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1983 Martin Vintage Series D-28 Herringbone Brazilian Rosewood Pre-War-Spec Dreadnought, Near-Mint w/ Case

$11,299.99

+ shipping

Out Of Stock
Up for sale, a 1983 Martin D-28V 150th Anniversary Model in crack-free, collector-grade condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original molded hardshell case. Martin's first Vintage Series model and one of very few produced, this D-28V was Martin's first proper recreation of Pre-War specifications for the company's flagship dreadnought model. The development of the Vintage Series instruments benefited from significant input of master luthier and Martin's official company historian, Mike Longworth.

The genesis of this model was Martin's acquisition of a limited quantity of Brazilian rosewood in '83, and the bookmatched, quartersawn solid Brazilian back and rims have dynamic grain and rich reddish brown coloration. Markedly different than the guitars offered in Martin's standard line, the Vintage Series D-28V features forward-shifted, scalloped X-bracing on the Sitka spruce top, herringbone trim, a small maple bridge plate, V-shaped neck profile carve, vintage-style non-adjustable truss rod assembly, notched diamond inlay on the ebony fingerboard, and a more squared off (vintage-spec) peghead shape.

Offering exquisite sonic breadth and detail, this Martin has the liveliness and woody cut befitting an instrument that's had four decades to open up and sound its best. There's a richness and depth to the wound strings, and the trebles have a glassy, sparkling cut. Projection is ample, with great note clarity and string-to-string balance. The instrument has a high volume ceiling with limited compression, ideal for authoritative Bluegrass playing and sympathetic to pick attack, yielding a particularly broad dynamic range. This Martin weighs 4lbs 11oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 12-54 bronze strings and easy-playing action.

The mahogany neck has a substantial soft V-shaped profile carve, filling the palm and measuring .890” deep at the 1st fret and 1.010 at the 9th. The ebony fingerboard has Pre-War-spec notched diamond inlay, and the slender fretwire is extremely clean, only exhibiting a hint of wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-3. This guitar plays cleanly in all registers up the 25.4" scale with a straight neck, and the nut measures 1 11/16” in width. The headstock sports a Brazilian rosewood veneer with a clean Martin logo, and the Schaller-made, Martin-branded tuning machines are aftermarket additions (chrome was standard), matching the footprint of the original gears.

The guitar benefits from a fresh neck reset, and the neck meets the body at an ideal angle, ensuring viability for decades of future use. A new carved and compensated bone saddle has ample height, and the ebony bridge sits flush with the top on all edges. The brown tortoise pickguard is lacquered over and sits very flat. The “1833-1983 150th Year” stamp and Limited Edition label are visible through the soundhole, and the label is signed by both C.F. Martin III and C.F. Martin IV.

The gloss nitro lacquer finish is framed by herringbone purfling with grained ivoroid binding. Exceedingly well-kept and crack-free, cosmetic wear is limited to just a scant few faint marks on the body as a whole. The smooth satin finish on the neck profile is flawless.

The original Martin-branded black molded hardshell case is included.