A Doubleneck Over 100 Years in the Making
Martin’s penchant for imagination and innovation has been essential to the company's standing as an industry-leading force for nearly 200 years. With the Grand J-28E DN, Martin’s revered Standard series sees the addition of a doubleneck guitar for the first time in more than 100 years, teeming with acoustic-electric excellence. This dyadic take on Martin’s celebrated Grand Jumbo body supplies 6- and 12-string necks that are masterfully balanced to conjure the latent potential of its multidimensional musicality. An X Brace system reinforces its tonewood assemblage of ebony, spruce, and East Indian rosewood — complete with special scalloping that was uniquely designed to accommodate the sonic presence of this doubleneck delight. This feature commanded the attention of Sweetwater’s Guitar Workshop, as soon as it came through our doors! With subtle yet striking design abounding throughout its rosette, binding, and exquisite luthiery, the Grand J-28E DN’s acoustic-electric deliverance of dual-neck dynamism is one that simply must be experienced for yourself.
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Two necks, one foundation, ample sonic possibilities
Considering the complex tonal territory the Grand J-28E DN is crafted to traverse, Martin’s luthiers were keen to select tonewoods that would support its expanded scope with detail and character. The Grand J-28E DN’s solid-spruce top yields immense projection across an immense dynamic range, maintaining significant headroom and strong fundamentals that accommodate strumming, flatpicking, and fingerpicking with superior articulation, from soft strumming to high-velocity voicing. East Indian rosewood adorns the back and sides, masterfully supplementing the projective qualities of the spruce top via cavernous warmth and powerful bass-response projection. Ebony fretboards complete the Grand J-28E DN’s foundational forces, enshrining your sound in relentless sustain, bell-like transparency, and crystalline presence that remains powerful in every register.
Years of R&D, straight out of Nazareth
Years of development at Martin’s Nazareth facility is what finally gave birth to the Grand J-28E DN, thanks to a slew of state-of-the-art technologies that were methodically refined to guarantee this doubleneck guitar would make the Standard series’ 100-plus-years of waiting worth it. Two compound dovetail neck joints were carefully shaped and placed to balance weight distribution, sonic presence, and comfortable accessibility. Inside the Grand Jumbo, a cutting-edge, doubleneck iteration of Martin’s X Brace system was developed to support the physical and acoustic demands of such a wide-ranging instrument. The “X” portion, itself, is non-scalloped, however . However, the scalloped tone bars aid in mitigating weight and sound issues, in addition to augmenting projection and honing your low-end, guaranteeing detailed, dynamic voicing across the spectrum.
Custom-engineered Fishman dual-neck dynamics
The myriad tuning possibilities of a 6-by-12 doubleneck guitar open the doors to countless creative opportunities, but the Grand J-28E DN — as an acoustic-electric instrument — goes the extra mile to support this kaleidoscopic sound shaping, thanks to its custom-built electronics. Working with Fishman, Martin outfitted this guitar with a preamp system that’s tailored for the Grand J-28E DN, in all its acoustico-physical attributes. Inside the guitar, a 2-way switch allows you to independently engage the 12-string and 6-string pickups, expanding your palette to accommodate tuning sets that might otherwise pose problems via resonance-based dissonance.
Poised for performance
From long-haul studio sessions to all-night stage style, the Martin Grand J-28E was designed to command the eyes and ears of everyone around you, and Martin’s spared no effort to ensure you’re primed to put on your best performances. A sonorous ebony bridge and nickel open-gear tuners give you unrivaled sonic stability, while two bone nuts, alongside a compensated bone saddle, culminate in remarkable intonation and sustain. Martin’s time-tested 12-string profile is joined by the 6-string neck’s Modified Low Oval profile, each supplying tailored comfort and control of the satin-finished necks’ respective dexterity demands. Style 28 inlays adorn each fingerboard, both of which boast a 16-inch radius that deftly supports your aural exploration across the 20 frets that sprawl a 25.4-inch scale.
Grand J-28E DN Features:
- Head-turning design reimagines the Grand Jumbo for a doubleneck dynamo — the Standard series’ first in over 100 years
- Spruce top elicits powerful projection with plenty of headroom
- East Indian rosewood back and sides yield warm, crystalline character and powerful basses
- Ebony fingerboards conjure unrelenting sustain and bell-like clarity, with punchy presence in every register
- Custom-engineered Fishman preamp system features a 2-way toggle, ensuring myriad tuning configurations are easily supported with independently activated per-neck electronics
- Years of R&D at Martin’s Nazareth facility and cutting-edge tech yielded a boundary-pushing X Brace system that’s uniquely equipped for sonic support of this doubleneck guitar
- Non-scalloped “X” and scalloped tone bars collectively provide unrivaled balance and aural definition that’s perfect for studio and stage settings
- Bone nuts, ebony bridge, open-gear tuners, and compensated-bone saddles ensure rock-solid tuning stability, intonation, and clarity
