Martin OM-28 Modern Deluxe Review

I’ll make this simple.

I will never - EVER - consider another online seller when it comes to what Sweetwater offers. I wish they sold more so I could buy it from them. I was quite literally a pain in the a$$ Customer to them. The details are irrelevant. But Sweetwater is one of the few remaining large businesses that operates with a common-sense and common-courtesy approach and I will be grateful… read more to them and to my salesperson Cameryn literally for the rest of my life each time I pick up my Martin OM-28.

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Fantastic, playability with that incredible Martin tone.

I was lucky enough to get my hand one one of the new OM28 modern deluxe guitars that Sweetwater received. This guitar is beautiful, fit and finish, the wider spring spacing was my main reason for choosing it over the 000-28 MD, and for my finger style technique, this was a very good decision. The guitar plays wonderfully.It'd been a while since I'd purchased a Martin, but back… read more in January a 00-17 authentic became available, being slow to make the decision to purchase, it was soon gone, I bought a Santa Cruz 00 custom instead, with their standard 2 3/16 string spacing and neck profile, it was challenging for me to play. A couple of weeks later another 00-17 authentic came into stock at Sweetwater, made the decision quickly this time, and that guitar is incredible, wide nut and string spacing are quite liberating, crazy light weight, with resonance and tone that were so impressive, that I decided to sell off most of my other guitars, they just paled compared to this 00-17 authentic. Then came along this OM28 modern deluxe... having wanted to try one of the guitars, I was waiting for them to get in stock. Chris Leonard as always is extremely helpful, and got the photos and details I was looking for to make a decision between two guitars that just arrived, 24 hours later it arrived at my doorstep, Martin spared no expense on these guitars, beautiful construction, playability and tone. For someone who has bought way too many guitars, I believe that I've found the perfect duo, and could live quite happy with just these two guitars.I'm quite fortunate.If you get a chance I'd highly recommend trying the modern deluxe models, I love this OM28.Thanks to Martin for making these wonderful guitars,and Sweetwater for being an incredible online dealer.

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Sounds as Beautiful as it looks!

I'm not sure I've ever loved an inanimate object as much as I love this guitar. The highs are bright, bright, bright without ever becoming piercing, even when strumming or picking them loudly. The middle and bass performance is excellent as well. It's nice and loud, but the bass isn't boomy or muddy at all. For example, my tuner ALWAYS struggles with low E on my 000-15, but I has… read more yet to struggle to identify what note I'm playing on this OM-28. The note separation on this guitar sounds beautiful when fingerpicking. This consequently makes me hear my errors/inconsistencies better when practicing which is super helpful when I'm trying to clean a passage up! I was a little nervous about the choice of neck shape on this model (especially since I believe it's different from the other models in the series), but if you're into fingerpicking then I suspect you will fall in love with it like I have. The way this neck is carved feels like it kind of guides my thumb to a secure and comfortable position no matter where my hand is. I will say that it is more comfortable when you're playing with your thumb behind than it is when you bring your thumb around to the fretboard though. If you play exclusively with your thumb wrapped around then you might prefer a neck that's a bit fatter front to back than this one is (for the most part). I do play some songs and some chords with my thumb wrapped around and they feel just fine, it just feels more optimal when I play with my thumb behind. Overall, this is an extremely comfortable guitar to play. It's set up quite well right out of the box and I'm able to get notes to ring out clearly on all areas of the neck without struggling. The amount of pressure required definitely can feel like cheating already and I have a feeling it will be even easier after I get the guitar a proper setup. When it comes to looks, I think this guitar has just the right amount of bling to make it the apple of anyone's eye while also remaining subyle and very much in line with the asthetic of the original OM-28. One small criticism is that I really wish they were still coming with the titanium truss rod. The guitar, specifically the neck portion) is a little heavier than I was hoping it would be. I suspect this is because Martin had to switch the truss rod due to titanium shortage/shipping delays. Overall, this guitar is amazing. I can see myself being happy with it for a lifetime and never needing to 'upgrade' again!

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Martin OM-28 Modern Deluxe Natural Speechless!

Having played my share of acoustic guitars of all brands to include Martin, Gibson, Fender, Yamaha, Taylor, Washburn, Sigma, and Bourgeois in my 45 years of making music I am speechless! I have wanted to own a Martin for over 45 years and purchasing the Martin OM-28 Modern Deluxe is truly a dream fulfilled! The guitar arrived after a 6 month wait due to COVID and the Martin Family… read more has built an absolutely fabulous instrument with a tremendous sound and superb appointments. The fit and finish are flawless, the Indian Rosewood sides and back paired with the Sitka Spruce top produces a well balanced warm tone in incredible delicate high's and mids. Takes the pick and the fingers equally well. The next radius is a joy to play up and down the fretboard and I find myself lost in the infinite tonal possibilities this guitar can offer in my recording and songwriting. The Sweetwater Team including Bob Mondok my salesman for over 20 years packed the guitar flawlessly with humidification and the guitar arrived in pristine condition. I cannot say enough about the awesome service from Sweetwater service team in the 55 point check up before shipping as well. The guitar was ready to play out of the box. Due to the severe weather in Texas it took 9 days to arrive and nothing was wrong with the guitar due to the weather and extended travel time to Texas. I am looking forward to many years of playing this wonderful instrument, it was well worth the wait! Way to go Sweetwater Sound and Martin!

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Awesome!

What a fine instrument, she is everything that was looking for in a guitar. Plays like butter and sounds sooo sweet with sustain for days. I can't be happier with my purchase which is my second purchase of a high end guitar online from Sweetwater. The first One being a Taylor 552ce. Both arrive in pristine condition and on time (Martin arrived a day early

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