Buying a NEW guitar
 

Hey guys,

I wanted to ask your opinions on buying a brand new guitar. For example, with my Taylor GA8 I did not play it prior to receiving it I ordered it directly from Long and Mcquade and they had it sent directly from Taylor to them and then to me. It ended up working out great, it was everything I wanted in a guitar I had never played it but it was amazing and I love the fact that it had not been "handled" by every person at the music store.

Now I am thinking about buying a Martin D-28. Again, I would like one that is brand new that no one but myself has played. My only concern is that after reading many posts on the forum, I should be playing the guitar before buying and that I cannot just expect a great guitar.

Will lighting strike twice and will I get lucky enough to have an amazing guitar that no one but myself has played, or should I go out and find one that is just right at the music store?

I don't have much personal experience with Martins, but from what I've read on the forum, they seem to be a little inconsistent in terms of sound, more so than Taylors. I'd vote for "try if you can" :)

If you're a hard strummer (e.g., bluegrass), the D-28 may be the right guitar for you. But if you like to play a combination of finger picking and flat picking and particularly if you have a light attack on the strings, you might be happier with the HD-28. The scalloped bracing makes the HD-28 a little warmer and responsive without needing all that driving force. For my playing style, mostly fingerstyle, the HD-28 works way better for me.

I'm a long time Martin player and fan, since I got my '67 D-35. Still, I agree that Martins can be hit or miss. I would recommend trying some Martins personally to make sure you know what you're getting into. I have played some D-28's that I thought weren't all that great. I've never played an HD-28 that I didn't think sounded pretty good. But that's me and my reaction to how I play and hear things.

However, I did break my own rule about playing a guitar first, and I did buy a Martin 000-28VS via the Internet on a gamble. I couldn't find one to play anywhere within 1000 miles; I kept that guitar because it did sound great. Then again, the 000-28VS has scalloped bracing... like the HD-28.

Good luck with this,
Glenn

If you're set on a D-28, I'd go play as many as you can. I wouldn't order one. They can be really thuddy if you get a 'bad' one. They can vary quite a bit. You want one that falls on the right side of the bell curve. ;)

Personally, I think the best Martins are made by Collings. I'd be checking out a Collings D2H. Collings are really cool. I want one...

D-28s can be really (what a Martin custom shop guy told me) "Muddy" sounding - the posts above are very good advice go with the HDs, 000s, or OMs and you will have better luck finding a more "open" sound. But, no matter what I would play before I pay!

D28
 

The D28 is the guitar that many other dreads are patterned after. I have played alot of them and haven't heard a really bad one yet, unless it had some kind of structural problem or had been abused.

Most Martins are not your "take out of the box and be dazzled" guitars. They take some serious playing time to go thru the proverbial "opening up'. For a while you really have the coax the sound out of them, but when they do open up, they are fab. Best wishes.

Should you try before you buy?
 

I have a slightly different opinion on this. I have bought many guitars I have never played. If you buy from a reputable on line retailer you should have a pretty good experience. Almost all online retailers allow you to return the guitar if you don't like it. Also, it isn't common for you to be able to play more than one guitar of a certain model at a retail store. I thing I absolutely agree w/.....Collings makes a better Martin! I hope you get your guitar soon!!

To expand a bit, Collings, Huss & Dalton, Santa Cruz, Bourgeois and a number of small builders of "traditional" flat top guitars individually voice each guitar. The result is a guitar which is much more alive and responsive-"optimized" if you will. It also provides for a much narrower variance from the buider's "optimal" voice. Each builder has their own voice and feel, but you'll rarely encounter a dud.

I personally prefer Collings because they tend to be loud and fairly aggresssive. I've tested out quite a few and they were all very lively and dynamic. Collings fit and finish is second to none. I'd give a special shout to M.J. Franks ( http://www.mjfranksguitar.com/) if you want to go the small builder route. Very nice stuff and a Mike is a nice guy.

Martin builds every D-28 the same, every HD-28 the same, every OM-28 the same. The problem is each top and back/side set possesses different sound-producing charactaristics. Thus Martins fall along a bell curve for sound quality. Most are OK, a few are poor and a few are excellent. Martin build quality is very good on their higher-end models. Martins are high quality factory built guitars.

Finding boutique traditional flat tops to try will take a bit more time as they aren't built by the bazillions. But putting that extra effort into your search will, IMHO, will have a big payoff!

Good luck and let us know how it comes out!

i see nothing wrong your approach to buying guitars. for a great martin D-28, try jim holler at trinityguitars.com. he will set it up to your specs, and you will have a similar situation where the guitar comes unplayed by anyone buy you and him.

http://trinityguitars.com/steelstr/frame.htm

The D28 is one of the best guitars built by anyone. If that's the guitar you want - if you can play it - if you can't order it from a dealer that has several and that will let you exchange if necessary to find one you like.

You'll get the lifetime warranty and knowledge that you will have a great investment on your hands if you keep it for a while. I've never played a mediocre or bad one. Go for it.

Sure like Martins as a rule, but just with any guitar, i have to play it a while before buying, everyone regardless of maker sounds unique to me/my playing style

I think you likely wont go wrong with the d-28 (all i think of is the white album)...i have a Larivee dread i like alot, something to consider i guess

My only worry is that because you already own a GA8 you're not really getting much in terms of change. Unless that's what you're aiming for, than by all means - I play a 28 at GC on friday and it is definitely a cannon. Boomy bass with bright highs. Everything that rosewood should be, but then again a GA8 is pretty much the same, just tighter bass, lower volume, but all in all same tonal range.

If you like the rosewood sound you will not be disappointed in the D-28. All claims are true and I've never played a solid rosewood Martin that didn't live up to expectations.

My personal suggestion would to look into something mahogany just to add flavor. Martin hog dreads are some of the finest and one should try out indeed.

Ummm.....HD-28 just mean "Herringbone" rosette and fancy purfling. They're almost identical in to D-28s.

Sorry, that would be bad information

HD-28's have scalloped braces which makes a huge difference in sound. They do not have a herringbone rosette, they have exactly the same rosette as the D-28, which is style 28. The inlay/purfling is what is herringbone.

I have owned every 28 in the series, they sound very different from each other.

D-28 Standard X bracing
HD-28 Standard X bracing, scalloped
HD-28V Stanbdard X bracing, scalloped, forward shifted
D-28 Marquis Standard X scalloped (Golden Era Style), Forward Shifted (Adi braces and top)

Back to the OP, I love Martins, try before you buy is still wise advise. They are factory built guitars, most are very good, a few "not so much", and a few fantastic. The trick is audtioning, getting to know the norm, then find a fantastic one. Well worth the effort if you've ever played a fantastic Martin.

I'm not a Martin guy, however, I have bought several guitars sight unseen over the Internet and several from the music store and trying them out first - my results have been remarkably the same on how well I like the guitar months down the road. I've sold off or traded several guitars - half I had hand picked and half blind picked.

For me, at least, it takes several hours of playing to decide how much I really like a guitar. Some of those I really liked at the store just seemed to be missing something to me after weeks of playing at home...and I can't say specifically what it is, although it is mostly just the overall sound and feel of the instrument. Of course, I've also found the same behavior in my motorcycle purchases - takes thousands of miles before I really decide if I like the bike or not - so have bought and sold/traded at least 8 bikes in the last few years also.

In my opinion, we all are wired to with a minimum of two acquisition motivations - 1) My first impression is I really like/want it 2) Now that I have it, what am I really feeling about the ownership.

And possibly also 3) Does my 1st impression want for another now outweigh my "currently owned" feelings for an item? If so, welcome GAS!