HD-28e Sweetwater Edition
 

Anybody familiar with these?

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HD28SE

I just stumbled across it while looking into the HD-28e Retro (I'm in the market for a good gigging guitar).

The Sweetwater Edition looks similar except for:

- Adi top (!)
- Narrower nut (which I prefer)
- Open Gotoh tuners
- Different pickup (Fishman Ellipse blend instead of F1 Aura Plus)

I thought I had it narrowed down to a D-18e Retro or HD-28e Retro, but this one is interesting to say the least. My main concern is with the pickup - I really like the idea of the specific images in the Retro's F1 Aura Plus. But I also don't know if I like the knobs / display on the side. And I do have an Aura DI, so I could still go the image route, it just wouldn't be the specific images that are in the F1 Aura Plus.

Help?

I should also point out one con to the Sweetwater Edition: not being able to play it first. I'd much rather buy local and play first, but the specs on this guitar make it seem like it's worth a look.

Hi mwalk. I have played the "Sweetwater edition" HD28 and D18 (because I work there) They are fantastic guitars and the Adi top is very different from their "normal" counterparts with Sitka. The time I played the HD28 it had D Addario's new Nickel Bronze strings on it though which was a little different than what I am used to tone-wise.

I thought I was going to have an even bigger dilemma because I didn't even realize there was a D-18 version. It still has the 1.75" nut, though, and an iBeam instead of the Fishman Ellipse (I wonder why the different pickup?).

Have you by chance been able to a/b the Sweetwater HD-28 with a Standard HD-28? Acoustically and plugged in?

I'm really liking the specs on this Sweetwater edition, but it is more expensive - about $600 more than what I could get an HD-28e Retro for, and about $1000 more than the D-18e Retro. (And for that kind of price difference it may be worth dealing with the wider nut in the D-18e Retro)

I have played both but not right next to each other, and neither of them I have played plugged in. I usually play acoustics without any amp since I never play live. We have both of them in our showroom and I could certainly try out both sometime!

Very kind of you to offer! I'd definitely be interested to hear your comparison, but I won't be ready to buy for another month or so. The website says there are 4 of them in stock and since I'm in IL, im actually thinking about making the drive.

I bought the D18 SWE. Great guitar! The iBeam only lasted a couple of weeks. I yanked it in favor of a JJB.

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Yea I'm not a big iBeam fan. And I've already got a D-18. That's why HD-28 with the Fishman Ellipse is so enticing. The Adi top and better tuners is just icing on the cake!

The D-18SE has an Adi top, too, right? You like it?

I wish Sweetwater would have installed the Fishman Ellipse Aura in the first place! The nice thing is that the Ellipse preamp of each system is held in place by a magnetic-mounting plate on the underside of guitar's top and you can easily swap-out the Fishman Ellipse Blend Preamp for a Fishman Ellipse Aura Preamp by pulling the preamp free of the mounting-plate and detaching and reattaching the 9-volt power-supply and Matrix pickup wires.

Didn't think of that - cool idea. Is there a benefit to doing it that way over using the Aura DI?

It's one less thing to trip over and one less device in the signal chain.

Good luck. I'm still waiting to get my electronics replaced. However they worked long enough last night to do a 45 min set. I have to say that it sounded super. In a small coffee house i was using 80% image through a PA and it was really impressive. I suggest you play examples of these pickup options. In a loud band, the higher image blend won't be as useful, so the Aura+ becomes less necessary. In quieter/solo situations , I'm sold on the technology.

However, if you are looking for an Adi top, the SW edition is a nice way to go.

But, understand that guitar doesn't appear to have forward shifted braces like the HD28V and HD28E Retro. It has standard placement scalloped bracing. Might not be a big deal to you.

Sweetwater is a good place to buy from. You might get good pricing with one of he sponsors, also.

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Yes the guitar is fantastic!

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Is it possible to negotiate prices with Sweetwater?

I had one 2 years ago and sold it 6 months later. Loud. Nice set up. Just not enough low end. But truly a pickers dream guitar. Loved the adi top.

Actually it does have forward shifted scalloped bracing. (Check out the spec list on the link in my OP). I believe the only differences between this and the standard HD-28 are the pickup, Adi top and tuners. Oh and the fretboard inlays.