I've been watching uou guys for years now. I just wanna give you 2 and the crew prop's. It's been cool watching y'all develop into what you are today!!!! A pleasure to watch.
The comment on bracing that Quinton makes is spot -on, someone needs to do a video walking through each of the different bracing styles/types to explain what it all means and why it matters to the ear and player
Great info and opinions! Martin out thinks itself continuously...what happens when the Marketing Department makes the decisions and the guitar makers do not?...this.
Bought my first Martin in 1972. It was a D-28. It came with a beautiful hard case and cost me $495. I traded a Framus Texan with custom fretboard inlays I had done and got about $150 toward the trade. I kept the Martin for less than two years and then traded it for a 1964 Martin D-28SW and kept that one until about 12 years ago. Martin is it for me.
28s had scalloped bracing for a long time. In fact, the 28s made during the "Golden Era" had scalloped bracing, hence the name. You could argue that a non-scalloped D-28 isn't a "real" D-28. I have one so I don't make that argument ha.
This makes the „old“ Standard a keeper if they really changed the bracing. The non scalloped D28 is a superb guitar and not boomy at all. The same what makes the D35 so great and the HD35 a sleeper in the shelf.
Reviewing the specs on Martin's website, it really looks like the only difference between D28 and HD28 are cosmetic (which is not unimportant, after all that's what basically separates the HD28 from the D41). I think this may be a cost saving move - if Martin only uses one kind of bracing, it will simplify production. And why not settle on the one pattern that typically gets requested - Golden Era style!
Glad I bought my 2024 HD-28 when I did. Nothing wrong with these really, but this is nothing more than a mild refresh with a price bump. I also think they should have non-scalloped bracing in the lineup somewhere because there is a place for that.
I would LOVE IT if the other new Martin Standard Series guitar they introduce next Monday was a D-21 - with (wait for it) NON-SCALLOPED BRACING!!! That would be a cool addition. BUT - there still needs to be something *more* to distinguish the HD-28...
I’m surprised they scalloped the bracing on the D28. I’ve used both for sessions in Nashville before I retired. The non-scalloped 28 recorded a little better; more direct if it was close mic’d. The HD which I love and still have, recorded nicely if a more rounded tone was needed. Usually the mic wasn’t right up to the sound hole. I liked having both for different applications. As a purist, I’m sorry they decided to scallop it. I do like the other new features. As I write this, I just happen to be wearing a Music Villa t-shirt. From Chicago, Mike B.
Paul, three minutes in you finally figured out what's wrong with this new Martin D-28. If it's going to be a version of a D-28 with round dot inlays on the fingerboard, and NO Herringbone then it needs to be straight-braced...not scalloped-braced. Otherwise, what's the point of a HD-28? I'm still very glad that I bought a D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged (39AA) from Music Villa back in April of 2021. That 39AA gets played every day. Great video about a confusing new guitar!
They should take a hint from Gibson and add a little thickness to those necks. Going to all these vintage specs calls for a more vintage neck shape. Start at around .86 thickness would be much more comfortable
I’ve watched all of the videos reviewing the new standard series Martins and one thing is clear: Nobody has any idea what “Golden Era bracing” is. 😅 I’m really glad the D28 has finally gotten scalloped bracing, but I have no idea what the difference is between GE scalloped bracing and regular scalloped bracing. Is GE bracing just bracing that Martin takes the time to do right?
@ Thank you. If they simply pattern the scalloping based on a measurement of a vintage guitar or something, and try to replicate that, I think it’s more of a sales gimmick. If the top gets EQ’d properly with a pre determined scallop cut, it was just luck. But any scalloping should help with the D28 muddiness.
@@richardstones6445 the proof is in the pudding. Line up several standards next to ones with GE bracing and you’ll hear the difference. Martin has always built to a predetermined spec they never optimize for specific guitars. I don’t know the process by which they arrived at their bracing spec.
@@jmdbb Agreed. There is just no way they could spend the time given the volume they produce. The standard cut they use gets them very close to optimal. My Modern Deluxe has a great voicing. I suppose someone like Dana Bourgeois would try refine it a bit, but I doubt I would be able to hear much of a difference when he was done.
Should have put the herringbone on this guitar and called it a D28 original. God, this gets confusing, but hey-ho, this guitar sounds great without the boom often attributed to an HD28!
Bought an HD 28 last year - buyer beware. 3300.00 is too much money for such poor quality. Mine needed a neck reset after the heel came loose after 3 mos of humidity controlled ownership. Factory performed the repair under warranty but now my fretboard is like a rollercoaster- very disappointed.
I hope I'm wrong but it seems that in recent years, made in America guitars are going down in quality while made in China guitars like Eastman and Hsienmo are going up in quaility (while being a fraction of the price). The west is stuck in complacency while the east has something to prove.
And this is something I’ll never understand🤦🏻♂️, they are THE history in acoustic guitars, they ask LOTS of money for serial/partially CNC machined product, they have the market, tons of fans… what more can I say? The QUALITY should be first place!!! But exactly as Gibson, they absolutely don’t care about it… I own a SJ200, a LP custom and a standard, I precisely what I’m talkin’ about, ‘cause I have a Lowden also🤷🏻♂️
I used to have a OM28 from 2014 that I sent their customer shop for a neck reset. It came back with such a bad finish in the wood on the heel I was really disappointed. Like the non polished neck against the polished body was barely in contact, full of small splinters all along, as they forgot to clean sand the heel line before gluing and putting into place. 6 months and lots of money for that poor job.
According to the Martin website, the only difference between the 2025 D28 and hd28 is the herringbone. Both have 5/16 forward shifted scalloped bracing.
So...what's up, guys? The guitar you showed us (in the video) doesn't have the long dart behind the headstock - and the nut isn't "on angle," it's flat. Did someone slip you guys the old D-28? Also - does the HD-28 have snowflakes on the fretboard (as one more cosmetic difference from the D-28)?
Every Music Villa Martin Custom Shop guitar I've played had Golden Era bracing, plus a few other things. Definitely changes the guitar voice for the better. Changing the string pins to bone makes a difference as well. Thanks, Quinton and Paul.
This D28 sounds a lot better than the previous D28. I don't like the boxy, low resonance, almost banjo sound of the previous version. That sound only makes sense in a bluegrass band.
Dearest lord.... this is getting ridiculous, much like washing powder adds telling us it's the best ever, gets your whites whiter than ever..... Would they just make a guitar the best way they can, stick to it please 🙏 I mean are they saying last year's model isn't very good so they changed it ......
It makes absolutely no sense for the D-28 to have scalloped bracing. My favorite Martin is the D-28 and luckily I have a beautiful custom shop one already, so I'm good for life but it is sad to see it go away...
Very overpriced unfortunately, like all American brands in The Netherlands. 2700 euro for a J45, 4000 for a Hummingbird, 2500 for a Martin 00015sm (with plastic tuners..), 3500 for all Martin 18 series, 4300 for a HD28. If the quality control was as high as their prices, fair enough, but i'm not buying a new lifelong guitar at premium prices with all these horror stories while they keep making their flawed products more expensive. It's ridiculous. Really like the channel though. 👍
I’m a big Martin fan. I presently own two models but have owned at least 10 others in my 60 years of playing. But I am not sure all of these changes are beneficial. Thinner fingerboards? Not sure I like that. Thank you for your videos.
I smell some snake oil here.. A little marketing hype to raise the price while cutting corners.. Thinner fingerboard ,rolled neck shoulders ,not to clear on the bracing, is it forward shifted and scalloped? Are they using mahogany for the neck ? Or select hardwood? I really don't see nothing but a few cosmetic things if you want to call them upgrades It's in the sound in the end. Keep messing with an already proven design is not the way in my opinion.. I am a Martin lover 3rd generation lover grandfather father and myself always had martins , even tho so many companies have copied and tried to make a better mouse trap with no success.. It is in the name and craftsmanship sounds like they are competing with themselves Leave the legend alone.. Do you want extra bells and whistles go to the custom shop. Just my opinion
I've been watching uou guys for years now. I just wanna give you 2 and the crew prop's. It's been cool watching y'all develop into what you are today!!!! A pleasure to watch.
The comment on bracing that Quinton makes is spot -on, someone needs to do a video walking through each of the different bracing styles/types to explain what it all means and why it matters to the ear and player
Looks like a move in the right direction to me Martin instead of making the standard series new, they made it old, I dig it!
Great info and opinions! Martin out thinks itself continuously...what happens when the Marketing Department makes the decisions and the guitar makers do not?...this.
Bought my first Martin in 1972. It was a D-28. It came with a beautiful hard case and cost me $495. I traded a Framus Texan with custom fretboard inlays I had done and got about $150 toward the trade. I kept the Martin for less than two years and then traded it for a 1964 Martin D-28SW and kept that one until about 12 years ago. Martin is it for me.
Loved Quintons G Major riffing at the end. That was awesome! The new D-28 sounds great. More impressive than the 2018- 2024 reimagined IMO.
Martin confirms that they are still building great sounding guitars !
Totally agree on the D-28. What is Martin thinking on that one?
28s had scalloped bracing for a long time. In fact, the 28s made during the "Golden Era" had scalloped bracing, hence the name. You could argue that a non-scalloped D-28 isn't a "real" D-28. I have one so I don't make that argument ha.
This makes the „old“ Standard a keeper if they really changed the bracing. The non scalloped D28 is a superb guitar and not boomy at all. The same what makes the D35 so great and the HD35 a sleeper in the shelf.
To me all D-28s sound DEAD. I love the HD-35. Maybe it's because I'm a picker, not a strummer and I like overtones.
Reviewing the specs on Martin's website, it really looks like the only difference between D28 and HD28 are cosmetic (which is not unimportant, after all that's what basically separates the HD28 from the D41). I think this may be a cost saving move - if Martin only uses one kind of bracing, it will simplify production. And why not settle on the one pattern that typically gets requested - Golden Era style!
Glad I bought my 2024 HD-28 when I did. Nothing wrong with these really, but this is nothing more than a mild refresh with a price bump. I also think they should have non-scalloped bracing in the lineup somewhere because there is a place for that.
I had a 1980 HD. It was great. I’m guessing the new HD might have maple binding as a step up.
I would LOVE IT if the other new Martin Standard Series guitar they introduce next Monday was a D-21 - with (wait for it) NON-SCALLOPED BRACING!!! That would be a cool addition. BUT - there still needs to be something *more* to distinguish the HD-28...
Put a camera in the sound hole and show us the bracing
I’m surprised they scalloped the bracing on the D28. I’ve used both for sessions in Nashville before I retired. The non-scalloped 28 recorded a little better; more direct if it was close mic’d. The HD which I love and still have, recorded nicely if a more rounded tone was needed. Usually the mic wasn’t right up to the sound hole. I liked having both for different applications. As a purist, I’m sorry they decided to scallop it. I do like the other new features. As I write this, I just happen to be wearing a Music Villa t-shirt. From Chicago, Mike B.
Paul, three minutes in you finally figured out what's wrong with this new Martin D-28. If it's going to be a version of a D-28 with round dot inlays on the fingerboard, and NO Herringbone then it needs to be straight-braced...not scalloped-braced. Otherwise, what's the point of a HD-28? I'm still very glad that I bought a D-18 Authentic 1939 Aged (39AA) from Music Villa back in April of 2021. That 39AA gets played every day. Great video about a confusing new guitar!
They should take a hint from Gibson and add a little thickness to those necks. Going to all these vintage specs calls for a more vintage neck shape. Start at around .86 thickness would be much more comfortable
I’ve watched all of the videos reviewing the new standard series Martins and one thing is clear: Nobody has any idea what “Golden Era bracing” is. 😅 I’m really glad the D28 has finally gotten scalloped bracing, but I have no idea what the difference is between GE scalloped bracing and regular scalloped bracing. Is GE bracing just bracing that Martin takes the time to do right?
It's scalloped more deeply than standard and the scalloping starts closer to the X brace. Also the bridge plate is smaller.
@ Thank you. If they simply pattern the scalloping based on a measurement of a vintage guitar or something, and try to replicate that, I think it’s more of a sales gimmick. If the top gets EQ’d properly with a pre determined scallop cut, it was just luck. But any scalloping should help with the D28 muddiness.
@@richardstones6445 the proof is in the pudding. Line up several standards next to ones with GE bracing and you’ll hear the difference. Martin has always built to a predetermined spec they never optimize for specific guitars. I don’t know the process by which they arrived at their bracing spec.
@@jmdbb Agreed. There is just no way they could spend the time given the volume they produce. The standard cut they use gets them very close to optimal. My Modern Deluxe has a great voicing. I suppose someone like Dana Bourgeois would try refine it a bit, but I doubt I would be able to hear much of a difference when he was done.
HD becomes the non-scalloped lol
Good video, God bless you!
Still I want one so i can hear the difference between it and 2022 model 😜😍
Should have put the herringbone on this guitar and called it a D28 original. God, this gets confusing, but hey-ho, this guitar sounds great without the boom often attributed to an HD28!
Bought an HD 28 last year - buyer beware. 3300.00 is too much money for such poor quality. Mine needed a neck reset after the heel came loose after 3 mos of humidity controlled ownership. Factory performed the repair under warranty but now my fretboard is like a rollercoaster- very disappointed.
insist on a replacement from the store or Martin
Sure it did.
I hope I'm wrong but it seems that in recent years, made in America guitars are going down in quality while made in China guitars like Eastman and Hsienmo are going up in quaility (while being a fraction of the price). The west is stuck in complacency while the east has something to prove.
And this is something I’ll never understand🤦🏻♂️, they are THE history in acoustic guitars, they ask LOTS of money for serial/partially CNC machined product, they have the market, tons of fans… what more can I say? The QUALITY should be first place!!! But exactly as Gibson, they absolutely don’t care about it… I own a SJ200, a LP custom and a standard, I precisely what I’m talkin’ about, ‘cause I have a Lowden also🤷🏻♂️
I used to have a OM28 from 2014 that I sent their customer shop for a neck reset. It came back with such a bad finish in the wood on the heel I was really disappointed. Like the non polished neck against the polished body was barely in contact, full of small splinters all along, as they forgot to clean sand the heel line before gluing and putting into place. 6 months and lots of money for that poor job.
HD 28 has forward shifted bracing
According to Martin's website, bothe the d28 and the hd28 have forward shifted scalloped bracing.
According to the Martin website, the only difference between the 2025 D28 and hd28 is the herringbone. Both have 5/16 forward shifted scalloped bracing.
@@philcottone2247cool… thanks
So...what's up, guys? The guitar you showed us (in the video) doesn't have the long dart behind the headstock - and the nut isn't "on angle," it's flat. Did someone slip you guys the old D-28?
Also - does the HD-28 have snowflakes on the fretboard (as one more cosmetic difference from the D-28)?
Every Music Villa Martin Custom Shop guitar I've played had Golden Era bracing, plus a few other things. Definitely changes the guitar voice for the better. Changing the string pins to bone makes a difference as well. Thanks, Quinton and Paul.
No they haven’t.
@qinghai1 ? The Custom Shop ones I've played did.
@@texhaines9957I don’t think you’re sure about that.
The lightest bracing Martin uses is the authentic bracing. The golden era bracing was lightest before the authentics came around.
This D28 sounds a lot better than the previous D28. I don't like the boxy, low resonance, almost banjo sound of the previous version. That sound only makes sense in a bluegrass band.
Dearest lord.... this is getting ridiculous, much like washing powder adds telling us it's the best ever, gets your whites whiter than ever.....
Would they just make a guitar the best way they can, stick to it please 🙏 I mean are they saying last year's model isn't very good so they changed it ......
It's a 28, not a 28, but a 28..
❤
D-28s all had scalloped bracing during the Golden Era so this is just a return to the original design.
It makes absolutely no sense for the D-28 to have scalloped bracing. My favorite Martin is the D-28 and luckily I have a beautiful custom shop one already, so I'm good for life but it is sad to see it go away...
Very overpriced unfortunately, like all American brands in The Netherlands. 2700 euro for a J45, 4000 for a Hummingbird, 2500 for a Martin 00015sm (with plastic tuners..), 3500 for all Martin 18 series, 4300 for a HD28.
If the quality control was as high as their prices, fair enough, but i'm not buying a new lifelong guitar at premium prices with all these horror stories while they keep making their flawed products more expensive. It's ridiculous.
Really like the channel though. 👍
I’m a big Martin fan. I presently own two models but have owned at least 10 others in my 60 years of playing. But I am not sure all of these changes are beneficial. Thinner fingerboards? Not sure I like that.
Thank you for your videos.
Wern't they scalloped "back in the day"? All the old D28s I've seen and played were scalloped.
I smell some snake oil here..
A little marketing hype to raise the price while cutting corners..
Thinner fingerboard ,rolled neck shoulders ,not to clear on the bracing, is it forward shifted and scalloped?
Are they using mahogany for the neck ? Or select hardwood?
I really don't see nothing but a few cosmetic things if you want to call them upgrades
It's in the sound in the end.
Keep messing with an already proven design is not the way in my opinion..
I am a Martin lover 3rd generation lover grandfather father and myself always had martins , even tho so many companies have copied and tried to make a better mouse trap with no success..
It is in the name and craftsmanship sounds like they are competing with themselves
Leave the legend alone..
Do you want extra bells and whistles go to the custom shop.
Just my opinion
Well, if it ain't the internets biggest pair of guitar snobs. Nothing less than a D28 will do for this pair