HD 28 VS

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Played 3 chords on a Martin HD28 VS today. 
Wow. I have gotta get me one. 
Wide nut, V neck, 12 frets. Tone , balance, big gut punch bass. 
Sounds somewhere between a very expensive bell and a piano. It’s quite unbelievable. 
No more Gibson hunt. This is the one for me. 

Anyone else agree?
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Comments

  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11415
    Stunning guitars.  Neck is too wide for me though.  I have the 14 fret HD28V, but if I could cope with the neck I would probably have got one of those.

    There is something about 12 fret slot headstock guitars.  The best sounding acoustic I've ever played was a 12 fret slot headstock Santa Cruz.  Again a really wide neck, and seriously expensive.
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  • Andy79Andy79 Frets: 888
    It was for sale. I’m now thinking how much gear I can sell... need to let this adrenaline wear off. 
    I cant play anything better than that Martin, bloody house will end up re mortgaged. So we will have none of that Santa Cruz talk thank you. 
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  • mgawmgaw Frets: 5239
    huge sounding guitars I had the collings equivalent and it was superb, so much so I obviously had to sell it like the twat I am..
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  • BrizeBrize Frets: 5619
    Yep, stunning guitars, and now out of production.
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  • I had one for a long while. Loved it but it was VERY boomy on the bass. It’s a beast! I’d give it another go before committing. That said I think I’d get on better with it now I play with my fingers more than a pick. Loved the V neck. Not a fan of restringing a slot head either.... but I did love that guitar and was one I should have kept. I’d love a much smaller version of it now, like an “O” size. 

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  • Andy79Andy79 Frets: 888
    I really like a big bass. I don’t use a pick and palm mute a lot so it works out. 
    Having said that I’d love to seek out the 000-18vs to try. 
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  • Sounds like it’s right up your street :) Good luck with it! Do miss mine for sure. 
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  • Had a Larrivee SD50 for a number of years - a12fret sloped dreadnought. It was a superb guitar but eventually had to go as neck too wide for me. Replaced it with a Santa Cruz Tony Rice, which is way better than any Martin I’ve played
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  • RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929
    edited February 2019
    I have one of the 2018 HD28 standards, they were marketed as “reimagined”. It has the 1.75” nut width, modified low oval neck profile and forward shifted scalloped bracing as well as the aging toner top.

    I had a standard D28 prior to this and played a previous standard HD28 a few times as well. 

    The thing I notice and like about the new HD28 is the volume and sustain, you can play quite gently and the notes jump out of the soundhole with ease, it sounds much better the the old standards on single note phrases and gentle finger picking. Consequently it can get a bit squishy and compressed sounding if big chords are strummed too hard, where the older standards needed to be pushed harder with a pick to get the same volume.

    I think I prefer the old neck profile and 1 11/16ths nut width though, I have adjusted but barre chords up the neck are a little more challenging. I also prefer the grover tuners, the Schaller butterbean replicas tuner buttons are smaller and not as easy to turn.

    I love the Martin dreadnought sound, all the different models offer slight variations in tone and features but the core Martin tone remains in the lineup and it is a wonderful sound to behold.


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  • I haven’t played the VS version but I have a regular HD28 which is just the perfect acoustic guitar “sound in my head”. I’ll never sell it
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • VimFuegoVimFuego Frets: 15477
    I fully realise that it's confirmation bias, but I've never played a Martin I didn't like. People I know who's opinion I respect on these matters tell me there are better guitars out there for the money, and I don't dispute it, but there's something about a martin box.


    I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.

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  • VimFuego said:
    I fully realise that it's confirmation bias, but I've never played a Martin I didn't like. People I know who's opinion I respect on these matters tell me there are better guitars out there for the money, and I don't dispute it, but there's something about a martin box.


    I agree with this, including the potential confirmation bias. 

    An old bandmate had a Lowden which was obviously a really technical fantastic guitar but I never liked it for some reason.
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • Agreed, I love Martin guitars, that headstock shape and logo just warms the insides. There is something in the Martin dreadnought tone though regardless of model, that warm mid-range, dry woody bluegrass honk that you get on the wound strings when you play bluegrass runs in-between changing chords, I love it.  


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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11415
    I have one of the 2018 HD28 standards, they were marketed as “reimagined”. It has the 1.75” nut width, modified low oval neck profile and forward shifted scalloped bracing as well as the aging toner top.

    I had a standard D28 prior to this and played a previous standard HD28 a few times as well. 

    The thing I notice and like about the new HD28 is the volume and sustain, you can play quite gently and the notes jump out of the soundhole with ease, it sounds much better the the old standards on single note phrases and gentle finger picking. Consequently it can get a bit squishy and compressed sounding if big chords are strummed too hard, where the older standards needed to be pushed harder with a pick to get the same volume.

    I think I prefer the old neck profile and 1 11/16ths nut width though, I have adjusted but barre chords up the neck are a little more challenging. I also prefer the grover tuners, the Schaller butterbean replicas tuner buttons are smaller and not as easy to turn.

    I love the Martin dreadnought sound, all the different models offer slight variations in tone and features but the core Martin tone remains in the lineup and it is a wonderful sound to behold.
    If you can find one, the HD28V has a 1 11/16" nut width - unless they have messed with that too.  The V neck on it is wonderful.
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  • Andy79Andy79 Frets: 888
    I have my fair share of V necks. 8 (!) I think but The vs neck trumps them all. 
    I feel I’ve wasted 20 years ignoring Martin guitars. It was easy to be a Martin hater. Until of course I actually played a few... what an idiot 
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  • BrizeBrize Frets: 5619

    The thing I notice and like about the new HD28 is the volume and sustain, you can play quite gently and the notes jump out of the soundhole with ease.
    Probably the forward-shifted bracing.
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11415
    Brize said:

    The thing I notice and like about the new HD28 is the volume and sustain, you can play quite gently and the notes jump out of the soundhole with ease.
    Probably the forward-shifted bracing.
    With the forward shifted bracing, the HD28 is almost what the HD28V was in the range.  The problem is that it has a 1 3/4" nut width.  I'm not sure if they are making any of them in 1 11/16" any more.  I hope nothing happens to my HD28V.  Would be very difficult to replace.
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  • BrizeBrize Frets: 5619
    crunchman said:
    Brize said:

    The thing I notice and like about the new HD28 is the volume and sustain, you can play quite gently and the notes jump out of the soundhole with ease.
    Probably the forward-shifted bracing.
    With the forward shifted bracing, the HD28 is almost what the HD28V was in the range.  The problem is that it has a 1 3/4" nut width.  I'm not sure if they are making any of them in 1 11/16" any more.  I hope nothing happens to my HD28V.  Would be very difficult to replace.
    Exactly. I also have an HD-28V and wouldn't want to be without it for the same reason - the forward-shifted bracing combined with the 1 11/16" nut width.

    Interestingly, I love the modified-V neck profile with that narrower nut width, but the modified V combined with a 1 3/4" nut (like on the HD-28VS) is just a hair too much.
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  • WindmillGuitarsWindmillGuitars Frets: 730
    tFB Trader
    Love the vintage Martin range - however nothing in terms of a Dred has beaten my early 90's D41.

    As for a 12 fret @Andy79 you should consider the Avalon Americana I have listed here. Handbuilt and tone for days!



    MORE PHOTOS >> https://bit.ly/2SB38Tf
    www.windmillguitars.com - Official stockist of Yamaha, Maybach, Fano Guitars, Kithara Guitars, Eastman Guitars, Trent Guitars, Orange Amps, Blackstar Amplification & More! (The artist formerly known as Anchorboy)
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  • Andy79Andy79 Frets: 888
    So if I wanted a dred with 1 3/4 nut and modified V the only option, on the general market, is a Golden era or VS? 
    Is this right?
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