1976 Martin D-35 Vintage Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar w/ Case

Up for sale, a 1976 Martin D-35 in excellent, crack-free condition, complete with the original hardshell case. This Martin has aged exceptionally well over the last 45+ years, with an open, articulate tone befitting its vintage, benefitting from a fresh neck reset and bridge reglue. Tonewoods include solid East Indian rosewood back and sides paired with a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany neck, and ebony fingerboard and bridge.Unique to the D-35 among Martin's dreadnought body guitars, the instrument features lighter 1/4" bracing, as opposed to the heavier 5/16" bracing seen on its counterpart, the D-28. This feature, combined with the D-35's unique three-piece rosewood back, delivers a tone that is more lively and articulate than many '70s Martins.The instrument offers tons of volume and rich projection, with Martin's signature piano-like clarity, responsive to fingerpicked notes as well as an authoritative strum. A bit more aggressive in its note attack and percussive bark than many comparable Martin dreadnoughts from this decade, this D-35 has healthy sustain and a rich overarching quality. One of the hallmarks of these guitars is that as you dig in harder the guitar will continue to project more without losing clarity or low end focus across the tonal spectrum. This is true of both chords and single note lines, and lead passages are particularly bell-like and crisp. Weighing 4lbs 8oz, this Martin D-35 has been professionally setup here at Mike and Mike’s Guitar Bar with comfortable action and fresh bronze 12-54 strings.The mahogany neck is a very soft V in its intent yet pushes towards a U-shaped carve overall, with quite a bit of shoulder in every register, measuring .885” deep at the 1st fret and .975“ at the 9th. The bound ebony fretboard boasts pearl dot inlay and original slender fretwire that retains its full factory height, with moderate grooves beneath the plain strings on frets 1-5, and sparingly little wear further up the fretboard. The guitar plays cleanly in all registers up the straight neck. The scale length is 25.4", and the original nut is intact, measuring 1 11/16" in width. On the headstock, the rosewood veneer features a flawless Martin logo, and the original Grover Rotomatic chrome tuning machines are intact, turning smoothly and holding pitch as they should.The guitar benefits from a fresh neck reset, and the original saddle has been retained with ample height. The ebony bridge sits flush with the top on all edges, and there is modest deflection of the top behind the bridge. The original bridge plate is intact, and string spacing at the bridge is 2 1/8". The black pickguard is a recent replacement.The guitar retains its original gloss nitro lacquer gloss finish, and the instrument is crack-free. There is prominent lacquer checking and various dings across the top, with tight lacquer checking on the sides as well and virtually no checking on the back. Wear is otherwise limited to a few additional scuffs and minor marks on the back and sides. The neck profile also retains its original lacquer finish with some minor marks central to the carve that don't impede playability, particularly behind frets 1-3 and 10-12.The original gray molded Martin hardshell case is included, retaining its original latches and handle.