Martin HD-28 Acoustic Guitar - Natural with Aging Toner Reviews

The purchasing process was flawless. The guitar arrived in perfect condition and fast. The tone in this instrument will melt your soul. Setup was great out of the box, but I did have it set up specifically for me by my local luthier. A++ on all fronts. The photo is with my Taylor 810 for comparison sake.

Always wanted a Martin - went out and played many different models and with Aarons excellent help landed on this wonderful HD-28 for me this guitar is everything an Acoustic guitar should be - sounds wonderful! - Thanks to Sweetwater for the great service!

I had the HD28 for years and have never heard a sweeter sound that only got better with age. Sadly life took it away and I've never had the heart to play again. I still have the Original Owners card. You can't go wrong with a Martin

I absolutely love my new Martin HD-28. The finish details are gorgeous and the sound is amazing. The sound fills the room and is very rich. Great customer service as always from Sweetwater and a really fast delivery.

Much more than I anticipated.
I've been playing several name brand Guitars many years, and this one takes it all. What more can I say that everyone else has opined...I played for 3-1/2 hrs and couldn't put it down. THANKS MARTIN! Sweetwater is the best too! This is my third guitar purchased with Nathan Kelch in 4 years and as always the Guitars have arrived timely and Spotless in tune etc. Nathan and the support team is the reason for my return business...very professional and knowledgeable Thanks as always...

Perfection.

I've played music for 60 years, guitar and fiddle. I never thought I was good enough to play a Martin. I always wanted a HD 28 and finally bought it in Dec 2020. I should have done it 50 years ago. I,ve owned and played a lot of guitars, this is by far the top of them all.I was able to have my choice of three,and I absolutely Love this guitar. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and this guitar is PERFECT in ever way, Sound, setup, fit and finish. I'm so happy with this beautiful guitar. It was a wonderful gift to myself at 74 years old. There is nothing like A MARTIN.

What a beautiful sounding guitar. It's incredible how full the sound is. It's worth every penny there just isn't any substitute. I had a lot of help from Derek when choosing this. The customer service at Sweetwater is second to none. Buy this guitar and get it from Sweetwater.

I have purchased over 100+ solid wood guitars since 1979. Many are gone to trades, sold them off and many others I have blessed friends, non profits by giving them away. I still have in my guitarsenal:Martin D-45, HD-35, Guild D55, D-40 ETC...what was missing was this Martin HD-28. I had one 20 years ago and it was great! I had always regretted selling it. Now I can say it's so good to have this 2022 Martin HD-28. I love the robust sound. The deep bassy projection is so pleasing to my ear. The rich rosewood sound envelops the audio surroundings. Pure music to my pleasure. If you've never owned one, buy one. Play it and play it! You will be happy!

I would like to thank my sales engineer, Jordan Dean. 100% great customer service! Jordan knows my gear needs and always gives a great solution-simply the best!

Just received My HD28 and it is stunning! From fit and finish to intonation it is perfect. Tone is well balanced and a pleasure to the ears. Big thanks to Jordan Firstenberg as well as the rest of your team (shipping, inspection and techs).
Thank you again for a truly great experience!

I'm in love with this guitar. It's beautiful and man can it sing. My first strum just blew me away. Kudos to Chris Arnold for his assistance in picking out the "one" for me!

What can I say that hasn't been said? A wonderful instrument with exceptional tonal qualities. And it smells great!

There's not a lot more I can say about Martin Guitars and their long history of making D-28 acoustics. I'm reviewing the HD-28 version with some beautiful vintage historic appointments, but there's no mistaking the beautiful sound of a Spruce top and Indian Rosewood body with scalloped x-bracing. And the snowflake inlay on the 20 fret ebony fretboard, mahogany neck, herringbone trim, vintage Martin logo, butterbean style tuners and aging toner create what I believe is one of the best sounding and classy looking dreadnoughts ever made. The lows bloom, the highs ring and the note decay melts in the air. Whether finger picking, strumming or both, this guitar is a fantastic value and will only continue to sound better and better the longer it's played. I've done some tracking using an AKG 414KVII, WA 14 and Shure SM-81 and the HD-28 sounds gorgeous.

This is the first guitar I purchased from Sweetwater and I'm very happy with it. I've been playing for years but very much an amateur. Having only had beginner guitars and wanting to improve my skills, I decided to purchase a keeper. The sound is amazing and plays fantastic, well worth the price. Hope to have it for a long time. Shout out to Eddie K and the team for delivering a great guitar and experience. Love the photo's sent and the prep work.

I have had the pleasure of owning some wonderful acoustic guitars in my lifetime. But since 1999 I settled into my 25th Anniversary Taylor 710 BCE (Brazilian & Sitka) which has been a workhorse for me the past 23 years. But having played some really great acoustics (Guild's, Collings, Martin's, Santa Cruz' and other large and small builder brands), I kept hearing the praises of the HD-28 series Martins especially over the past few years.

So with the help of my awesome Sales Rep (Cristian Good) he found me an absolutely fantastic HD-28 and Martin has shown me again why they are the gold standard of Luther's. The finish, fit and playability of my guitar, along with the modernized neck shape and forward bracing makes playing the HD-28 effortless. I can't wait for this beautiful dreadnought to age and open up because if it sounds this good new, it's only going to get better. And there's something about the purity of the HD-28's tone with the absence of any electronics that is in a class of its own.

I tracked some ideas with a Sure SM-81 into my digital workstation and remembered how much I miss the sound of air moving acoustic tone through a great acoustic mic. No, the HD-28 is not flashy, but it's not supposed to be as it's design lends itself to be a seminal acoustic that's been heard the world over. I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

Originally, I thought I wanted a D-28 but decided on the HD-28. My sales engineer, Taylor made things easy. Brought the HD-28 to a guitar lesson and listened to my guitar teacher play it for an hour today. Guy is a pro session guitar player. He was very impressed and couldn't put it down. It really sounds amazing. Way nicer tone than the D-28 despite what people say. Play both before making a purchase. The D-28 sounds great too but the HD-28 has this sparkly, bigger sound to it and more sustain. It's very balanced too and resonates way more. I'm

I could not be more pleased with this purchase. I also have a Gibson J200 and a Taylor 814ce; both wonderful guitars, as well; but always wanted a Martin. All 3 guitars have their place, depending on the type of music you're playing or sound you're looking for; but must admit - I've been neglecting my other other 6-sdtring acoustics since the arrival of HD-28.

I finally pulled the trigger and bought a "demo" model and I couldn't be more happy. This guitar supposedly has some scratches. I couldn't see them in the pictures and can't really see what they were pointing at in with it in my hand and a bright light. The quality control of Martin is impeccable. That classic dreadnaught sound is beautiful and worth every penny.

I love the HD-28! Having tried one Reimagined HD-28 that I ordered from Sweetwater, I fell in love with the resonant tone provided by the scalloped bracing. My Sweetwater Sales Engineer was incredibly helpful as well when I decided to exchange one HD for another. I would like to thank Sweetwater for a smooth experience all around!

Sweetwater had 11 of the hd28,s in stock. I drove to the store 6 hours and as everyone knows all hand made instruments are made differently with the same specs. I played one and said this just doesn't have what I was looking for. They said they would bring me a few others to try. I found 3 that were very good. I narrowed it down to the one that had the sound I wanted . The next day I was playing at a bluegrass festival and I had so many players comment and wanted to know where I purchased and how I found that sound and tone. I told them about the great people at Sweetwater did everything possible to find the guitar I wanted. Fantastic tones low and high. Great sustain. I had a D35 earlier that had gotten stolen and this blew my 1974 away.

For those of us of a certain age, the Martin D-28 is THE instrument that comes to mind when thinking "acoustic guitar", and the enhanced HD-28 does not disappoint. It plays like a dream, projects to the back rows, is meticulously crafted, and looks like an dreadnought acoustic guitar is supposed to look. And, as usual, Sweetwater's buying experience was first rate. They've nailed customer service.

I waited 30 years to buy a Martin which was 31 years too long. Everything about this guitar is a credit to Martin's craftsmen. I find myself playing every day. The tone, the ease of play, the projection combine to draw you to the instrument. Before you realize it, an hour has passed. An hour absent the troubles of the world.

No surprise here...they set set the standard for predictably high quality at a reasonable price relative to the market!
Sweetwater and my account representative, Patrick always come through with great pricing and fantastic customer service!!! The best in the business!!

I thought when I first got my Streetmaster that there wouldn't be a guitar that I could afford that would out perform it , love the Streetmaster ! wonderful guitar , however this HD28 is just amazing ! wonderful tone and gets better every time I play it. can't say enough good things about this guitar that has not already been said , no wonder they call the 28 series the "tone cannon" good job on this guitar Martin , very well crafted.

I received this guitar about a month ago. Very well balanced. The guitar seems to play itself. It sounds so fantastic and makes me sound better than I really am. I am so happy to have this guitar. People may think of this as only a bluegrass guitar, but it is great for any genre. I've been practicing Silver Wheels by Nancy Wilson on it and it sounds glorious. It's not as deep as I thought it was going to be, which for me is a good thing. I don't like having to wrap myself around a guitar. It is extremely comfortable and playable and it really projects and sustains.

I've had a lot of guitars over the years but I've never had a Martin. With permission from the wife of course, I bought the guitar I've always wanted, a Martin HD28. I had Sweetwater install an LR Baggs acoustic pickup and Schaller strap locks and I'm good to go. This is the sweetest sounding guitar I've ever owned. Other guitars I've had over the years have come and gone but this one is here to stay. A HUGE shout-out and thank you to my Rep. Nick Rice for helping me make this happen! The customer support provided by Nick Rice and Sweetwater is the best! Thanks Nick!!

Have dreamed about owning a Martin HD-28 for years..last week..I finally pulled the trigger and ordered one...not a single regret.. expensive..you bet...but worth every Penny..no other acoustic guitar sounds or looks this amazing...thank you Jeff Law and sweetwater. For making my dream a reality.

These guitars are the guitars that all other acoustics are measured by, and for a good reason! The quality from martin is always top notch, as it should be for a $3000 guitar. These guitars have the tone that can only be described as THE MARTIN tone. Nothing sounds like these guitars. Even frequency response all around. The best thing about these guitars, the worst they will ever sound is the day you bring them home. They only get better with age. As the wood gets broken in they resonate better every time you play them. It used to be that martins weren't always the most easy to play, but you played them because they sounded the best. Not any more! These new guitars play like a dream and are intonated perfectly up and down the neck. These are the benchmark for a reason. The only guitar that can beat these new martins are the old Brazilian Rosewood martins. In other-words, unless you want to spend 10g's on a vintage D28. Get this guitar!

I am very pleased with this guitar. IT sounds and plays GREAT. I don't want to put it down. Everyone at Sweetwater was very professional and helpful. Thank you!

If angels do exist, I imagine that their voices sound something like this guitar. Thundering grace. I've played a lot of high end guitars in my lifetime but this one just blows me away. Anything positive you can think of to say about an acoustic guitar, consider it said here. Did I mention that it's also drop dead gorgeous?

I received my HD-28 Monday - a 50th birthday present (three months early...can you blame me?) Of course, the day it arrives here in Colorado, it was 6 degrees out. Fahrenheit. Yeaaaa. So, I let her sit in the box untouched for over 48 hours. I opened it two days ago, and it makes me realize what a truly rich, warm guitar truly is. I've played for decades, though my skill probably doesn't show it. However, I wanted for once in my life a truly grand Martin. In the less than 48 hours I've had it, I feel and hear how it is superlative. The Martin sound is gorgeous...it just rings, deep, mellow, responsive highs, too. And it's a work of art. So glad my birthday has treated me so well.

I received my Martin HD28 last week and cannot express how it sounds and plays compared to my Martin GPCPA3. The HD28 resonance is just so remarkable and sustainable when playing Hawaiian Slack Key music. I can truly appreciate the quality of this incredible instrument. The cost is up there so is the quality and playability of this fine instrument.

Got this for my husband for a wedding gift and he was thrilled! I swear he hasn't put it down and stop playing it since he got it. It fills up our house with beautiful sweet sounds. It's magical!

Now that I think about it, I am annoyed I bought something so fantastic that he can't stop touching. Wishing he would touch or look at me like he does this new guitar.

I only had to play a few chords to know that it special. Full rich tone with amazing sustain.

We are in crazy times, The COVID 19 epidemic has caused supply chain delays, however I received my Martin hd28 acoustic guitar four days ago and as a hobbyist can only give my give a hobbyist opinion, Here it is This guitar is Fantastic. Tone volume quality, three highlights of this guitar. I ordered a Taylor 814c I hated it. Well made beautiful, but to me thin on sound and volume. I understand tone is subjective, I have to say this guitar is something very special
Why am I surprised it's made by Martin. I've never been an internet shopper till I found Sweetwater. A great company who treat customers with respect, ive
Had issues on this purchase, but guess what no one is perfect. I will continue to support Sweetwater with all my purchases, overall they are the best.

This is my 2nd guitar from Sweetwater. Great folks. Shauna got me a super deal on this Martin. This thing looks, plays, sounds, and even smells fantastic.

Hi

I have had a lot of accoustics - Gibson Songwriter, Martin D-28, Blueridge BR-180, Ovation Custom Legend (USA), Blueridge BR-70, Santana, Guild F-112 12 string Jumbo, Ovation cutaway, Ovation 1612 Balladeer, Yamaha (spanish).

I bought a HD-28 reimagined a month ago. I traded my old 1985 D-28 in the deal. The HD-28 is better in every aspect so it really was a no brainer.
In the music store the owner presented and played three guitars while i listened to them one at a time - a D-28 Modern Deluxe, a D-42 and the HD-28.
We both agreed that the HD-2 sounded the best - and it does. The Martin company have hit a home run with this guitar and the specs. I just can not put it down - the bass, the tuning, the sustain, the overtones - all fantastic. Try one out you will not regret it - your wallet might.

Kind regards
Peter

Awesome guitar I love it! And the guys at Sweetwater are great to work with! Great customer service!

I am very pleased with my Martin HD28. It is the nicest guitar I"ve ever owned and the quality and sound both exceeded my expectations. I am officially a Martin guy. Sweetwater has awesome customer service. Jordan was the sales guy assigned to my order and he did a great job making sure everything went well.

I've owned two Martins in my life, and had several other guitars pass through my hands. This guitar beats them all. If you want a smaller, more compact sound, there are other models that might suit you better - but this guitar is a canon and my life companion. Lovely instrument!

Every thing you want in a guitar. I love the action I love balanced tone and quality of this guitar. I also have an awesome d35 but the hd28 playability is much better for some reason. I thought the d35 couldn't be beat until I got the hd28. Would not sell either. Martin guitars are great.

Sweetwater notified me that was in stock, I wasted no time calling Drew my Sweetwater expert. He got it pulled and shipped same day.
Arrived expertly packed and set up ready to play.
The sound is fabulous. It is like playing a piece of art it looks so good. I like the 2018 changes.
I have wanted one of these for some time. You just can"t go wrong with Martin and Sweetwater

Just got this on the new shipment, and I couldn't be happier! I ordered this acoustic without electric, and had Sweetwater install an LR Baggs Anthem pickup in it. Doing the pickup this way, no wood cutouts or plastic pieces are on the guitar as opposed to when the pickup is already installed from Martin. This has killer bass with crisp highs and a strong midrange. Exactly what you would expect in tone from Martin. The fit and finish is superb, and of course Sweetwater was the best to work with. Can't go wrong with these reimagined 2018's!

I purchased a 2018 Taylor 814CE from GC... Played it for a couple of days... Didnt like it one bit... Strings buzzed... Way to much midrange for me... Returned it and purchased a new 2018 Martin HD28 from Sweetwater... Blown away.... Setup perfect right out of the box.... I had Sweetwater install a Fishman pickup and they did a wonderful job... Thanks Ken Nace..... Your the best...

I ordered my Martin HD 28 online and could not be more please with it. The look and the sound is amazing. Most of all I had 5 star customer service from Chris. He was available every step of the way and made me so comfortable. I would order from Chris again in a minute.

Nothing like a Martin!..Just rings out!

Last year, I gave my 1965 Martin D-28 to my son... That left me with a Guild D-50, which is fine, but I soon missed the tonal quality of my old Martin. I think this new HD-28 sounds just as good as the 1965 which I was not expecting.

Played great right out of the box! Thanks to Mike Godlove for all the help with the purchase. Beautiful guitar, deep bass, great action.
The only reason for not giving a 5 star is probably my fault. It's been a few years since I played with a headstock strap(re: 60's folk singers) and it is taking time to get used to. I should have had sweetwater install a strap button under the neck around he neck block because all the other guitars I have are set up like that. I play up the neck a lot and I was concerned about where to place it. Should have asked. I am wondering if this effects the warranty unless sweetwater okays a licensed repair shop? Other than that, I have no complaints.

Finally picked one up from Sweetwater last December.Having pretty much "played them all" during my 45 year guitar journey, have to say the new HD28 is about the best production guitar around.Amazing tone. Why 4 stars instead of 5? Martin sets up their guitars with stubbornly high action.After settling into what the guitar is, it still needs setup and saddle filing to bring action to optimum setting. All Martin guitars from factory have this issue. I'm not expecting Taylor action, but c'mon guys!

I do agree that its the god of dreadnoughts (rather acoustic guitars). It does have a phenomenal tone (that has gotten better with age), playability for a vast generes and styles. However my Martin HD-28 2014 has been facing binding issues multiple times inspite of keeping a humidity control. The action keeps buzzing on the lower frets, I took the guitar to the luthiers a several times and it ends up in the same situation after a point. I do not except this from a high end manufactuer/model. At the same time my $ yamaha guitars are steady and strong and havent faced a single isssue related binding or action. Maybe Martin guitars have lost its charm in the current era and we should give other manufacturers a chance?

After playing the guitar for a couple days, I've come to the conclusion that the guitar feels very stiff and hard to play, the opposite of what I expected. The action is too high, but I get the sense that there's something else going on with this guitar. I'm sending it back.