Martin D-28 - Ambertone Review

Awesome guitar

Just like people in so many other reviews I've read on the Martin D28, I have longed for one for years but couldn't really justify paying the price for one. I already have several other guitars that sound very good including a early '70s Gibson J50 and a Cort Earth 1200. So I would keep telling myself that I didn't really need a D28, that the guitars I have sound plenty good enough.… read more I've looked at the D28s time and time again and read reviews about them and thought "some day". Well I was doing it again a couple of weeks ago and FINALLY thought "you know what, today is 'some day'", I'm pulling the trigger today. My gosh, I really should have done it a long time ago. I could have already been enjoying one of these for years. I'm 49 years old and will definitely enjoy this guitar for ever how much longer God sees fit to leave me here. This guitar blows ALL my other guitars away. I had actually not been playing nearly often enough and let my fingers go soft but when I started playing this thing I could not stop. After hours of playing my fingers were killing me but I still couldn't put this thing down. I just played through the pain. Well a few days later my fingers are toughening back up really nicely and every time I pick this guitar up I'm gonna be playing for a while because it's so hard to put it back down. This is a BEAUTIFUL looking and sounding guitar and the only caution I would give to married people is that this guitar could end up costing you a divorce.Almost immediately after placing my order for the D28 my phone rang and it was Zack calling to make sure I had no problems and even though I had none I believe he would have helped me resolve any issues I might have had. He was very professional and friendly as have every Sweetwater rep I have spoken to since I first discovered Sweetwater and began ordering from them.

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Top of it's class in every way !

I do solo work as a Music therapist. Read 40's through 60's music. I play 20 % unplugged and the rest through a Digitech processor and finally through a Bose L1 compact or L1s for of outdoors. I installed an L R Baggs Anthem pickup system.I have been in and around bands for 25 years. I enjoy all kinds of music ,but, there is nothing out there as pure and sweet as the D28. I did… read more change to .012 on the strings to raise the high sound a little. Whether playing in front of a group or just the dog in my basement, I always look forward to the great way this one plays and sounds.

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Can't put it down!

I have always wanted a Martin and I am so glad I finally got one. I have been playing off and on for about 30 years on a not-so-great Fender Redondo from the late 80's. This Martin made me realize what I have been missing out on this whole time. I wish I would have gotten this sooner. I tested it in a local guitar shop against a D-18 and against a Gibson Hummingbird. The D-28… read more won hands down. By comparison, the tone of the D-18 was a little too dull and the tone of the Gibson Hummingbird was a little too bright. Everything about this D-28 is perfect. The tone is amazing. Every string at every position along the fretboard rings out with balanced clarity. Tone preference is always going to be subjective, but I think most people would have a hard time complaining about the tone on the D-28 since it is so well balanced across the entire spectrum. You can also get a lot of variation in tone depending on how closely you pick/strum near the bridge vs. the fretboard. While this applies to all guitars, the level of nuance you can achieve on the D-28 based on the picking/strumming position puts it in a class all its own. Regardless of whether you are playing softly or loudly, the tone stays gorgeous and it sustains beautifully. Aside from the tone, the D-28 also has amazing playability. The neck width, neck thickness, and string spacing is perfect. The finish on the back of the neck is silky smooth so your hand will have no trouble sliding along. I am also very happy that I went with the Ambertone finish. It is a thing of beauty and further sets the guitar apart from others. The pictures do not do it justice. My only complaint about this guitar is that I am now very paranoid about keeping it at the appropriate humidity level since this thing wasn't cheap and I love it so much. It is also a bit distracting since I cannot avoid grabbing it when I walk into the room where it sits. Once I pick it up, I do not want to put it down. Finally, I have to give a shout out to the folks at Sweetwater. This was my first time buying anything from Sweetwater and I was very impressed with their level of customer service. They definitely went above and beyond other online retailers. Right after I made the purchase, one of their sales engineers (also a guitar player) called me to chat about the guitar and answer any questions I had. After the guitar was delivered, Sweetwater again reached out to make sure I was happy with everything. I am happy to support these guys since they go the extra mile and aren't a national chain store.

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It's the real deal

This guitar SINGS.

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Finally...D-28!!

I have always wanted a Martin D-28 because of all the obvious reasons & a bucket list type of thing! With the help of Joel Helton @ Sweetwater, I now have my D-28, received it yesterday & waited to open per Sweetwaters & Joel advice. I opened this morning...WOW!! What a beautiful guitar and the sound, better than videos. Thank you Sweetwater & Joel for all the help, what a… read more fantastic guitar...a true icon. Mike

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