Overall User Ratings

"Ain't nothing like it!!"

Feature:
The fretboard is ebony and as nice as they come

Quality:
Quality is impeccable. Bookmatched spruce top, bookmatched sides (see at the rear strap pin). Back is bookmatched, finish is high gloss and beautiful. Hard to beat an instrument like this made out of Rosewood--made the way Martin makes them.

Value:
I paid $1100 (discounted)for mine in 1991. Look at the discounted price today. Not even a question about value, and it sounds better and better as the years go by.

Desirability:
Wish I could afford to by a D-18, HD-35, and a D-28-12 string. I love Martins and have had one kind or another since 1964. I have played all of them, Taylors, Collings,Gibsons, Guilds --Have a Takemine EG-334SC and it doesn't even compare.

Sound:
The sound of this guitar is incredible. The tenor notes are bright and clear and the Basss is as loud and deep as you want it to be. Want it electified? Don't put anything in it--Just put it in front of a good quality mic--that's enough. This by far and away the best sounding acoustic made (with the exception of a HD-35--Maybe--maybe).

Support:
I have been to the Martin factory (if you are ever near Allentown< PA then go to Nazareth and watch them being made by hand! Delicately putting in abalone, pearl, and herringbone purfing. They are still made the same way they were made 100 years ago. Everytime I have talked or called Martin they were definitly 10's!

Overall:
IThe only thing I like least is the price--but you get what you pay for. I have a Gibson B-25 (Over 35 years old) a Takemine but nothing compares to the HD-28

"Go to your nearset Martin Dealer pick a modle up and play it. This will make an impression which will be very hard to walk away"

Feature:
none other than the case which was a re issue of the vintage cases used when the hd28 first came out.

Quality:
solid in every respect; the hardware, bridge is tight excellent in evey way. no blems, nasty knots...the wood is bookmatched perfect. never have second thoughts about it's reliability...i do have back up gutairs but not because of lack of confidence but because of different tunings and i like gutairs. it's a road tool if you accept the dings, scratches that go along with it. it has a soft finish

Value:
yes, you get what you pay for and a martin holds strong value in the secondary market....not that i would ever consider selling mine...!

Desirability:
the x bracing and detail that martin put's into it's instruments is un matched for a production gutair. it's typical martin shape and headstock design tappered into it's neck is original. the weight is supper light...i had to have a herringbone period!

Sound:
very rich tone and wide body of sound depth. very easy to fret cords. i own ovations and guilds and they all have their different tones but the hd28 is supreme. it gets better with age. i also amplify using a dean markley electronic pickup through a 1961 fender deluxe amp for an un believable sound. this gutair has an excellent natural tone eitherwhen picking through string arrangement or hard strumming.

Support:
never had to deal w/ them other to get dealer name that had mod that i was looking for. i wanted to go through a few of the same mod to insure top finish, playability, tone, etc,.. and found very little difference other than color of the rosewood...some had light wood grains while others had darker wood. sound, tone difference was almost un noticable.

Overall:
i will have this gutair as long as i live if i have any control over it. i am always looking to add another gutair to my collection, but always play a few of the old reliables...a martin is a martin and has that sound. i would replace if lost, damaged, etc,...i researched before i bought it would have been another mod. of martin. no dislikes

"Buy This Guitar...You'll Never Regret It"

Feature:
Materials are excelelnt. The compensated bone saddle results in great intonation.

Quality:
Solidly built of high quality materials.

Value:
This is a guitar to keep forever. It has great value especially considering the limited lifetime warranty.

Desirability:
This is the guitar everyone else compares their guitars to. Who wouldn't want one?

Sound:
Deep bass & well balanced otherwise.

Support:
Haven't need this, but Martin's reputation for customer service is outstanding.

Overall:
Will keep it forever. Have tried less expensive guitars, but have never been totally satisfied with them. I will of course be buying much more equipment over time.

"If you love music then you should spend the money for a martin your life long freind."

Feature:
I love my martin HD-28 but I always wish I had the inlaid CFMARTIN in the head stock but those models were to pricey, and for the extra cash it does'nt make the guitar sound any better.

Quality:
I think martin guitars rule, they are made to last, they are great right out of the factory, I never worry something is going to break because martin backs up there guitars with lifetime warranties on craftsmanship.

Value:
yes

Sound:
Why mess with perfection.

"This is a bloody great guitar for all styles - and that's it!!!"

Feature:
None. As Tony the Tiger says - It's GGGRRREEEEEAAAATTTT!!!

Quality:
Yes!!!!Yes

Value:
I suppose so

Desirability:
No it doesn't. Bollocks!!! All Bollocks. It's just a very good guitar - if pricey. Mine was

"There are guitars, and there are Martins, and then there are Martin MARTINS!!!"

Feature:
The standard Martin case. Sides and back are rosewood, top is spruce, fingerboard ebony, pick guard black plastic, standard nut and saddle. The Martin finish is fragile, but I doubt it would have THAT tone with any other finish.

Quality:
As far as I can tell, its a D-45 without all of the dead sea shells and gold plating. Cosmetically its about as plain as you can get in a high-end instrument. But, what are the tonal qualities of abalone shell?

Value:
Knowing that you are in the instrument sales business, let me say that I would not, and advise anyone to never buy and instrument that you have had an opportunity to play and examine personnaly. I've heard D-45's that sound like a gourd!

Sound:
My HD-28 was made in 1986, and I bought it new in 1990. I played professoanally for a top billed bluegrass headliner for several years. He said it is one of the best sounding and playing Martins that he has seen in many years in the business. It has aged into that REAL MARTIN tone! It is a great studio guitar!

Support:
So far, I haven't experienced any problems that would lead me to require any warranty services.

Overall:
Musical instruments are a lot like women. You may already have a good one, but you never stop trying others - just in case! I recently bought a killer Blueridge 140. I won't cry near a much if the bus runs over it as I would (Heaven forbid!) my HD-28.

"I think that Martin HD-28 is the BEST sounding guitar on the market, I would put the one I own up against ANY other guitar that"

Value:
I paid 1,500 for my martin in 1991, compare that to the price today...

Sound:
My martin is a 1991 HD-28P I had bone put into the nut and also dear antler in the saddle. It will go with the best of the best, no doubt about it...

Ease of Use:
My martin is getting some age on it, and is starting to belly-up a little at the bridge, but it sure does put out the volume...

Overall:
I expect the martin to last as long as I take care of it...

"When you are looking for a warm, not metallic sound, and need a bold bas between your cords, the HD-28 is your choice."

Feature:
Every feature on it is just fine. Beautiful inlays on front and back. Not to much, not to less.

Desirability:
Because it seems not being made for every stile, like fast fingerpicking, I need an other guitar beside it for doing that. I really want to keep the HD-28 for slow fingerpicking and playing " baselines between chords" , so I have to buy an other guitar beside it, because I gave my Ovation Legend away to my daughter. I promised her to do so before I found the HD-28. I'm thinking of the Gibson Hummingbird. But I have so save a few years though.

Sound:
The Sound is beautifully warm, maybe a little to less in the highs. This guitar sounds amazing when you fingerpick it slowly. Very warm, not metallic like the sound of most other steel string quitars. When you do fast fingerpicking, it becomes a little to bassy. The guitar seems to be made for playing cords with baselines between them. Amazing sound!!. You do not need a baseguitar beside you. A have a Highlander pickup under the saddle. Good combination for PA in my church.

Overall:
Never replace the HD-28!!! It sounds so beautiful. Just buy something else beside it, when you really need it.

Martin HD28 Customer Review

Feature:
it's not an ornimental guitar, just a well built one.

Sound:
As a flat and finger picker, this guitar encourages you to play. It's giving and forgiving, and gets sweeter every year. I use it live and in the studio. It's beautiful for slide and alternate tunings. Simply a great guitar.