The HD-28 is what the D-28 was in 1935: Herringbone purfling around the top, forward-shifted GE-scalloped X-bracing, the pre-war specs Martin discontinued in 1944 and brought back in 1976. Tony Rice, Norman Blake, Jerry Garcia, Bryan Sutton, Sam Bush, and Molly Tuttle all built signature work around HD-28s and pre-war herringbones. The 1935 Sunburst finish adds a vintage-style burst over the spruce top. Sitka spruce over East Indian rosewood, select hardwood neck with the GE Modified Low Oval profile, ebony fingerboard and bridge, 1 3/4" bone nut, 25.4" scale.
Scalloping the braces makes the top thinner under the strings, giving the HD-28 a faster response and more open low-end than the standard D-28. The herringbone purfling is mostly cosmetic but it's the visual cue that signals pre-war spec to anyone who knows Martins. The 1935 Sunburst finish ages into something that looks fifty years old after five.
Gloss 1935 Sunburst. New from Martin. Comes with the molded hardshell case.
