Feeling the need for a dreadnought - Brook Teign or Martin HD 28?

Ungulate

Mellish said:

What I would tell you is, if that HD-28 is from the Re-imagined series, make sure you go to try it out.

The soft V/1.75" nut combination felt a bit too much for me. Thinking I could get used to it, I bought it. Great guitar for sure, and I gigged with it, but I felt I was fighting it cos of the nut/profile.

But hope you enjoy choosing a dread  

I'm sure it will be fun, no it's not re imagined...can't wait to check 'em out, had a bit of a shit few weeks....feel this is the right direction 

Tannin

The HD-28 is  the cream of Martin's crop, factory dreadnoughts don't get much better than an HD-28. They do, however, vary a lot from one guitar to another (as Martins always do) so while a great HD-28 is excellent, a so-so one is merely competent. Playing the actual instrument is vital.

A good hand-made guitar, however, is a different animal entirely. I don't know Brook except by reputation but if they are even half as good as that reputation makes them, we are playing in a different league. 

Counter-intuitively, hand-made guitars are much more consistent than factory ones. A luthier shapes and thins the timbers to get the sound he or she wants, where a factory makes every part the same. Because wood varies, factory guitars vary too.  (Exception: carbon fibre instruments, which can be made exactly the same every time.)

Ungulate

Tannin said:

The HD-28 is  the cream of Martin's crop, factory dreadnoughts don't get much better than an HD-28. They do, however, vary a lot from one guitar to another (as Martins always do) so while a great HD-28 is excellent, a so-so one is merely competent. Playing the actual instrument is vital.

A good hand-made guitar, however, is a different animal entirely. I don't know Brook except by reputation but if they are even half as good as that reputation makes them, we are playing in a different league. 

Counter-intuitively, hand-made guitars are much more consistent than factory ones. A luthier shapes and thins the timbers to get the sound he or she wants, where a factory makes every part the same. Because wood varies, factory guitars vary too.  (Exception: carbon fibre instruments, which can be made exactly the same every time.)
.

This will be a bit of a day then, HD 28 v Atkin v Brook Teign can't wait, @ Tannin instinctively I'm with you here

crunchman

I bought a Teign in 2004, which I replaced with a Martin HD28V around 2007.  I still have the Martin.

The Teign is a different sounding guitar.  It doesn't have that big full Martin sound.  Don't get me wrong, it sounded great but it's not a Martin.

The thing that really made me sell it was the very flat fingerboard radius and shallow neck.  I just couldn't get on with it.  The fingerboard radius was so flat I used a classical capo on it.  Definitely try before you buy.  Martins can vary as well so try before you buy on those.  The best ones might be the best acoustics you will ever find, but you might need to try a bunch to find one that good.

Cryptid

+1 on the Atkin suggestion. The D37 I had was simply stunning, don't buy a Martin HD28 until you've tried one. 

bertie

Ungulate said:

This will be a bit of a day then, HD 28 v Atkin v Brook Teign can't wait, @ Tannin instinctively I'm with you here

might as well see if there's a vintage series Furch while you're at it  -   you'll have enough for 2   

Mellish

A Martin HD-28 is a great acoustic, or it *can* be. As someone said earlier, they vary. You can say that about any brand, especially tone-wise, cos you can't get identical woods. 




 

Ungulate

Yep Furch is on my shortlist, will sit & try them all for as long as the good people at Project music will allow

RandallFlagg

My “reimagined” HD28 sounds better now that it did when I bought it just under 4 years ago and the top has started to “orange” nicely.

It sounded a bit zingy and thin on the E and B unwound strings when new but has mellowed and they sound warm and full now, it has sounded better and better each year. I don't know if it's the scalloped bracing but when played gently it doesn't die or go too quiet, it's still lively and loud. If you play a single note without dampening the other strings I hear this reverb type effect that is wonderful. The regular unscalloped braced D28 I had before it needed pushing hard to sound loud and the volume died completely when played gently.

My HD28 is the best sounding acoustic I've played or owned and is the embodiment of the sound I have always heard in my head for the perfect acoustic.

stickyfiddle

I would also add a suggestion of a Bourgeois if you can get your hands on one. Expensive but oh my god. 

That said, if you can get to an Atkin, Martin and Brook in a single day I'll be amazed if you don't fall in love with at least one of them

Ungulate

stickyfiddle said:

I would also add a suggestion of a Bourgeois if you can get your hands on one. Expensive but oh my god. 

That said, if you can get to an Atkin, Martin and Brook in a single day I'll be amazed if you don't fall in love with at least one of them

Yeah that would be ace a Bourgeois but it's getting out of my sensible price range, however there's a Lowden in stock I like the look of

stickyfiddle

To be fair I don't know where Bourgeois sits in UK pricing. I bought mine in USD so it wasn't too much more than an Atkin, but I guess in the UK it's probably another +20%

earwighoney

stickyfiddle said:

To be fair I don't know where Bourgeois sits in UK pricing. I bought mine in USD so it wasn't too much more than an Atkin, but I guess in the UK it's probably another +20%

Guitar Village have a few in stock, pretty much all start from £4k, the Eastman collaboration is just under £4k.  Crikey that is a lot for a largely MIC guitar.

Ungulate

This thread now continues in a NGD story :-)

bertie

you need a nice Tamar to go with that now   

Ungulate

bertie said:

you need a nice Tamar to go with that now   

You read my mind, was thinking about getting in touch & ordering something custom......

bertie

Ungulate said:

bertie said:

you need a nice Tamar to go with that now   

You read my mind, was thinking about getting in touch & ordering something custom......

or  you could buy "used" 

if you knew someone that had a red gum,  diamonds and dots and ebony tuner buttons............................

Ungulate

bertie said:

Ungulate said:

bertie said:

you need a nice Tamar to go with that now   

You read my mind, was thinking about getting in touch & ordering something custom......

or  you could buy "used" 

if you knew someone that had a red gum,  diamonds and dots and ebony tuner buttons............................

Oh FFS show me a picture?!? ;-)

bertie

Ungulate

OMFG that is incredible.