Compare Martin's D35/D28/HD28 (Help)

[bopanic]

was wondering if i could get some feedback on these 3 different martin's.

ive always been a taylor guy, owning 4 taylors and of course an american strat. (got to love fender)

anyways, i know lots of you play these martin's since they are the most popular martin's out there. im leaning towards the d35 i like the deep tone and you got to love that 3 tone back.

but ive heard amazing things about the hd28 and whats the difference in the d28?

any feedback and info would be appreciated! im looking at buying a martin in the next couple of weeks to use for work on an ep... and just thought id ask around here before buying!

thanks ahead of time!
~bo

oh here is a pricing list i put together from musicians friend and list price.
maybe you all could discuss $$$ as well as value?

d28 - 1999.99 MF
2749.00 list

hd28 - 2399.99 MF
3199.00 list

d35 - 2099.99 MF
2849.00 list

[bopanic]

nobody owns/plays one of these martins? wow...:cool

[dmb66]

I know people on the boards have all these guitars, I wish I did and could help you out (cough tdowe cough)...

[ZaqDiesel]

to the best of my knowledge, the difference between the d28 and the d35 is a matter of quality of the wood and the 3 piece back on the d35. the exact differences you can find on the martin website (www.mguitar.com). as far as the HD28 goes, you get the herringbone binding as well as some bracing adjustments vs the d28. as always, the best way to really tell the difference is to go and play all 3 side by side, and have somebody else play them for you. good luck.

[tdowe99]

I know people on the boards have all these guitars, I wish I did and could help you out (cough tdowe cough)...
:lol I was stuck at work, so I couldn't respond.

The three guitars are the same size, same scale, and same woods.
The main difference is the scalloping of the top braces.

HD-28 has scalloped top braces.
The D-28 and D-35 have non-scalloped top braces.

The D-35 has a three-piece back, whereas the 28s have a two-piece back.

The HD has real herringbone inlay, whereas the others have Boltaron.

That's about it. They all sound wonderful. Like Zaq said, go play them all and choose the best one. I have a D-35.

[JTR&PIG]

was wondering if i could get some feedback on these 3 different martin's.

ive always been a taylor guy, owning 4 taylors and of course an american strat. (got to love fender)

anyways, i know lots of you play these martin's since they are the most popular martin's out there. im leaning towards the d35 i like the deep tone and you got to love that 3 tone back.

but ive heard amazing things about the hd28 and whats the difference in the d28?

any feedback and info would be appreciated! im looking at buying a martin in the next couple of weeks to use for work on an ep... and just thought id ask around here before buying!

thanks ahead of time!
~bo

oh here is a pricing list i put together from musicians friend and list price.
maybe you all could discuss $$$ as well as value?

d28 - 1999.99 MF
2749.00 list

hd28 - 2399.99 MF
3199.00 list

d35 - 2099.99 MF
2849.00 list
taylor/guild fan so i m biased but I did play D-28 and I did liek the tone, but Id take a 714 any day over it

[pay4whatuget]

i own a d35 and looked at several before buying it, among them the d28 and hd28.

i obviously went with the d35...it just has more balls. i think that both the d35 and the (h)d28 have that classic martin boomy bass, the d35 is really good about letting the highs cut through. you just have to keep fresh strings on it...moreso than other guitars in my opinion

[tdowe99]

Do you put Mediums or Lights on your D-35?
It's getting time to change the strings, and I don't want to mess with the trussrod.

[JTR&PIG]

Do you put Mediums or Lights on your D-35?
It's getting time to change the strings, and I don't want to mess with the trussrod.
the trussrod is very scary to me, i don't go anywhere near mine

[sparty on]

Rule #1 when buying a Martin (any guitar really, but these especially): make sure you play each guitar that you are considering to buy. Each guitar has its own voice. Some are bassier, some are muddier, etc. Anyway, each of these guitars has a general voice that I can help you out with i guess.

D-28: Assuming this one isn't over 30 years old don't buy it. Suck up the extra $$$ and go with the HD-28. You won't regret it.

HD-28: This is kind of the standard for all guitars. I like them more than the 35, but it's apples and oranges. If you get the chance to play an LSV, go for it. I prefer those---more volume. Elderly instruments has one with an adirondack top and I played it the other day and wow. One of the nicest sounding guitars in the store (thats saying something too check elderly.com). As for the sound of an HD-28, it tends to be the epitome of that Martin tone. Rolling bass notes, balanced mids, and singing highs.

D-35: Similar tone but more rich, it likes an aggressive attack. This guitar likes to be driven more than the HD-28's. Play it hard or go home. My experience with these is that they tend to have a muddier bass than the 28's. It's all personal here, but eliminate the D-28 and consider an HD-28 or D-35 (or HD-35) instead.

[PhishFleck41]

Rule #1 when buying a Martin (any guitar really, but these especially): make sure you play each guitar that you are considering to buy. Each guitar has its own voice. Some are bassier, some are muddier, etc. Anyway, each of these guitars has a general voice that I can help you out with i guess.

D-28: Assuming this one isn't over 30 years old don't buy it. Suck up the extra $$$ and go with the HD-28. You won't regret it.

HD-28: This is kind of the standard for all guitars. I like them more than the 35, but it's apples and oranges. If you get the chance to play an LSV, go for it. I prefer those---more volume. Elderly instruments has one with an adirondack top and I played it the other day and wow. One of the nicest sounding guitars in the store (thats saying something too check elderly.com). As for the sound of an HD-28, it tends to be the epitome of that Martin tone. Rolling bass notes, balanced mids, and singing highs.

D-35: Similar tone but more rich, it likes an aggressive attack. This guitar likes to be driven more than the HD-28's. Play it hard or go home. My experience with these is that they tend to have a muddier bass than the 28's. It's all personal here, but eliminate the D-28 and consider an HD-28 or D-35 (or HD-35) instead.

You hit the nail on the head, good sir. I am a big fan of the warmness of adirondack tops and brazilian backs. I am looking to sell my kidneys for a Froggy Bottom with that wood combo or a Martin.

I am partial towards the HD-28V with the vintage appointments. I am not big on the open tuners, but it does give it a vintage flare.

[sparty on]

Yeah that adi LSV i was talking about was a SERIOUS guitar. It was just "the one." I mean it actually was LOUDER than a Collings D-2HA. I mean, Collings have the most in-your-face sound out of anything out there. What made this particular LSV better was that you didnt have to pound it to get the max out of it (like most Collings). It also had that warmth and clarity across the board unlike the "coldness" of the Collings.

I actually like the open-back Waverly look, but this LSV was custom made for Elderly with some Kluson tuners. Only complaint is I like the gold harware over nickel. I have yet to play some Froggies though. What do they compare to?

By the way Bopanic, I envy your dilemma.