C. F. Martin D-28 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1963)
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C. F. Martin D-28 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1963), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 193239, natural lacquer finish, Brazilian rosewood back and sides, spruce top; ebony fingerboard and bridge, period black hard shell case.
This is an very nice clean example of a later "Folk boom" period Martin D-28, increasingly hard to find in this sort of lightly played condition as the decades roll on. Many of the older '60's features are still intact, which would change moving towards the 1970's. It dates to the end of 1963 (originally priced at $369.50, plus case) when the aftermath of the success of the Kingston Trio was made ownership of this exact instrument the badge of honor for EVERY aspiring folk guitarist! The Country & Western stars of the day had long also made the D-28 a standard, to the point where many would not be seen without one! From the 1950s well into the next decade a D-28 was the final word in a flat-top instrument to most professional players.
The Brazilian rosewood body carries typical period features including 6-layer celluloid binding around the top edges d 3-ply on the back, tortoise celluloid pickguard and old-style long-saddle ebony bridge. Like all Martin's made prior to mid-1964, this guitar is the product of the "old" red brick North Street factory. The subsequent move to the much larger modern facility down the road resulted in many alterations in the way the guitars were made that changed their character somewhat. This guitar retains the older traditional handmade feel that would increasingly become obscured as the decade turned.
The nicely-aged spruce top has ambered somewhat over time with a lovely vintage patina. The bridgeplate is still the older style small maple piece used through mid-1968. The beautiful Brazilian rosewood back and sides have the very straight even grain Martin traditionally preferred. The unbound ebony fretboard has large mother of pearl dot markers graduating in size. The headstock shows the rounded corners typical of this era when Martin's shaping templates having become very worn from use and carries original PAT. PEND. Grover Rotomatic tuners. Martin built only 651 D-28's in 1963; the output of this popular model virtually doubled a couple of years later and up through the mid-70s this figure would go up exponentially. This is a great sounding and playing "old school" D-28 with a powerful and expansive sound.
Overall length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 cm.), 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a clean guitar overall for its six-plus decades on the planet, showing some minor wear but no major repair, on the whole a very nicely preserved mid-1960's Brazilian rosewood Dreadnought. The finish has minimal checking and fairly light wear, the most notable being a small area of pick wear into the wood to the top behind and below the pickguard. Apart from these marks there is only very light play and handling wear on the instrument.
The guitar shows no cracks at all, which I really delightful in a Martin this old. The original ebony bridge was reglued at some point showing minor marks around the edge and the neck was likely reset, although if so it was an exceptionally clean job. Internally everything appears original and unaltered. The original frets show hardly any wear and is a very good playing and great sounding D-28, with a nice even ring and plenty of power, with more top end than some. Really this is just a super cool and lovely early '60s Martin Dreadnought, ready to go in any style of play housed in a period (likely original) red plush lined HSC, worn externally but still fully serviceable. Overall Excellent Condition.
This is an very nice clean example of a later "Folk boom" period Martin D-28, increasingly hard to find in this sort of lightly played condition as the decades roll on. Many of the older '60's features are still intact, which would change moving towards the 1970's. It dates to the end of 1963 (originally priced at $369.50, plus case) when the aftermath of the success of the Kingston Trio was made ownership of this exact instrument the badge of honor for EVERY aspiring folk guitarist! The Country & Western stars of the day had long also made the D-28 a standard, to the point where many would not be seen without one! From the 1950s well into the next decade a D-28 was the final word in a flat-top instrument to most professional players.
The Brazilian rosewood body carries typical period features including 6-layer celluloid binding around the top edges d 3-ply on the back, tortoise celluloid pickguard and old-style long-saddle ebony bridge. Like all Martin's made prior to mid-1964, this guitar is the product of the "old" red brick North Street factory. The subsequent move to the much larger modern facility down the road resulted in many alterations in the way the guitars were made that changed their character somewhat. This guitar retains the older traditional handmade feel that would increasingly become obscured as the decade turned.
The nicely-aged spruce top has ambered somewhat over time with a lovely vintage patina. The bridgeplate is still the older style small maple piece used through mid-1968. The beautiful Brazilian rosewood back and sides have the very straight even grain Martin traditionally preferred. The unbound ebony fretboard has large mother of pearl dot markers graduating in size. The headstock shows the rounded corners typical of this era when Martin's shaping templates having become very worn from use and carries original PAT. PEND. Grover Rotomatic tuners. Martin built only 651 D-28's in 1963; the output of this popular model virtually doubled a couple of years later and up through the mid-70s this figure would go up exponentially. This is a great sounding and playing "old school" D-28 with a powerful and expansive sound.
Overall length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 cm.), 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a clean guitar overall for its six-plus decades on the planet, showing some minor wear but no major repair, on the whole a very nicely preserved mid-1960's Brazilian rosewood Dreadnought. The finish has minimal checking and fairly light wear, the most notable being a small area of pick wear into the wood to the top behind and below the pickguard. Apart from these marks there is only very light play and handling wear on the instrument.
The guitar shows no cracks at all, which I really delightful in a Martin this old. The original ebony bridge was reglued at some point showing minor marks around the edge and the neck was likely reset, although if so it was an exceptionally clean job. Internally everything appears original and unaltered. The original frets show hardly any wear and is a very good playing and great sounding D-28, with a nice even ring and plenty of power, with more top end than some. Really this is just a super cool and lovely early '60s Martin Dreadnought, ready to go in any style of play housed in a period (likely original) red plush lined HSC, worn externally but still fully serviceable. Overall Excellent Condition.