C. F. Martin D-28 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1954)

C. F. Martin  D-28 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar  (1954)
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Item # 9851
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C. F. Martin D-28 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1954), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 134573, natural lacquer finish, Brazilian rosewood back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, period black hard shell case.

This is a very well preserved Martin D-28 dating to the "golden era" of postwar Country music in the early 1950's, when few of the stars of the day would be seen without one! After WWII the D-28 was the biggest, best and most expensive Martin guitar available. The elaborate pearl trimmed models were discontinued during the war and not revived, leaving this comparatively austere rosewood guitar as top of the line. Despite strong competition from Gibson's Jumbos, by the mid-'50s the D-28 was the absolute final word in a flat-top instrument to most professional players.

This example was built right at the beginning of 1954, one of 804 sold that year. It shows the classic period appointments: multi-layer celluloid binding on the back and top, a long-saddle ebony bridge, "Big-dot" graduated pearl inlaid ebony fingerboard, tortoise pattern Celluloid pickguard and "Waffleback" Kluson Sealfast tuners. It features beautiful straight-grained Brazilian rosewood back and sides with some more elaborate grain figure to the outer parts of the back and on the sides. The tight and very even-grained spruce top would also be considered premium wood today.

While this is a fabulous guitar to look at as with most old Martins the real beauty comes in the playing. The D-28 is one of the most respected of all Martin models, and this is a wonderfully preserved and fantastic sounding example, with a huge full-range sound with a brighter top end than many while still maintaining a powerful bass response. This guitar is perfectly suited to period styles including purely acoustic Bluegrass, acoustic/electric Honky Tonk or to more modern playing. This is a real gem of a postwar D-28, one of the nicer ones we have seen of late.
 
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 5 in. (12.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).

This guitar has seen some play time over the decades but has been extremely well-maintained, remaining very original and showing far less wear than many after 65+ years. The all-original finish has small dings, dents and scrapes but no major wear. There is some very light pickwear above and below the soundhole and a few small scratches next to the treble side fretboard extension. There is a short pickguard crack at the bottom of the pickguard near the edge binding, solidly sealed with no finish added. The interior of the guitar is clean, complete with the original small maple bridge plate, without any signs of repair. The instrument has had a superb cleanly done neck set, repro bridge and saddle by J.C. Baxendale and is a very fine player with a tremendous sound. It is housed in a period blue-lined Victoria HSC. Excellent Condition.