Martin Custom Shop D-28 Inspired Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar, Flamed Koa Back & Sides, VTS Sitka Spruce Top

PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE

We're proud to present this Martin Custom Shop D-28 that we collaborated on with our friends at Martin Guitars! Starting with the venerable Martin dreadnought as the foundation, we opted for some truly magnificent appointments that truly make this guitar special - highly-flamed koa back, sides, & headstock, and a gorgeous VTS Sitka Spruce top, along with a handful of other classy appointments.

Koa comes from the acacia koa tree native to Hawaii. It's almost always a beautifully figured wood, and the pieces that our team and Martin worked together to select are no exception. The grain on the back and sides of this guitar is downright breathtaking, as is the headstock inlaid with the iconic vintage Martin vertical logo. With it being used so extensively on this instrument, this guitar takes you away to an island paradise. Tone-wise, koa is a very balanced wood, having the warmth of mahogany combined with the bell-tone brightness of maple. And with it being a very dense wood, the resonance and sustain is fantastic. The sitka spruce top has undergone Martin's signature Vintage Tone System (VTS) process to tonally enhance the wood for enhanced resonance, emulating the unmistakable tone of a decades-old instrument.

With the koa and the tried-and-true Sitka spruce top serving as the tonal foundation, the mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard build on it to create something truly special. The guitar sings out like a choir of angels. The dreadnought body shape gives it a big bottom end, and the highs aren't too piercing, but definitely stand out - whether in a singer-songwriter situation or if you're playing with a band. The beautiful, bell-like top end of the guitar is truly a standout. The combination of warmth, brightness, and articulation all dwell within this full-bodied dreadnought. The neck has a luxuriously silky satin finish, while the body is glossed to really make the beautiful figuring in the woods pop.

For the players here at the shop, the greatest "Custom Shop" instruments combine the tone and playability that a certain model is known for with appointments such as the ones on this one that make it a true one-of-a-kind instrument and heirloom piece. As expected from the Custom Shop of arguably the most renowned and storied acoustic guitar builder in American guitar history, the playability, tonality and build quality are all top-notch.

MANUFACTURER'S DESCRIPTION

This Custom Shop guitar had all of the woods and specifications selected by the dealer.

MARTIN CUSTOM SHOP - BUILD YOUR DREAM.
You have an image in your head. Maybe it’s more like a dream. It’s the perfect guitar, and you know how it should look, sound, and feel. Now what? Give it to the Martin Custom Shop. Our specialty is building the guitars you’ve designed in your mind. Our band of luthiers, craftspeople, and artisans in Nazareth, Pa., have the expertise and experience to create everything from the subtle to the spectacular. We’ve made guitars for music’s most influential players, for dealers looking for something special, and for collectors who want a unique Martin. Bring us your dream, and we’ll build it.

OUR VALUES
Martin guitars and strings are known for more than their unrivaled quality, craftsmanship, and tone. They are backed by our unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible manufacturing practices.

SPECIFICATIONS

Body

• Model: Custom Shop Dreadnought D-28
• Top: VTS Sitka Spruce
• Top Color: Clear
• Back and Sides: Highly-Flamed Koa
• Pickguard: Faux Tortoise
• Rosette: Old Style 18 Boltaron
• Bracing Material: Sitka Spruce
• Bridge Style: Modern Belly
• Body Finish: Gloss
• Top and Back Body Binding: Brown Faux Tortoise

Neck

• Construction: Dovetail Joint
• Fretboard: Black Ebony
• Neck: 12/4 Genuine Mahogany
• Neck Finish: Satin
• Neck Profile: Modified Low Oval, High Performance Taper
• Scale Length: 25.4"
• Fretboard Radius: 16"
• Nut Width: 1 3/4"
• String Spacing: 2 5/32"
• Inlays: Golden Era Diamonds and Squares Long
• Frets: 14 clear of body
• Neck Heelcap: Brown Faux Tortoise
• Headstock Veneer: Highly-Flamed Koa
• Headstock Finish: Polished
• Headstock Taper: Square
• Tuners: Grover Gold V97-18GA StaTite 18:1 Vintage Buttons

Misc.

• Case: Molded Hardshell
• Instrument Weight: 4.3 lbs
• Serial #: 2823486

OVERALL CONDITION