Martin HD-28V Herringbone Acoustic Guitar
Written: Nov 15 '06 (Updated Nov 16 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Martin quality, sound, warranty, hard shell case
Cons: Not cheap but as fancy as a Martin gets unless you go whole hog ($$$)
The Bottom Line: The HD-28V is a world class instrument. You will be in good company should you choose to play a Martin solid wood Dreadnought.
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| George_Chabot's Full Review: Martin Hd-28 |
If you're interested in obtaining a vintage, World War II or 1950s era Martin Dreadnought guitar, this is as close as you'll get, nowadays.
The HD-28V is a recreation of the classic Martins with the herringbone purfling.
Purfling is a technical term for the little decorative strip that goes around the edges of the guitar, next to the binding or corner molding. Purfling can go around all the edges - front, back, and sides on the high-end models, or just around the top, as is the case here.
The HD-28 has herringbone purfling around the top or face of the guitar. The purfling is made of alternately stacked dark and light wood and looks just like a herringbone, or if you don't know what that looks like, think of a close-up of a zipper, with light and dark alternating stripes and that will get you close. So that's what the "H" in the designation stands for: Herringbone.
The D-28 is a well-respected model that refers to a Dreadnought body shape (the largest size) with 28-level trim. The current D-28 is a "cheaper" (at $2,100 they are not cheap!) version of the older D-28 that included the herringbone purfling standard. They had to come up with a new designation for this innovation so they call this model the HD-28.
The HD-28 has an Indian Rosewood body with a Sitka Spruce top, all parts of solid wood, so it is a handmade guitar made of premium materials. Older D-28s had a reddish Brazilian Rosewood body, while the Indian Rosewood of the current HD-28 has a darker brownish color.
The body is bound with white Ivoroid (celluloid or plastic) around the front and back corners to protect against hard knocks and splitting (the HD-28 also has herringbone marquetry or purfling around the top) and an inlaid rosette graces the sound hole. The two-piece back is joined up the middle with a zigzag strip of wood marquetry. The internal bracing emphasizes the bass tones of the guitar.
The neck is Mahogany and, rather than a smooth rounded circumference has a subtle "V" shape, which is favored by some players. I almost can't tell the difference between playing a standard and a V-neck, so try them both for yourself to see if you have a preference. By the way, that's where they get the "V" in the name HD-28V.
The fret board and bridge are Ebony, a hard wood which gives excellent sustain. The nut and bridge saddle are made of bone. The only ornamentation included on the HD-28V, other than the herringbone purfling, is pearl square and diamond position markers on the fret board. The Gold Martin name logo decal appears on the headstock, which also has nickel-plated open back lima bean-shaped tuners. A plain tortoise shell teardrop pick guard finishes the appointments. The factory nitrocellulose lacquer finish, while looking nice, is soft and prone to scratching.
The HD-28V comes with a deluxe Martin Hardshell case, which is about $250, plus a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser.
The Martin plays very well with an authoritative roaring bass tone, perfect for flatpicking and rhythm guitar. The only lack in the sound is a matter of taste. To my ear it is a little lacking in the treble department, although I've been advised that Dean Markley strings will help bring the treble out in the D-28 series guitars. This is a full sized guitar and may not be comfortable to someone of smaller stature.
If you decide to buy a premium hand-built solid wood guitar you should try playing them in person before you make your final decision. Go to a music store and try a number of quality guitars to see which ones handle and sound the best to you. A good guitar salesman can also give you information and insight that you just cannot get reading a short review. The real test is, which one has the sound that makes you play better than you used to? That will be a guitar you can grow with.
Thank you for stopping by!
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