An exquisite recreation of the very first Martin D-28
Recently purchased from movie star Richard Gere, for the Martin Museum
The Ur D-28 was copied in minute detail to create its doppelganger, the D-28 Authentic 1931
“The D-28 Authentic 1931 is big guitar that has a big voice, yet it is agile and graceful and truly a thing of beauty. It has a lot of air and open space inside that expansive tone bubble that effortlessly glows out around the guitarist as a strummed chord is left to swell and waver. The trebles are fat but pure, the bass is robust and warm as a bearskin coat, and the mid-range stays up front in a way 14-fret dreads never quite manage…
Lighter than one might guess a rosewood guitar can be, it produces an enormous amount of rich, yet open tone with little effort, but loves to be strummed hard as well. Having played the “Gere guitar” on different occasions, I can say the prototype of the D-28A 1931 actually has more horsepower under the hood. And it has perfect intonation up the neck, something pre-war Martins never quite achieve.”
Our second in a series of reviews on the new Martin Authentics features a very special guitar indeed. More reviews will follow after the Holiday Weekend. Happy 4th of July everybody! We are pleased to kick off our holiday festivities with this in depth look at the recreation of one of the most historic guitars made by one of America’s oldest family businesses.