in my experience, the basic principle is that the lighter you brace a dreadnought, the more they adopt major pros and cons. The pros: they're less rigid, so the body moves more. this means the notes FLY out of them with less effort. If you play gently, the projection, sustain, and response blow a 28 away cons: because of the decreased rigidity, they've got less headroom. They become tubby, boomy, and unstable when you bang on them. The D-35 has less headroom than a 28, and an HD-35 has even less headroom still. They "break up" as it were, similar to clipping a speaker, when you send too much velocity through a top. In short, if you like to bang on cowboy chords really hard, go with a 28. If you have a medium technique with some finesse but dig in a little bit(that's me) go D-35, because with that technique I believe they sound a lot better than a 28. If you are a delicate player and do a lot of fingerstyle and gliding pick technique with chord melodies, go HD-35 because it sings like a piano when played that way.
@@firdausHITMAN scallops give more short term benefit because it makes a top that "hasn't opened up" move more. But yeah I'm sure that it becomes boomier over time as opposed to a more rigidly braced guitar with an open top. Then again I don't have first hand experience with this. I'm just guessing.
Among many other differences, I always think the treble gets slightly more tinkly-sounding on the scalloped braces, where as unscalloped the treble is a bit more fundamental. I'm not sure if that even makes sense.
I agree. I find the scalloped bracing tends to distort (make a kind of farting noise) the sound. Same thing happens on the HD28. I much prefer the more subdued separation of string tones on the traditional D35/D28. Ah....someday....it will be mine....oh yes...it will be mine :D
I have an HD-28 with scalloped braces, and am in love. I play with several local jam groups where I might be sharing rhythm duties with several other guitars, and when I lean into the HD, I can still be heard. Same with fills, tags, leads etc… if I need the guitar to really put out, it’s there for me. It should be noted that Martin recommends medium gauge strings max for their HD models, as the strain from heavies can distort the lighter bracing.
Thanks Paul and Quinton -- I love your reviews! Both these dreads sound awesome. I am drawn to the HD35, but I am a bit partial. I'm now going to go give my HD28 some love!
I wanted a Martin D 35 for decades…..my dream guitar! About 4 years ago, I could finally afford one, and I found a music store in Phoenix, Az that had a D 35, and also a HD 35. I played them both for hours, along with many others…..Guild, Taylor, Breedlove……I kept going back to the D, HD 35. I finally did a blind test with the D 35 and the HD 35, and came home with the HD 35. Both beautiful guitars, but for me, and my performance style, the fullness of the HD 35 won. I was recently told by a sound guy, running through a Meyer FOH system, that my guitar was one of the easiest acoustic guitars he had worked with for a long time. “You just plugged in, I set levels, tweeked the EQ just a little, and then just sat back and enjoyed the show!” BTW, I use a Fishman Matrix pickup, they work great!
I’m biased. I own an HD-35. But, I bought it for a reason. The Sound. I fell in love with the 3 piece back, but chose the HD vs the D for the sound. The Herringbone is just a nice bonus. I also tried the 28’s. The 35 has more bass and that was another reason. I’ve never played a 42 or a 45 but I find it hard to believe they could sound any better than the HD-35, they just look amazing. Even if they do sound better, I couldn’t justify the cost of a 42 or 45. I just bought a 000-15M to keep the house humble.
The D-35 has the direct sound and the HD-35 seems to be the moodier sound. Personally the D for me as you can manipulate the mood with your style but you can’t create the basic options easily with the HD.
Thank you guys for doing these videos they’ve been a big help to me in deciding which dreadnought Martin that I really want. I have a friend of mine who has a D 35 that I absolutely love but I think if I were to pick one I would go with the HD 35 just because it has More highs in the sound and to top it off it would be really great if it had a pick up in it
Just to give an update on my comment, I’m proud to say that I’m going to be the proud owner of an HD 35 come April… I can’t wait. This is gonna be so good. 2:13
@troy bagby So, did you get it and how do you like it? On the videos I've seen I like the sound of the HD-35 better and I think I might want one. The D-35's I've played always have an overabundance of bass so they seem a bit unbalanced sonically speaking. At the same time though, the HD-28's I've played were also way too bassy compared to the D-28. So, what do I know?!
@@dggydddy59 I love it! I even had a pick up installed on it. Probably the best guitar I have in my collection. That thing is as good as advertised by the guys on the acoustic letter video.
I'm a lefty, I depend on these demos. I can't go into a store and try out any guitar I want. They only have a squire strat in stock. But I decided on the HD-35L with the Ambertone finish. Would you believe it has to be made by the custom shop and won't be ready until the end of the year. They'll be making the 2020s by then.
dave miller I just bought a used lefty HD35 off Reverb...so they are out there...mine was a 2017. Check w Southpaw Guitars they have the best selection of Martins and Taylor’s and Gibson’s usually.
Thanks I've looked at all the good lefty cites mine is already paid for just waiting. I wanted the color on it so I wouldn't get the natural aging toner they put on them now. It yellows the top. So I'm waiting for the color. thanks. and keep rockin the Lefty's
Another BIG difference in the 35 series is the 1/4" bracing. I believe this is the only standard series Martin dreadnought with 1/4" bracing (vs 5/15" bracing). Also, the stiffer 3-piece back adds to the additional bass response!
Hello lads! I just ordered the D35 and am little more than a neophyte. I already have an Alvarez, an Epiphone and an Eko, all of excellent quality and medium-high price. I prefer the D 35 over the HD 35 for the more natural sound which is too much more open and colorful on the HD. Nonetheless, two excellent guitars. Great Martin & Company. The best brand. Taylor and Gibson aren't all bad either, but they're two notches below. 😬
The Alvarez brand from $1000 and up you have to try them to fall in love. Super value for money and a full-bodied and not too bright sound and I mean with the amplifier not in use.
I love hearing the "genuine" interpretive opinions on the sounds even if they are wrong/different to my earys it is more interesting and engaging than the trite ambiguous sales schtick that you usually hear . Great job!
So, did you think the HD had to much bass? If not, what made the decision? I’m getting ready to purchase one and have narrowed it down to the HD and D 35.
Todd W Whatever you decide, make sure you can get to play it and see how she sounds, feels and how well she was made, because not all Martin HD-35’s are equal. I bought an HD-35 back in 1989, and I love it! I bought it at Sam Ash in Forest Hills NYC, and I have played many since then in the different stores, and I haven’t played one that is as good as the one I have. Go around and play as many as you can until you find the one that does it for you. If you like more bass, then this is the one you’re looking for. When I picked up the one I bought at Sam Ash, I strummed it once and it was so vibrant, full and deep. I knew she was the one! I would suggest you buy a new Martin rather than used, because Martin offers a life time warranty on their new guitars, and even if she was never played and it’s from the this year, you won’t get the lifetime warranty if you’re not the original owner. You want that warranty, because Martin’s are built to last and their sound actually improves as time goes on, so it helps to have that warranty. The problems I’ve had with my HD-35 was it developed a crack that ran from the bridge to the lower edge of the top piece of wood. It probably happened because of sudden weather changes, causing the wood to expand and contract. I brought her to a luthier, and all it cost me was $25 for him to put new strings on and the price of the strings. He had to take the top piece of wood off to reinforce the crack, so it didn’t expand as time passed. His work has lasted a good 26 years. Sometimes I wish I had him replace the whole top piece of wood, but he asked me, did I like the way it sounded, and yes was the reply, so he told me, if I replace the top it could change the way she sounds, and I didn’t want to take the chance she would lose her beautiful voice. There is a trick to tuning strings so you get the best sound you can get. Make sure when you tune her that the notes on the A string-5th fret, are as vibrant as you can in relation to the other string and strings. the note on the 4th fret and D string should be vibrant not flat or too high. When you are done, slowly play each note and string, and make sure each string is vibrant in relation to the next string and overall tuning. Not the best instructions, but if you get what I am trying to say, it will make a big difference in the sound of your guitar! I bring the tuning issue up, because I was tuning it, I thought properly, but rarely, could I get my HD-35 to really sing, until I paid attention to the relationship of each string in relationship to the sound of the next tuning point. I discovered, after time, that doing this when I tune the guitar made it sound great! I should do a video on it. You may ask why such a big deal? Well, for years I was tuning her in a way where the overall vibrancy-sound of the guitar was not really the best and that slight adjustments make the guitar sound great! I apologize if this is overkill, it’s just something that made a big difference in the way she sounds. I wonder, did you sell your HD-35 because she never or rarely had the clean, full, vibrant sound? The. Bass seems to over power some of the other higher notes on the guitar, but if it’s tuned properly you won’t have a problem with the bass or the sound. The main point, don’t buy your guitar if you can’t get your hands on her and play her!! Play a few before you commit to buying her. I give the HD-35 a 9,5 out or 10. I’ll never sell her. She’s going to be 30 yrs old soon. Damn, where did all the time go!
D-35 has more bass. Have 1967, 2011,and 2023 D-35s the HD -35- 2021 I sold because there was no active thump for bass as two of the three D-35s had. The New D-35 also has this problem. I contribute this to the forward shifted bracing. However, the New R with the wider fret nut and board is louder and rings nicely. The Con side is that bass is still not as defined as the others but balanced. Have tried lowering action and use different strings sets, and it is the same. The R 2023 HD- 35 really amped that, and no matter what, simple Mod I had to sell it for recoding overtones were amped. The guitar is more than a good thing if that makes any sense. Reminds me of the bass on Gibsons for some odd hearing that I have. Hope this helps .
After playing a lot of Martin dreadnaughts, I really think the D-18 and the D-35 are the ones to buy. Only if you're super country or bluegrass should you go with the D-28.
@@sonoman9095 Actually I really recommend getting a 000-28, 000-18, or OM-28 if you are into fingerpicking but still want to be able to strum. Even smaller guitars like a 00-28 are even nicer for finger picking but don’t have much oomph when strumming. Personally my main guitar is an OM-28, and I think it’s much more versatile than a dreadnaught. Works well for both strumming and fingerpicking, and has a more balanced EQ. Plus it’s more comfortable thanks to the smaller body. Dreadnaught are bass heavy and are generally better for a flat pick than fingerpicking imo.
@@sonoman9095 (If I HAD to choose a dreadnaught for fingerpicking, though, I’d choose a D-18. Something about the mahogany sound is nice to my ears. Blues fingerpicking is fun on a D-18, for example.)
Thanks for this interesting comparison! I've watched several of your videos, and it's fun to hear the guitars demoed. I've always heard scalloped bracing produces a better sound, and I like it better here too: It sounds deeper and fuller without giving up any high freqs. I'm surprised Martin is "reimagining" its guitars this way -- experimenting with something as basic as scalloping. I would think after all this time, they would know what they prefer. The Martin website is beautiful but confusing; I find it very difficult to know just what is different on different guitars -- forward shifted, back shifted, scalloped, not scalloped, thicker bracing, thinner bracing, different woods for bracing. And this is with what I have always thought were their most popular models -- the dreadnoughts! I think this is going to confuse customers. Your comment is right: Confronted with all this confusion, all you can say is, "Play a bunch of guitars in the store and pick the one you like best." This gives me the impression Martin doesn't know what it's doing and doesn't have a clear idea of the sound it wants its instruments to make. This is particularly confusing to people buying used instruments: Now, to know what is available, they need to not only know the model of the guitar, they also need to know the position, scalloping, thickness, and kind of wood in the bracing. Martin should clearly provide these details for each model and explain why they built the guitar that way. As it is, it seems Martin is saying, "Oh, this year, we decided not to put scalloped bracing in the D-28 and see what happens." It sounds random. There is already enough natural variation in the sounds produced by different examples of the same model guitar! We don't need this additional randomness thrown in.
Really interesting! I'd kill for a Martin D-35 (as a matter of speech), but since I can't afford one and being extremely happy with my Gibson J-45, I'm looking for a cheaper alternative to function as a backup guitar. And now Gibson came with a remarkably inexpensive jumbo style guitar (the G-45 studio - €883,-). I have been listening to a couple of video's and the only one in which I thought the G-45 studio sounded really well to me was the one you did (5 guitars under $1000.- video). Then I found the Gibson J-15. Funny thing, the J-15 is almost identical to the G-45 studio. The biggest differences being that the J-15 has a maple neck instead of sipo (never heard of that before)... AND the J-15 has a scalloped bracing pattern, whilst the G-45 studio is non scalloped. I thought the J-15 sounded absolutely great and I assumed it must have had something to do with the scalloped bracing. However, the J-15, although not extremely expensive for a good acoustic, is still a lot more expensive than the G-45 studio (€883,- for the G-45 studio vs €1490,- for the J-15). Now, we all know that it's very hard to judge a guitar by the sound of a UA-cam video for multiple reasons. But from what I thought I learned listening to many video's of the two Gibsons, I was pretty sure in this particular video the HD-35 would sound much better than the D-35, even though the D-35 is off course a high end classic. So I was surprised to find out that I absolutely prefered the non scalloped D-35. I didn't expect that. So maybe there's hope for me. I mean, money is really a big issue for me. I would LOVE to see a comparison video of the two before mentioned Gibsons. There are actually three (!!!) other relatively cheap Gibson Jumbo guitars that all have more or less the same specs (all 5 of them spruce top and walnut back and sides). Amazing! A comparison video of all of those, would that be worth a try? :-)
I can't believe you actually mean the Em he's playing at 6:34, because it's just an Em. But if you mean the interesting chord he's doing at 6:38 though, that chord could have a few different names but the simplest way to think of it is D/G or a D major over a G bass. I see he's playing the D doing a Barre with his first finger and using his 2nd finger for the G bass but I always did it by playing a D like normal and using my thumb for the G bass note. Whichever way works best for you. Cheers!
not sure if you guys cares but if you're bored like me during the covid times then you can watch all of the new movies and series on instaflixxer. I've been watching with my gf lately =)
All the OMs and OOOs I see are scalloped bracing. Not clear why you wouldn’t want it on your dread? Unless the top is so large it doesn’t need it. Aren’t all Taylor’s scalloped? Seems like minimal differences to me... but guess I haven’t tried in person.
I tried to find it (or rather them, because Martin seem to have made two OM-35E's) on your page, but I couldn't. I'm wondering if the characteristic crispy, light, clear, harmonious sound has changed, and if it has then in what ways compared to its/their full acoustic predecessor.
I have to say the D wins over the HD what I bear e everytime is that the middle 2strings volume is. 1- Same as top 2 and. Bottom2 strings. 2- Not as high treble sounding, The hd is louder but the tone is higher. If this makes sence. That's what I bear I n every sisde. BY side
Funny how you two have absolutely no problem talking and playing over each other. It's like an old married couple discussing the grand children, lol. Are you two even friends? Haha.
D-35 for me but I still prefer Taylor over Martin guitars and yep I got both Taylor and Martin guitars and I prefer my 1980 D-28 over the D- 35 and even over the D-45 but my 914ce kills the Martin guitars as my 614ce 614ce Builders edition,814ceDLX v brace,816ce with out that ugly new sound hole they put in the new ones I don't know if they sound good or not but I don't want it even if it does ugly as all heck,K-24ce and a big little baby Taylor,I have seven Taylor guitars and my favorite Martin is 1980 D-28 I had three D-35s and had trouble with the binding coming off and my brother in law has two D-35s and binding came off his too.So I'm wondering if anyone else has or had that problem I had five D28s one a twelve string you had to be Sampson to fret it and iwasm happy with a D45 I had neither so I'm no longer a big fan of Martin guitars except this 1980 which I'll never part with ,And I keep my guitars humified at all times and take really extremely good care of them but when the binding came off three D-35s that was enough Martin guitars forme besides olive the playability and sound better than the Martin guitars,My 2015 614ce sounds a little bit better than the D-28 and everyone says the same thing.The 614ce builders edition is a beautiful sounding guitar just different from The 2015,614ce not better and not w of the just different it's hard to explain .And sorry my wife won't talk guitars with me says Everytime I talk guitars I go get a new one so I'm talking my head off hoping someone wants to talk guitars,Love all and any kind of guitars.
Real shame they put fretboard binding on the D-35 and HD-35, not sure why, Perhaps they think it's a 'deluxe option' or something. Thank goodness they haven't put that frivolity on the D-28 and HD-28.
I'm sure it probably was a deluxe option back in the day. Certainly 60 years ago all that plastic was considered deluxe! Pearloid, Boltaron.... etc... And I believe the D-45 had and has binding, so yeah, I suppose they thought, well, 35, needs some simple bling. I don't mind either way myself.
Get someone who can flat pick. You just made two great guitars sound like shit. Why are you misleading people? A d35 has always been 1/4 x bracing shifted. The HD 35 has the same bracing. Just forward shifted. Prewar bracing is shifted even more. So what is the improvement upgrade?
05:38 -> Start comparison.
in my experience, the basic principle is that the lighter you brace a dreadnought, the more they adopt major pros and cons.
The pros: they're less rigid, so the body moves more. this means the notes FLY out of them with less effort. If you play gently, the projection, sustain, and response blow a 28 away
cons: because of the decreased rigidity, they've got less headroom. They become tubby, boomy, and unstable when you bang on them. The D-35 has less headroom than a 28, and an HD-35 has even less headroom still. They "break up" as it were, similar to clipping a speaker, when you send too much velocity through a top.
In short, if you like to bang on cowboy chords really hard, go with a 28. If you have a medium technique with some finesse but dig in a little bit(that's me) go D-35, because with that technique I believe they sound a lot better than a 28. If you are a delicate player and do a lot of fingerstyle and gliding pick technique with chord melodies, go HD-35 because it sings like a piano when played that way.
great info, thanks. Ive heard non scalloped braced guitars will sound better with time compared to scalloped ones.
@@firdausHITMAN scallops give more short term benefit because it makes a top that "hasn't opened up" move more. But yeah I'm sure that it becomes boomier over time as opposed to a more rigidly braced guitar with an open top.
Then again I don't have first hand experience with this. I'm just guessing.
High quality, useful comment! 👏
@@firdausHITMAN Yes ! My ears lead me to D 35 in 42 years playing guitar
Probably the best summary of the practical differences between models 28/35/etc that I’ve come across
HD-35 sounds like a fricking cannon! LOVE IT!
Among many other differences, I always think the treble gets slightly more tinkly-sounding on the scalloped braces, where as unscalloped the treble is a bit more fundamental. I'm not sure if that even makes sense.
I prefer the non-scalloped.
I agree. I find the scalloped bracing tends to distort (make a kind of farting noise) the sound. Same thing happens on the HD28. I much prefer the more subdued separation of string tones on the traditional D35/D28. Ah....someday....it will be mine....oh yes...it will be mine :D
@@StephenPoirier its about to be mine...literally
Agreed
@@StephenPoirier I much appreciate the Wayne's World reference there 😄
I know you can't cover everything in these videos, but I always look forward to them. Good stuff.
I have an HD-28 with scalloped braces, and am in love. I play with several local jam groups where I might be sharing rhythm duties with several other guitars, and when I lean into the HD, I can still be heard. Same with fills, tags, leads etc… if I need the guitar to really put out, it’s there for me.
It should be noted that Martin recommends medium gauge strings max for their HD models, as the strain from heavies can distort the lighter bracing.
As explained to me, the higher action promotes string oscillation, which translates into more volume.
Thanks Paul and Quinton -- I love your reviews! Both these dreads sound awesome. I am drawn to the HD35, but I am a bit partial. I'm now going to go give my HD28 some love!
I wanted a Martin D 35 for decades…..my dream guitar! About 4 years ago, I could finally afford one, and I found a music store in Phoenix, Az that had a D 35, and also a HD 35. I played them both for hours, along with many others…..Guild, Taylor, Breedlove……I kept going back to the D, HD 35. I finally did a blind test with the D 35 and the HD 35, and came home with the HD 35. Both beautiful guitars, but for me, and my performance style, the fullness of the HD 35 won. I was recently told by a sound guy, running through a Meyer FOH system, that my guitar was one of the easiest acoustic guitars he had worked with for a long time. “You just plugged in, I set levels, tweeked the EQ just a little, and then just sat back and enjoyed the show!” BTW, I use a Fishman Matrix pickup, they work great!
Both great guitars but I chose the D 35 in sunburst.
Sunburst is nice
I’m biased. I own an HD-35. But, I bought it for a reason. The Sound. I fell in love with the 3 piece back, but chose the HD vs the D for the sound. The Herringbone is just a nice bonus.
I also tried the 28’s. The 35 has more bass and that was another reason.
I’ve never played a 42 or a 45 but I find it hard to believe they could sound any better than the HD-35, they just look amazing. Even if they do sound better, I couldn’t justify the cost of a 42 or 45.
I just bought a 000-15M to keep the house humble.
I was always wondering what the difference was between the Martin D and HD guitars so this video was informative.
The D-35 has the direct sound and the HD-35 seems to be the moodier sound. Personally the D for me as you can manipulate the mood with your style but you can’t create the basic options easily with the HD.
Tony Polecastro has always said one of his biggest regrets was selecting the HD-35 over the D-35. Good thing I made the right choice.
Why did he say that? Seems like I missed that and I would love to know why :)
@@johannesbartsch8734 I just like messing with Tony. I prefer the D-35 and he prefers the HD-35 and has not regretted it. He loves his HD-35.
Thank you guys for doing these videos they’ve been a big help to me in deciding which dreadnought Martin that I really want. I have a friend of mine who has a D 35 that I absolutely love but I think if I were to pick one I would go with the HD 35 just because it has More highs in the sound and to top it off it would be really great if it had a pick up in it
Just to give an update on my comment, I’m proud to say that I’m going to be the proud owner of an HD 35 come April… I can’t wait. This is gonna be so good.
2:13
@troy bagby So, did you get it and how do you like it? On the videos I've seen I like the sound of the HD-35 better and I think I might want one. The D-35's I've played always have an overabundance of bass so they seem a bit unbalanced sonically speaking. At the same time though, the HD-28's I've played were also way too bassy compared to the D-28. So, what do I know?!
@@dggydddy59 I love it! I even had a pick up installed on it. Probably the best guitar I have in my collection. That thing is as good as advertised by the guys on the acoustic letter video.
@troy bagby Cool! Good to know and thanks a lot for responding. Cheers!
I'm a lefty, I depend on these demos. I can't go into a store and try out any guitar I want. They only have a squire strat in stock. But I decided on the HD-35L with the Ambertone finish. Would you believe it has to be made by the custom shop and won't be ready until the end of the year. They'll be making the 2020s by then.
dave miller I just bought a used lefty HD35 off Reverb...so they are out there...mine was a 2017. Check w Southpaw Guitars they have the best selection of Martins and Taylor’s and Gibson’s usually.
Thanks I've looked at all the good lefty cites mine is already paid for just waiting. I wanted the color on it so I wouldn't get the natural aging toner they put on them now. It yellows the top. So I'm waiting for the color. thanks. and keep rockin the Lefty's
Another BIG difference in the 35 series is the 1/4" bracing. I believe this is the only standard series Martin dreadnought with 1/4" bracing (vs 5/15" bracing).
Also, the stiffer 3-piece back adds to the additional bass response!
Hello lads! I just ordered the D35 and am little more than a neophyte. I already have an Alvarez, an Epiphone and an Eko, all of excellent quality and medium-high price. I prefer the D 35 over the HD 35 for the more natural sound which is too much more open and colorful on the HD. Nonetheless, two excellent guitars. Great Martin & Company. The best brand. Taylor and Gibson aren't all bad either, but they're two notches below. 😬
Have you tried an Alvarez Yairi it’s a hugh difference .
The Alvarez brand from $1000 and up you have to try them to fall in love. Super value for money and a full-bodied and not too bright sound and I mean with the amplifier not in use.
Did they discontinue the HD 35v model... The one with the pre-war forward style bracing?
What a valid comparison! I loved the a-b..a-b… quick compares! Thanks. Both fine guitars.
I love hearing the "genuine" interpretive opinions on the sounds even if they are wrong/different to my earys it is more interesting and engaging than the trite ambiguous sales schtick that you usually hear . Great job!
HD 35 all the way, don't fool yourself, this is probably the best straight rosewood dread out there.
Used to own a HD-35, sold it for a D-35 and have not looked back. Both great, just preferred more bass on the 35
So, did you think the HD had to much bass? If not, what made the decision? I’m getting ready to purchase one and have narrowed it down to the HD and D 35.
Todd W
Whatever you decide, make sure you can get to play it and see how she sounds, feels and how well she was made, because not all Martin HD-35’s are equal. I bought an HD-35 back in 1989, and I love it! I bought it at Sam Ash in Forest Hills NYC, and I have played many since then in the different stores, and I haven’t played one that is as good as the one I have. Go around and play as many as you can until you find the one that does it for you.
If you like more bass, then this is the one you’re looking for.
When I picked up the one I bought at Sam Ash, I strummed it once and it was so vibrant, full and deep. I knew she was the one!
I would suggest you buy a new Martin rather than used, because Martin offers a life time warranty on their new guitars, and even if she was never played and it’s from the this year, you won’t get the lifetime warranty if you’re not the original owner.
You want that warranty, because Martin’s are built to last and their sound actually improves as time goes on, so it helps to have that warranty. The problems I’ve had with my HD-35 was it developed a crack that ran from the bridge to the lower edge of the top piece of wood. It probably happened because of sudden weather changes, causing the wood to expand and contract. I brought her to a luthier, and all it cost me was $25 for him to put new strings on and the price of the strings.
He had to take the top piece of wood off to reinforce the crack, so it didn’t expand as time passed. His work has lasted a good 26 years. Sometimes I wish I had him replace the whole top piece of wood, but he asked me, did I like the way it sounded, and yes was the reply, so he told me, if I replace the top it could change the way she sounds, and I didn’t want to take the chance she would lose her beautiful voice.
There is a trick to tuning strings so you get the best sound you can get. Make sure when you tune her that the notes on the A string-5th fret, are as vibrant as you can in relation to the other string and strings. the note on the 4th fret and D string should be vibrant not flat or too high. When you are done, slowly play each note and string, and make sure each string is vibrant in relation to the next string and overall tuning.
Not the best instructions, but if you get what I am trying to say, it will make a big difference in the sound of your guitar!
I bring the tuning issue up, because I was tuning it, I thought properly, but rarely, could I get my HD-35 to really sing, until I paid attention to the relationship of each string in relationship to the sound of the next tuning point. I discovered, after time, that doing this when I tune the guitar made it sound great! I should do a video on it. You may ask why such a big deal? Well, for years I was tuning her in a way where the overall vibrancy-sound of the guitar was not really the best and that slight adjustments make the guitar sound great!
I apologize if this is overkill, it’s just something that made a big difference in the way she sounds.
I wonder, did you sell your HD-35 because she never or rarely had the clean, full, vibrant sound? The. Bass seems to over power some of the other higher notes on the guitar, but if it’s tuned properly you won’t have a problem with the bass or the sound.
The main point, don’t buy your guitar if you can’t get your hands on her and play her!! Play a few before you commit to buying her. I give the HD-35 a 9,5 out or 10. I’ll never sell her. She’s going to be 30 yrs old soon. Damn, where did all the time go!
More bass? The d35 has less deep tone.
Maybe I've damaged my ears over the years, but the D35 sounds more bass-y to me as well.
D-35 has more bass. Have 1967, 2011,and 2023 D-35s the HD -35- 2021 I sold because there was no active thump for bass as two of the three D-35s had. The New D-35 also has this problem. I contribute this to the forward shifted bracing. However, the New R with the wider fret nut and board is louder and rings nicely. The Con side is that bass is still not as defined as the others but balanced. Have tried lowering action and use different strings sets, and it is the same. The R 2023 HD- 35 really amped that, and no matter what, simple Mod I had to sell it for recoding overtones were amped. The guitar is more than a good thing if that makes any sense. Reminds me of the bass on Gibsons for some odd hearing that I have. Hope this helps .
Well that settles it, I'm definitely tone deaf, I can't tell the difference between the two.
After playing a lot of Martin dreadnaughts, I really think the D-18 and the D-35 are the ones to buy. Only if you're super country or bluegrass should you go with the D-28.
I play country and bluegrass and have a hd28 but I'm also thinking of getting a d35. Cash also played a d35 and he was country
what is the best option if want to play fingerpicking? D 18, D28 or D35? Thanks.
@@sonoman9095 Actually I really recommend getting a 000-28, 000-18, or OM-28 if you are into fingerpicking but still want to be able to strum. Even smaller guitars like a 00-28 are even nicer for finger picking but don’t have much oomph when strumming.
Personally my main guitar is an OM-28, and I think it’s much more versatile than a dreadnaught. Works well for both strumming and fingerpicking, and has a more balanced EQ. Plus it’s more comfortable thanks to the smaller body. Dreadnaught are bass heavy and are generally better for a flat pick than fingerpicking imo.
@@sonoman9095 (If I HAD to choose a dreadnaught for fingerpicking, though, I’d choose a D-18. Something about the mahogany sound is nice to my ears. Blues fingerpicking is fun on a D-18, for example.)
@@Tzadeck Thanks, I'll try the D-18.
Thanks for this interesting comparison! I've watched several of your videos, and it's fun to hear the guitars demoed. I've always heard scalloped bracing produces a better sound, and I like it better here too: It sounds deeper and fuller without giving up any high freqs. I'm surprised Martin is "reimagining" its guitars this way -- experimenting with something as basic as scalloping. I would think after all this time, they would know what they prefer. The Martin website is beautiful but confusing; I find it very difficult to know just what is different on different guitars -- forward shifted, back shifted, scalloped, not scalloped, thicker bracing, thinner bracing, different woods for bracing. And this is with what I have always thought were their most popular models -- the dreadnoughts! I think this is going to confuse customers. Your comment is right: Confronted with all this confusion, all you can say is, "Play a bunch of guitars in the store and pick the one you like best." This gives me the impression Martin doesn't know what it's doing and doesn't have a clear idea of the sound it wants its instruments to make. This is particularly confusing to people buying used instruments: Now, to know what is available, they need to not only know the model of the guitar, they also need to know the position, scalloping, thickness, and kind of wood in the bracing. Martin should clearly provide these details for each model and explain why they built the guitar that way. As it is, it seems Martin is saying, "Oh, this year, we decided not to put scalloped bracing in the D-28 and see what happens." It sounds random. There is already enough natural variation in the sounds produced by different examples of the same model guitar! We don't need this additional randomness thrown in.
The re-imagining was the forward-shifted bracing: the scalloping on herringbone guitars has been there for a long time.
Really interesting! I'd kill for a Martin D-35 (as a matter of speech), but since I can't afford one and being extremely happy with my Gibson J-45, I'm looking for a cheaper alternative to function as a backup guitar. And now Gibson came with a remarkably inexpensive jumbo style guitar (the G-45 studio - €883,-). I have been listening to a couple of video's and the only one in which I thought the G-45 studio sounded really well to me was the one you did (5 guitars under $1000.- video).
Then I found the Gibson J-15. Funny thing, the J-15 is almost identical to the G-45 studio. The biggest differences being that the J-15 has a maple neck instead of sipo (never heard of that before)... AND the J-15 has a scalloped bracing pattern, whilst the G-45 studio is non scalloped. I thought the J-15 sounded absolutely great and I assumed it must have had something to do with the scalloped bracing. However, the J-15, although not extremely expensive for a good acoustic, is still a lot more expensive than the G-45 studio (€883,- for the G-45 studio vs €1490,- for the J-15).
Now, we all know that it's very hard to judge a guitar by the sound of a UA-cam video for multiple reasons. But from what I thought I learned listening to many video's of the two Gibsons, I was pretty sure in this particular video the HD-35 would sound much better than the D-35, even though the D-35 is off course a high end classic. So I was surprised to find out that I absolutely prefered the non scalloped D-35. I didn't expect that.
So maybe there's hope for me. I mean, money is really a big issue for me. I would LOVE to see a comparison video of the two before mentioned Gibsons. There are actually three (!!!) other relatively cheap Gibson Jumbo guitars that all have more or less the same specs (all 5 of them spruce top and walnut back and sides). Amazing!
A comparison video of all of those, would that be worth a try? :-)
I loved the sound of the cord he played at 6:34. If anyone knows the name of that cord please tell me. have wonderful day :)
I can't believe you actually mean the Em he's playing at 6:34, because it's just an Em. But if you mean the interesting chord he's doing at 6:38 though, that chord could have a few different names but the simplest way to think of it is D/G or a D major over a G bass. I see he's playing the D doing a Barre with his first finger and using his 2nd finger for the G bass but I always did it by playing a D like normal and using my thumb for the G bass note. Whichever way works best for you. Cheers!
scallop adds chime and shimmer....I almost think none of the Ds needed to be forward shifted due to all the bass they have.
not sure if you guys cares but if you're bored like me during the covid times then you can watch all of the new movies and series on instaflixxer. I've been watching with my gf lately =)
@Messiah Theo yea, have been watching on InstaFlixxer for years myself :D
All the OMs and OOOs I see are scalloped bracing. Not clear why you wouldn’t want it on your dread? Unless the top is so large it doesn’t need it. Aren’t all Taylor’s scalloped? Seems like minimal differences to me... but guess I haven’t tried in person.
I’ve got a 2013 D-35, action has always been high to some,but that same “some”does not want to DRIVE it!
I’m guessing when you play a “loud” guitar if you want it to give you its best tone you need to strum harder, hence the higher action
Best guitar ever made
I liked the D-35 over the HD… sound appeals to me more.
Very nice comparison.
D-35 Win :)
Hey Letter Folks, I would like if you made a video with the new reimagined Martin OM-35E.
I don't believe we've done that one yet.
I tried to find it (or rather them, because Martin seem to have made two OM-35E's) on your page, but I couldn't. I'm wondering if the characteristic crispy, light, clear, harmonious sound has changed, and if it has then in what ways compared to its/their full acoustic predecessor.
Acoustic Letter, will you make a video with the OM-35E?
i actually think one or two strings on the HD was out of tune
In a band setting I take the D guitar all day. Great bass for hard driving rhythm . If I was playing fiddle tunes or singing solo, I'd use the HD.
HD has more bass and volume. So if you like more bass. Then you want the HD
My man Quinton nailed it as always!!!! Any chance to see the D28 vs the HD28 in the future?
Good idea, we will work on that!
I love the D35 😉
Martin D-35 for me.
i want one so bad :( sold mine for my tuition fee damn
Been there bro. Zzounds gave me the opportunity to get another high end yairi tho. Sweetwater is good too. 69 bucks a month for a d35 ambertone
D-35!!!!!
I have to say the D wins over the HD what I bear e everytime is that the middle 2strings volume is.
1- Same as top 2 and. Bottom2 strings.
2- Not as high treble sounding,
The hd is louder but the tone is higher. If this makes sence. That's what I bear I n every sisde. BY side
Always liked the D-35 over the HD. Something about the mids just doesn't sit as right.
D35 sounds better
Totally agree man
warmer on d35 cooler on hd35
Ya didn't give me that D chord man. It didn't resolve and I'm freakin' out!
yes he did lol
Funny how you two have absolutely no problem talking and playing over each other. It's like an old married couple discussing the grand children, lol. Are you two even friends? Haha.
You better set white balance to manual.
The HD has more in it.
Especially if you hit it whit a bit of... authority 🙈
AND it looks better 😶
I can hear a major difference actually
explain
Please.
HD more trebly!! Richer sound in the D
D-35 for me but I still prefer Taylor over Martin guitars and yep I got both Taylor and Martin guitars and I prefer my 1980 D-28 over the D- 35 and even over the D-45 but my 914ce kills the Martin guitars as my 614ce 614ce Builders edition,814ceDLX v brace,816ce with out that ugly new sound hole they put in the new ones I don't know if they sound good or not but I don't want it even if it does ugly as all heck,K-24ce and a big little baby Taylor,I have seven Taylor guitars and my favorite Martin is 1980 D-28 I had three D-35s and had trouble with the binding coming off and my brother in law has two D-35s and binding came off his too.So I'm wondering if anyone else has or had that problem I had five D28s one a twelve string you had to be Sampson to fret it and iwasm happy with a D45 I had neither so I'm no longer a big fan of Martin guitars except this 1980 which I'll never part with ,And I keep my guitars humified at all times and take really extremely good care of them but when the binding came off three D-35s that was enough Martin guitars forme besides olive the playability and sound better than the Martin guitars,My 2015 614ce sounds a little bit better than the D-28 and everyone says the same thing.The 614ce builders edition is a beautiful sounding guitar just different from The 2015,614ce not better and not w of the just different it's hard to explain .And sorry my wife won't talk guitars with me says Everytime I talk guitars I go get a new one so I'm talking my head off hoping someone wants to talk guitars,Love all and any kind of guitars.
Well I always heard the d35 was the regular and hd35 was for homosexual.
Is that not what the h represents?
HD 35 out of tune
Troppe parole e poche note...peccato
Oh look another Martin
Real shame they put fretboard binding on the D-35 and HD-35, not sure why, Perhaps they think it's a 'deluxe option' or something.
Thank goodness they haven't put that frivolity on the D-28 and HD-28.
How IDIOTIC is that?!?
Well, it's been like that since the D-35 was released back in the '70s or whenever it was. It's a little late to change now.
Jesse Watson I said nothing about changing it now, and I am aware how long Martin have done it
I'm sure it probably was a deluxe option back in the day. Certainly 60 years ago all that plastic was considered deluxe! Pearloid, Boltaron.... etc... And I believe the D-45 had and has binding, so yeah, I suppose they thought, well, 35, needs some simple bling. I don't mind either way myself.
I like the white binding on the HD35. It looks more dressed up and tuxedo-ish.
Get someone who can flat pick. You just made two great guitars sound like shit. Why are you misleading people? A d35 has always been 1/4 x bracing shifted. The HD 35 has the same bracing. Just forward shifted. Prewar bracing is shifted even more. So what is the improvement upgrade?
And scalloped*
My 1973 Yamaha FG-200 sounds better than both of these guitars.
im sure...asswhipe
3 Card Monty Further proof that tone is subjective.
3 Card Monty totally get it Bro.
I own and love Yamaha guitars but I hope you were joking that an FG-200 sounds better than a D-35 or D-28 for that matter
My butt-flute sounds way better than all three playing different chords at the same time!