Martin 000-28EC Eric Clapton Acoustic Guitar - Natural Reviews

I think it's a monumental guitar with Martin's essence. Beautiful features, deep & sweet sounds, and Eric's signature add dignity. It touches me every time I play.

The guitar is great to play. I find it easy to play. I wish I had bought one years ago.

This was my first time ordering a guitar online. I was reluctant at first but finally ordered it and found it to be a pleasant experience. The guitar was received within a few days and was in excellent condition on arrival. The advantage of buying online is there are much more selection available than what I find in my local music stores. I would recommend ordering from Sweetwater to others and would do it again
in the future.

I have only ever dreamed of owning a higher end Martin guitar, and this was well worth the years of waiting to be able to afford one. This guitar makes me a better player because it is so easy to play. Barre chords are a breeze, and the amount of pressure it takes to fret a note or a chord is minimal. The projection of sound is unbelievable, and the sustain lasts forever. Lows, miss, and highs blend well, and it has that great Martin bass to it. Some people do not like the neck, they say it is blocky, but I think it is just fine. I love this guitar, and buying it from Sweetwater made the experience even more wonderful.

I have owned this guitar for a year. It's a lot more guitar than my playing ability, but I wanted an instrument for life that I would be inspired to pick up and play. I find the guitar very comfortable. I compared it to a HD28 and although that guitar was amazing, I decided to keep the 000-28ec instead due to the smaller size and amazing sound. Talk about resonance! I mean this guitar just keeps ringing out forever! I strum a lot and find it to be very good unless you are hitting it very hard. For finger picking it is wonderful and so responsive to a light touch. It's not cheap but worth every penny. I highly recommend it.

I have wanted the Martin 000-28EC for a while now. But I was hesitant because of the cost and negative experiences with Martin guitars in the past. And then Eric Clapton released the Lady in the Balcony - Lockdown Sessions video. He was actually using this guitar in most of the session. I was impressed with the sound, and I eventually pulled the trigger. I am not disappointed. This has to be the best guitar I have ever played. Clapton's suggested enhancements are what makes this guitar worth the money. Aside from it's great looks, it plays like a dream and sounds awesome. For anyone still on the fence about buying this guitar, get it!
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I was stunned with how good the guitar sounds, not to mention how it looks and feels. Easily my favorite guitar i own

I am so happy I finally decided to purchase my Martin 000-28ec . This is truly a work of art in every way. The beauty , the craftsmanship, the materials and of coarse the sound... what incredible tone. I wish I hadn"t waited so long to finally do it. It plays beautifully, has wonderful feel ... my hands ache and I still continue to play... truly an inspiring instrument . Sweetwater delivered it to my door just as promised. Just like they have in the past with other purchases I have made thru them . No issues what so ever. I am 100% happy with every part of the entire transaction .

Hands down simply Beautiful instrument, lush full tone of this triple 000 Martin. It was obviously a great pick knowing it has EC name to it and has to live up to certain unique standards. The neck profile helps property angle your hand, the tone woods are not something you would normally see even at this price point and are superb.

This is the quintessential Martin for those of us who simply love Eric Clapton. What a magnificent piece of craftsmanship. Oh... The small of this work of art... This is by far the finest guitar I have ever played. My biggest regret is waiting so long to finally make the commitment and owning it. Clapton is God. Enough Said!

What an exquisite instrument. Beautiful craftsmanship from the materials to the fit and finish. The tone is well balanced and harmonically rich - stunning actually. Notes are "lively" and sustain beautifully. Picked notes ring clearly but are absolutely dripping with rich overtones. Every note in a chord can be heard clearly, and fingerpicked tones have a warm and full sound. There is a lot of character to the instrument, definitely a different flavor than the typical dreadnought guitar. It won"t be a perfect fit for every situation but it would be an incredible addition to any collection.

I"ve been trying theses Clapton signature model Martins for years. I patiently tried to find an equivalent model without the clapton signature but it just doesn"t exist. I kept coming back to this one after trying all the other 000 and 00 And OM s. The modified v neck and slightly wider bridge along with the aged toner and stellar top just always spoke to me and it sounds even better. Drew at Sweetwater was terrific helping me pick one of the three that were in stock. It arrived flawless and in tune! Super happy and love to play this guy every day. Highly recommended!

I just had to wait for it nut the wait was well worth it . This guitar is like all Martin`s a complete work of art . The craftsmanship is above and beyond all my expectations I have a D18 much deeper base in it . This guitar has a great tenor tone and can only imagine what time will do . This is a heirloom and like all martins will only increase in value . What a investment I get to play it and pass it on only problem is I have three sons and they all want it ! But they have to wait its mine for now and what a gem it is !!!

I hope this helps. I have been playing for 55 years and I play all genres. I flat pick and finger pick. I have owned 4 Martins in that time, two D-18's 1967 & 1982 and one 1968 D-28. Now I bought my fourth one a Martin 000-28EC. First I want to say it is easy on the eyes and rest very comfortably on my lap. I love the shape of the V neck. Even though this guitar received the plek treatment, The action was a bit higher than I liked when it arrived. So, I lowered it a touch and now we have magic. This guitar is full and rich with tone everywhere you turn. It is very sensitive to the touch and for that reason you can get several tones out of one note depending on how hard you strike the strings and where you strike the strings. The clarity and robust sound that comes from this little guitar is absolutely warm and beautiful. I have played just about every 000 and OM size on the market to help me decide what I wanted for my final purchase and last acoustic guitar that I would ever buy in my life. At 68 years old I chose this one to last me the rest of my life. There are several good guitars in this category but this is the one that grabbed me. The workmanship is excellent, finish excellent, tone is excellent and playability is excellent. I have a long palm and short husky fingers and the shorter scale makes it easier for me to play. I love the 13/4" nut because my finger pads clear the string below when playing and it also makes it easier to finger pick for me. This is the one guitar I will be handing down to my son and hopefully will be handed down for many generations to come. I want to put a SHOUT OUT to Chris Goldbach for a very pleasant buying experience. Thank you Chris for the great service and attention you gave to me. Sweetwater is absolutely the best online music store in my opinion. I have made many purchases through them and have never been disappointed. Customer service deserves a 10. All and all I am extremely happy and now I am going to go play for a few hours. Regards!

I bought this guy last year at Christmas time as a gift for myself and after almost a year, I couldn't be happier. My favorite part of the guitar has to be the neck. I have larger hands and the V fills up my hand nicely which is much different than most guitars. The smaller body is a dream to sit and play with as you almost feel closer to the instrument in a way. Highly recommended guitar and awesome seller. Sweetwater is simply the best!

I have played almost every mass produced model built by Martin, but I only splurged on one...this one. It has since been with me at hundreds of gigs since, and keeps getting better with age. This is a very special guitar in the Martin line up—it's tone is incredibly versatile, capable of being used for anything from folk, country, bluegrass, acoustic pop, and slack key. It can take strumming and finger-style equally well. Tonally, it sits comfortably between the pristine, piano-like response of an OM and the midrange punch of a Gibson LG—it can sound like either depending completely on playing technique, providing a particularly wide tonal palette for one little guitar. The neck of this guitar has been somewhat of a subjective taste—some of my friends have told me it feels too large to be comfortable to them. For me, it feels like it was made for my hands. The contour makes it feel much more substantial than a typical modern C-shape, but it accommodates wider string spacing that makes finger style much more enjoyable, while supporting the hand through any chord no matter how complex—4 hour gigs has never been so easy. As an added bonus, you may use any pickup you want! No more being stuck with proprietary pickup systems that mar the sides of the instrument long after they've gone obsolete. My one complaint, however, are the tuning machines...they are higher maintenance than modern molded machines. Mine have fallen apart during string changes, leading me to lose a washer on one of them. In addition to this inconvenience, that same machine has become sticky with age and will need changing soon—I understand the aesthetic appeal of vintage style tuners, but did not expect to have this problem on a guitar this price. Besides the tuners however, this guitar is built to last a lifetime and then be willed down for generations...just like your grandfather's old Martin!

Martin very rarely makes a mistake. They built their reputation on the Dreadnaught, and you can't go wrong with a Martin Dread. Four years ago I decided to be bold and try one of Martn's GPCPA1 guitars, after all, it was a Martin. It was the first non-dread body I tried. Within 6 months I gave it away to my son. He liked it, but it was his first Martin. Last month I decided to try once more and bought a Martin 000-28ec. I love the guitar. I love the smell of the Sitka Spruce, I love the playability and the tone. Although I've only had it one month, it is now the guitar that sets next to my chair in the living room that I pick up during commercials. I know that it will only improve with age and use.

I've read that JD Powers car reviews aren't all that reliable because they review cars after two or three months of ownership. That's not enough time to truly evaluate your car. Everyone still is in the honeymoon phase and buyer's remorse hasn't set in yet. On the other hand Consumer Reports reviews owners after two years of ownership. Now, we're talking!

So what's my point? My OOO-28EC is #1167 bought in July of 1997. So I've had mine 19 years! It's still the guitar I play most, and I've got seven guitars, including 2 Guilds, 1 McAlister, 1 PRS, 1 Giannini, and a Martin dreadnought.

My sole, sole caution is that if you like to play in lowered tunings a good bit, as perhaps you have a baritone voice and/or just prefer most songs tuned down a half to whole step, you might not want this to be your first guitar. The is a short scale 24.9 inch scale guitar as opposed to a 25.4 or 25.5 inch scale guitar, which means it plays easy as butter, but when you tune it down a bit the strings get floppy faster.

I play in church a lot. Praise and worship music tends to prefer a lot of sustain and second chords, as C2, G2, D2, A2, etc. To make this guitar sound really great I use Newtone Light gauge Double Wound strings and brass bridge pins. This would not be your first choice for flat picking but is a great choice for finger picking and chord strumming

I've also updated mine with Waverly tuners, a bone nut and a Baggs Dual Source pickup system. Still in love, even more so, after 19 years.

By the way with this set up I've had numerous friends, some recording artists, who say it's the best playing guitar they've ever played.

I had been researching for my next guitar for many months and recently moved to within an easy drive to the Sweetwater location. I was looking for a "couch guitar", acoustic, and with some kind of vintage, or Sunburst finish. I already have a Gibson Songwriter in natural with the cutaway I purchased in 2002 (also an amazing guitar I cannot recommend enough).

I wanted something a little smaller than the Songwriter and had never owned a Martin. The 000 size seemed just right. I was leaning toward the 28ec as I already have the Fender custom shop Clapton signature Blackie Strat (received as a retirement gift). I am one fortunate 67, year old.

They just had one 000-28ec in stock when I got there this past Sunday and it was over at first sight as it was on display and was gleaming the display wall. I was not sure how much I would like the Sunburst. It is much better looking than the pictures and that is mostly where my Not To Worry review title came from for those pondering the Sunburst finish option.

I just read all of the reviews over again for the first time since I bought mine and they are all very accurate and well written. Notes and chords hang on forever, and it is easy to play (I have small hands) and very forgiving.

If you are concerned about spending this much on a guitar, again, not to worry as you are also purchasing a work of art. It is very easy to just sit and look at it as everything is beautiful and perfect.

This guitar is as amazing in appearance and performance as everyone says.

Finally, the Sweetwater experience was just terrific. Kody was my sales engineer and was friendly and very helpful.

I hope this helps.

I have been wanting a nice Martin for some time. I've been playing a Guild and a Fender acoustic and decided it was time to step up to something better. I did a lot of research and I played dozens of guitars before deciding on the 000-28EC. When I played this guitar everything just clicked, it was perfect for me. The 1 3/4 nut, the short scale and the modified V-neck was just what I was looking for.

After putting this guitar through it's paces I can say it is the best acoustic I've ever played. It just sounds incredible! I sit and pluck the strings and just listen to it resonate inside the body! The notes are all crisp and clear and it has plenty of projection. It works great for finger picking, but is also a nice when strummed. The sustain is unbelievable.

As for build quality what can I say, it's perfect. Not a flaw on the guitar. The nut is the nicest factory cut I've ever seen. And I just love the dark ebony fret board. It came perfectly set up from Sweetwater and just needed a quick tune and I was playing. The action is very low and not one bit of fret buzz on any string at any fret. No need to spend more on a set up with this beauty!

I've had this guitar for about 2 years now. This is without a doubt the best guitar I've played for finger-style guitar. It's very touch sensitive, warm, and expressive.

I would say that if you don't finger pick at all, you may want to spend the cash in another direction. The sensitivity of the guitar is great for finger work, but if you try to jam out with a flatpick it seems to squelch out a bit ( not a lot, but a this price point you shouldn't get this baby if all you do is flatpick).

That said, just a beautiful, comfortable, and easy guitar to play.

I've played for about 15 years and have been looking for an acoustic that would stop my search for a better sounding/playing acoustic. This is it - hands down. Can't make excuses for my equipment anymore!

I've had my 00-28ec for about 18 months now… I bought it new because there were simply none of these guitars available for purchase second hand. Once you own one, it's easy to see why. The more you play this guitar the more it opens up. I've been taking weekly lessons since I bought this guitar, and it gets played about 10 – 12 hours a week. The tone is continually developing more depth. I love this guitar the way a man loves a best friend.

Owned two prior Martins before this including an HD28 and both of them felt like good acoustic guitars. This guitar is different, the tone and the feel of the neck is unlike any other guitar I've ever played. It took the joy of playing guitar to another level. I don't know what makes this guitar special but it becomes clear every time I pick it up.

This is an amazing guitar. It sounds wonderful and is easy to play. Sweetwater gave me a great deal. Highly recommend Martin and sweetwater.

For years since really getting into the guitar, from any guitar i could even dream of owning, this blew them all away. When I finally made the big step and spent my savings on it, I have never looked back.
This guitar just sings, plain and simple! Beautiful tone, amazing feel, it really is a work of art. I am so proud to say I own one of these and can't recommend enough for people who are interested to just go and get one, you will not be dissapointed

I waited for too many years to own a triple O, every time I thought about taking the plunge and bringing one home, I thought of 10 reasons I should save my money. Thanks to Sweetwater, I finely did it. Ryan Murphy, my girlfriend is really mad at you...and it’s gonna cost me a trip to the jewelry store but it was so worth it. Thanks for the great advice and service. This guitar plays great, sounds better. The neck is a perfect match for both finger style, and flat picking. It reminds me of an old Martin I had a chance to play back in the early seventys. Makes you play different. The 00028EC's tone and volume is balanced and smooth on its own, I put a Fishman Matrix Infinity pick-up in it, the tone dial is magic it gets loud and still sounds acoustic, and still no feedback. Get one and dig in. You won’t be disappointed. I spent the last four days recording with my band and I’m doing some overdubs with my triple O 28ec…I hear how it sounds in my headphones and I smile.

This is one of the finest finger picking guitars I owne. Sound is crisp and full, everything you expect out of a ooo-martin. I felt the action for finger picking, slide and melodies was just perfect. Even the unusual neck shape fits well between your thumb and index finger and I find it to be more comfortable and ergonomic than clasic 50-60's style necks. This is the only finger picking gutar you will ever need. The appointments are a fine addition to martins 000 series. Great guitar for pros and the rest of us that love acustic blues.

I have owned 2 Laravees, 2Martins, 6Taylors, 2 Washburns, and several over $2,000 Classical guitars. I played classical for several years and now play acoustic. Normally I am not attracted to signature guitars, but when I played this one it had something special. Presently I have a Taylor GC8 and a Martin OMC Aura that I also like for different reasons. I didn't think I'd like the modified V neck on the EC, but as I get used to it I'm thinking it does feel right. I have small hands so this guitar is perfect plus the 1 3/4 inch width at the nut makes fingerstyle easier. At first I didn't like the tuners, but they work very smoothly and hold the strings in tune. Compared to the Taylor GC8 the Martin has a richer sound while retaining good clarity and separation. It does sound a lot like my OMC Aura, but I like the bass better. The short scale works well for me as I have small hands. Now let me say this. This guitar compares to any at any price that I have played. I have never played a better sounding guitar at even over $5,000 dollars. Always play a guitar first or get a return policy as every guitar sounds a little different from each other. I am very satisfied with this model in every way.

I'm one of these guys that owns about 15-20 guitars and this is the one I play everyday. I've only owned it for two years but yet it has this deep, beautiful tone that feels like an instrument with 30 years of age. Very easy playability and great sound all the way up the neck (I did get the action lowered about a year ago and that made a big difference). Obviously a great fingerstyle guitar but also really good for blues picking. Thanks Martin and EC.

My wife bought my Martin 000-28EC as an early birthday gift. I had just broken my foot off my ankle and, as expected, my 28EC helped me pass the time and heal much quicker while laid up. Like my wife, my Martin is a gem. I have to confess that I haven't even used a pick on this guitar yet, because she is such a consummate prize. I’ve only finger-pick my way through recordings, using both my Mojave Audio MA-200 vacuum tube condenser and AKG C-451-B cardioid condenser mics, both of which I purchased through Sweetwater, too! Thanks, Bill Lewis! Even finger-picking this baby is huge with just vocal-guitar treatment and two mics. MY Martin was flawless and perfectly set up out of the box. I replaced the strings with Elixir Nanoweb Lights 12-53's and my Martin rings from here to the Himalayas – simply unparalleled action and sound. I guess one day I’ll get around to using a pick, but for now finger-picking is all I prefer on my recordings – she is simply that special...just like my wife.

I love my Martin 000-28ec! I have never played a guitar that reached out and grabbed me the way this beautiful piece of art does. It feels like an extension of my soul. When i go somewhere... she goes too. i love her. i even played her against the stupid expensive Martin 000-28ECB with Brazilian Rosewood... I still preferred my martin over her 10,000 dollar sister model. Clapton and Martin got it right on this one. Pick one up and I assure your crossroad blues, all my love is in vain, and phonagraph blues will come soaring out! It is the unplugged album tone on the money!

The ring of of fine guitar thrills me. My fingers are throbbing...this thing inspires me. I keep going back to it after just putting it to rest,,, like an addict! Its an expensive high, but the sound, like a fine wine, well balanced. The action is low no buzz...amazing. It has a beautifully snug fitting well padded heavy case. I'm in love again! LOL

this guitar is very much the same guitar as the now discontinued om28v,except for a few cosmetic differences.they are both great guitars with the ooo-28 probably being the most popular martin ever made.i really love the guitar and the ease of playing it,plus the tone is great too.great for blues or any finger style music.thanks to chris lewis for a really nice purchase!

This Martin is Great. The tone and Fret action is all you would ever want ina Guitar. I have owned mine for 2 years and I am still in Awe of it's quality. It is worth the money.

This guitar has a very good sound. This particular one has a very open to already and projects almost as well as my D-18. The short scale is ideal for my smaller hands, even though the neck is a little wider than what I am used to.
I love the smaller size body - it is much more comfortable to play than the dreadnought.

Not an easy guitar to play. My Gibson J-45 and my 1940 D-28 are much easier to play. I never saw any reviews that were bad, all were great reviews.