Vintage Martin 000-28 - USA 1974

The Martin 000-28 has been in production since the 1930s. The "000" refers to the body size and shape, which is smaller than the Martin dreadnought and larger than the parlour guitars of the time. The "28" designation refers to the materials used in the guitar's construction: solid rosewood back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top. 

The Martin 000-28 was first introduced in 1898 as the 000-28G, with the "G" standing for "guitar." This early version had a spruce top, Brazilian rosewood back and sides, and an ebony fingerboard and bridge. The 000-28G was discontinued in the 1920s, but the 000-28 model was reintroduced in the 1930s with the rosewood and spruce construction that is still used today. 

Over the years, the Martin 000-28 has become a favourite among fingerstyle guitarists and has been used by many famous musicians, including Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, and David Crosby. 

This Martin presents in good condition for an instrument in its 50th year. It has all the signs of a well-loved and played guitar, the spruce top displays beautiful checking, the slight “V” profile neck is remarkably clean with only a few small marks. The Grover tuners hold tune nicely and the due to an expert refret at some point, the frets show very little wear. The action is nice and low, making this Martin an absolute joy to play.

The bridge on this Martin has cracked under the bridge pins (see photos) and will need repair at some point, although the guitar plays perfectly as is. The pickguard is also lifting in certain areas, an easy repair for any luthier - again it currently doesn't inhibit the playing experience.

The guitar has a well-balanced, resonant voice that encourages one to continue playing for hours. The sustain and projection on this thing is unreal, and the tone is beautiful – one that can only be found in tonewoods of this vintage. This Martin 000-28 is something special, a must see for anyone looking for a high-quality vintage acoustic guitar. 

Specs: 

Scale length: 24.9” 

Fretboard Radius: 16” 

Weight: 1.93kg / 4.26lbs 

Action at 1st fret: 0.5mm 

Action at 12th fret: 2.75mm 

Neck depth at 1st fret: 21.76mm 

Nut Width: 42.96mm 

12 fret width: 54.49mm 

Neck material: Mahogany 

Fretboard inlays: Abalone Dot 

Top: Sitka Spruce 

Body: Indian Rosewood 

Body size at lower bout: 15” 

Tuners: Grovers 

Pickguard: Black 

Bridge: Original 

Electronics: No

Case: Non-Original HSC