noted, Mahogany is used for the body blocks, linings, and neck, with Ebony for the fingerboard and bridge.
The tuners are nickel-plated Grover Rotomatics.
Reference Note: A Brief History of the Martin D-28 Dreadnought
The Dreadnought steel string, as found on guitars like the Martin D-28 Dreadnought and the rest of their ‘D’ line, has been one of the most successful guitar designs. Used by countless guitarists and on many recordings, the Dreadnought brought banjo-matching volume, a critical need when a few players would gather around a radio microphone.
The Dreadnought began as the Style 111 for the Oliver Ditson Company and 18 were built from 1916 to 1930. The Martin D-18 and D-28 Dreadnought appeared in 1931 with a 12-fret neck until 1934. This shift was prompted by banjo players migrating to guitar and wanting the extra frets that their banjos had!
1969 was officially the last year that Martin used Brazilian Rosewood for their Rosewood models, and in 1970 Indian Rosewood was in use. A few guitars were built with the dwindling stocks of Brazilian, eventually coming down to Brazilian being used for the center panel on the three-piece D-35 back.
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There are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale. View Our Full Terms Here |
DETAILS:
- Instrument Model: D-28
- Instrument Manufacturer: Martin
- Instrument year: 1969
- Instrument Finish: Natural
- Instrument Class: Steel String Acoustic Guitars
- Instrument serial number: 247851, dated to 1969 at Nazareth PA
- Country of Origin: USA
- Instrument Condition: Good
- Right-handed
- Instrument Weight Imperial: 4.84 lbs
- Instrument Weight Metric: 2.2 kgs
- Scale Length Imperial: 25.4 in
- Scale Length Metric: 845 mm
- Nut Width Imperial: 1.707 in
- Nut Width Metric: 43.37 mm
- CITIES Documentation Required: Yes
- Case included: Yes
- Case original: Yes
- Items in Case: Strap, service rececipt, strings, original bridge pins
- Case Type: Hard Shell
- Consignment: Yes
- Product ID: 190838
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There are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale. View Our Full Terms Here |