Name: Charles Brewster Date: 11-9-07 Review: Martin D-28 Authentic Rating you give the Martin D28 Authentic: 3 - Good guitar give it a try
Like about the Martin D-28 Authentic: It's Martin's so-called Authentic representation of a pre-war D-28 and what more can you ask for considering the challenge of re-creating a storied instrument with an illustrious past? I played one of these the other day and though there are probably other D-28 models that would give it a serious run for the money, it doesn't really matter. If you want to journey into the past and have the surplus dough to purchase one, by all means consider the possibility. Like the Fender replicas, this D-28 is about as close as the Average Joe is going to get towards owning anything vaguely similar to a guitar that is now out of the price range for most individuals. At $20K it's expensive but no more extravagant than some of the gas-guzzling SUVs and fancy import cars many folks choose to tool around in. And after about 5 years when your $45-50K Lexus depreciates to salvage status, you'll probably have done better buying one of these D-28 Authentics. Incidentally, the one I demo'd sounded pretty good after it had undergone a few minor modifications namely replacing the softer stock ivory nut and saddle with a West African Hard Ivory nut, Fossilized Walrus Ivory saddle, some bone bridge pins and replacing the Martin PB strings that came on it with a Newtone Masterclass Custom PB set. I am considering buying this particular D-28 Authentic used as the current owner has lost faith in it as an investment.
Dislike about the Martin D-28 Authentic: The asking price for a new one of course, but then again this is probably an ongoing issue for 99% of those who have chosen to pooh-pooh this particular model.
Additional Comments: At $15K used, I think this purchase will turn out OK as the owner has chosen to absorb the initial loss. So far, Martin made their money on it, the dealer procured his profit. Meanwhile, I am probably buying it for all that it is currently worth anyway, give or take a few hundred bucks. Hopefully this guitar will age gracefully and turn out to be a good player.
Name: Joaquin Almedi Date: Sept. 15, 2007 Review: D-28 Authentic Rating you give the Martin D28 Authentic: 2 - Did the job nothing special
Like about the Martin D-28 Authentic: Well, it's a D-28 so automatically it gets a few points.
Dislike about the D28 Authentic: A lot of money is being charged for a guitar made of slab cut Brazilian Rosewood. Perhaps it would have been better to make fewer of them with whatever was left of the higher quality quarter cut Brazilian. That might have justified the asking price. A friend brought one of these to a recent get-together and compared to some of the other older Martin dreadnaughts that were present (1945, 1952 and 1960), this particular D-28 Authentic did not stand out above the crowd as anything significant in terms of overall tone, projection or depth. Kind of like presenting a lackluster wine from a vitner who made his reputation on earlier, more significant releases.
Additional Comments: There sure are a lot of D-28 variants being manufactured by Martin these days with vintage designations. As the GE series has now been surpassed by the Authentic series, I am wondering what is next in store. Maybe another designation like Vintage Reference Standard + the year along with an even more exhorbitant price. Like the various Fender vintage re-issues, one should not expect replicas to become collectors items or even appreciate in value, at least during the course of a normal lifetime.
Name: Jason Windsor Date: August 14, 2007 Review: Martin D-28A Rating you give the Martin D28 Authentic: 2 - Did the job nothing special
Like about the Martin D-28 Authentic: The D-45 will always be the King of Martins so even CF Martin #4 should tread carefully here. All D-45s have a distinctive appearance that separates them from any other acoustic guitar. Calling something an authentic D-45 triggers additional scrutiny. I had an opportunity to demo one of these and while it sounded OK, it would also be safe to say that there were other D-28s variants that equaled or surpassed the D-28A's overall tone. $30,000 can buy a lot of other instruments and when the lesser priced models start sounding as good or better, Nazareth we have a problem.
Dislike about the Martin D28 Authentic: The price, the wood and the company-inspired hype-secrecy over the release of this model.
Additional Comments: First of all, it is a Martin so you can't really go wrong. On the other hand, considering the D-28A's hefty pricetag & in reference to all of the other fine D-28 models that have graced our musical palates to date, the much heralded (by the manufacturer) D-28A doesn't deliver a whole lot more in comparison when it comes to overall sound, visual aesthetics and value for the dollar. For a retro-inspired, pre-war D-28 the GE series pretty much covered the bases at a far more reasonable MAP. The Brazilian RW on the earlier D-28GEs was usually quite nice considering inventory limitations (although the later ones tended to pale in comparison). It appears what was left over became the tonewood components for this newer and costlier interpretation. It is somewhat reminiscent of the old Ford Granada television commercials of the late 1970s. Would an owner of an 'authentic' (circa 1930s) D-28 really confuse this newer replica with an actual Martin pre-war model? Unlikely, even if he was Jose Feliciano or Blind Lemon Jefferson. Creating a convincing pre-war D-18 replica was a success for Martin and they fared well with the 18V-18GE-18A. Attempting to do the same with a 28 was biting off more than they could chew as tonewood quality, visual scrutiny and value-added in terms of dollars and cents was bound to be questioned by the hordes of Martin enthusiasts. Creating something like a D-45 authentic would be even more ludicrous.
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