Martin HD-28 Redwood/Rosewood Custom Shop "Premium Handselect Tonewoods"

Once again this year, I had the opportunity to hand-select tonewoods directly at the Martin factory in the USA! Last year, this process resulted in a 000-28 model featuring Premium Sinker Redwood and Premium East Indian Rosewood—an instrument that completely won me over with both its looks and its sound. Now, here is its counterpart: the Dreadnought version!

The Martin HD-28 is truly one of the quintessential acoustic guitars. To give this classic model that special something, I personally selected premium tonewoods for it. And as always, the tonal qualities are just as important as the visual appeal. For the soundboard, I chose a premium-quality Sinker Redwood top with a very fine grain. The back and sides are crafted from traditional East Indian Rosewood—material that was also personally hand-picked according to my strict criteria.

To give the instrument a unique visual touch, I modified a few details. The headstock is made of ebony and features a high-gloss finish. A touch of extra "bling" comes from the Style 45 abalone rosette. The top is finished with a simple high-gloss clear coat; I opted to omit the pickguard so as not to interrupt the beautiful grain of the wood. However, for those who prefer a traditional pickguard or simply want to protect the top, both a clear and a tortoise-style pickguard are included in the accessories. This allows the future owner to customize the guitar's appearance or add protection exactly as they wish.

What can you expect in terms of sound? Naturally, this version delivers the characteristic bass response and volume that we all know and love in a Dreadnought. However, thanks to the Redwood top, this model offers added warmth and responds more sensitively to a light touch. The overtones are also even more pronounced. In addition, the Adirondack spruce GE forward-shifted scalloped X-bracing acts like a built-in "booster," allowing the guitar to cut through exceptionally well despite its redwood top. It is also crucial that we opted for "hand shaping" for the top bracing; this means that experienced Custom Shop luthiers carve the bracing by hand to extract the absolute best sound possible.